The Invisible Passport
Saturday, June 13, 2009 dawned a bright, pretty day if not a bit humid. To be expected around this time of year in the Gulf Coast area. The atmosphere hung heavy with a heat index rivaling that of the Serengeti. But nothing would stop us from making that trek to our local library in order to turn in our passport application. Trek we did. Turn it in we did. But have we received a passport? Nope!
Several weeks have passed and the fear of not receiving my son’s passport in time for our trip has gripped my heart like a vise. Religiously I’ve checked The U.S. Department of State’s Travel webpage (direct link here), hoping that by some miracle the status has changed from “currently being processed” to “already sent it to ya, now stop clicking our links!!!”. No such heavenly happening had taken place as of this morning. So, with shaking hands and thumping heart, I called the dreaded toll-free phone number (1-877-487-2778) and waited a surprisingly short amount of time before speaking with a customer service “agent”.
Rather cheerfully I was informed the regular processing time for passports is 4 - 6 weeks. Information I already knew. The kick in the pants??? That’s 4 - 6 weeks from the time it arrives in the government offices, NOT from the time the application is processed at the processing facility!!! Unfortunately, our application had not been received by the “powers that be” until June 23rd, a full 10 days after we applied and a time period that totally pushed the envelope of the 4-6 week processing time.
Silently I contemplated as the agent waited patiently for what she probably assumed would be an inevitable outburst. I was, of course, miffed … upset … peeved … p.o.’d … pissed … mad… angry … you get the picture. BUT!!!… this was no one’s fault but my own. By waiting longer than necessary to get the paperwork done, I’d placed my son’s first trip abroad in a rather precarious predicament. Sooo NOT cool!!!
Steeling myself, I asked for my options and with a sigh of what I believe was relief at my calm demeanor, the agent whispered “expedite”. Huh? Come again. “Expedite?” I whispered back. And as our voices resumed normal speaking range, the miracle unfolded before me.
So, this is the deal. If you find yourself in a silly calamity like the one mentioned above, you can expedite the passport application while it is in process. Yes, you have to pay an additional fee ($60.00 to process and around $15.00 for overnite service) but the load off one’s heart and mind is well worth the extra expense. Simply call the toll-free number listed towards the beginning of this article, wait through the menu options until you get to speak to a real live person, and tell them you want to expedite your passport application. You will be asked for identifying information such as the applicant’s name, social security number, address of record, etc. You might also be asked for the application locator number which you will be given every time you check the status online. Have your credit or debit card handy and the agent will authorize the payment right over the phone. That’s all.
It may take a day or two (or three) for the payment authorization to hit your bank or credit card company but surely it will be there. I’m told it should take around 5 days for the process to complete and for the passport to reach our house. I’m not sure if that’s 5 days from the date I requested expedition or 5 days from the authorized payment. No matter, however, as 5 days in any form is way better than an additional 2-3 weeks and the chance that my kid would be jipped out of this most wonderful opportunity.
Take NOTE. Do as I say and not as I do. Get your passport early! Do not pass go, do not collect $200.00 (sorry, flashback to family monopoly night). Just get your butt on the ball and get that passport.
