So First I have a question. If I drop of my visa application along with document and printout of ticket purchase confirmation as stated above with a self addressed stamped envelope will they mail it back to me or do I have to wait three days? I live 4 hours from Miami. I also received an email from FIFA stating my ticket certificate is on the way, but they can't say when it will arrive. Does anyone have any advice....my flight leaves June 24th. Should I wait for certificate, try my luck with printout confirmation, or mail to Atlanta...any response would be appreciated.
the processing time seems to have steadily increased, I guess a lot of people put this off to the end. I'm really glad I did mine back in March. I heard from someone in my office who went thru Travisa in LA that the travisa rep told her they are limited to submitting a max of 30 applications (of any kind) a day to the LA Consulate. She gave up on the ticket cert showing up and went with the full on 10-year $160 visa, but still her application went to the back of travisa's queue before she even starts into the consulate's process. She has about 10 days of slack with the estimate for completion, but she's nervous as hell now.
Hey guys, we just got our tickets in the mail today. Unfortunately, they didn't put the transferred tickets with our names. Does this mean we have to pick them up in Brazil? Does anyone know how that process works or have a link to a site that describes it? Thanks for your help!
Just wanted to tell everyone here how big of a help this message board has been in obtaining my visa. I live in the panhandle of Florida and was able to get my visa from the Atlanta Consulate. I flew up on a Friday got to the consulate at about 9:30, and was out by 11:00. The actual time spent at the desk was approximately 5 minutes. No appointment necessary just walk in. Just make sure you bring your signed passport, flight info, and a printout of the ticket confirmation from "my ticketing account" on the FIFA website along with a USPS priority self addressed, stamped envelope with tracking number. They will not accept Fed Ex or UPS. Just FYI when bringing the FIFA website confirmation: under previous request where you can click to show more details. Make sure YOUR name is listed as a guest. I had my buddy listed as the guest (because i bought the tickets) and was told that my name had to be listed as a guest even though all my information was listed under the customer data/address section. They have a computer there but it was slow and 4 people who went before me had to line up to use it. I simply logged into my account and switched out my name with his and when I went back to the counter it was accepted. I received my visa and passport 7 days later in the mail. What a relief to avoid a trip to Miami and to finally have the visa. Thank you for all those who replied and let it be known that Atlanta was accepting out of jurisdiction applications.
Update on San Francisco processing times. Appointment on April 30 all good, and passports w/visas arrived today via 2 day overnight mail. 19 days including mailing transit time. Good luck to you all!
Welp, guess I'll be cutting it really close. I live in SF and have an appointment for Wednesday the 21st .I leave June 12th, so 21 days from the appointment. Hopefully it'll be quicker if I'm picking them up. We'll see.
tmello56, Let me know how it goes. I had an appointment at the SF consulate for the 14th and because of a strike of the workers around the globe at Brazilian consulates, my appointment was moved without asking me to the 28th. I'll be applying in person for a World cup Visa and picking up in person. Let me know how long they tell you.
Miami consulate visit update I just came back from the Brazilian consulate in Miami. It was a big pain in the rear. I arrived at 10 AM, picked a number for the special world cup visa (there were 45 numbers/people ahead of me). I was called to the counter at 1:45 PM. They asked for my US passport and an original ticket for a game (I received all my tickets from FIFA yesterday). The lady took the game ticket (with my name on it) and made a photo copy. She gave me a receipt and told me to come back in three days to pick up the passport with the visa. I spent max two minutes at the counter. FYI: One of the consulate workers told me that he does not recommend for people to ask for a return of the passport via self-addressed envelope because it could take a lot longer than three 3 days. He recommends to come in person and pick it up. I hope this helps.
Just a heads up, Hans, my husband went to pick up our passports from Miami yesterday, and the wait to pick up was crazy. They had t finished serving people with numbers from the morning so they didn't even start calling until 3:45, and then some people's weren't ready. Thankfully we got ours back and the only thing wasted was his time.
Why? They process the World Cup Visa in just 3 days, both security guys are very friendly. The problem is that most people (applicants) don't bring copies or all the information that is requested, otherwise it should take only 2 minutes per applicant. I was there last Friday and I was number 6~8 (I got around 9:20), some applicants were at the window for more than 10 minutes, even a guy have to wait aside because he was missing a confirmation and they give him a fax number so a friend could fax the missing paper to the Consulate, they did not reject his applications at all. By the time it was my turn (around 11:10), it only took 2~3 minutes (they did not have to make any copy), keep in mind that they have a copier machine in another room.
You were lucky you went on Friday. On Saturday, there was an article in one of the local Miami papers (I did not see it, I just heard people talk about it) that pretty much blasted the consulate in Miami for setting their own rules (for example not accepting credit card statements as proof of having tickets, or emails received from Fifa showing successful applications). So the consulate decided to change the rule and updated the website on Sunday. People found out and because of this change they came in masses.
@tmello56 let me know what day they say you can pick up your passport after your appointment today. I leave on the 11th and have started to get really worried. The strike at the consulate might end up killing me.
I went to the LA consulate yesterday. Waited about an hour. Had an unfriendly lady mumble to me in portuguese as she took my paperwork without even looking through it and gave me a paper that said pickup date was june 10. So seems like 3 weeks is still standard if you submit to LA consulate. Make sure all your paperwork is there in case you get the lady who doesn't check your stuff like I did.
Good tip. my pick up date is June 5 and I fly out on the 7th. I've been checking the status online and it still says "Received" (been like that for 1.5 weeks!). The lady that helped me was nice and checked everything; asked if I had seen the video online.
Yes I was very lucky but the article was posted on MiamiHerald.com on Friday (around noon?), but on the same day around 9:20am spoke with an employee and I explained my situation, they were told by Fifa that everybody should receive their tickets by mail, but I told him that a lot of people bought their ticket after January/February, and FIFA could not mail out those ticket "the only option for us was to pickup our tickets in Brazil", I told them they could check on FIFA website. He went inside to notify the others about this, when he came back he told me it should not be a problem but they will need to verify what I have (print screen/email confirmation) at the window. I'm not 100% sure that my explanation was the key (to open their eyes?), but they started accepting email confirmation/print screen on Friday, I know this because when I left, a guy at the elevator asked me if they have accepted my email confirmation and I told him "yes", he was sad because he was there the day before (Thursday) and he was rejected, he came back on Friday just to apply for the regular Visa. I'm sure that after the article was posted, they had no more excuses. My passport is ready, I hope I can pick it up this Friday (I work from 8 to 4:30 pm).
Appointment was for 11am but they don't even check and it looks like they're allowing walk-ins. Took about an hour to get to the window, then all of 30 seconds to turn in the paperwork. Pick up for me is June 3rd. If you want to avoid waiting I suggest just showing up at 9am, they'll see you regardless of your appointment time.
@tmello56 , really appreciate the information. If it stays at 13 day processing time, I'll be picking up the day before I leave. Cutting it as close as possible.
I think they take departure date into consideration. They were nothing but accommodating and helpful from my experience. So my guess is they'll realize you were rescheduled etc. and turn yours around faster, considering everything is in order.
I went to Miami today and they were accepting envelopes to send it back to people. If you drop off in person it will be ready for pickup in 3 business days. I would drop it off do you have anyone you trust that can pick it up for you in Miami? If so all they need is the receipt they give you.
My girlfriend was stalling and went to get her world cup visa yesterday..... She dropped off all the paperwork and was told to come pick it up June 7. That's over 2 weeks !!! She got lucky because we leave on the 13th.... I almost got lucky to go solo =)
Just an FYI for anyone browsing this forum who is using the Washington D.C. Consulate and is freaking out wondering if they have time to get a visa. Turnaround time for my visa using USPS priority was 22 days. I shipped my passport and visa application 22 days ago (real days not business days) by mail, and my visa was delivered today. And in case it hasn't been stated enough, *The FIFA original ticket certificate does not exist!*--or at least it may as well not. I have yet to hear of anyone receiving one (I haven't and I am DEFINITELY in the group that FIFA claims was supposed to get one), and either way you don't need one. I HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE DC CONSULATE STATING THAT EMAIL CONFIRMATION FROM FIFA IS ACCEPTABLE proof of ticket purchase instead of the mythical certificate their website claims to require. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to send them the USPS money order for $180 in addition to the email confirmation of tickets "just in case," because being rejected this close to the World Cup wouldn't be ideal, but it's more for your peace of mind. They'll prob just pocket it or (maybe if you're lucky) return it with your visa. I'm not sure of the turnaround at this point for dropping off applications in person at the DC Consulate and having them mailed, so any info on that is welcome. RA