Passport expediters?

[Canice]

Yes, a few days ago I was asking about passports and travel to Canada. For totally unrelated reasons, it looks like I'll be going to London (uhm, England, not Ontario) instead. I'd be leaving in ten days' time, so the passport problem is worse than I thought. I'll call the US Passport office on Monday to see about getting a renewal expedited, but in looking for their Web site, I saw zillions of expediting services. Wow, I'd never entrust such an important thing to some agency I found online. But I'm guessing some of them must be legit. Just curious if that's so and if anyone has had any experience with them. Meanwhile, I'll be calling on my Uncle Sam.

[honeygirl1971]

Usually there are two parts of the passport problem--you need it to be PROCESSSED more quickly, and then you need to RECEIVE it more quickly. But if you haven't already, you should look at this website: http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/agencies/agencies_900.html and make an appt (I think you can do that over the weekend). You might need to bring your plane tickets--I seem to recall that for the expedited PROCESSING you need to prove that it has to be done that quickly.

[Hammster]

In California, you just pay an additional fee to get your passport expedited. There were no external agencies involved.
I don't recall details as it's been awhile, but I just paid whatever the fee was and I think I had it in 10 days or some such.

[acginkc]

I am the queen of procrastination so I have had to do this before. At least here in KS we just go to the post office and they have the option to have everything expedited for an extra fee. If however you run into any problems there, call your Senators or Representatives in DC. They have people in thier offices that deal with this kind of stuff everyday and can usually get things moving a bit faster. I believe they are with the constituent (sp?) services. Have a wonderful trip.

[honeygirl1971]

I just want to say again that you have to make sure that you are getting both the processing and the delivery expedited. The last time I had to do this I had a bit more time and I didn't have my plane tickets yet, so I just had the delivery expedited. It was way faster than it would have been, but the processing itself was not expedited. To get THAT done, I believe you have to go in person and provide proof of necessity. It's been a while, and I was in Illinois, so things may be different for Canice, but that's what I remember.

[Canice]

Thanks for your input, everyone. Unfortunately I've been through the drill before but I actually had about 3 weeks' notice, so it worked out fine, just paid the extra fees. In this case, I'm supposed to leave a week from Monday, so it's REALLY tight. I did call for an appointment (thanks, Honeygirl, for doing the legwork for me!). Gotta love bureaucracies, get this: they are accepting appointments for those traveling before July 1. OK, that makes sense - they said 14 days. And when is their first and last available appointment? JUNE 30. Great, I'm scheduled to return June 28 (yes, a 48-hour stay!).
I'll have to see if there are any other options at all. Ugh, I am NEVER again letting my passport expire!! :mad:

[badunnin]

In California, you just pay an additional fee to get your passport expedited. There were no external agencies involved.
I don't recall details as it's been awhile, but I just paid whatever the fee was and I think I had it in 10 days or some such.

Being as they are issued by a federal agency, wouldn't this hold for all states?

[Aubergine]

i was recently able to get one within 4 days through our local Post Office and paying only the additional $60 (i think) that the Passport Office normally charges. did NOT use an agent, did NOT use Overnight Express mail.

there are phone nos. you can call; a lot hangs on how far you are located from the closest US Passport office. there is a website that can give you the apps and info; the main things are your proof of ID, plus the pix, which can be done 1-2-3 at any local camera store (for half the price that the USPS charges, if yours does them).

i'd suggest your largest local Post Office that does apps, --even if you have to travel a bit--because it goes out as 'urgent' mail (my word, not theirs), and if you are within 2-3 hours of a regional Passport Office, voila!

---> YOU WILL NEED TO GIVE A DEPARTURE DATE, BUT NO ONE ASKED ME FOR ANY PROOF OF MINE.

VERY IMPT!!!: mark on the envelope clearly and boldly, 'EXPRESS EXPEDITE (DATE OF DEPARTURE).

it was stunningly efficient.

[Canice]

...
i'd suggest your largest local Post Office that does apps, --even if you have to travel a bit--because it goes out as 'urgent' mail (my word, not theirs), and if you are within 2-3 hours of a regional Passport Office, voila!

Thanks for the additional input, Aubergine. I'm actually within 2-3 *miles* of a regional passport office; they're the ones who take appointments for immediate processing if you're leaving within 14 days. That's the place that offered me their last appointment available before July 1. It was on June 30 :rolleyes: . There are several large P.O.s around here that do passport processing so I'll check it out in person on Monday. This is a really, REALLY expensive plane ticket, so I can't have it issued until my employer knows I can travel. Apparently, my itinerary and a letter from my employer will be sufficient proof of necessity. We'll see how it goes.

[Hammster]

Being as they are issued by a federal agency, wouldn't this hold for all states?

I imagine that's true. But I can only speak to my experience. I just went to the San Diego County Administration Building with my passport photos, birth certificate and the money and they did the rest after I filled out the paperwork. It was pretty easy.

[Aubergine]

Thanks for the additional input, Aubergine. I'm actually within 2-3 *miles* of a regional passport office; they're the ones who take appointments for immediate processing if you're leaving within 14 days. That's the place that offered me their last appointment available before July 1. It was on June 30 :rolleyes: . There are several large P.O.s around here that do passport processing so I'll check it out in person on Monday. This is a really, REALLY expensive plane ticket, so I can't have it issued until my employer knows I can travel. Apparently, my itinerary and a letter from my employer will be sufficient proof of necessity. We'll see how it goes.

well, allow me to also add this, b/c SF is a far cry from Podunk, USA, and the further we get into the summer (as in, schools are out), the more difficult this might become.

otoh, i found my Post Office personnel astoundingly sympathetic. actually, my first app was denied, so i had to go back with more ID and do it again, but that was when they told me, "not to worry, it will be in Phila. in the a.m.," and sure enuf, i had the passport 2 days later. it was that "express expedite (dep. date)" that really did the trick.

fyi, my DS in Berkeley had to get his renewed a few months ago; it got lost (:rolleyes:), but he went the same route, via the USPS, and got his very quickly, also.

best of luck! advocate for yourself if people want to stall you; altho' i didn't have that happen, i would have asked for a supervisor, etc. my guess is that you'll get this done with less angst than you're expecting.

p.s. bon voyage!

[honeygirl1971]

I did call for an appointment (thanks, Honeygirl, for doing the legwork for me!). Gotta love bureaucracies, get this: they are accepting appointments for those traveling before July 1. OK, that makes sense - they said 14 days. And when is their first and last available appointment? JUNE 30. Great, I'm scheduled to return June 28 (yes, a 48-hour stay!).
I'll have to see if there are any other options at all.

OMG, so typical!! :eek: The French bureaucracy is SO bad that I forget that these things happen in the US too. I hope you can find another solution!! Good luck!!

[Canice]

Popping by with an update (to this gripping saga :p ):

I didn't get to the post office on Monday, but did go today. When I told them my flight is on Monday, they said they cannot process the request. And where did they send me? ...to an expediter! (Yes, the very thing that prompted this thread). It was only a block from the post office, and they said I can pick up the passport on Friday. Well, I have to drop off the documents and pictures first thing tomorrow morning, but that's it. No trip to the regional office, no FedEx. They pick everything up in person and hold it at their office. In addition to the government's fees, they charge $150.00 for 24-hour service, which is what I require (the next option is 3-day service). My employer will pay it, so that doesn't bother me. And in the scheme of things, I don't think that's such an outrageous amount to charge. I mean, if you need a passport in 24 hours, it's probably for a good reason, worth 150 bucks.

I'm scheduled to arrive a mid-day Tuesday and leave Thursday afternoon, but that's just crazy, especially given the holiday weekend, so I'm going to try to come back on Saturday and meet a friend from another cooking board on Friday. :)

[honeygirl1971]

Canice, I'm so glad you found a solution! And I agree, given the urgency the $150 doesn't seem too out of line. And that's great you can take the extra 2 days-- a 2 day trip does seem crazy for such a long distance! Have a great trip! :)