New T&T passport

[Tallman]

Ah jes make an appointment today.

Dey tell meh de first one available is November 2011. 

[Brownsugar]

Ah jes make an appointment today.

Dey tell meh de first one available is November 2011. 

Yuh lucky....I made one for my mother earlier this year and the earliest available time was Jan 2012.....seems like things improving then.....

[Jah Gol]

I collected mine two weeks ago. It took no more than 10 minutes in the office. I spent the whole day using public transportation to and from Point Fortin though.

[Bourbon]

I collected mine today.....could have done it about 3 weeks now doh.

De trick is getting the right office.
People hear grande office was quick...de appointments start a backlog.

I hear of people trying Point Fortin and Tobago.

[D.H.W]

make sure alyuh walk with all yuh documents , and they in order, the slightest thing that off, they does bitch about it. I nearly see fight break out , because a woman travel rel far , only to realize she doh have the documents, and nobody tell she to bring them.

[Touches]

Tallman under seriousness,

Just walk in the office bout 5:30-6 in the morning with yuh form fill out and yuh birth certificate etc and yuh safe.

The ting with TT post is just for them imps at the desk to generate a list and appointment....people doh come.

When I was there sitting down it had real people around me when I ask them how long ago they make appointment...all say they try a ting and walk in early this morning.

Then it had the others who come after 9 bawling they had a 8:00 appointment and they get a number and had to sit down like everybody else and wait.

Just come down and try a ting.

But u you in Miami....yuh could get tru fast.

[Preacher]

Ah jes make an appointment today.

Dey tell meh de first one available is November 2011. 

Not sure if u doin US side or TT...I'm heading to DC tmw for mine...They claimed that its very packed...They also told me don't expect to be done quickly. 

[Tallman]

But u you in Miami....yuh could get tru fast.

Remember in Miami dey hadda also deal wit people who livin Alabama, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky and Mississippi, plus de rest ah Florida.

Plus is still Trinis yuh dealing wit. Look I gone dey de odda day with meh niece tuh get ah letter from dem stating dat dey know she will be doing a semester in ah next country. De letter was one or two sentences, but ah hadda wait almost 3 hours for dat  .

[100% Barataria]

Ah jes make an appointment today.

Dey tell meh de first one available is November 2011. 

Yuh lucky....I made one for my mother earlier this year and the earliest available time was Jan 2012.....seems like things improving then.....

All ah alyuh real lucky, I call NY consulate de odder day and dey tell meh dat meh appt is Jan 8th 2013 

[PantherX]

I need a new passport but it looks like I'll be better off working on my US citizenship and getting a US passport than trying to get the new one from T&T.

[real madness]

That passport scene is real horrors.  I calling the DC office to set up an appointment but nobody answering phone at least when I called because other people getting through and making appointment.  A friend in Atlanta decided to just show up and he get through because one of immigration officers realized he was getting horrors from the clerk and decided to give him ah bligh when he found out they both went Fatima.  So I decided to follow suit and just show up in DC (I in California) before the office open. 

The clerk brace me and said no appointment equals no passport. On top of that she said that there was an immigration officer in California that day so I should have stayed there to get my passport (not that they updated their website for me to know such information or answered the phone to tell me).

I told her I not leaving the office until I get a passport even if it means I have to go home with her.  Everybody start to laugh so that get her more vex.

About every 30-45 minutes I went to the window and ask her to process my application, I continued to get brace and finally she got fed up of me and took my paperwork around 10:30 and I got through around 3 pm.

[weary1969]

That passport scene is real horrors.  I calling the DC office to set up an appointment but nobody answering phone at least when I called because other people getting through and making appointment.  A friend in Atlanta decided to just show up and he get through because one of immigration officers realized he was getting horrors from the clerk and decided to give him ah bligh when he found out they both went Fatima.  So I decided to follow suit and just show up in DC (I in California) before the office open. 

The clerk brace me and said no appointment equals no passport. On top of that she said that there was an immigration officer in California that day so I should have stayed there to get my passport (not that they updated their website for me to know such information or answered the phone to tell me).

I told her I not leaving the office until I get a passport even if it means I have to go home with her.  Everybody start to laugh so that get her more vex.

About every 30-45 minutes I went to the window and ask her to process my application, I continued to get brace and finally she got fed up of me and took my paperwork around 10:30 and I got through around 3 pm.

It like yuh name Real Madness.

[Dumplingdinho]

i make an appointment earlier this year and they give me Nov 2011...steups.

[JDB]

Ah jes make an appointment today.

Dey tell meh de first one available is November 2011. 

Yuh lucky....I made one for my mother earlier this year and the earliest available time was Jan 2012.....seems like things improving then.....

I looking at September 2012.

I know people complaining about the US Embassy in the Kamla thread but at least they doing they business. Both the previous Gov't and this one completely fail on this issue. For all the Billions being spent on new buildings and Summit they coulda double the capacity for supplying these passports for a fraction of the cost. Get a next machine, next building, double staff etc because the backlog is ridiculous.

My passport expire since 2006 and I just went for my 3rd extension. The most recent one will only be until 2011 so since my appointment will not be until 2012 I will have to go back again. When I explain the silliness of giving an extension that they KNOW is not long enough they have no answer.

The situation real bad. When I went in 2006 and 2008 yuh could just show up around 9 - 10  am and wait and it wasn't too bad. Now because they have so many people without valid passports they could only see 50 people a day in NY and people lining up from 4.00 am in the morning. I make that run last week reach there 4.00 and see about ten people there already, some camp out from the previous night.

I will see what going on next week after I collect it. I need to travel to Germany on business and the German visa requirements are that your passport must be less than 10 years old, even if it has been extended by your gov't. I will see if they will brace meh. Plus yuh supposed to have two empty pages and I barely have that thanks to the jokers we have in government past and present.

Is really thing to make yuh want to go the US citizenship route.

[jai john]

I was wondering if anyone can verify that the US immigration will refuse entry to nationals of this country who attempt to enter US territory without machine readable passports 31 Dec 2010 ...
A friend was told by Immigration that from the new year its machine readable or nada ! Of course nationals have been encouraged to get the mew passport but the waiting list rivals methusalah's beard in length.
I dont want to speculate on the stress this would cause and would prefer to have this confirmed before I say any more ...

[Bourbon]

Hm.

Now I have a machine readable...but my US visa which valid until 2012 in my old one. In passport office they told me that i could carry both. If dis true....what would happen in a case like that?

[Brownsugar]

Hm.

Now I have a machine readable...but my US visa which valid until 2012 in my old one. In passport office they told me that i could carry both. If dis true....what would happen in a case like that?

Yes Bourbon, you have to travel with both passports....my US VISA is in my old passport and that's what I have been doing with no problems.  The issue doesn't seem to be the format of the passport but rather that you have the VISA and it is still valid.....

Dis reminds me, aye Weary we have a date with them pesky Embassy people this year girl....I will go first and tell yuh what dey do mih....

[Jah Gol]

Hm.

Now I have a machine readable...but my US visa which valid until 2012 in my old one. In passport office they told me that i could carry both. If dis true....what would happen in a case like that?

I'm in a similar position. I got my new passport last year but my visa from the old one expires in 2017. I came back from New York yesterday. I had both passports and US Immigration didn't tell me anything at all.

[Dumplingdinho]

i travelled last month and the officer said new passport only in 2011.  if visa in old passport and u have new passport, carry both in 2011 when travelling.

[jai john]

...could you imagine ...students returning to the US this week with their old unexpired passports ? Real drama also with those who work for oil companies etc ...one month in one month out ...the US Embassy must take some flack here if this is true ..for not informing the T&T population ...look ting if man who come down for Christmas on vacation kyah report for work this week because they kyah get an appointment with  immigration... line tpp long !

[jai john]

Hm.

Now I have a machine readable...but my US visa which valid until 2012 in my old one. In passport office they told me that i could carry both. If dis true....what would happen in a case like that?

I'm in a similar position. I got my new passport last year but my visa from the old one expires in 2017. I came back from New York yesterday. I had both passports and US Immigration didn't tell me anything at all.

Problem eh the visa ..but the lack of a machine readable passport ...dais de trouble for some.. you know we ( Vice President FIFA) done shaft Obama last month .. so I guess we could expect their cooperation in this matter right ?

[AB.Trini]

Which 'nut' in the U.S.A. came up with this plan?

 

[JDB]

...could you imagine ...students returning to the US this week with their old unexpired passports ? Real drama also with those who work for oil companies etc ...one month in one month out ...the US Embassy must take some flack here if this is true ..for not informing the T&T population ...look ting if man who come down for Christmas on vacation kyah report for work this week because they kyah get an appointment with  immigration... line tpp long !

You cannot blame the foreign embassies. You have to balme the TnT government. This is not news to them.

I was refused a German Visa last year (that I needed for business travel) because they don't recognize PPs older than 10 years. Previously I had travelled on my magical, forever-extending TnT passport to Germany but they said that the new rules came into effect last Spring.

The government took forever to implement the passports and after implementation has shown little real interest in dealing with the backlog. In NYC they give you extensions until 2011 and say you can't get appointments until 2012. So what is the point of a one-year extension if you know you can't supply a PP in time.

Both the last government and this one drop the ball on this. All the money invested in infrastructure over the last decade nobody could see the benefit of doubling or tripling the capacity to supply passports for a fraction of the cost. they denying their own citizend the freedom of movement.

[Andre]

allyuh lucky allyuh could even get TT passport. they give me ah appt in november 2011 when i call in june 2010.

[Touches]

Andre,


Doh study that appointment, get yuh forms fill them out and go bout 6 in the morning and join the line normal.

That appointment thing ent too legit, when yuh reach go by the counter talk to the girl get a number and yuh go walk in the waiting room with the rest.

When I went real people say they just walk in and try a ting. Because plenty people doh come for their appointment.

Or yuh could just say is a emergency...pay $500 extra and get yuh passport in a week.

It have ways and means to do ting.

[Tallman]

Me eh see or hear nutten bout dat. Right now de only countries dat I see whose citizens are required to have machine readable passports to enter de US are those in the Visa Waiver Program.

[Brownsugar]

Andre,

Or yuh could just say is a emergency...pay $500 extra and get yuh passport in a week.

It have ways and means to do ting.

Why does paying $500 extra produce a passport in a week when it taking 2 years to get the appointment in the first place??  Ah might as well pay ah lil $2- 3,000 and watch dem make it right dey in front mih eyes....steups!!  Another issue for this clueless Minister of National Security to deal with....

[weary1969]

Hm.

Now I have a machine readable...but my US visa which valid until 2012 in my old one. In passport office they told me that i could carry both. If dis true....what would happen in a case like that?

Yes Bourbon, you have to travel with both passports....my US VISA is in my old passport and that's what I have been doing with no problems.  The issue doesn't seem to be the format of the passport but rather that you have the VISA and it is still valid.....

Dis reminds me, aye Weary we have a date with them pesky Embassy people this year girl....I will go first and tell yuh what dey do mih....

Yes u go tell meh what happen.

[Brownsugar]

Update:

Read an advisory in the Guardian today from Min of National Security. 

You can now have earlier appointment dates if you call DirecOne @ 627-PASS (7277) between the hours of 1 - 4 pm Monday to Friday effective December 1st 2010.

They ask that the public exhibit some patience as it is anticipated that with the whole ah Trinidad and Tobago calling, dey system goh be overwhelmed so all yuh doh stress yuh self out when yuh call and take it easy.

The cost for a regular passport is $250.  A business passport is $350.   If yuh want yuh passport expedited faster the cost is and additional $300.

THERE ARE NO OTHER FEES INVOLVED.

The Immigration Division is also urging applicants to collect all yuh blasted passport at the office all yuh tell dem all yuh was going to pass back and get it....


Right, I going and harrass them this evening self......

[Brownsugar]

So ah call de number and after ah hit redial bout 6 - 7 times.  Ah get thru.  They put mih on hold for about 5 minutes then the young lady take mih through the process cool, cool and the next available date in Tobago was Jan 27th 2011.

Ah ask she for the next available date and she say Feb 7th 2011.  Ah take dat. So mih mom inside.  The young lady at the call centre was very professional and friendly...if the new Minister integral in improving the process well kudos to him.....