Applying for passport experience

[c&v 0]

Yesterday I tried to apply for passport at a postal office ( I had an appointment).The clerk there did't accept my application because she said the pictures were not OK (the same pictures that USCIS used for my N400 application !!!) and because the checks were not written by me, but by my husband.She told me that if I want to use these checks my husband should be present (!!!!?). The pictures were in fact good, but she measured the distance from my chin to my forehead not my whole head (which in the pictures was 1 inch, perfectly acceptable under US Department of state requirements ).I admit I wasn't prepared for this absurd situation and I left instead of questioning the clerk (I should have asked her to show me a document where it says about the checks), or asking to see her supervisor.

Today I went to a local County Courthouse and I applied with the same pictures and using the same checks and all went smoothly and without any troubles.If I had do to this all over again I would have applied at the courthouse from the beginning.The clerks there are more experienced (they do this on the daily basis) vs. the clerks at the postal office who don't have a clue about what they're doing.The clerk at the postal office ( I think her name was Lisa) obviously pulled those requirements out of her ####.

Edited December 10, 2010 by c&v

[Captain Oates 911]

Yesterday I tried to apply for passport at a postal office ( I had an appointment).The clerk there did't accept my application because she said the pictures were not OK (the same pictures that USCIS used for my N400 application !!!) and because the checks were not written by me, but by my husband.She told me that if I want to use these checks my husband should be present (!!!!?). The pictures were in fact good, but she measured the distance from my chin to my forehead not my whole head (which in the pictures was 1 inch, perfectly acceptable under US Department of state requirements ).I admit I wasn't prepared for this absurd situation and I left instead of questioning the clerk (I should have asked her to show me a document where it says about the checks), or asking to see her supervisor.

Today I went to a local County Courthouse and I applied with the same pictures and using the same checks and all went smoothly and without any troubles.If I had do to this all over again I would have applied at the courthouse from the beginning.The clerks there are more experienced (they do this on the daily basis) vs. the clerks at the postal office who don't have a clue about what they're doing.The clerk at the postal office ( I think her name was Lisa) obviously pulled those requirements out of her ####.

wow it goes on and on !

The post office said they would take my photo if I didnt have one - for a charge

In the end I applied at the courthouse - I asked who did passports and she said - we all do

the line is shorter too

Never mind, I think your journey is now wrapping up and you should soon have the blue passport.

I live in a desert where we rely on planes for the mail. I am socked in with fog so mine may not come today.

Its never over until it's over - and then it's over

ps my photo is bad but not as bad as the one in my UK passport. I had 4 pints of Timothy Taylor's finest bitter the night before and slept with my face down. Then I got a cheap photo from the booth at the supermarket in the early morning. I look like Quasimodo after he has been exhumed

Edited December 10, 2010 by Alan the Red

[Journey05 1]

c&v,

Sorry you had a bad experience at the postal service. When I did passports for my two young sons, there were no troubles but we let the clerk took the pictures there too for a charge of course.

We were out of there like 15 mins.

[c&v 0]

c&v,

Sorry you had a bad experience at the postal service. When I did passports for my two young sons, there were no troubles but we let the clerk took the pictures there too for a charge of course.

We were out of there like 15 mins.

I was ready to take new pictures, the main problem was with the checks. Anyway, in about 4-6 weeks I'll have my passport and everything will be over.

I shared this experience because I though someone may learn something from it.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

If you live close to a passport agency (mine is about an hour and fifteen minutes away), I'd get my passport the same day.

[v333k 59]

I agree with JustBob. A third part (such as USPS in this situation) is a huge risk in my assessment.

[dannyh86 3]

Is there a price difference between usps and court house? If you get the passport the same day like JustBob said, you will end up paying a lot more!!

[c&v 0]

Is there a price difference between usps and court house? If you get the passport the same day like JustBob said, you will end up paying a lot more!!

It's the same price everywhere.

[Sand 5]

Hi,

Yes u can get ur passport in the same day from passport agency IF "you have a proof of travelling" Like ticket. otherwise i dont think they will accept ur application

i could be wrong. who knows .

[NickD 203]

We had a choice between the clerk of court that does this as a side line and the post office, post office, even in a small town, always has a line and not too much privacy so elected to use the clerk of court in a private office in a near empty courthouse. But it did require an extra three block drive down the street.

She did remove my wifes' certificate out of its protective plastic sealed envelop and was about to staple it to the application. I stopped her dead in her tracks, had her put the certificate back in it protective clear plastic envelop and staple the envelop not touching her certificate to the application.

Apparently the DOS has enough faith in her to be able to determine the photos of my wife were of her and not somebody else. But no trust in her that her certificate was indeed genuine. She had the DOS certificate hanging on the wall, never seen that at the SS office for any employees, but apparently they trust some clerk to make a copy of your certificate. Wouldn't take my really clean copy of it, but said they had to use their own filthy copy machine with black streaks across it. Its their choice.

After the clerk put the application in a prepaid overnight envelop, sealed and addressed, I offered to drop it off at our post office since it was on the way back home. She said I am not allowed to do that, she has to take it their herself. Okay.

She had me make out two checks, one to the DOS that was put into that envelop, the other directly to her, total was the same. Guess she doesn't trust the DOS for payment, she gotaround 30 bucks for her service.

[LastSurvivor 0]

We have used our local USPS twice. Both times with our children when they were several months old and getting their first passport. Nothing but a pleasant experience so I guess it just depends on the staff. The second time we did not even have an appointment and they took us right in although they did mention that it was appointment only. The benefit to using the USPS is the applications are sent out daily via priority mail so your applications doesn't sit around for a few days or a week. I am certainly NO fan of the USPS but our experiences were both above expectations.

LS