Hey everyone,

I'm in a bit of a panic. I applied for a Schengen visa through the Italian Consulate's mail-in option on July 9th for a trip in October. However, I have urgent international travel plans on August 20th and desperately need my passport back.

I was shocked by the processing time as I applied for a visa in May and received it within 20 days. I'm worried about what to do now.

Should I try to withdraw my visa application? If so, when's the best time to do it? Or should I just wait it out until next Thursday? Is there any chance I can go to the Italian Consulate in Houston to retrieve my passport?

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated! I'm feeling pretty stressed about this.

PS: I'm not a US citizen and I'm in the US on a work visa, which is why I need a Schengen visa.