Passport tou
As of this writing, I am still reeling from shock. Thanks to the cancellation of my old passport because I have a new one, I was not able to go to Melbourne and had to miss the UN DPI/NGO conference on global health. Now even as I alternatively seethe and mope here in anger and frustration, the thing is - they don't care.
When I picked up my passport which had me waiting for a month, the guy just took my old one and canceled it. when he handed me both old and new passports, I stood there in shock. But but... and the woman behind the glass window asked me "what is it?" and I told her I have visas in the old passport. Then she said - it doesn't matter. Visas are not canceled, only the passport is.
Still, I stood there rooted to the spot, wishing the millions of thoughts running through my mind would slow down for me to catch them. Then she said "You can have it transferred," waving at me dismissively. Then I caught one thought: they wouldn't care less about my plight so I left. The last time I was there - when I was applying for this damn new passport, the dialogue went like this:
Me: It takes 30 days to get the new passport?!?
It was not really a question.
Them: Yes. The passport will have to come from Manila.
Me (to myself, not wanting to rile people who will be handling something as vital as my new passport): But the flight is just four hours.
(out loud): I have some travels before the 30 days when it comes, what will happen if I run out of pages?
Them: Well, then, you won't be able to fly.
This is the very answer which had me walk out when I saw two holes punched through my beloved, old, green, now useless passport.
The thing is, my Australian visa - which was applied for early and carefully enough, is electronic - therefore it is not in the passport but it can be checked in the system when I check in when boarding my flight. That visa is tied directly to my OLD passport number.
It was three days before my flight. I arrived from another travel three days before I picked up my new passport. I checked the Australian visa grant notice and it says there specifically: Should you obtain a new passport after receiving this visa grant notice, you have to notify 'this department'.
Which department are we talking about? The Australian Embassy or the Visa application section which is nowhere near the embassy where visa applications to Australia are lodged?
So with only questions and an impending canceled trip, I panicked. It was way out of what I can do what with preparations for the conference still needing attention. So I went to the company that handles our visa. At my end, I tried everything - calling the Australian embassy on the number written on the visa grant notice, no answer. I tried calling the embassy visa section and the visa application center, the answering machine telling me to punch more numbers. I did. Sooo many times my fingers hurt. No answer. When it did, the answering machine tells you to go to the website or call the visa application center and punch more numbers. There was no email address so I tried faxing a letter to the number on the visa grant notice.
The people handling our visas at work did what they can and I don't know what went wrong or how but by Friday afternoon - all offices closed - Australian embassy, Australian Visa application center, and with my flight the next day, I still do not have any passport.
I thought, well, I could probably try to risk it about the visa notification of changes and go to the airport on Saturday still with my old and new passport and try to board the flight. But I cannot do that without any passport - old or new.
So I missed the conference. The visa application - money, energy, effort, wasted. Nobody ever told me about the process after getting the new passport - and actually, no one cares - about whether you have your visa there. My non imm b visa has already been transferred thanks to the guys handling it. But the Australian visa was a bit tricky.
Maybe it was the timing. Maybe there was not enough number of days - but no one told anyone also that it takes ___ working days to 'notify' the Australian embassy about the change of details. And it all boils down to - no one cares. They think they have done their jobs and that's all that matters to them. Even if it has consequences for other people - on whether those other people can do their jobs - no. one. cares.
Only I do!!!!
-------------
Second entry. I have recovered. So let me give some more ramblings and an update.
So before you do anything as crazy as to apply for a new passport even with the impending doom of 'no more pages to stamp on' - and note that the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok does not have the system where they can just add the number of pages - or when you check the validity of your passports, you have to plan carefully and ask the embassy. Ask everything. They will not volunteer information - they only give it out when asked. So be ready and prepared with your list of what, when, where, ifs and if you can get an answer to the whys and hows, it would be a big feat! Ask them what pages to be photocopied, how many pages, what else do you have to produce. Just as soon as you are back with your photocopied paper, upon inspection again of your documents, your photo might not be the 'proper' photo.
I printed mine because we have a camera and a photo printer on blue background but it was the wrong royal blue!!! Be ready to run to the nearest photo studio to have your picture taken again even if you brought your own - it has to be 'the right blue background photo. The studio knows.' And be sure to tell the studio your nationality because they just might mistake you for other nationality where the rules are different! Make sure that the guy who is supposed to know what kind of photo is needed for one and all is there. The thought just ran through my mind - what if the guy is not there and the one left does not know what blardy blue it should be, what do I tell them? The embassy said you are supposed to know!?
After wiping your sweaty face and declining the offer of the photographer to add more make up on you which will make you feel like you really need a makeover, relax and smile and keep your fingers crossed when you hear the camera shutter click that things will not get #^@*=D up.
I got my passport that Monday. There was no point in going anymore because our workshop would have been finished by the time I got to Australia. The nice girl at the Australian embassy called me Tuesday to say that she got my faxed message from last week informing them of the change in details. I told her that I missed my flight already and there is no point in going or doing anything about the visa. I think I told her my story while trying so hard to concentrate on taking the irritation out of my voice. But I couldn't hold the disappointment at bay. She informed me that she did not know, she just got the fax message THAT day. Snail mail would've been faster! But she was apologetic, which was nice.
When I got my energy back after the moping, I felt like kicking the $#!+ out of people just like Jackie Chan as the valet Passport tou in Around the World in 80 days by Jules Verne. By the time I get back, hopefully, my passport would've been finished and then...the world had invented some new rule again on passports and visas.
When I picked up my passport which had me waiting for a month, the guy just took my old one and canceled it. when he handed me both old and new passports, I stood there in shock. But but... and the woman behind the glass window asked me "what is it?" and I told her I have visas in the old passport. Then she said - it doesn't matter. Visas are not canceled, only the passport is.
Still, I stood there rooted to the spot, wishing the millions of thoughts running through my mind would slow down for me to catch them. Then she said "You can have it transferred," waving at me dismissively. Then I caught one thought: they wouldn't care less about my plight so I left. The last time I was there - when I was applying for this damn new passport, the dialogue went like this:
Me: It takes 30 days to get the new passport?!?
It was not really a question.
Them: Yes. The passport will have to come from Manila.
Me (to myself, not wanting to rile people who will be handling something as vital as my new passport): But the flight is just four hours.
(out loud): I have some travels before the 30 days when it comes, what will happen if I run out of pages?
Them: Well, then, you won't be able to fly.
This is the very answer which had me walk out when I saw two holes punched through my beloved, old, green, now useless passport.
The thing is, my Australian visa - which was applied for early and carefully enough, is electronic - therefore it is not in the passport but it can be checked in the system when I check in when boarding my flight. That visa is tied directly to my OLD passport number.
It was three days before my flight. I arrived from another travel three days before I picked up my new passport. I checked the Australian visa grant notice and it says there specifically: Should you obtain a new passport after receiving this visa grant notice, you have to notify 'this department'.
Which department are we talking about? The Australian Embassy or the Visa application section which is nowhere near the embassy where visa applications to Australia are lodged?
So with only questions and an impending canceled trip, I panicked. It was way out of what I can do what with preparations for the conference still needing attention. So I went to the company that handles our visa. At my end, I tried everything - calling the Australian embassy on the number written on the visa grant notice, no answer. I tried calling the embassy visa section and the visa application center, the answering machine telling me to punch more numbers. I did. Sooo many times my fingers hurt. No answer. When it did, the answering machine tells you to go to the website or call the visa application center and punch more numbers. There was no email address so I tried faxing a letter to the number on the visa grant notice.
The people handling our visas at work did what they can and I don't know what went wrong or how but by Friday afternoon - all offices closed - Australian embassy, Australian Visa application center, and with my flight the next day, I still do not have any passport.
I thought, well, I could probably try to risk it about the visa notification of changes and go to the airport on Saturday still with my old and new passport and try to board the flight. But I cannot do that without any passport - old or new.
So I missed the conference. The visa application - money, energy, effort, wasted. Nobody ever told me about the process after getting the new passport - and actually, no one cares - about whether you have your visa there. My non imm b visa has already been transferred thanks to the guys handling it. But the Australian visa was a bit tricky.
Maybe it was the timing. Maybe there was not enough number of days - but no one told anyone also that it takes ___ working days to 'notify' the Australian embassy about the change of details. And it all boils down to - no one cares. They think they have done their jobs and that's all that matters to them. Even if it has consequences for other people - on whether those other people can do their jobs - no. one. cares.
Only I do!!!!
-------------
Second entry. I have recovered. So let me give some more ramblings and an update.
So before you do anything as crazy as to apply for a new passport even with the impending doom of 'no more pages to stamp on' - and note that the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok does not have the system where they can just add the number of pages - or when you check the validity of your passports, you have to plan carefully and ask the embassy. Ask everything. They will not volunteer information - they only give it out when asked. So be ready and prepared with your list of what, when, where, ifs and if you can get an answer to the whys and hows, it would be a big feat! Ask them what pages to be photocopied, how many pages, what else do you have to produce. Just as soon as you are back with your photocopied paper, upon inspection again of your documents, your photo might not be the 'proper' photo.
I printed mine because we have a camera and a photo printer on blue background but it was the wrong royal blue!!! Be ready to run to the nearest photo studio to have your picture taken again even if you brought your own - it has to be 'the right blue background photo. The studio knows.' And be sure to tell the studio your nationality because they just might mistake you for other nationality where the rules are different! Make sure that the guy who is supposed to know what kind of photo is needed for one and all is there. The thought just ran through my mind - what if the guy is not there and the one left does not know what blardy blue it should be, what do I tell them? The embassy said you are supposed to know!?
After wiping your sweaty face and declining the offer of the photographer to add more make up on you which will make you feel like you really need a makeover, relax and smile and keep your fingers crossed when you hear the camera shutter click that things will not get #^@*=D up.
I got my passport that Monday. There was no point in going anymore because our workshop would have been finished by the time I got to Australia. The nice girl at the Australian embassy called me Tuesday to say that she got my faxed message from last week informing them of the change in details. I told her that I missed my flight already and there is no point in going or doing anything about the visa. I think I told her my story while trying so hard to concentrate on taking the irritation out of my voice. But I couldn't hold the disappointment at bay. She informed me that she did not know, she just got the fax message THAT day. Snail mail would've been faster! But she was apologetic, which was nice.
When I got my energy back after the moping, I felt like kicking the $#!+ out of people just like Jackie Chan as the valet Passport tou in Around the World in 80 days by Jules Verne. By the time I get back, hopefully, my passport would've been finished and then...the world had invented some new rule again on passports and visas.
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