1GoldenSun
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2017
We decided very recently to take a trip this summer to an all-inclusive in Cancun. I checked the kids' passports and unfortunately they had just expired. We went to the passport agency and applied for new ones--this was just a bit over six weeks prior to our departure date. The lady working there told us we had enough time to receive the new passports before the departure date and that we would not need to pay the extra to expedite them.
I waited just over two weeks and logged in to check the status of the passports. It said my son's was being processed, but they had no record of my daughter's. I called the passport agency and was told that the social security number they had on file did not match her actual social security number. I checked, re-checked, and triple-checked all the information on her application before I submitted it so I'm almost positive I did not enter her ss # incorrectly, and the man would not say (for privacy reasons) whether the number they have for her is just one digit off or entirely wrong. Who is at fault does not really matter at this point anyway.
This man told me the only thing I could do would be to wait two more days until my upcoming trip was close enough to be considered sort of an emergency situation (not his words but I don't remember exactly what he said). Then call back to the agency and get an appointment in Miami (five hours from me) to re-apply for an expedited passport, and pay the fees all over again. So basically start from scratch, pay again, and give up on the first application.
I was unsure about this being the correct thing to do, but I waited the two days and called back. This time I spoke with someone who seemed much more knowledgeable (the first guy just kept telling me he didn't really know what I could do, and I was nearing tears he finally came up with the above solution). This woman told me to immediately write a letter to the agency, send it overnight with signature required, and explain what happened and provide the correct ss #. She also hinted that the ss # they have for my daughter is completely different from her actual number, which means it was almost definitely their fault. But again, that hardly matters at this point--I just want her passport. This woman also said to wait at least one full day after the latter had been signed for and then call back. Additionally, she encouraged me to pay the extra money and change to expedited service for both children's passports, which I was happy to do. She was able to do that on the phone for me right then.
I sent the letter that day (July 3), so it didn't get there until July 5. It was signed for the morning of July 5, a Friday. I waited until the following Tuesday (July 9) to call back. This woman seemed less informed and said all I could do at this point really is to wait. She sad it could take up to five days for the letter to even reach the appropriate people after arriving at the facility, and then several more days to process.
I am getting very, very nervous. We are supposed to fly out of Miami early morning on the 29th--a Monday--so we'll have to drive down to Miami on Sunday. Basically, if we don't have passports in hand by Saturday, July 27, we're not going to be able to go. That's only 15 days from now, or only 10 business days. Just "waiting" is driving me crazy.
Any ideas? What would you do? Sorry this is so long.
I waited just over two weeks and logged in to check the status of the passports. It said my son's was being processed, but they had no record of my daughter's. I called the passport agency and was told that the social security number they had on file did not match her actual social security number. I checked, re-checked, and triple-checked all the information on her application before I submitted it so I'm almost positive I did not enter her ss # incorrectly, and the man would not say (for privacy reasons) whether the number they have for her is just one digit off or entirely wrong. Who is at fault does not really matter at this point anyway.
This man told me the only thing I could do would be to wait two more days until my upcoming trip was close enough to be considered sort of an emergency situation (not his words but I don't remember exactly what he said). Then call back to the agency and get an appointment in Miami (five hours from me) to re-apply for an expedited passport, and pay the fees all over again. So basically start from scratch, pay again, and give up on the first application.
I was unsure about this being the correct thing to do, but I waited the two days and called back. This time I spoke with someone who seemed much more knowledgeable (the first guy just kept telling me he didn't really know what I could do, and I was nearing tears he finally came up with the above solution). This woman told me to immediately write a letter to the agency, send it overnight with signature required, and explain what happened and provide the correct ss #. She also hinted that the ss # they have for my daughter is completely different from her actual number, which means it was almost definitely their fault. But again, that hardly matters at this point--I just want her passport. This woman also said to wait at least one full day after the latter had been signed for and then call back. Additionally, she encouraged me to pay the extra money and change to expedited service for both children's passports, which I was happy to do. She was able to do that on the phone for me right then.
I sent the letter that day (July 3), so it didn't get there until July 5. It was signed for the morning of July 5, a Friday. I waited until the following Tuesday (July 9) to call back. This woman seemed less informed and said all I could do at this point really is to wait. She sad it could take up to five days for the letter to even reach the appropriate people after arriving at the facility, and then several more days to process.
I am getting very, very nervous. We are supposed to fly out of Miami early morning on the 29th--a Monday--so we'll have to drive down to Miami on Sunday. Basically, if we don't have passports in hand by Saturday, July 27, we're not going to be able to go. That's only 15 days from now, or only 10 business days. Just "waiting" is driving me crazy.
Any ideas? What would you do? Sorry this is so long.