US Passport

[BlueRain77 0]

My husband is applying for his US passport and we want to know if we have to send the original naturalization certificate OR can we send a copy? He could bring the original to the passport office so they can see it but I forget what the oath ceremony said about the certificate and getting a passport....

Thanks!

[v333k 59]

Unfortunately, he needs to submit his original certificate and they will mail it back to him...

[Nne & Vic 2]

He has to submit the original certificate with 2inch by 2inch passport photograph at the postal office....

If he wants the US passport real quick, he can pay for expediated application...

Goodluck

[aleful 1,905]

Unfortunately, he needs to submit his original certificate and they will mail it back to him...

ditto, original

[Mama mia 9]

If you have any paperwork showing travelling within 2 weeks, you can apply at a passport agency and usually at the agency, they will return your original documents right then and there.

Here is your closest passport agency:

Seattle Passport Agency

Fifth and Yesler Building

300 5th Avenue,

Suite 600

Seattle, WA 98104

This Agency issues the US Passport Card on-site!

Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., local time, M-F, excluding Federal holidays

Schedule An Appointment 24/7: 1-877-487-2778 

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

To make sure you only have to give the CoN out of your hand once in your entire lifetime, order a passport book and for an additional $25.00 a passport card. This way you have two independent proofs of U.S. citizenship and if you ever damage one of them, you'll still have the other. Do not bring yourself ever in a situation where you'll need your CoN again. It not only costs $345.00 to replace, but replacing it takes anywhere from 12 to 21 months. Once you get your CoN back from the Department of State, put it in the bank safe. You also want to keep passport book and passport card in separate places, for obvious reasons.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Just Bob

[BlueRain77 0]

I never thought of having the Passport card for that reason. That's a great idea for backup. We just got back my husband's British passport renewal (which we lost the original then found it the same day as his Oath Ceremony! lol) and have immediately put it in our safe. We are planning on making a good color copy to frame or keep in our home safe and then putting the original in our safety deposit box.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Like everyone says - you have no choice but to provide the original.

I am personally pissed that they did not take care of it very well - it came back to me with staple holes in the corner and folded in half by our silly mailman. $#@$ A lot of money ,blood, sweat and tears went into getting that sucker!

[NickD 203]

During my stepdaughters oath ceremony, was finally told to make copies of your certificate, ignore that warning. Will need those if you have to replace your lost certificate. Since my inkjet printer dried up again, made a colored scan, went to Officemax and had them print out a half a dozen copies in color for a couple of bucks. This is the first thing you should do.

Find it incredible that the DOS trusts their 9,000 some odd agents in every phase with exception of making a copy of your original. Also found it incredible even if you pay the expedient fee, they cannot enclose your certificate in that envelop you have to sign for. Even though your certificate should come back in a plain envelop first class untraceable mail from exactly the same address. Not even stamped, DO NOT Bend on the envelop. Crazy!!!

We took care of SS first this time as some kind of new database where SS keeps track of your citizenship. With the form printed out and signed, could walk in my SS office for wife or stepdaughter with their certificate, get there first thing in the morning and takes all but two minutes. Make a copy of your certificate, take the form and that's it. Surprised they trust SS workers on this.

Also on the latest certificate, see where the print out your photo they took at biometrics. That tells me they have a very short file with your photo and data on it. What the USCIS does with that file is beyond me. But should only cost them about ten bucks to print out another copy and you should get it back in a week if you lost your certificate.

But dealing with a couple of governmental agencies headed by people with no other background then getting the president elected. I have to deal with seven more in the same situation, but highly technical fields. Not easy being nice when dealing with idiots. But you have to be nice. You always have to be nice.