Passport Problems - Help from our congressman and a guy named Chris

If you are having problems getting your passport processed contact your congressperson NOW! They want to help you.

My sister and her boyfriend applied for their passport renewals approximately twelve weeks ago. At that time they were assured that they would receive their new passports within the 10-week timeframe quoted on the National Passport Information Center. Two weeks ago they began to get nervous, especially when our friend Synthia told us it took her 13 weeks to receive her passport. Sister Sonja and Erik have plane tickets to France this coming Monday and they could feel the Acme anvil hanging over their heads.

Sis called the National Passport Agency in San Francisco FOUR times and was given bogus info each time. Finally in desperation they decided to go up there in person to have their passports processed. "You can't come up without an appointment." "Then we would like an appointment." "There aren't any appointments available now or in the foreseeable future." This news was in direct conflict with what she was told and what she read on their website.

Sis googled "passport problems help" and read a number of blogs discussing this issue. It seemed that the most effective way to expedite one's passport was to contact one's congressperson. On Wednesday sis contacted her congressman, Mike Honda, and spoke to a guy named Chris (in the Campbell district office I believe). Chris listened to her story and promised to do what he could to help out.

Today their passports were delivered via FedEx. She logged onto the National Passport website and the update indicated that their passports left yesterday, July 12th, and that they paid a premium for expedited delivery. Sis paid no premium so that means Mike Honda's office paid it.

She discovered that many congresspeople address this passport problem on the home pages of their websites.

Sis wants to thank Mike Honda and the guy named Chris who saved their trip to France by getting them their passports in 48 hours. She also wants to thank all those folks who blogged about this screwed up situation so that she could figure out how to solve her problem.

With so much fighting going on about people who want to get into the country, we didn't realize how hard it is to get out.