Hello House,
I need suggestions and advise on this.
I'm in bit of a dilemma here. I'm thinking of calling AVO to retrieve my passport (which I summited to them) as I need it for an important business travel engagement on Wednesday August 12th.
A bit of background here, I was actually given a period of 45 days to submit Passports (the usual 15 days + additional 30 days after requesting for an extension due to travel plans I had in June/July). Passport eventually reached AVO on Tuesday July 28 two days ahead of the deadline of July 30th. Even i had this August 12th trip planned, I did not want to ask for any extension again as by my judgment 8 working days should be enough for AVO to issue the visas. Meanwhile, I had written a cover note/letter in the package asking them to please expedite my visa processing as I will be needing the Passport for a travel on August 12th with ticket as evidence..
I surprisingly got a call from AVO on the submission deadline day of July 30th (Thursday) asking if I have submitted my passports. I confirmed to the lady on phone that my passport reached their office 2 days back (Tuesday), her response was that means the package is still in their mail room and that they will go and pick it up. I immediately wrote them an email with the DHL POD (Proof of Delivery) showing that someone signed for it on that Tuesday July 28th and re-emphasized my request for an early return of the passport ahead of the trip of August 12th. First thing that came to mine after that call was that AVO has not picked my passports since it arrived their office meaning that i have lost critical 2 days procession time which is important for an early return of the passport.
The dilemma is that as at today August 5th, i have not received the pick-up mail from AVO which is getting me worried. I live in Abuja and I need at least 3 working days for DHL to get the passport back to me in Abuja. My target is that if I don't hear from them by end of today August 5th, I will have to call them first thing tomorrow Thursday 6th August to retrieve the passport so that DHL can pick-up it by Friday 7th August so that it can get to me in Abuja latest by Tuesday August 11th and I will then return it to them after the short trip.
I'm looking for someone who have had any experience with retrieving his/her passports from AVO after submission before final Visa issuance. I have the phone number they used in calling me but its going to the switch board. I remember reading someone here on the forum saying he retrieved his passports 3 times from AVO before he finally got Visas issued.
Pls note that trip cannot be cancelled as im representing my Coy on an important business engagement. I do this at time of year hence the frequent trips.
Any suggestion will be most helpful.