Record of the Consulate’s visit to Phoenix for passport renewal on April 9

Record of the Consulate’s visit to Phoenix for passport renewal on April 9 On April 9th and 10th, the ID team of the Los Angeles Consulate went to the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix to provide on-site services to local Chinese citizens...

On April 9th and 10th, the ID team of the Los Angeles Consulate went to the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix to replace passports for local Chinese citizens on-site to provide convenience for local citizens. The reporter arrived at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix around 2 p.m. There were thirty or forty people waiting outside the certification hall, and many of them were asking each other about the price. After learning about it, I discovered that it was different from the previous certificate application. In addition to the basic certificate application fee of $55 plus a $5 basic handling fee charged by the consulate this time, a total of 60 yuan, there was also a postage fee of $36 and a service fee of $44. There were no such fees in the past four years of certificate application, and many certificate applicants expressed doubts about the price. The reporter contacted the local travel agency. In 2007, when the travel agency acted as a passport agent, in addition to the fee charged by the embassy, ​​an additional handling fee of 35 yuan was charged (including mailing fees and service fees). Postage Costs Many people who come to apply for certificates say that there are cheaper postage rates, so why not use them. The staff explained that they used Express to ensure that the mail was tracked and not lost, and the round-trip cost was more than $36. There is no so-called VIP fee in the entire certificate application process. The fee for non-routine photo replacement is $190, which includes $110 for the consulate fee, $36 for postage, and $44 for service fees (unconventional photo replacement: such as expired passports, etc.). On the 9th, more than 200 passports were processed in one day.

The reporter asked two people who had waited for a long time to change their passports at the scene. One of them arrived at the scene at 8 a.m. on the 9th, but by 2 p.m., they had not obtained their passports and were still waiting in the queue. They also expressed their incomprehension about the service fees charged by the travel agency. They felt that they had taken care of everything and did not need their services. Three people who came to Phoenix from other places by plane to apply for a certificate arrived at the application location at 10 a.m. and were still waiting at 2:30 p.m. They said they did not know that personal checks could not be accepted at the certificate application place, and only cash or money order could be used, so they spent a lot of time dealing with this cash problem after wandering around the certificate application place for a long time and could not get cash because all the cash in the nearby ATM machines was gone. Regarding such a long wait, the reporter found the staff, and they said that the tickets that could be processed on the 9th had been issued on the 7th and 8th, so some applicants still could not get the tickets for the day even if they came early in the morning to pick up the number according to the application time. A lot of time was wasted explaining the fees and number issues for those renewing their certificates, and some people were stranded on site, which annoyed the staff who maintained order. As for the service fee, they said that the order issuance work will start from 9 am to 5 pm on April 7 and 8. Their expenses and wages from other places to Phoenix must be included in it. They have to maintain order, take photos, mail, help cash customers buy Money Order and hand it over to the consulate for a lot of follow-up work. Hawaii Travel Service is an assistance unit designated by the consulate and has nothing to do with any local media or overseas Chinese groups in Phoenix. Many people question whether the $44 service fee should be paid. Whether the $36 mailing fee is reasonable is the focus of the issue. How much and how to pay the service fee should at least be clear and understood to the person applying for the certificate before coming to apply for the certificate. If it can be put together with the consulate fees and announced in the media or on the official website before going through the formalities, there should be fewer problems and more people will feel that the service is provided clearly.

Background information We helped Chinese citizens renew their passports at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix on April 9th ​​and 10th. We started issuing passports in advance at the Chinese Cultural Center on April 7th and 8th

Participants in this event: 2 staff members of the consulate’s document team (formal procedures for applying for certificates) A ​​travel agency in Hawaii (reviewing information, charging, and shipping) ASU Student Union (maintaining on-site order and guiding traffic)