Embassy Update
Sep. 28th, 2007 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bjarvisThis morning, I headed to 5th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington DC for the next stage in my passport saga.
While there was a line of 20 people waiting for visa services to open at 9 AM, I was the only person waiting for consular services. After turning off all electronic devices --it's no secret cell phones and pagers are the work of the devil, but heaven knows why suddenly it's necessary to kill them all when entering an office-- and being scanned in a metal detector, I was directed to a small room more like a large telephone booth.
Seated in the booth, I followed the instructions on the card on the video-phone:
1. Press "Start."
2. Press "1" and "Talk"
3. Look directly into the camera and speak clearly.
4. When finished, press "End."
I've never seen a system quite like this, and I can't say I know why they're using it. In any case, once I announced myself by the video-phone, a consular agent came down to the service desk.
She was clearly Canadian civil servant material, stamped out of the same civil servant DNA desired so much by the Public Service Commission: late 30s, about 5'7", dark hair in a tight, well-ordered bob, subtle make-up, big smile of perfect teeth, fluent English with a trace of a Montrealais accent and a very calming and assuring presence. At least, as near to calming as one can be from behind a 1" thick bulletproof window surrounded by polished stainless steel counter & window frame with a metal service drawer for exchanging documents.
She proficiently took down my information about the lost passport and assured me that she would have the Passport Canada database updated immediately. If I were to find the passport, I should bring it to the embassy as soon as possible; under no circumstances was I to actually use the old passport as it will set off alarm bells on both sides of the border.
I was warned from other sources that Passport Canada is about 4 months behind in processing passport applications. The consular official however indicated that they have ramped up production and are now just a bit over one month behind. With luck, I may have my passport by the end of October.
While there was a line of 20 people waiting for visa services to open at 9 AM, I was the only person waiting for consular services. After turning off all electronic devices --it's no secret cell phones and pagers are the work of the devil, but heaven knows why suddenly it's necessary to kill them all when entering an office-- and being scanned in a metal detector, I was directed to a small room more like a large telephone booth.
Seated in the booth, I followed the instructions on the card on the video-phone:
1. Press "Start."
2. Press "1" and "Talk"
3. Look directly into the camera and speak clearly.
4. When finished, press "End."
I've never seen a system quite like this, and I can't say I know why they're using it. In any case, once I announced myself by the video-phone, a consular agent came down to the service desk.
She was clearly Canadian civil servant material, stamped out of the same civil servant DNA desired so much by the Public Service Commission: late 30s, about 5'7", dark hair in a tight, well-ordered bob, subtle make-up, big smile of perfect teeth, fluent English with a trace of a Montrealais accent and a very calming and assuring presence. At least, as near to calming as one can be from behind a 1" thick bulletproof window surrounded by polished stainless steel counter & window frame with a metal service drawer for exchanging documents.
She proficiently took down my information about the lost passport and assured me that she would have the Passport Canada database updated immediately. If I were to find the passport, I should bring it to the embassy as soon as possible; under no circumstances was I to actually use the old passport as it will set off alarm bells on both sides of the border.
I was warned from other sources that Passport Canada is about 4 months behind in processing passport applications. The consular official however indicated that they have ramped up production and are now just a bit over one month behind. With luck, I may have my passport by the end of October.
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Date: 2007-09-28 04:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 05:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 04:25 pm (UTC)When Ric was claiming his Canadian citizenship, we went to the Consulate in New York. The visa section was this stark white room with folding chairs, lots of security guards and no ambience. Because Ric was applying for Citizenship (i.e., bypassing the whole visa thing), he got to go to the consular section, which was gorgeous--deep red carpet, art, paneling and, yes, that weird bulletproof glass/talking through a telephone like you were in jail kind of thing.
When I renew my US passport, I have been told in no uncertain terms to not go to the consulate. Do not even look at the consulate. Just thinking about the consulate will make the trigger happy security guards get even more twitchy. I have to do the entire thing by mail. Also, if I want to speak to someone at the consulate over the phone, I have to call a 900 number and it costs 95 cents a minute. Thank you, current Administration!
no subject
Date: 2007-09-28 09:55 pm (UTC)