Passport Renewal
I've decided to apply for a US Visa this year. But I was advised to have my passport changed first. My current one carries my maiden name. When I go to the embassy for an interview, they said it might be better if I already present one with my married surname, so there aren't issues.
Two years ago, when my husband (then, my fiance) and I renewed our passports, we only had to call a number, give our info, pay at the bank, wait for our documents and pictures to be picked up by someone, go to the Department of Foreign Affairs to finish processing and then our new passport would be delivered a week or so after. It was pretty hassle-free compared to the old days.
Now, you have to go to their site. You can still opt to call, but they're mostly busy (when I called anyway). In truth, the organization of the site is pretty convenient. You set an appointment here and fill out a form. Make sure you understand the requirements going in! At the end, they'll ask you to choose a date for your DFA schedule, the ironing out and confirmation of info will be done there, as well as probably passport pic-taking? I noticed they didn't ask for photos and it wasn't in the requirements. Then the passport will be delivered to your house, should you prefer it.
There were a few downsides I've observed though. One was there wasn't an outlet for questions. The documents needed are all listed, but if you have last minute things you suddenly wanted to ask that they weren't able to cover in their site, well, do you just leave it up to chance? For example, mine was more of a change-name case, but I put my maiden name in the form. Fortunately, I was able to call a travel agency and inquire.
My other beef would be the scheduling. I applied this week. My date is late March. March! And regular processing takes 20 days, which means if I don't have it rushed, I'll get my passport by mid-to-late April, at the earliest. Friends of mine said to expect delays. It's a good thing my need for this isn't too immediate. At the very least, I'll have about a month and half, two months if I'm lucky, as leeway to apply for a Visa.
Well, start of the year. It's going to be RUSH RUSH RUSH. I guess I shouldn't have expected otherwise.
Two years ago, when my husband (then, my fiance) and I renewed our passports, we only had to call a number, give our info, pay at the bank, wait for our documents and pictures to be picked up by someone, go to the Department of Foreign Affairs to finish processing and then our new passport would be delivered a week or so after. It was pretty hassle-free compared to the old days.
Now, you have to go to their site. You can still opt to call, but they're mostly busy (when I called anyway). In truth, the organization of the site is pretty convenient. You set an appointment here and fill out a form. Make sure you understand the requirements going in! At the end, they'll ask you to choose a date for your DFA schedule, the ironing out and confirmation of info will be done there, as well as probably passport pic-taking? I noticed they didn't ask for photos and it wasn't in the requirements. Then the passport will be delivered to your house, should you prefer it.
There were a few downsides I've observed though. One was there wasn't an outlet for questions. The documents needed are all listed, but if you have last minute things you suddenly wanted to ask that they weren't able to cover in their site, well, do you just leave it up to chance? For example, mine was more of a change-name case, but I put my maiden name in the form. Fortunately, I was able to call a travel agency and inquire.
My other beef would be the scheduling. I applied this week. My date is late March. March! And regular processing takes 20 days, which means if I don't have it rushed, I'll get my passport by mid-to-late April, at the earliest. Friends of mine said to expect delays. It's a good thing my need for this isn't too immediate. At the very least, I'll have about a month and half, two months if I'm lucky, as leeway to apply for a Visa.
Well, start of the year. It's going to be RUSH RUSH RUSH. I guess I shouldn't have expected otherwise.
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