Renewing US Passport

Hello everyone, it's time to renew my US passport (from the UK) and I hope to double check a few things here first.

1. When you do the "online application", you then print the pdf out, print out the credit card payment form, and then set up DX courier and mail it all in to embassy in London? (with passport photo too of course!)

2. My current passport, the one I'm renewing, is in my legal name- issued June 2007 + expires June 2017. The passport before this had my previous marriage name but was cancelled June 2007 to issue the new current one. Do I need to send proof of name change? I have a divorce decree, do I send it? and do I send the old passport too? I didn't know how far back they mean they need proof of name change!

Thanks so much for any help, as always!!

Hello everyone, it's time to renew my US passport (from the UK) and I hope to double check a few things here first.

1. When you do the "online application", you then print the pdf out, print out the credit card payment form, and then set up DX courier and mail it all in to embassy in London? (with passport photo too of course!)


2. My current passport, the one I'm renewing, is in my legal name- issued June 2007 + expires June 2017. The passport before this had my previous marriage name but was cancelled June 2007 to issue the new current one. Do I need to send proof of name change? I have a divorce decree, do I send it? and do I send the old passport too? I didn't know how far back they mean they need proof of name change!

Yes, the online application is not really online, it just fills the boxes and you print it.
Print the payment form and fill in by hand.
Complete the Dx online contact form, they will call you. They will take payment over the phone and confirm the place and time they will come to collect your documents. You don't mail them.
They will bring an envelope for your documents and a receipt that you can use to track your package.

You do need to send your most recent passport and the US sized photo but afaik, you don't need your previous passport or your name change information because you have already done this. 

Thanks so much Larrabee! I thought that's what it would be but was afraid to start it and not know what was going to come up. What does "afaik" mean? Typo or am I just waaay behind on abreviations!?

You do need to send your most recent passport and the US sized photo but afaik,

I don't put my name on the back of the photo right?
Thanks again, maybe I'll get this sorted today. But I am having a midday tired slump 
Mary

afaik =as far as I know, but I don't know about putting your name on the photograph

Thanks so much Larrabee! I thought that's what it would be but was afraid to start it and not know what was going to come up. What does "afaik" mean? Typo or am I just waaay behind on abreviations!?

I don't put my name on the back of the photo right?
Thanks again, maybe I'll get this sorted today. But I am having a midday tired slump 
Mary

I didn't write the name on the picture although it seemed a little strange not to but didn't notice that anywhere in the instructions so I put it in an envelope with husband's name on that and stapled that to the form.
afaik = as far as I know !   

Hahah...told you I'm behind on abbreviations! Thanks durhamlad and larrabee for the quick response. I'll see if I can get this tied up right now.

Here's the link to the page in case it helps anyone reading this in the future: https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/u-s-passports/how-to-renew-a-passport/passport-renewal-process/

Hahah...told you I'm behind on abbreviations! Thanks durhamlad and larrabee for the quick response. I'll see if I can get this tied up right now.

Here's the link to the page in case it helps anyone reading this in the future: https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/u-s-passports/how-to-renew-a-passport/passport-renewal-process/

Yeah, it's fairly easy. If you go ahead and do it now, we can keep each other company for the wait.    I have arranged a pick up for tomorrow.
When I last checked, wait time was 4 weeks so not too bad. 

Great! I did get it done, but DX's cut off time is 3pm (stated in the email they sent) so I won't hear from them today. I'm not sure when they'll come now until they call me I guess. Now I feel like I don't want to go anywhere!

I see your already on your 2nd FLR(M)? I'll be applying in Sept. so I'm preparing now. I want to get it ready so I can put it aside, I hate it hanging over me! How long until you do the final visa? ILR right?

Great! I did get it done, but DX's cut off time is 3pm (stated in the email they sent) so I won't hear from them today. I'm not sure when they'll come now until they call me I guess. Now I feel like I don't want to go anywhere!

I see your already on your 2nd FLR(M)? I'll be applying in Sept. so I'm preparing now. I want to get it ready so I can put it aside, I hate it hanging over me! How long until you do the final visa? ILR right?

I filled in the form on Monday morning and they called towards the end of the day on Tuesday.  I put Thursday on the form for pick up as I knew I'd be in then and I didn't change it.
The lady that called me was super nice. She'll arrange a time that suits you.
If you want to, you can call them but it's not a free number so I avoided doing that!

Yes, it'll be ILR next, we can apply at the end of Feb/beginning of March next year. Poor husband is studying like mad at the moment for his life in the UK test.

Can I just say I'm glad I'm not the only one stressing about that test!! I don't know how I'll ever pass it. I've got the special books, have tried to study and get through them but haven't really focused on it. My husband and I watch historical youtube movies and he loves history so he gives me the 'overload' version! He says the questions they are asking are way too difficult and the average Brit wouldn't know a lot of it.  I was terrible at history in high school, I used to sit and draw people in class (I'm an artist now!) I the worst at dates. I need to make a time line and put it up in our hallway so I can think about it whenever I walk by! Sigh...

Can I just say I'm glad I'm not the only one stressing about that test!! I don't know how I'll ever pass it. I've got the special books, have tried to study and get through them but haven't really focused on it. My husband and I watch historical youtube movies and he loves history so he gives me the 'overload' version! He says the questions they are asking are way too difficult and the average Brit wouldn't know a lot of it.  I was terrible at history in high school, I used to sit and draw people in class (I'm an artist now!) I the worst at dates. I need to make a time line and put it up in our hallway so I can think about it whenever I walk by! Sigh...

It's the dates that are causing my husband trouble too.

I started reading the book because I thought I would coach him but it was so incredibly dry that by the end of the first chapter I just couldn't go back to it. 
I agree with your husband, I was surprised at how difficult it was.

Have you tried any of the online practice tests? They're not official but he's finding them really helpful.

I think I need to start doing them at least once a week....I'll get this passport sent out for renewal and now I'm starting to organize for my 2nd FLR(M) in Sept., so it would be a good idea to get serious about it. I haven't even gotten my driving liscense yet, I'm hopeless at standard! Too much to worry about at once! haha.  You wouldn't happen to have a link handy to get me started? I'll start reviewing tomorrow!
Thanks and good luck to him too!

The practice tests are more fun than the book! 

http://www.lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk/tests/

https://www.liuk.co.uk/liuk-test1.html

http://uktestpass.co.uk/life-in-the-uk-test/

Some are better than others. Not sure which is which, sorry! 

https://www.theuktest.com/life-in-the-uk-test/1

https://lifeintheuktests.co.uk/life-in-the-uk-test-1/

I'm a real fan of youtube because I will play an old movie while I paint. I just looked and there's some practice tests there too. Might be a change of pace for you husband too! Here's the first one I found:

I just took this one, got 11 wrong and 13 correct! Pretty bad, you have to pause it too, goes too fast.
thanks for all the links, I'll check them out and save them!
Mary