Santiago
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Passport SNAFU: Update
SWMBO mailed her passport late January for renewal for upcoming March 8 trip to CDMX. Paid for expedited as it was quoted 4-5 weeks. Turns out to be
a bad decision. State's website said they received it Feb 6 and is now quoting 5-7 weeks from the day the received it for expedited.
The expedited application asked for the dates of travel so they know that. All we get from folks at Passport services and local passport office is
that we have to start calling exactly 14 days before travel and see if they will change from Expedited to 14-day.
Anyone know if we can pay for overnight delivery like FedEx? Anyone else go thru this?
UPDATE: Doorbell rang yesterday, UPS driver hands SWMBO a large envelope. Inside was her new passport. Sheesh. Had to cancel our appointments with
passport office in San Francisco, hotel and restaurant bookings. So, mailed application for expedited on Jan 30 with 5 week turnaround, they received
it on Feb 6 and then posted 6-7 weeks out for expedited from date of receipt causing all this stress. Then we get it in 3-1/2 weeks.
I guess we can't complain but we sure would like to.
[Edited on 3-2-2023 by Santiago]
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mtgoat666
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Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Quote: Originally posted by Santiago  | SWMBO mailed her passport late January for renewal for upcoming March 8 trip to CDMX. Paid for expedited as it was quoted 4-5 weeks. Turns out to be
a bad decision. State's website said they received it Feb 6 and is now quoting 5-7 weeks from the day the received it for expedited.
The expedited application asked for the dates of travel so they know that. All we get from folks at Passport services and local passport office is
that we have to start calling exactly 14 days before travel and see if they will change from Expedited to 14-day.
Anyone know if we can pay for overnight delivery like FedEx? Anyone else go thru this?
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been there, done that.
First, schedule an appointment 14 days before you travel (make up a travel date, you are driving, they wont put you thru an inquisition; and is OK to
say your travel date has changed... life happens, the bureaucrat just wants to hear something logical). Call for appt right at 8AM EST. They seem to
fill up slots by 9, then they quit answering phone.
Second, after you make your appt, next day call the same number and explain how you got an appt, but your PP application is stuck elsewhere (you may
be able to handle this in your initial call requesting the appt). They will track it down and make sure it arrives at your local office for your
scheduled appt. Be polite, they will find your lost application.
Take a letter to your appt attesting to your travel plans. They want to see airline reservation, cruise reservation, etc. For driving trip, just
write a letter explaining how you have to travel by car to particular location in mexico on particular date.
[Edited on 2-14-2023 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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Santiago
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Well, not sure I would ever admit to this but the Goat was spot on. Had to get SWMBO up at 4:45 a-freaking-m in the morning to start calling to get
in line for the 8:00am EST but it worked. Laterally if you were 4 minutes late the slots were full. Had to do it for three days but we got our
appointment in San Francisco next week so gonna go down the night before and act like we are the swells. We're talking price fixe at $180 a pop and
$150 for wine paring....sheesh.
Appt is at noon the next day so we should be clean and sober by then.
Will post photos from the perp walk and intake.
Start your passport renewal well in advance!.
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soulpatch
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Sage advice
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BajaBlanca
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Way to go! Splurging sounds like so much fun, esp in a wonderful city like SF!
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Santiago
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Update above
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BajaBlanca
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Great that she got it but venting would be useful emotionally LOL
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