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CB Government and Public Services Review of U.S. Department of State - Passport
U.S. Department of State - Passport

U.S. Department of State - Passport review: Exceeded passport turn-around time 2

K
Author of the review
12:00 am EDT
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I applied for a passport in mid-February, today is May 7th, and I still haven't received it. I tried calling the 1877 number on the website (practically the only way to get ahold of someone) 2 weeks before my vacation (as instructed), and after 3 days of 2 hours waiting on the phone, I still can't get ahold of anyone. So, I've mailed off my proof of citizenship (my birth certificate), I have no passport, and my vacation is in 6 days. I understand that it's the summer season, and that these things need to be planned ahead, but I followed THEIR time tables, and I've far exceeded their turn-around times. Now, I'm without a passport. If the government is going to implement new policies, then they need to plan ahead of time, hire more people, and be able to handle the amount of passport requests.

2 comments
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Dr. LaShonda Brown
Madison, US
Mar 25, 2014 12:08 pm EDT

I applied for my passport in May 2013. I soon learned I would not be able to travel and
tried to stop the application process. I was told to place a stop payment on the check by my local post office. I did not receive any correspondence from the Passport Office until June 2013 stating I did not remit payment in 30 days and my check would be sent to collections. I tried unsuccessfully to reach someone in the office to explain the letter but no one called me back.
In February 2014, the Department of State took $152.00 from my tax refund for the fees for the passport application buy they refuse to issue me a passport.

I think this process is unfair and needs to be revamped.

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Ticket off in CT
greater hartford, US
Jul 19, 2013 4:01 pm EDT

My Husband and I have been trying to get passports since April. I went to the Dept. of State website to the list of acceptable documents, printed the list and on the weekend, went to the Post Office to submit our application. We brought was listed as acceptable ID (i.e., birth certificate, driver's license, SS card). When we got to the rep, we were told that the "short form" is not accepted, you will need your long form. Okay great, now since my husband was not born in the state we live in, we now have to pay extra to get his long form. 2weeks & $40.00 later, we try again. Get to the rep and was turned around as my driver's licenses had just expired. Get that corrected and go back the following weekend. Now, we got to be all set, well get to the rep, everything’s good. She takes copies of both drivers licenses & SS cards, then tells us we have to use our original birth certificates (mind you this is the one we just paid $40.00 for), and we our hesitation, the rep says, "no worries, they will send it back to you." Since we are 6weeks from our travel date, we are encouraged to pay extra to get it rushed. Now $400.00 later we are waiting for our passports and we get an email, that there is some confusion from one of the state where my husband once lived and now he has to cancel his request & forfeit our money just so he can use the birth certificate with the company we are leaving with (in the next 3 weeks) as ID. Well, here is where it gets funny. Now 3 days later I get an email saying that valid driver’s licenses, SS card and birth certificate, I sent is not "Sufficient ID". I call the 800# and I am told that "We don’t know why the office sent you that letter, but I think it’s because your driver’s licenses expired this year and is less than 1 year old. So, we need this other forms of ID -- Passport, Birth Certificate, SS card, Job ID, Medical Records, Child's Birth Certificate, Newspaper or Magazine article with your picture in it or some other State/Federal ID. With no help from one rep, called back spoke to someone else and they sent a message to the office handling my passport request, asking them to call me. Well that was Monday (5days ago), and I am still waiting. Get the run around every time I call with this same of BS response "They know when you are traveling, so they will call you before then, we just can’t say when that will be, and no we can’t give you a number to reach them. So, I now have 90days to get in touch with this office or lose the rest of our money. Now, I have less than a week to get my passport or risk losing a $5k vacation, because our government reps are completely incompetent. Now, I understand why other countries say what they say about us.

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