Chicago Oath --> Passport application right then and there?

[glowie85 11]

Hi all, 

does anyone know if you can apply for the US passport right in the USCIS building after you take your oath? 

I know that there is an office in the same building, but online it says it's only by appointment and appointments are only for emergency cases (it asks for travel dates and such as mandatory fields).

Is that different for new citizens and they would do it on the oath day after the ceremony?

Thank you!

[Mollie09 1,543]

30 minutes ago, glowie85 said:

Hi all, 

does anyone know if you can apply for the US passport right in the USCIS building after you take your oath? 

I know that there is an office in the same building, but online it says it's only by appointment and appointments are only for emergency cases (it asks for travel dates and such as mandatory fields).

Is that different for new citizens and they would do it on the oath day after the ceremony?

Thank you!

 

After the oath, you apply for a passport the usual way, probably at a post office. They usually have the form available at oath ceremonies, but you still need to apply yourself (I recommend filling out the form online and printing it instead)

The passport office is only for applications when you have international travel in less than two weeks.

[glowie85 11]

9 minutes ago, Mollie09 said:

 

After the oath, you apply for a passport the usual way, probably at a post office. They usually have the form available at oath ceremonies, but you still need to apply yourself (I recommend filling out the form online and printing it instead)

The passport office is only for applications when you have international travel in less than two weeks.

Thank you, yes, I have the form and pictures ready to go, I was just hoping there would a be representative from the passport office, or they would let us new citizens use the passport office to apply right away (especially because it is in the same building).

I did already make an appointment at my local post office in case I won't be able to apply right after the ceremony, but I read somewhere (and I don't even know if it's true or not) that if you apply for a passport on the same day of naturalization you don't need to send your certificate in. 
It's not so much that I need a passport right away, I'm more wary of sending my certificate somewhere. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by glowie85

[patrick33 19]

I did not want to send my certificate away in the mail either. But I did, it took about 3 weeks to get the passport, and then the certificate came back a few days after that. They always staple your certificate to your passport application, that was the big thing for me, I didn't want my certificate to be damaged or something. But the staple holes are barely noticeable, I guess because of the paper they use to print the certificate. 

 

Unless you have international travel scheduled very soon after your appointment you'll very likely have to apply for it the regular way. If you choose the expedite option you should receive your new passport in about a week or so, I think.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

On 11/4/2019 at 1:06 PM, Mollie09 said:

 

After the oath, you apply for a passport the usual way, probably at a post office. They usually have the form available at oath ceremonies, but you still need to apply yourself (I recommend filling out the form online and printing it instead)

The passport office is only for applications when you have international travel in less than two weeks.

This must be FO dependent. In my city, there are officials available to take the passport applications from you right after the oath ceremony, at the same venue (it’s not a government building). (We got given the passport application forms at our naturalization interviews, to be brought filled in but not signed to the oath ceremony.) So OP, if there is a thread going for applications at your FO, best you check it there to see what the practice is at yours.

[Mollie09 1,543]

9 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

This must be FO dependent. In my city, there are officials available to take the passport applications from you right after the oath ceremony, at the same venue (it’s not a government building). (We got given the passport application forms at our naturalization interviews, to be brought filled in but not signed to the oath ceremony.) So OP, if there is a thread going for applications at your FO, best you check it there to see what the practice is at yours.

Interesting, OP mentioned scheduling an interview which is only for cases of scheduled international travel, so I didn't think of the possibility of them accepting filled out applications as a service to new citizens.

I'm assuming the naturalization certificate still has to be submitted?

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

9 minutes ago, Mollie09 said:

Interesting, OP mentioned scheduling an interview which is only for cases of scheduled international travel, so I didn't think of the possibility of them accepting filled out applications as a service to new citizens.

I'm assuming the naturalization certificate still has to be submitted?

Yes, that’s why they do it after the ceremony - so it can be handed in. Some people prefer not to do it there because they want to make a copy of the certificate before sending it off. But it doesn’t sound from what you said that all FOs offer this.

FYI they apparently also have voter registration stations for after the ceremony. I’m going next week but all this is from the thread for my FO (and what I was told at the n400 interview).

[Mollie09 1,543]

4 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Yes, that’s why they do it after the ceremony - so it can be handed in. Some people prefer not to do it there because they want to make a copy of the certificate before sending it off. But it doesn’t sound from what you said that all FOs offer this.

FYI they apparently also have voter registration stations for after the ceremony. I’m going next week but all this is from the thread for my FO (and what I was told at the n400 interview).

I did register to vote right outside the ceremony, then got confirmation in the mail.

[R78 16]

To apply at a "Passport Agency", you need to visit the DOS website, take an appointment and proof of travel within 2 weeks (itinerary). 

You should also agree to pay the expedited fee of $60.

 

If you do not have a computer generated itinerary or appointment, they may most likely refuse to see you. 

[glowie85 11]

 

On 11/6/2019 at 9:19 AM, SusieQQQ said:

...

 

On 11/6/2019 at 2:11 PM, Mollie09 said:

...

 

Just to update you:
There were no people for taking passport application after the ceremony and the lady who held our ceremony also said that you can only go to the passport office in the building if you already have an appointment (or get on the phone after right away and make an appointment asap if possible) and that this is only an option for people with immediate travel plans.
--> I'm glad I already made a back up appointment at my local post office for this Saturday!

We had volunteers waiting for us outside the auditorium to get registered to vote an I did that. They said I will receive a card in a week or two in the mail.