Job Discussion Forums

[Big Poppa Pump]

So, I'm off to Guangzhou to get my passport renewed. I tried calling them and got the consulate computer, quite a friendly one at that. Alas, our budding relationship between man and machine couldn't go far enough for me to determine if I have to return to Guangzhou to pick the passport up or if I can get it posted to me.

Will the US embassy post me the passport?

I hope so, if not the end of the world is not here, just mildly annoying.

[Mr. English]

I live a 5-minute walk from the consulate in Guangzhou. Just today I went in to get more pages added. They wanted me to wait while they did the work, since, said the Chinese woman working behind the glass, "In my country the regulation is that foreigners must carry their passports at all times." I told her I never carried my passport unless I knew I would need it for some specific reason, that I didn't care what the regulations were, and that I had other things to do and couldn't wait (for 40 minutes she had said). She agreed that I could pick it up tomorrow. Post, I don't know, but be ready for the "you must carry your passport at all times" argument. If they expect you to carry it at all times perhaps they will have the new one ready in 40 minutes!

[thessy]

I know for non citizens getting issued a US visa they will mail the passport but only to select locations - "Guangdong Province or in the city of Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Changle, Nanjing, Wenzhou, Tianjin, Shenyang and Changchun." I would reckon the chance of getting it mailed is quite low if you live in one of those locations, likely out of the question if you don't.

[Trifaro]

I lost my passport last year. I assume renewal follows a similar procedure = get a new book.

I had to make an appointment online in order to file my application. The appointment times were only in the morning. 2 weeks later the GZ USA Consulate sent me an email indicating that new passport had arrived from the US. The Consulate does not make the new books; they come from Washington.

As far as I remember what the website said, the Consulate will not mail it to you. You can have someone in GZ pick it up for you though. In that case, you would be required to fill out a form with that person's information.

As for adding new passages, several years ago I had pages added in Shanghai and it took 10 minutes.

[Big Poppa Pump]

yeah I just went in yesterday morning and after much deliberation they decided against offering me an Emergency Passport. Which was fine because it was the nice lady behind the glass who suggested it. I didn't show up expecting one.

What she did suggest is for me to go downstairs and to hire one of the visa expediting services to come fetch it for me. I went and did that and hopefully it'll go through.

Fingers crossed.. will report back later when either it shows up or I'm going to Guangzhou again to break someone's thumbs.

[A Ver]

Not sure about Guangzhou, but in Beijing it can definitely be mailed to you. You need to go and get an Express Mail label from some place that they specify and give that label to ACS.

No reason why Guangzhou wouldn't be the same.

[johntpartee]

Does anybody know if all US embassies and consulates will "do it while you wait"? That would be my preference.

[Trifaro]

As far as I know, additional pages in the passport and an emergency passport can be done the same day, at least in Shanghai.

If you need a new passport book = must wait 2 weeks, in both SH and GZ.

[johntpartee]

I should have made it clear; I'm talking about new pages. Thanks for the info.

[Big Poppa Pump]

I am pretty sure new pages are while you wait.

I got my new passport today. The Chinese bloke I hired on the 4th floor of the Guangzhou Consulate building sorted it right out for me. Saved me a lengthy trip back to Guangzhou.

Bloom Consulting, 300 rmb gets your passport EMSed to you the day it is ready for collection.

[Trifaro]

Good for the bloke. An EMS probably cost him 30 rmb or less.

Granted, 2 train tickets and probably a night in a hotel would have cost you more than 300.

I must type, most folk are definitely honest. I once gave my cat and 800 rmb to a mover. He could have eaten the cat and bought a new TV. Lou is here with me.

[Big Poppa Pump]

fast train from wuhan to guangzhou.. around 1000 rmb total, slow train to my home city.. another 200 total , hotel 300...

yeah, it was a decent enough deal. Give lou a pat on the head for me.