Details of my passport issue are here:
http://www.tourguizhou.net/archives/9280
(Written June 20)
If you are coming to China, you should have an up to date passport to avoid my dilemma. It looks like I will have everything square with one day to spare for my flight back home July 2. It has been frustrating and a little scary. My VISA is being processed as I write and I can pick it up on June 30. It takes five weeks to get the Expert Certificate (2 weeks) and visa (3 weeks). Because my passport expires during the term of my next year’s contract, it was necessary to renew the passport before making application to the Chinese government for Expert Certificate and Visa. So I flew to Chengdu in the spring to get things rolling. After all the paperwork, I thought all was well, and then when the US Consulate notified me that my passport was ready, they said that I needed to give the receipt for payment to the person picking up my new passport. I had a friend do this to avoid a second flight to Chengdu. No mention was made of the receipt being required, and because time was of the essence, I wrote the consulate an email asking if the receipt was really necessary. After all, no mention of the receipt was made any time during the process, and I had discarded the receipt. That correspondence is below. It says that the receipt really isn’t necessary after all. Thank heavens for Consulate efficiency. My friend picked up passport no problem.
The only issue I had was that the correspondence required 35 days to process and give me an answer. I had had the passport for a month before they confirmed that I didn’t need the receipt. The correspondence was cordial, although not timely. China processed my Expert Certificate and Visa application in the time it took the US Consulate to return my email.
PS
The Chinese completed the work on the Visa with three days to spare.
######### CORRESPONDENCE BELOW
U.S. Full Passport Ready for Pickup
Inbox
x
Chengdu, AmCit <AmCitChengdu@state.gov>
May 5
to me
Hello,
Your U.S. passport has arrived at the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu, and is ready for you to pick up. Please come to the Consular Section between 13:00 – 16:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (please see http://chengdu.usembassy-china.org.cn/service.html for any closures of our office).
To pick up your passport, you will need the receipt you received when applying for it and your current passport. If you are picking up for other members of your family as well (or a child), please bring their passport(s) as well as your ID. If you are unable to pick up your passport in person, you may authorize another individual to pick it up on your behalf by arranging this with our office.
Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or to arrange an alternate individual to pickup on your behalf.
Regards,
Chengdu Consular Section
Attachments area
winmail.dat
John Porter <johnsporter@gmail.com>
May 6
to AmCit
No mention was made of the receipt being required for pickup. I did not retain the receipt with my passport and it may have been discarded. I reviewed the authorization letter for my friend, Ms. Hao to pick up the passport and I planned to send that authorization letter, along with the old passport, to Ms. Hao, allowing her to pick up the new passport. Since my current passport has the active Chinese Visa, I plan to retain the old passport after it is cancelled for the duration of the Chinese Visa.
I am sorry, but I thought I had reviewed the required documents for pickup. Please advise me about what to do regarding the receipt.
Sincerely,
John S. Porter
Chengdu, AmCit
Jun 10 (10 days ago)
to me
Good morning,
We apologize for the confusion about the receipt. It makes things easier to have it with you, but our staff will be able to hand over the new passport without it. Your old passport will be returned to you, our staff just need to process the cancellation.
Thank you,
American Citizen Services
US Consulate General
Chengdu, China