China - Lost US Passport w/ Chinese Visa (Urgent!)

A few friends and I are heading to China in two weeks for sightseeing. One of them lives in DC so he took all passports to the Chinese Embassy for visas and shipped the passports back to everyone via fedex.

One of my friends, who lives in Dallas, did not receive his passport and FedEx just admitted that the package is lost (although it is only 2 business days late at this point)

Do any of you have ideas on the best way to make sure my friend has a new US Passport with a Chinese visa in Dallas by 12/1?

Is it worth using a 3rd party passport agency or will he achieve the same results showing up at the US passport office in Dallas in person?

Appreciate the help!

(MOD: I'm not sure if this should be in this forum or the China forum. Feel free to move)

If your friend is traveling within 2 weeks, the best way to get a passport is to show up at the passport office in person. The other thing is to show proof that your friend needs to go get a Chinese visa re-issued, as that will be reason enough to expedite to a same-day passport (you usually have to show you are traveling within 72 hours to get a same-day, otherwise you will have to wait at least 24 hours and up to 72).

I would also make FedEx pay for all of this.

You may need an appointment to get to the passport office, so have them set that up as quick as they can. If they can not get an appointment in time with the holiday in there and all that, they may need to use one of the services to get it taken care of. Good luck.

Your friend will need to get the passport replaced as well as getting the new passport to the Chinese consular offices. I believe the nearest one to Dallas is in Houston.

I have used passport/visa agencies in the past with great success. If you use one, you will pay at least $100 to $150 over the passport and visa fees, maybe more. I use Travisa.com. They have done fast last minute work for me. But I am sure there are other reputable agencies as well.

In the China forum there are several threads on Chinese visas. You might want to ask the mods to move this thread over there. Some of the regulars have a lot of experience with visa issues in China.

N1120A has a good point, I would talk to FedEx cutomer service and try to get them to pay for this.

thanks for the heads up

squeakr
Co mod TS/S

Speaking of experience here in LA. Go to Federal building at 9 AM, have paperwork confirming flight in a couple days, will send you to a window for appointment exemption ticket. Pickup passport in afternoon. Next morning go to China consulate and get same day visa. New passport and China visa <30 HOURS.

So it is looking like this is his best bet:
Go to Passport Agency in Dallas for a same day passport (~$200), then drive to Houston to visit the Chinese Consulate for a same day visa ($170). Unfortunately that is going to mean a few hours off work to get the passport, and a day off to go to Houston.

Does anyone know if consulate will charge him for a new Visa since he was just issued one a week ago? Does it matter that it was originally issued at the Embassy in DC?

We called around and found a passport agency in Dallas that could do it, but they quoted almost $700 :eek:. I agree FedEx should pay for it, but I'm not counting on them paying anymore then the insured value of $130. This was a trip we planned based on some good fares to China recently, so I don't know if my friend wants to risk being out over $500 by going the agency route, which is close to what our airfare cost.

Doesn't hurt to ask China consulate to waive visa fee, be sure to present any documents you have to prove your claim. What are the odds they will waive the fee? Well what atr the odds FedEx would lose your passport?:)

Doesn't hurt to ask China consulate to waive visa fee, be sure to present any documents you have to prove your claim. What are the odds they will waive the fee? Well what atr the odds FedEx would lose your passport?:)

Well considering my current thoughts on FedEx I guess that means I am 100% guranteed they will waive the fee :D

I talked to my friend again and he is too nervous to rely on any more shipping with a passport, so he is going to make an appointment at the Dallas passport office for tomorrow and do the road trip on Friday. He should have it in plenty of time if all goes to plan. Just ~12 hours and $300 poorer thanks to Fedex.

How does FedEx lose a passport package, if the passport has RFID?

Fell off the truck:D

FedEx has been using RFID technology since 1999. FedEx Ground currently uses wireless RFID technology for asset tracking in a business to consumer (B2C) environment. RFID makes the leap from the old handheld scanners to the new Bluetooth Pocket PCs making FedEx the efficiency expert. in inventory.
instance, a customer sent a parcel to his friend in China, but would like to know where it is – this can be found using a RFID tag that will obtain information that the parcel is on the FedEx Ground truck crossing Country ‘X’.

Well, keep trying with fed ex. Otherwise your problem is not visa, but passport. Visa's can be issued same day at all Chinese consulates in the US.