Expedited Passports

As national security measures become ever more strict, even Americans who have lived here all of their lives sometimes have a hard time getting a new passport.  This is especially true of older Americans, born in a time when record-keeping was not as strict. For example, June Cloud was born 61 years ago at home in Kilgore, Texas, and the doctor who delivered her did not submit the necessary paperwork for her to be issued a birth certificate.

According to an article on  KLTV.com, she applied for a new passport so that she could go on a cruise with her husband, but the delayed birth certificate she got from the state of Texas was not accepted by the Department of State.  The article notes:

Unless she comes up with proof of her first five years, Cloud will remain without a passport, missing the trip of her dreams. She says Congressman Louie Gohmert’s Office, along with the Gregg County Clerk’s Office, are now helping her in her quest for a passport.

Fortunately, this story does have a happy ending. Their efforts were successful, and last week KLTV noted Cloud had been issued a passport after all, just in time for the August cruise.

These stories highlight how important it is to apply for your passport as early as possible.  If you have any reason to be concerned, you might also want to consider using the services of a professional passport expediting company. While these companies can’t change the Department of State’s decision on whether or not to issue you a passport, they can get your application processed more quickly. That way, if there are any problems, you’ll know about them more quickly and can deal with them as soon as possible.

Need a new passport? Apply for one today!

The government of Scotland is preparing to make a formal request to the British government: hand over William Wallace’s passport.  William Wallace, the Scottish hero who inspired the movie Braveheart, may have had the passport with him when he was arrested by the English. The English never gave it back, instead storing it in their National Archives.

The Times Online quotes Scottish official Christine Grahame explaining why the passport should be returned:

“This is a very significant historical document related to [one of] Scotland’s most iconic and lasting national heroes. There are very few artefacts in existence which are believed to have been handled directly by Wallace and the return of his Safe Conduct would be an important step in better understanding this period. It is entirely inappropriate that it should languish, forgotten in some closed drawer in Surrey and I urge the UK National Archive to pass it to the National Museum of Scotland where it can be properly displayed.”

Naturally, William Wallace’s passport looked nothing like the familiar passport books you see today. In fact, in those days a passport was actually a letter written by a head of state, granting “Safe Conduct” to the bearer. Wallace’s letter was written by King Philip IV of France, granting Wallace safe conduct to travel to Rome where he hope to gain the support of the Pope.

A copy of the letter, as well as a translation, is viewable online here.

Fortunately, today you don’t have to petition a head of state directly for your passport. However, applying for one can still be a difficult and time-consuming process. RushMyPassport can help. We provide you with professional assistance and handy checklists that make filling out the forms a snap and reduce the chance of mistakes that could hold up your application. Then, we hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, cutting processing time down to as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your passport today!

In 2008, the US Department of State introduced a new passport option: the US passport card.  The wallet-sized card was meant to make international travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean more convenient and less expensive. Passport cards are the same size and shape as a driver’s license, and they cost much less-only $45 for a card compared to $100 for a passport book.

Passport cards are gradually becoming more and more popular, but as Las Vegas’ Fox 5 News reports, there is still a lot of confusion about what type of travel they can actually be used for, and that means people are missing their vacations.

You see, passport cards may be much cheaper than a regular passport, but they are much more limited in terms of where and when you can use them. They are ONLY valid for land or sea travel to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean. They aren’t valid for travel to any other countries. Equally important, they can’t be used for air travel at all. So, even if you are flying to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, you need a passport book, not a passport card. If you show up at the airport with a passport card, they won’t let you on the plane. That’s exactly what happened to Wendy and Jason Baxter, as described by Fox 5 News:

“You have to have a passport book,” the agent told the family.Last year, when Wendy and Jason Baxter ordered new passports, they were told they could order the passcards to fly to Canada instead of the more expensive passport, they said.“We asked what the difference was” between the two, Wendy Baxter said. Baxter said they were told passports were needed to fly overseas, while the passcard would get them into Mexico and Canada.“(You) get everything packed, everything’s done, (and) you get to the airport … and they say, ‘You can’t go,’” Wendy Baxter said.

Did passport card confusion catch you by surprise? If you need a new passport in a hurry, you have 3 different options: order a new passport with expedited processing, which costs an additional $60 and will get your application processed in 3 weeks instead of the normal 6, make an appointment at a passport agency office, or use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.

Of these options, an expediting company is the most convenient way to get superfast service. At RushMyPassport, we walk you through the application process and hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

For most people, a lost passport is simply a major inconvenience. However, for Lindsay Lohan, it could mean 180 days in jail.

The young starlet was due back in court this morning to deal with issues related to her probation. She was also supposed to have completed 13 alcohol education classes. According to the Cleveland Leader, she had only completed 10 when she flew off to France for the Cannes Film Festival.

Now, either Lohan has lost her passport or someone has stolen it. The lost passport was not discovered in time for her to able to get a new one before her flight. The Cleveland Leader quotes her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley:

“I was on the phone with Lindsay’s assistant the entire night and we’re doing everything we can to resolve this issue and get her back to L.A. Lindsay is distraught because it was her intention to get back to L.A. today to do more alcohol education classes today and appear in court tomorrow.”

According to the NileGuidance blog, Lohan has since received a new passport, but since she didn’t make her court date, an arrest warrant has been issued. That ought to make some footage for the tabloids, at least…

If you lose your passport or have your passport stolen while you are overseas, you need to go to the nearest US Embassy ASAP to get an emergency passport issued.

If you end up with a lost passport while you are still in the States, you must apply for a new one in person.  Regular service takes approximately 6 weeks, while the government’s expedited service takes approximately 3 weeks. If you need your lost passport replaced more quickly, you can either make an appointment at a US passport agency office or use a private passport expediting company. An expediting company is generally the easiest and most convenient way to get your passport replaced quickly.

Need to replace a lost passport? Apply today!

According to this article on NorthlandsNewsCenter.com, Minnesotans will soon be able to purchase an enhanced driver’s license, which can be used instead of a US passport to cross the border into Mexico or Canada.

The new license will cost an extra $15 above and beyond the normal costs for getting a license in Minnesota. That makes it a much cheaper option than getting a US passport.

In an article on local ABC affiliate WDIO.com, Minnesota state Rep. Roger Reinert, the co-author of the bill, explained why he feels that the EDL option is important and valuable:

“Right now to cross the border, Minnesotans have to pay $100 for a passport or $45 for a passport card just to cross the border. That’s choking off economic activity and travel vital to northland communities and businesses.”

However, there are some key differences between an enhanced driver’s license and a US passport, and it’s important to know what they are so that you can make an informed decision about which document to carry.

An enhanced driver’s license is only a valid substitute for a US passport in a few specific circumstances. For example, it can be used to travel across the Canadian or Mexican border by land or sea, or to travel to and from the Caribbean by sea.

However, it can not be used for travel anywhere else. Also, unlike a passport, an enhanced driver’s license is not valid for international air travel at all. So, unless you are only planning to drive a little way into Canada, it’s a good idea to carry a US passport with you anyway. After all, what if you had to fly back?

If you need a US passport, you should apply well before you plan to leave the country. Regular passport processing takes about 6 weeks, while the government’s expedited service takes about 3 weeks. If you need it sooner, you have the option of requesting an appointment at the nearest regional Passport Agency office (if you’re in Minnesota, the closest one is in Minneapolis) or using a private passport expediter like RushMyPassport.

Of the two options for getting a last-minute passport, an expediting company is the most convenient choice. RushMyPassport will guide you through the application process and personally deliver your application to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport now!

One of the perks of being an American citizen is that there lots of countries that you don’t need a visa to visit, or that will let you get a visa at the airport when you arrive.

However, some countries require that you apply for a travel visa in advance. In most cases, this means sending a visa application and your passport off to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the country you are visiting. But before you send your passport off, check it over and make sure that y0u don’t need to apply for an expedited passport renewal first.

Here are the most common reasons that you might need to renew your passport before applying for a visa:

• Your passport has expired.
• Your passport is still valid now, but will expire soon. The country you are visiting may require that your passport be valid for 6 months or longer past your planned date of entry. If it expires too soon, you’ll need to renew it before you can be issued a visa.
• You may need more pages in the back.  If you travel a lot, it’s important to make sure that there’s enough blank pages to accommodate the travel visa for the country you are visiting. You may need as few as one or as many as 3. Check with the embassy or consulate to see how many pages you need, or see the Department of States‘ Country-Specific Information Page.

If you do need to get your passport renewed or get pages added before you apply for a travel visa, get an expedited passport renewal if you plan to leave in the near future. The US Department of State will let you make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency if you are traveling in 4 weeks or less and need a visa. Of course, using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport makes the process much faster and more convenient!

Apply for your expedited passport today!

Jimmy Woodson had no idea it could take so long to get passport services.  According to the South Bend Tribune, the Niles, Indiana man applied for a new passport 6 months ago, at the same time as his wife and 11-year-old son. They got their passports a few weeks later, but Mr. Woodson is still waiting.

The problem? He was born in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1951. Instead of going to the hospital to give birth, his mother chose to have him at home with the help of a midwife. Unfortunately for Mr. Woodson, his mother thought the midwife had also taken care of filing the birth certificate. She didn’t. Mr. Woodson’s mother didn’t find out that the birth certificate wasn’t filed until 6 years later.  She filed for a birth certificate for her son at that time, but any birth certificate filed more than a year after the birth of a child raises red flags at the State Department.

In the South Bend Tribune article, Mr. Woodson described how frustrating the process of applying for passport services has been for him:

“They refused me, because the birth certificate my mother applied for was six years late,” he said. “They sent me two affidavits to be filled out by relatives, so I did that. Then they sent me two more affidavits. They said the information wasn’t acceptable.”

Currently, Mr. Woodson’s Congressional Representative is attempting to resolve the issue for him.

Mr. Woodson’s experience illustrates why it is important to apply for your passport well in advance of a planned vacation.  If your birth certificate was filed late, you can increase your chances of having your application processed on the first try by also submitting early public records, such as census records, baptismal records, records of post-natal care,  or a family Bible record. See the Department of State’s web site for more information about secondary proof of citizenship.

However, if you are relying on secondary proof of citizenship, be aware that the State Department considers each of these applications on a case-by-case basis.

A private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can help make the process of applying for passport services easier and less intimidating. Although we can’t make the Department of State issue a passport if they’ve determined they need more documentation, we can help you avoid common mistakes that can hold up your application.

Plus, we hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for super-fast processing times-often as short as 24 hours!

Apply for passport services with us today!

If you need a lot of dental work done, the costs can be prohibitive.  For example, according to Wikipedia, the average cost for a root canal in the US ranges from $699 to $1300.  One root canal and crown is enough to exhaust the annual benefit limit of many dental policies, so what happens if you need more than one?

One possible solution involves getting a passport and flying to somewhere where dental care is less expensive. This is called dental tourism.  While the thought of getting dental care overseas may be intimidating, summoning visions of scary-looking old-timey dental instruments, in reality most of the “dental tourism” hot spots have well-trained staff and facilities that are quite modern and cater to English-speaking tourists.

The most common dental tourism countries for Americans are Mexico and certain countries in Central and South America, particularly Costa Rica and Brazil.  Thailand and Hungary are also known for providing quality dental care at a reasonable cost, though of course you may pay more for flights because they are farther away.

Is getting a passport and catching a plane the best way to take care of your dental needs? Well, it depends on your individual situation. While drooling in a dentist’s chair may not be your favorite way to spend a vacation, if you need a lot of work done you can save enough money to take a vacation, see someplace new  and still come out way ahead. For example,  the Dentavac clinic in Costa Rica quotes an average price for a root canal of $125 – $250.

However, there are concerns. For example,  USA Today quotes American Dental Association consumer adviser Matt Messina:

“My concerns are not for the quality of dentistry received … but for the patient when it comes to long-term follow-up and possible complications. The term ‘buyer beware’ is very much in play here, as you may have fewer options after treatment if you feel it has not gone well.”

If you decide to go to another country for dental treatment, make sure that the dentist you choose is reputable.  Check their accreditation and seek out reviews from former patients. I would recommend actually trying to contact some of those patients by phone as well-forums and review sites can be a great place to start, but you need to know that the person who just gave the dentist you plan to see a glowing review is actually a person, not a spammer.

If you decide that dental tourism is right for you, you should begin the process of getting a passport as soon as possible.  It usually takes about 6 weeks for your passport to arrive if you apply for regular service.  If you apply for the government’s expedited service, expect to wait at least three weeks.

Obviously, if you’re having a dental emergency, you should seek care immediately here in the States. But, if you need to get a passport in a hurry, a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can help.

An expediting company can deliver your application directly to the Department of State. cutting processing times to as little as 24 hours.

See how easy getting a passport can be- apply with us today!

When obtaining a passport, you must provide proof of US citizenship.  Assuming you were born in the US and don’t have an expired passport to submit with your application, you would do that by submitting a copy of your birth certificate.

However, before you submit your application, you should examine your birth certificate closely to make sure it will pass muster with the US Department of State. Here’s what to look for:

Certification

The State Department only accepts certified US birth certificates. To make sure yours is certified before obtaining a passport, look for the following:

• A raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal.
• Registrar’s signature
• If you live in California or Texas, make sure you have the long form of your birth certificate, which measures 8 1/2″ by 11.”

If you don’t have a certified copy of your birth certificate, you can order one from the Department of Vital Records for the state where you were born.

Date Filed

Next, check the date that your birth certificate was filed with the registrar’s office. This date must be within 1 year of your birth. If there was a delay of more than a year between when you were born and when the birth certificate was filed,  the State Department will not accept it on its own. Instead, you will need to submit secondary documentation, which can include:

• Early public records that include your name,  date of birth and place of birth, such as baptismal records, hospital birth certificates, census records, early school records, a family bible, or a doctor’s record of post-natal care for you.
• A signed, notarized birth affidavit, completed by an older blood relative, or, if an older relative is not available, the attending physician or another individual who had “personal knowledge” of your birth.

By submitting the right documents, you greatly increase the chances of obtaining a passport in a timely fashion.  Using a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com can also help, as you’ll work with a professional passport specialist and be provided with clear, easy-to-follow instructions to help you get all of your paperwork in order.

Interested in obtaining a passport? Apply with us today!

Have you gotten one of the new US passport cards yet? If you have one, and you are driving across an international bridge into Mexico or Canada, border officials want you to take that card out of your wallet and “wave it in the air like you just don’t care” before you get to the inspection booth.

No, this isn’t some elaborate prank designed to make you look foolish for border officials’ amusement.  According to the El Paso Times,  this procedure actually helps you get through the border crossing more quickly.

Here’s how it works: about 70 feet before each inspection booth, the government has set up a sensor. Waving your card in front of the sensor allows the officer in the booth to pull up your data before you get to the booth, cutting the time for a routine crossing by about 5 seconds per vehicle.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it all adds up-if everyone who crossed the El Paso border with a passport card used the system, it would save a lot of time. William Molaski, the Customs and Border Patrol port director in El Paso, told the El Paso Times that

“As more people use their cards correctly, wait times will go down. A savings of only five seconds per vehicle reduces overall crossing times by about 30 (collective) hours a day.”

The system currently only works with US passport cards, not the standard US passport books. US passport cards are small, wallet-sized cards introduced to make crossing the border easier for people who have to do it frequently.  They are only good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and they are no good for plane travel.

If you are on a cruise or traveling more than a short distance over the Mexican or Canadian border, it makes sense to carry a passport book with you instead of a passport card, since you would need it to fly back home in case of an emergency.

Under a relatively new law that went into effect in June of last year, passports are required for most American travelers visiting Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean.  For more information about the requirements, see the following articles:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

If the new regulations have caught you by surprise and you needed to have your passport application in, like, yesterday, RushMyPassport.com can help. With RushMyPassport, you get personal service and attention from an experienced passport specialist, help with your application and much faster service than you can get submitting your application at the post office. In fact, RushMyPassport can have your application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!