Passport question/may be applying today

[Carnival Game]

We're sailing May 11. I got our photos and filled out the passport applications, but stopped at the part that asked about "travel plans". If I fill it out, then they'll know they need to expedite. If left blank, they might think they have plenty of time. I'm just concerned that a dishonest post office employee might go through those to find out people's addresses and when they will be out of town. Do you fill in your travel dates or not?

[skylock]

We're sailing May 11. I got our photos and filled out the passport applications, but stopped at the part that asked about "travel plans". If I fill it out, then they'll know they need to expedite. If left blank, they might think they have plenty of time. I'm just concerned that a dishonest post office employee might go through those to find out people's addresses and when they will be out of town. Do you fill in your travel dates or not?

 

 

Considering passports are taking 2-3 weeks lately, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Bookbug53]

We're sailing May 11. I got our photos and filled out the passport applications, but stopped at the part that asked about "travel plans". If I fill it out, then they'll know they need to expedite. If left blank, they might think they have plenty of time. I'm just concerned that a dishonest post office employee might go through those to find out people's addresses and when they will be out of town. Do you fill in your travel dates or not?

 

 

They will not expedite your passports simply based on your application alone You must request this and pay an additional fee. I do not believe you have to detail your travel plans. I did not when I applied.

Simply ask when you go to the post office.

[Carnival Game]

Maybe I should say travel plans are unconfirmed, but "probably in the next few months".

[fridaythe13th]

My son got his in 10 days and said no travel plans.

[WestTxCruiser]

Maybe I should say travel plans are unconfirmed, but "probably in the next few months".

We're not going until June 1st and we put April 1st on our apps ( the lady at the passport office told us to do that.)

When we leave town for longer than a few days we always call our local law enforcement and they put our house on a drive by watch.

[cruiselover999]

When I applied for my passport, the lady at the post office actually changed my travel date to a much closer date. She told me that if I left it at my original date, they would take forever to process it. She put the date at 45 days from the current date. Nobody will know when you actually travel. You can put any date there that you like! Good luck and happy travels!:D

[yst347]

Since people will give their local post office notice to hold their mail while on vacation, I would think any crooked postal employee would have more than his hands full trying to go through that list. I doubt you need to be concerned about your passport application but if you are, just leave it blank.

[luv2travel#2]

We're sailing May 11. I got our photos and filled out the passport applications, but stopped at the part that asked about "travel plans". If I fill it out, then they'll know they need to expedite. If left blank, they might think they have plenty of time. I'm just concerned that a dishonest post office employee might go through those to find out people's addresses and when they will be out of town. Do you fill in your travel dates or not?

Why would you post a fear about your post office? Have you had a theft in the past?

[KroozNut]

Since people will give their local post office notice to hold their mail while on vacation, I would think any crooked postal employee would have more than his hands full trying to go through that list. I doubt you need to be concerned about your passport application but if you are, just leave it blank.

 

Valid point, and one that I have pondered on occasion. If there were ever an unscrupulous postal worker wanting to know when homes were going to be vacant, the information would be readily available.

[Carnival Game]

Why would you post a fear about your post office? Have you had a theft in the past?

 

No, I just worry a lot. ;)

 

BTW, we just finished applying. The woman asked, "No travel plans?" I said "nothing definite". She said it would be 4-6 weeks.

 

I didn't know they kept your original birth certificates and mailed them away (I made copies there).

[fridaythe13th]

When you get your passport back your birth certificate will not be with it. They send that separate a day or two later.

[belle907]

When you get your passport back your birth certificate will not be with it. They send that separate a day or two later.

This is not always true. DD got her's in the mail Friday and in the envelope was her new passport, her old passport and her birth certificate.

[astropilot]

It took three weeks to the day for our Passports to be processed and deliveried. Not bad at all in my opinion, considering what it was last year. :)

[bmacri]

My daughter and I both applied for passports on the same day.

We did not pay extra to have them expedited.

 

Hers came in 6 weeks. Mine took 10 weeks!

 

Be careful!

 

If you have to order certified birth certificates, make sure to order 2.

They will take one original. Then you still have that second certified copy if you should need it before you get yours back.

[Bookbug53]

My daughter and I both applied for passports on the same day.

We did not pay extra to have them expedited.

 

Hers came in 6 weeks. Mine took 10 weeks!

 

Be careful!

 

If you have to order certified birth certificates, make sure to order 2.

They will take one original. Then you still have that second certified copy if you should need it before you get yours back.

 

The State Department web site quotes an additional fee of $60 for an expedited passport. 6 and 10 weeks is a normal application and receiving time.

[extcat]

Why would you post a fear about your post office? Have you had a theft in the past?

 

 

Have you watched Seinfeld ?

[bubbles1209]

I took my 2 kids to apply for their passports Friday before last (Jan. 25th).

It says on the website to wait 7-10 days for processing to show up in their system. I checked back when it was at 6 days (Jan. 31st) and it came up that they were both processing. I checked back at 8 days which was Feb. 2nd, and it said they had been mailed and to expect them on or before Feb. 9th. I checked again on Saturday, and they had changed the date for them to expect them to the 6th. Today was the 5th, so I should be getting them in the mailbox tomorrow. We applied non-expedited for their June trip. Shouldn't take too long. My SO's daughter and her family applied for theirs and had theirs back in 3 weeks, so yes, wait time is definitely low right now.:)

[p3n]

I applied towards the end of January, I paid the extra money thru the regular pass port procedure, $152??? They said 3 weeks, I received mine in 8 business days, 12 days total .

 

That being said, we missed a cruise b/c it was booked by the time I received my passport, when I called the Carnival rep said passports weren't needed until June 28, 2008. Birth Certificates are still valid until then.

[chasetf]

..........I'm just concerned that a dishonest post office employee might go through those to find out people's addresses and when they will be out of town.........

I doubt anyone would be seaching passport applications to pick up when people will be out of town. There are much easier ways to determine that...... if it is a real concern of yours. :rolleyes:

 

I would worry more about the paper boy. ;)

[linda8042]

The passport office is really fast right now. I renewed, got it back 15 working days. Mom applied for first time, got hers back 15 business days! Neither were expedited. You can check the progress online www.travel.state.gov a few days after you mail to confirm receipt, processing and mailing. Very efficient, even though it took two years to be so! ;)

[michelleboston]

I received my passport 3 weeks to the day after I applied. At the post office, I was told that the application asks for travel dates to help the state dept. ensure that nobody will miss their trip :)

[Cruisinini]

Geez. Reading these posts I've been everything between excited and nearly having a heart attack! :)

 

My husband and I applied at the post office Feb 1st...also the same day the prices went up and the forms changed so we had to fill them all out again! The only form changes are for the new passport cards and relocating the same fields you filled out on the old form. They told us 4-6 weeks and we wouldn't need it to be expedited, our cruise is the first week of May so hopefully that's true. So I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the quick turnaround I keep hearing.

 

Also, thanks for the tip about checking the status online, I was not aware of that!

[astropilot]

When you get your passport back your birth certificate will not be with it. They send that separate a day or two later.

 

 

Well that's not entierly true. When our passports arrived last week, our BC were included with them. I guess it depends on the processing office. :)

[KroozNut]

Our experience has also been that the original document(s) submitted with the passport application are returned with the new passport, and not in a separate mailing.