Passport + Visa Went Through Washer

[mauricioespinosa 0]

My husband´s Bolivian passport went through the washing machine. He had a U.S. Tourist Visa, valid for 10 years, multiple entry. It was issued this year. We hadn´t even used it yet.

The passport is in bad shape and will need to be replaced.

The visa is almost entirely readable, but the photo is pretty washed out. It´s readable, but it doesn´t look good.

I have scans on my computer of the visa.

What can we do???

The U.S. Embassy is a 17 hour bus ride away. I think there´s a Consulate in our city that does limited things, it doesn´t issue visas.

Any experience with this? Please tell me we won´t have to start from scratch!

[lost_at_sea 995]

You'll have to get a replacement passport and visa. What's your nearest U.S. embassy? They may allow you to do it by mail, but you'll need to look it up on their website to check what their procedure for a replacement is.

It'll likely cost you the cost of a replacement passport plus an extra cost for re-issuing the visa.

It's not an end of the world situation, just a pain in the backside.

I can't tell if you're in the US or not from your post? Or, rather, where is your husband right now?

Edited June 15, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[mauricioespinosa 0]

You'll have to get a replacement passport and visa. What's your nearest U.S. embassy? They may allow you to do it by mail, but you'll need to look it up on their website to check what their procedure for a replacement is.

It'll likely cost you the cost of a replacement passport plus an extra cost for re-issuing the visa.

It's not an end of the world situation, just a pain in the backside.

I can't tell if you're in the US or not from your post? Or, rather, where is your husband right now?

Thanks. We´re both in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, we live here. The nearest U.S. Embassy is a 17-hour bus ride away. That´s where we got the visa. I think there´s a Consulate in our city but they don´t issue visas or do a lot of other things.

Thanks for your reply. Honestly money doesn´t even matter to me right now as long we don´t have to redo the application process. It took 4 years for us to get a visa!!

[lost_at_sea 995]

Thanks. We´re both in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, we live here. The nearest U.S. Embassy is a 17-hour bus ride away. That´s where we got the visa. I think there´s a Consulate in our city but they don´t issue visas or do a lot of other things.

Thanks for your reply. Honestly money doesn´t even matter to me right now as long we don´t have to redo the application process. It took 4 years for us to get a visa!!

Yeah, it's just stressful, right? When I had my bag stolen with my passport in last year - the money wasn't the issue - just the stress of getting a replacement before travelling! Ugh!

Don't worry - you should just call the embassy that issued your visa, explain that you've had the passport damaged and it needs replacing and they should be able to give you instructions. It might take a while - you'll likely have to order the replacement passport as normal in Bolivia, then schedule with the embassy a time to either take in or send in the passport to get the visa replaced. Keep hold of the damaged one - you can send it back to them if they want it.

It shouldn't trigger a do-over!

[hikergirl 277]

They may have a regular courier run that goes in between the Consulate in Santa Cruz and the Embassy.

You may be able to send the new passport and the old one through the Consulate in Santa Cruz to get the Visa re-issued.

It would be worth a shot to ask and try and save you that trip.

[mauricioespinosa 0]

Well I heard back from the Embassy today - we have to start over. I'm not sure I have ever felt so devastated - not even when his applications were denied in the past. I feel so horrible. They said :

"Regarding your inquiry, if the visa is damaged in any way, that visa will no longer be valid and cannot be used for travel to the United States. A visa cannot be renewed or transferred from one passport to another one regardless of its type. One must apply as if it is a new visa following the regular procedure."

:(

[lost_at_sea 995]

Well I heard back from the Embassy today - we have to start over. I'm not sure I have ever felt so devastated - not even when his applications were denied in the past. I feel so horrible. They said :

"Regarding your inquiry, if the visa is damaged in any way, that visa will no longer be valid and cannot be used for travel to the United States. A visa cannot be renewed or transferred from one passport to another one regardless of its type. One must apply as if it is a new visa following the regular procedure."

What! I am super surprised! Passports get lost or stolen all the time, there must be something else they can do! Can you talk to someone face-to-face (or phone-to-phone)? Maybe they just mean you get to reapply for the visa only? Like, you wouldn't have to re-petition. It may depend how recently the first visa was issued from the approval of the petition, though. Again, I'd try to talk to someone if I could and find out all the ins and outs.

[mauricioespinosa 0]

What! I am super surprised! Passports get lost or stolen all the time, there must be something else they can do! Can you talk to someone face-to-face (or phone-to-phone)? Maybe they just mean you get to reapply for the visa only? Like, you wouldn't have to re-petition. It may depend how recently the first visa was issued from the approval of the petition, though. Again, I'd try to talk to someone if I could and find out all the ins and outs.

Thanks for your reply. I've never had any luck calling the Embassy, just emailing. And in the past the person that emails has been nice and helpful. So I'm not sure how I could talk to someone else, but I'll try.

The visa was issued in February of this year - just four months ago. We hadn't even used it yet.

[SennaBrigante 92]

Same thing happened with our family friend. He put a piece of folded paper in his passport and he didn't know it had small spots of adhesive and it stuck with his US visa and it got damaged when he pulled the paper off. If the visa is "tampered" in any way no matter how small, it's considered invalid. Very very heartbreaking.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

Well I heard back from the Embassy today - we have to start over. I'm not sure I have ever felt so devastated - not even when his applications were denied in the past. I feel so horrible. They said :

"Regarding your inquiry, if the visa is damaged in any way, that visa will no longer be valid and cannot be used for travel to the United States. A visa cannot be renewed or transferred from one passport to another one regardless of its type. One must apply as if it is a new visa following the regular procedure."

So if someone with a B2 is in America and the visa gets damaged, does he become an illegal alien? Does he have to leave immediately? It seems quite non-sensical.

[SennaBrigante 92]

I think the visa only has to be valid (not expired, not tampered or damaged) upon entry. They can still travel out of the US but if they want to return in the future, they'll need to apply for a new one.