My CRBA Nightmare: Why I Built This Tool
If you are reading this, you are probably tired. Tired of the paperwork, tired of the confusion, and mostly tired of seeing this message: "No Appointments Available."
I know exactly how you feel.
In 2024, my wife and I welcomed our son while living abroad. We had the birth certificate, the photos, and the excitement. We were ready to make him an official U.S. citizen.
We logged into the scheduling portal, ready to book our interview.
Nothing.
We checked the next day. Nothing. We checked at midnight. Nothing.
For 4 months, our lives revolved around hitting "Refresh" on a browser tab. We missed family weddings in the States. We delayed travel plans. We felt stuck.
The "Aha" Moment
One night, after another failed attempt at 3 AM, I realized something: I am a developer. Why am I doing this manually?
I wrote a simple script to check the calendar for me. I told it: "Just ping me if a slot opens up."
Two days later, my phone buzzed. Bing. A slot had opened for the following Tuesday.
I booked it in 30 seconds.
Watch My Story
I recorded a short video sharing the full story of our embassy interview day—including the one document we almost forgot!
Why I'm Sharing This
I realized I wasn't the only one suffering. There are thousands of American families stuck in "limbo" simply because they can't match their schedule with the embassy's random release times.
I built CRBA Monitor to level the playing field. You shouldn't have to be a coder to get an appointment for your child.
My Promise to You
This isn't a faceless corporation. It's just me, a dad who wanted to get his kid a passport.
- Transparency: I'll tell you exactly what the tool can and can't do.
- Privacy: I don't want your data. I just want to send you an alert.
- Helpfulness: I'm writing these guides to help you navigate the confusing parts of the DS-2029.
If you are stuck, reach out. I read every email.
And if you are tired of refreshing... let me do it for you.