We got our passports yesterday.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to see them until my husband came home from work today because he’d met our mailman, a friend, as he walked to work yesterday morning and ended up getting our passports from the mailman on the street.
He then brought our passports to work, left them in the bosses office and couldn’t bring them home last night because he boss left before he did – locking her office door and thus making it impossible for Chris to bring the passports home.
So I get the passports today at about 6:30 pm. What do I see when I open mine up? My place of birth information is listed wrong!
We’re leaving on November 8th! That doesn’t leave much time to get this fixed!
I immediately tried calling the 1-800 number for the passport office and I spoke with one of the Passport officers. I was told I’ll have to go to the main Passport office in Toronto to get this fixed and that yes, they’ll put a rush on it.
But what if it’s not done on time? I was so happy that our passports had arrived and now I’ve got a big problem!
My proper place of birth was written on my passport application, plus they also had a good photocopy of my birth certificate. What the heck are all the registration numbers on official I.D’s for anyway if they don’t check and then double check all this information?
I was told by the passport officer on the phone that the way I’d written my birthplace name it did sort of look like the wrong birthplace that they’d listed. Still … aren’t they also supposed to check the birth certificate? You know – the official documentation? WTF?
This makes me wonder how well they check everything else?
Grrrrrr!
If you could see me right now you’d see steam coming out of my ears! I’m so mad!
Sounds like the US Government.. every year they send my tax info with no vowels in my last name. It doesn’t matter how many times I fix it, tell them to fix it, every year it’s the same.
Don’t feel bad…just yet. I applied for my passport (according to my money order receipt) as well as my 2 kids passport on Feb 16, 2007. The passport office shows March 13, 2007 as the date it entered their system. Today is Nov. 1, 2007 and I just got back from the Houston Passport Office very, very dissapointed. After numerous calls to the passport office and hearing the same response (“yes, it is being processed”) It was suggested that I write (registered receipt of course) to my region passport office (Houston). I did as suggested on Oct. 18th at the same time I purchases tickets for my family and I for a trip to Mexico, confident that with the letter I wrote them about my travel plans including a copy of our itinerary it would be enough to at least warrant a response from them advising either when I would receive my passport or the reason for the delay. Guess what? Nada!! So my wife and I drove from Austin to Houston (about a 3 hour drive) as again, suggested by passport personnel since we were within 14 days of our planned travel (as suggested on their website). Feeling very upbeat and confident that I would leave Houston with my passport we arrived about 30 minutes before my scheduled appt. When I was finally called I was informed that my application was being delayed due to the fact that the midwife that delivered me (and half of the town I grew up in) had been found to have falsified some birth affidavits. So my citizenship is in question now,OK? what next……I was born in 1960, my parents had just immigrated (legally) so here is what I am supposed to submit to them before Nov. 8th my departure date…..
1. School transcript (not a problem I called it in today)
2. Immunization record (ha ha) where did my mom put it? I am 47 years old…jeez.
3. U.S. Census records…chances are my parents still don’t know what this is…but I have to request a copy of the 1960 census and pray they filled it out and sent it in….right!!
4. Rental agreements/mortages
5. utility bills (originals only)
6. Prenatal/Post natal dr. visits…..why do you think I was delivered by a midwife?
7. student I.D. card…come on!!!
8. High School year book cover and photo pages ( is it a rule everyone
had to buy one?) no one told me…the truth is I couldn’t afford one.
And of course all by next week….yet, nothing that occurred after I was born matters…..
1. Served my country proudly for 5 years….doesn’t matter they say, why? Even illegals can serve in the armed forces…
2. Have been self employed for 24 years….so what, huh?
The burden of proof is on me…they say my birth certificate is not enough, I am in dire need of some congressional help, othewise I am out of about $3500….
p.s. called the passport office tonight just to see what they would say and was greeted by a person that I was barely able to understand due to her heavy accent…I asked if there was a grievance form or number and she gave me an address in D.C. on Pennsylvania Ave….she couldn’t pronounce Pennsylvania….I am not making fun of her accent but just wanted to make a point that she told me, and I don’t know how she knew where I was travelling (maybe my name) that if I was going to Mexico I would only be able to travel by land or bus….that pissed me off…Want to know what is really ironic…both my sister and brother put in for their passports after I did and they have received theirs…..and yes
they were also delivered by the same midwife in question….All I ask if for some fairness……thanks for listening…
Jaime Picos