Iraqi Passports

[ranyw 0]

Is anyone else having this issue ?

My wife has an appointment at the US Embassy in Amman on May 15, 2007. I got word that the US is no longer accepting older Iraqi passports as they are too easy to manipulate. So now, everyone and their mother is rushing to get a new passport. The Iraqi embassy in Jordan is not issuing replacement passports and is advising people to go back to baghdad to get a passport. Now to top things off, I'm trying to plan a reception here in the US about two months after her interview, do you guys think that is cutting it too short ????

nervous in Los Angeles

-rany

[jordanianprincess 0]

Is anyone else having this issue ?

My wife has an appointment at the US Embassy in Amman on May 15, 2007. I got word that the US is no longer accepting older Iraqi passports as they are too easy to manipulate. So now, everyone and their mother is rushing to get a new passport. The Iraqi embassy in Jordan is not issuing replacement passports and is advising people to go back to baghdad to get a passport. Now to top things off, I'm trying to plan a reception here in the US about two months after her interview, do you guys think that is cutting it too short ????

nervous in Los Angeles

-rany

I saw that announcment on the Embassy's website, it's still there if you want to read more about it.

I do think you are cutting it way too close. We had our interview on October 19th and we still have not recieved our visa. Amman is a very slow embassy. I am in the same boat as you, we want to plan our wedding but we have to wait until he has the visa which won't give us much time to plan.

[Mandolin_68 0]

My fiance is in the process of getting the new "G" series passport as well.......unfortunately none of the Iraqi embassies are issueing it and everyone has to go to Baghdad to get the new passports. To be on the safe side, I wouldn't make any concrete plans for anytime as of yet, especially since she is going through Amman.....our interview was on October 12, 2006 and Amman said the Visa was ready for issue on January 9th so that was almost three months for us right there and I think our AP went pretty fast compared to others going through Amman. The othere crappy thing about Amman is that they won't allow you to come and personally pick up your Visa once it is issued....you have to mail it to them via Aramex and then WAIT for them to get around to mailing it back to you...so God only knows how long it will take them to do that. My fiance hopes to have his passport by the end of next week and will immidiately mail it to the embassy. I'll keep you posted on how long it takes for them to get it back to him.

[Nad 1]

Hi,

there are few couples here including me who is drowning in this mess about the new iraqi passports, the iraqi goverment is issuing this new G series passport as they said it secured and cant be forged, its still new there in Iraq and even they are still issuing the old S series passports to poeple. Now i dont know if the US goverment took a fast decision about this to stop dealing with old passports , or the iraqi goverment informed other countries outside to stop dealing with them leaving us in the middle. am in UAE and the iraqi embassy does not have a sure clue about when it will be here even though they through me to check back after 2 to 3 months. it need electronic equipments to be installed in every iraqi embassy so they can deal and issue this passport and that means some time for the staff also to know how it operates those and deal with it so it might take some time. Iraq is the only place now to issue those series so far. you can at least check with the US embassy there if you can attend the interview with the old passport so you win some time.

best wishes and good luck

[Henia 11]

I am praying for you

[doodlebug 3]

Hi,

there are few couples here including me who is drowning in this mess about the new iraqi passports, the iraqi goverment is issuing this new G series passport as they said it secured and cant be forged, its still new there in Iraq and even they are still issuing the old S series passports to poeple. Now i dont know if the US goverment took a fast decision about this to stop dealing with old passports , or the iraqi goverment informed other countries outside to stop dealing with them leaving us in the middle. am in UAE and the iraqi embassy does not have a sure clue about when it will be here even though they through me to check back after 2 to 3 months. it need electronic equipments to be installed in every iraqi embassy so they can deal and issue this passport and that means some time for the staff also to know how it operates those and deal with it so it might take some time. Iraq is the only place now to issue those series so far. you can at least check with the US embassy there if you can attend the interview with the old passport so you win some time.

best wishes and good luck

wow what a nightmare!!!

good luck to all dealing with this!!!

[Mandolin_68 0]

The worst thing about these new passports is that the people working at the ministries and other places in Baghdad where they make the new passports have turned the whole thing into a real profitable underground business racket. Since no one really needs the new passport unless they are trying to leave the country the a-holes making them know the people are desperate (like my fiance who needs it for his Visa) and are charging an arm and a leg to make the passport. The first price quote my fiance received was last week for $2000!!! He's since gotten the price finagled down to $1500 but this is still rediculous.

[jordanianprincess 0]

The worst thing about these new passports is that the people working at the ministries and other places in Baghdad where they make the new passports have turned the whole thing into a real profitable underground business racket. Since no one really needs the new passport unless they are trying to leave the country the a-holes making them know the people are desperate (like my fiance who needs it for his Visa) and are charging an arm and a leg to make the passport. The first price quote my fiance received was last week for $2000!!! He's since gotten the price finagled down to $1500 but this is still rediculous.

Mandolin...when was the visa ready to be picked up? You may have a leg to stand on here. The embassy stopped accepted the S series passports on January 8th, if the visa was ready before that and they didn't contact you maybe they will still honor the other passport. Its worth a shot, I know its a long shot but it still might work.

S SERIES PASSPORT NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL TO U.S.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT IRAQI PASSPORTS

Effective January 8, 2007, the United States will no longer issue visas in Iraq S series passports or accept

them for admission to the United States.

The G series Iraq passport, which incorporates robust, effective security features, can be used for visas or

travel to the United States. Iraqis with S series passports who wish to travel to the United States should

contact the nearest Iraqi embassy to find out how to obtain a G series passport.

FLAWS OF THE S SERIES PASSPORT

The S series passport does not meet international security standards for issuance or design. Sub-standard

security features and a lack of control over production and issuance make the S series passport extremely

vulnerable to alteration, counterfeiting, and impostors. Because of its flaws, the United States has determined

that the S series passport does not establish the bearer's identity and nationality as required under the INA

definition of a passport.

[Mandolin_68 0]

The worst thing about these new passports is that the people working at the ministries and other places in Baghdad where they make the new passports have turned the whole thing into a real profitable underground business racket. Since no one really needs the new passport unless they are trying to leave the country the a-holes making them know the people are desperate (like my fiance who needs it for his Visa) and are charging an arm and a leg to make the passport. The first price quote my fiance received was last week for $2000!!! He's since gotten the price finagled down to $1500 but this is still rediculous.

Mandolin...when was the visa ready to be picked up? You may have a leg to stand on here. The embassy stopped accepted the S series passports on January 8th, if the visa was ready before that and they didn't contact you maybe they will still honor the other passport. Its worth a shot, I know its a long shot but it still might work.

According to the embassy, his visa was ready for issue January 9th ....LOL....story of my life.