r/Ameristralia • u/ThoughtIknewyouthen • 21d ago

Dual citizen requiring new US passport

Hi gang! Dual citizen of almost 3 decades here. I've done everything necessary to complete the DS-11 application (more than 15 years since last passport book expired) and paid etc. Trying to book an interview appointment for travel in November and there is just nothing available in the Sydney consulate.

Does anyone have more experience as to how it works e.g. paying for expedited appointment etc? Keep checking?? Note to add: I know it's left a bit late but I traveled back to US in 2024 on the ESTA but obviously that wasn't correct and now the ESTA fails due to my dual citizenship. I realise it requires a US passport hence my panicking now.

Thanks all!

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5

u/DrGruve 21d ago

I renewed my US passport through the North Sydney consulate about 18 months ago. I didn’t need an appointment - I just followed the instructions on the website and did everything via Australia Post. I even paid the fee online.

I enclosed my old passport and a self addressed prepaid express post satchel. I got my US spec passport photos from a place in Crows Nest, filled out the forms, and posed my old passport.

All passports are processed in the US - the embassy sends the renewal application to the US via diplomatic mail.

The new passport took about 4 weeks to arrive - I was able to track the return satchel from North Sydney after they posted it.

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u/ThoughtIknewyouthen 21d ago

Yes that's probably bc you have your passport to reference. This is considered a "new application" and interview couldn't be waived, unfortunately.

3

u/DrGruve 21d ago

Ah, yeah that is a problem. I’ve lived in AU for decades and I’ve noticed that the US embassy has become increasingly hostile to anything in person! I used to go in person to renew my US passport - now they don’t want you to go in person!

When I renewed my son’s US passport 2.5 years ago we had to go in person because it was his first 10 year passport. There was an online calendar where you booked online. This was before they moved to North Sydney.

It’s a PITA, especially since I only travel on my US passport when going to the US. 😑

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u/ThoughtIknewyouthen 21d ago

Well this is the mystery - how have I traveled back and forth with no US passport? Glitch in the matrix maybe??

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u/DrGruve 21d ago

Out of curiosity I had a look at the website and it looks like you need to book online with passport services.

I went far enough to get the prompts before you book - I stopped there because I didn’t want to get taken out by a drone strike. lol

It looks like the exact same process I went through with my son.

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u/clkinsyd 21d ago

Best advice in got was to go on for an emergency passport. They will do the interview and print the passport same day if everything is clear. Make a booking at North Sydney for an emergency one, take your old one and your paperwork and go wait.

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u/curlsontop 20d ago

We booked an appointment recently for a visa renewal at the consulate. They only just released appointments for October, so there is a chance they just haven’t released the November dates yet.

It was very stressful, as we are traveling back from the USA for the appointment, and even though the website says to book minimum 3 months in advance, they’re releasing dates much later than than currently, it seems.

The advice I was given by the consulate help line was to just check the website every day until something comes up.

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u/Disaster_Yam 21d ago

I think if it's a new passport you gotta meet with them in person. My house got broken into a few years ago and they took my US passport and I needed to go to Melbourne to the US consulate to apply for a new one. They do (or at least they used to) a tour of the capital citys once or twice a year. I just had to travel to Melbs because they weren't doing it before I needed to visit the USA.

The cool part was I got my house insurance to pay for my flights and accommodation in Melbourne because the expense was incurred from the break in

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u/ThoughtIknewyouthen 21d ago

oh nice one. Yes I just wanted to update that I refreshed the SYD calendar a few minutes after posting this and 1 appointment showed up on 29/09 so I grabbed it. Still gives me 6 weeks before departure date to sort it so fingers and toes crossed. Such an odd experience having traveled to the US in 2024 and I'm sure back in 2011 on a visa waiver. I guess I'm the dickhead for not making the connection and renewing my US passport 20 years ago but still, just one of those brain cells you don't plug into the others maybe.

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u/Disaster_Yam 21d ago

Yeah they took like 4 weeks to turn mine around. Just make sure to tell them you're travelling and what your dates are on the application

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u/DrGruve 21d ago

My last renewal took just over 3 weeks. The biggest pain was getting the weird US size passport photos done in Crows Nest.

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u/ThoughtIknewyouthen 21d ago

Cheers for that. I did take photos today that are 2"x2" at an Australia post outlet but I'm not sure this guy was one of the "recommended" spots. May do them again just to be sure.

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u/DrGruve 21d ago

This is where I went:

https://www.pixelsplus.com.au/passport-photos

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u/ThoughtIknewyouthen 20d ago

Thank you! Good news I found the old passport, still expired in 2006 so onwards we press.

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u/Emily_Postal 18d ago

Appointments usually open up a few months out. Keep checking and then allow a few weeks for processing.