Tag Archives: Houston

Detailed Timeline As To How Long It Took To Get A U.S. Passport In Mid-2023 (& The 12-Week ‘Wait’ Is Accurate).

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by Anura Guruge
on September 10, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. Excel spreadsheet I put together for YOU.

Last week, while I was in Maine (again), my Naturalization Certificate arrived — on September 5, 2023.

That was the last step in the process — start-to-finish, soup-to-nuts. I had got my U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card & my documentation. That was it. It was finally, ALL DONE.

It had taken 125 days from START-to-FINISH.

117 days since ‘they’ received my paperwork at the Texas facility, 8-days after I submitted it all at a large U.S. Post Office.

So, that is 4 MONTHS — BUT, I received my Passport & Passport Card within 3 months.

So, I was right SMACK in the 12-week WAIT they currently advertise.

Amusing that they wait EXACTLY a month after issuance of the Passport to start mailing back the documentation. Not sure why they wait a month. I guess they want to make sure the passport got delivered.

I am HAPPY. Got the Passport within the timeframe I had been told to expect. Wasn’t thrilled waiting 5 weeks to get back my documentation — BUT relieved that I am now all set.

Just thought that this timeline might help a few of you. Now you can work out where you are in the process. Hopefully things will get faster now that the Summer travel rush/bulge is history.

All the best.

I Got My U.S. Passport CARD Today — 2-Days After Passport & 12.7 Weeks (89 Days) After I Applied.

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by Anura Guruge
on July 29, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. Sorry, I don’t want to expose myself. (SMILE).

This is cool. Right on the heels of my passport. I am chuffed.

So, just like clockwork per the currently much-stated 11 to 13 week wait for a U.S. Passport.

Both were mailed from Houston, Texas. The passport was sent ‘Priority Mail’, the passport card, First Class. I suspect they were both mailed on the same day. I don’t care. Just glad to have BOTH of them.

Now just waiting on my my all important Naturalization Certificate. Hoping it will come soon. But, in a way, it no longer matters. I have these credentials to prove that I am somewhat bona fide. SMILE.

Had never heard of a Passport Card. They can ONLY be used for land or sea crossings. DEFINITELY not valid when crossing the border by air.

The land/sea works GREAT for I — when it comes to Canada (from my ‘Bold Coast‘). Maybe I will now, after a 20+ year boycott, again start visiting Canada. There were times in my life when I visited Canada twice a month!

‘Six Flag’ Parks Named After The Historical ‘Six Flags Over Texas’ — Did You Know That?

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by Anura Guruge
on January 27, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. Base image from ‘Six Flags New England‘.
Click to ENLARGE. Wikipedia link.

I will confess that I was, until today, NEVER aware of the ‘Six Flags Over Texas‘. I learnt that, to my amazement & awe, from a somewhat lackluster (2022) movie I had watched on ‘Prime‘, viz. ‘Vengeance‘. Learning THIS was the only redeeming attribute of that movie.

Unlike the protagonist in that movie, I am not a stranger to ‘Texas‘. In the 1990s I spent a fair amount of time in Texas — albeit all of it in Dallas, Austin & Houston. A number of my top consulting clients were based in Texas & I had to visit them often. Towards the latter part of the 1990s I was going to Texas at least once a month. So, I am sure I saw the six flags numerous times. I guess they must have them at the airports. I guess I never took any notice & none of my Texan friends ever enlightened me about the flags. Shame on them.

An interesting aspect of one’s history to celebrate. Six is a fair number of flags.

Right off the top of my head I know that the country of my birth ‘Ceylon’ (now Sri Lanka) could claim to have been under at least 4 flags: Portuguese, Dutch, British & its own.

‘Hawaii’ must have had at least 5.

I did a quick look but I couldn’t find a list or answer. There must be countries (or states) in Europe & Asia that were colonized multiple times. Something worth looking into.

But, this ‘Six Flags Over Texas’ intrigued & interested me. Glad I watched that dumb movie just for that. SMILE.