Visas Can Be Such a Worry!

I had a worrisome time and a big scare this week. I sent my passport via Priority Mail on Wednesday, Apr. 2, to Washington, DC, to get a China visa. I paid for tracking info and hoped it would be there on Friday. When it wasn't, I spent the weekend worrying a bit, but I realized that Monday would probably be the day of arrival. There was no notice of arrival posted Monday night, so Tuesday I was in a panic. I e-mailed the China Visa Bureau to ask if they had received it thinking that the post office might have failed to do the tracking, but I knew that was unlikely. I called the post office and explained the situation, and they said it would likely arrive there Tuesday; they did say they would check it out and call back within 24 hours. They returned the call late Tuesday saying that the only record they had was that it was sent on Apr. 2 and that possibly it was being delivered that day and the tracking would be posted in the evening. I checked when I went to bed, and there was no posting yet. I awoke in the middle of the night and checked. There still was no posting. I had not heard back from the China Visa Bureau either. I started panicking. I checked on the timeline for getting a new passport. With an extra expediting fee, I could get it in 3 weeks. Well, I had only 3 weeks 3 days before departure. I filled out the forms to cancel my old passport which I now assumed was lost and to apply for a new passport. I checked and found that China has a consulate in Cebu where I could apply for a visa. I worried, however, that I would have to pay for the visa twice, because I was sure the bureau in Washington would process the application if the passport finally arrived. And that would be a wasted $200. I also knew I would have to cancel my trip to India this year because it would just take too long and be too expensive to try to replace my India visa anywhere along the way.

Before heading out to the post office around noon to apply for a new passport, I thought I would make one last try to contact the visa service in Washington to see if my passport arrived today. I still had not heard anything back yet in response to the e-mail I sent them. Well, the guy on the phone told me they got my passport last Friday!!! The post office just forgot to do the tracking info I paid for them to provide. I've been worrying since Friday night, and especially since Monday night for nothing. Anyway, what a relief. I even thought about just canceling my travels instead of worrying about the new passport arriving on time. I HATE having to let my passport out of my hands, and it is required for visas. This time, it really created a lot of trouble and worrying.