Issuing US passport for the first time

[milimelo 4,169]

If you'll have Oath ceremony within two weeks or less of your flight date, you can set up an appt in the passport agency ahead of time: dial the 1-800 number, listen to the options and then punch in the date you want an appt. After ceremony, make sure your certificate is correct and take it to the PA for the scheduled time alongisde proof of travel within two weeks, credit card (I think it's $190-200 now), pictures and the form you already downloaded form the internet.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Do not, I repeat, do not pay any "service" to do what you can do, free of charge.

Find the closest passport agency, make an appointment for the day after your Oath Ceremony, go there with your Certificate of Citizenship, a passport photo, the filled-out form and cash or a check, drop everything off, have breakfast, brunch, lunch, or Happy Hour drinks, then pick up your passport book. The passport card will come in the mail a week later as it is not processed in house. Don't even think about not applying for a passport card when applying for a passport book.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html

[BSquared 9]

Can't seem to keep quiet on this subject, was it 3 or 4 years ago they started this Canadian/Mexico nonsense? Could check on the day of my renewed US passport, even paying for expedient service, it took 4 1/2 months. But recently, two weeks and five days for my stepdaughters first time US passport using slow standard service.

I vividly recall hounding them everyday a month before my flight was due, learned all the tricks to bypass their answering machine to speak an to an agent. They did send me my passport in time, exactly 12 hours before my flight was to depart. Mexico I could see with all the illegals they claim we have here, but Canada? Was done by an executive order by Bush claiming the Canadians weren't checking for terrorists to his satisfaction. Now we all are now treated like terrorists. And he was buddy buddy with that bin Laden family.

That sucks. --- I applied for my first passport September 29th, 2010 (I'm a USC) to go visit Ben in NZ (in March). I figured it would take a while (he came here Oct 2nd and left the 11th), I got my passport the day after he left. Only took 14 days, and that was without an expedite. Maybe it depends on when you apply?

[Sergi9 110]

Am I reading your signature wrong? You aren't married yet? You can't apply for citizenship until 3 years after becoming an LPR. I am not sure what the timeframe is between the wedding and when you offically become an LPR. I do know there is a period of time you can't travel while you are going thru AoS (Unless you get emergency AP).

Random wierd poster.. see previous posts

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/294690-the-current-situation-in-egypt/page__p__4464680__fromsearch__1#entry4464680

[w8inglongtime 29]

Do not, I repeat, do not pay any "service" to do what you can do, free of charge.

Find the closest passport agency, make an appointment for the day after your Oath Ceremony, go there with your Certificate of Citizenship, a passport photo, the filled-out form and cash or a check, drop everything off, have breakfast, brunch, lunch, or Happy Hour drinks, then pick up your passport book. The passport card will come in the mail a week later as it is not processed in house. Don't even think about not applying for a passport card when applying for a passport book.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html

Question for you Just Bob, is it an absolute necessity to apply for a passport card? It seems that way from your comment. I was under the impression the passport card was for those doing a lot of border crossing into say Canada or Mexico. Does it get asked at the airports? Or it's just a good idea to have it as a back up proof of citizenship? I have no idea how the card works so your input will be appreciated.

[marieMH 1]

Random wierd poster.. see previous posts

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/294690-the-current-situation-in-egypt/page__p__4464680__fromsearch__1#entry4464680

this question is asked by my dad

[NickD 202]

Question for you Just Bob, is it an absolute necessity to apply for a passport card? It seems that way from your comment. I was under the impression the passport card was for those doing a lot of border crossing into say Canada or Mexico. Does it get asked at the airports? Or it's just a good idea to have it as a back up proof of citizenship? I have no idea how the card works so your input will be appreciated.

I can see Bob's point of view, like my girls coming here from a country where they always had to carry a state photo ID card. Then come here with that green card you are suppose to carry with you at all times. When you go to the oath ceremony, they take that card away and you feel naked without it. So having that passport card does give a sense of security.

Only form of ID we have here is your drivers' license, and provided you are over 16 years of age, and only required to carry it when you are actually driving. But was raised here when no form of ID was required, even to buy an airline ticket. What they really wanted to see at that ticket counter was cash.

But that is changing here as well after 9/11, see our state just passed a rule where you need a photo ID to vote now. And kids need a photo ID to get into schools.

If you were born and raised here with our freedoms, get the impression we are getting just like Nazi Germany, let me see your papers.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Question for you Just Bob, is it an absolute necessity to apply for a passport card? It seems that way from your comment. I was under the impression the passport card was for those doing a lot of border crossing into say Canada or Mexico. Does it get asked at the airports? Or it's just a good idea to have it as a back up proof of citizenship? I have no idea how the card works so your input will be appreciated.

I answered that many times, so here we go again.

A natural born US citizen gets a new birth certificate for about $11 easily if needed. A naturalized citizen's birth certificate is the Certificate of Naturalization (CoN). It costs $345 to replace and takes between 12 and 21 months, currently. In English: 1 to 2 years.

Now you only get your passport book. You lose it, damage it, or it gets stolen while you are in Bangkok, getting a wonderful massage. Then you'll have to send your CoN out again. Not good. What if you have a fire in your house and all of your stuff is gone? How about a flood? Tsunami? Earhquake?

if you lose all of your documents, you might have to wait 1 to 2 years before you can prove that you are not an illegal alien., can get a new driver's license, new SS card, can look for a job again. Not good.

The CoN belongs in a super safe place, far away from your other documents. You never want to have to send this out again. If you only have a passport book, you are vulnerable. if you also have a passport card, you can keep those two documents in separate places. The passport card is not for traveling. it's the one document you put in your wallet when you have to prove that you are a US citizen, i.e., when you go to the SSA, the DMV, apply for a job, etc., while keeping your passport book in the firesafe at home.

It's the best $25 you'll ever spend in your entire lifetime, unless you had the opportunity to hook up with a world class hooker somewhere who was also incredible cheap. In Thailand, perhaps?

[iGalin 7]

Registered just to answer this question. Here is what it says on official Travel.State.Gov website:

Q:I have a life or death emergency overseas and need a passport. What should I do?

a:Life or Death Emergencies involve serious illness, injury, or death in your immediate family that require you to travel within 24-48 hours to a country that requires a passport. Customers must appear in person at a passport agency for emergency service and documentation of the emergency may be requested.

Please call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (TTY/TDD 1-888-874-7793) to schedule an appointment at the nearest Passport Agency. Our automated appointment system is accessible every day, 24 hours a day.

If an appointment that will meet your needs is not available and you are calling from 8:00 a.m. to 10 p.m., EST, Monday-Friday, except federal holidays, please stay on the line and follow instructions to speak to a Customer Service Representative (CSR). The CSR will give you guidance on what to do.

If an appointment that will meet your needs is not available and you are calling on a federal holiday or during hours the CSRs are not available, please call 202-647-4000 and explain your situation to the operator.

Source:http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/faq/faq_1741.html

Hope it will clarify any misunderstandings

[w8inglongtime 29]

I answered that many times, so here we go again.

A natural born US citizen gets a new birth certificate for about $11 easily if needed. A naturalized citizen's birth certificate is the Certificate of Naturalization (CoN). It costs $345 to replace and takes between 12 and 21 months, currently. In English: 1 to 2 years.

Now you only get your passport book. You lose it, damage it, or it gets stolen while you are in Bangkok, getting a wonderful massage. Then you'll have to send your CoN out again. Not good. What if you have a fire in your house and all of your stuff is gone? How about a flood? Tsunami? Earhquake?

if you lose all of your documents, you might have to wait 1 to 2 years before you can prove that you are not an illegal alien., can get a new driver's license, new SS card, can look for a job again. Not good.

The CoN belongs in a super safe place, far away from your other documents. You never want to have to send this out again. If you only have a passport book, you are vulnerable. if you also have a passport card, you can keep those two documents in separate places. The passport card is not for traveling. it's the one document you put in your wallet when you have to prove that you are a US citizen, i.e., when you go to the SSA, the DMV, apply for a job, etc., while keeping your passport book in the firesafe at home.

It's the best $25 you'll ever spend in your entire lifetime, unless you had the opportunity to hook up with a world class hooker somewhere who was also incredible cheap. In Thailand, perhaps?

Thanks for the clarification. Passport card for me then.

[wendy&tamer 10]

The card is mainly used by people who live on the border with Canada and Mexico...or those who only do cruises to the carribean. NOT good for any air travel. The book is in my opinion, I do accept applications daily at the post office and we see alot of passports come back quickly now. You can get them back fast if you like with the expedited service or like an earlier post said, make an appt with the nearest passport center and you can get it even faster. Go to travel.state.gov and you will get all the info you need. They will also have the number for you to call and talk to a passport agent.

[w8inglongtime 29]

The card is mainly used by people who live on the border with Canada and Mexico...or those who only do cruises to the carribean. NOT good for any air travel. The book is in my opinion, I do accept applications daily at the post office and we see alot of passports come back quickly now. You can get them back fast if you like with the expedited service or like an earlier post said, make an appt with the nearest passport center and you can get it even faster. Go to travel.state.gov and you will get all the info you need. They will also have the number for you to call and talk to a passport agent.

I'm assuming you're the us citizen spouse?

Edited July 8, 2011 by w8inglongtime

[OKflyboy 35]

I'd like to add my question here.

Has anyone applied for more than one passport at the same time? (like parent and child(ren))

Since there's obviously only one original of the naturalization certificate, do they accept copies with the children's applications, or is the original enough for all the applications filed simultaneously?

(Filing N-600 first is out of the question)

Edited July 8, 2011 by OKflyboy

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

I'd like to add my question here.

Has anyone applied for more than one passport at the same time? (like parent and child(ren))

Since there's obviously only one original of the naturalization certificate, do they accept copies with the children's applications, or is the original enough for all the applications filed simultaneously?

(Filing N-600 first is out of the question)

No, they need the original, which is why applying at the same time is the way to go. I've been suggesting this for many months and it works like a charm, every time.