Expedited Passports

For decades, China discouraged foreign tourism, but in recent years the government has begun to encourage tourism and the world is rediscovering what an amazing place China is to visit.

According to Wikipedia, in  2007 approximately 55 million foreign tourists visited China, drawn by famous attractions like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army in  Xian. China also has gorgeous natural landscapes that will take your breath away, as well as cosmopolitan cities with world-class shopping and dining.

If you’d like to visit China, your first step is obtaining a passport  or a passport renewal if yours is  about to expire. China won’t let you in if you have less than 6 months remaining before your passport expires, and you’ll also need at least one blank page in the back for your Chinese visa.

Make sure to apply well in advance. Obtaining  a passport takes at least 6 weeks if you apply with normal processing, and at least 3 weeks if you apply with the Department of State’s expedited processing.

If you are traveling within 4 weeks, you can make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency office. However, their are only 18 of these offices to serve the entire country and they operate on an appointment-only basis, so obtaining a passport in this way can be a time-consuming process. An easier option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.

An expediting company personally delivers your application to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours. Obtaining a passport through an expediting company is quick and convenient.

Once you have your passport, you’ll need to apply for a China visa. Here again, if you are in a hurry or need help navigating the paperwork and the application process, a professional expediting company can be an invaluable resource.

Visiting China? Let us help you with obtaining a passport and a Chinese visa!

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!

For most people, there’s no place like home on Christmas. But what if you want to travel, to experience Christmas somewhere new and different?

London is an especially magical place to spend Christmas, and right now, Virgin Atlantic is having a sale on fares  to London.  You can get to London from New York City for just $512 round-trip, while $526 will get you there and back from Washington, DC.  On the West Coast, $642 will get you round-trip tickets from either San Francisco or LA. See more fares and additional details on Smarter Travel.

Once you’re there, you can enjoy traditional activities like ice skating and watching the English National Ballet’s traditional performance of The Nutcracker. Pantomimes are another popular English pastime during the holiday season-these are humorous theater performances where men often play female characters, and vice versa. There’s also the Great Christmas Pudding race, where contestants dress up and compete to see who can run around Covent Garden the fastest while carrying a large Christmas pudding.

It almost goes without saying that London is an excellent place to do some Christmas shopping. Plus, the atmosphere is almost guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit.  An enormous Christmas tree lights up Trafalgar Square, and Christmas carols regale people passing by with traditional Christmas songs to raise money for charity. Plus, there are lights everywhere-see this post on Write On! for some excellent pictures!

Before you take off for London, you will have a final piece of Christmas shopping to take care of in the States-obtaining a passport.  If you don’t have one already, you may have trouble getting one before your plane leaves- Christmas is only 2 weeks away, and the US Department of State advises you t0 allow at least 3 weeks to receive your passport if you choose the government’s expedited processing option.

Your best option at this point for obtaining your passport in time is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. We make obtaining a passport easy by helping you complete the paperwork and gather the necessary documents, and then forwarding your application directly to the Department of State. This puts your application on top of the stack, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your passport today!

Until last week, Susie Williams-Allen, a newspaper columnist for the Purcell Register in Purcell, Oklahoma, wasn’t aware of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The WHTI, which has been in effect since June 1, 2009,  requires that American citizens returning from Mexico prove their identity and citizenship with a US passport on their way back across the border.

Last week, she and her husband decided to take a day trip into Mexico without first obtaining a passport.  Unfortunately, on her way back across she learned about the new laws the hard way…from a decidedly unsympathetic border guard. Mrs. Williams-Allen and her husband faced a stern round of questioning before they were eventually allowed back across, treatment that she did not expect from a US border patrol officer as a US citizen.

The rules have been in place since June, and the Department of State has been diligent about publicizing the new requirements, but it appears that infrequent travelers are still falling through the cracks. As Mrs. Williams-Allen noted in her column, “Maybe I should have known I needed a passport. I think there may be more out there like me who do not know. It is not like I am a world traveler.”

The moral of the story?  If you are planning a trip to Mexico, even if it’s just walking across and taking a taxi back to the US, obtaining a passport should be your first step! It’s also a step that should be taken well in advance of a trip, if possible.  Currently,  obtaining a passport takes about 6 weeks if you apply with normal processing and about 3 weeks if you apply with regular processing.

To get your passport more quickly and with less hassle, consider using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. You’ll get detailed, easy-to-follow instructions to help you with your paperwork, plus personal help and guidance from a professional passport specialist.

Also, an expediting company will personally deliver your passport application to the Department of State, drastically reducing the time you have to wait. In fact, with an expediting company, your passport could be on its way back to you in as little as 24 hours!

At RushMyPassport.com, we make obtaining a passport quick and easy. Apply with us today!

Have you ever wished you could disappear onto your own private island? Who hasn’t dreamed of sitting underneath a palm tree, an ocean away from the rest of the world? Of course, uninhabited islands are rare these days. However, CheapOAir Buzz has a list of the next best thing: some gorgeous islands that also happen to be very sparsely populated. Even better, you won’t have to weave a rope out of your back hair and lasso a sea turtle to get away, a la Captain Jack Sparrow.

The islands featured include Tristan da Cunha, a British territory in the South Atlantic, Kiribati, an island nation you probably had no idea existed,  Attu Island near Alaska, and the Pitcairns.  Each set of islands has its own brand of rugged beauty.

None of these islands are owned by America, so if you want to visit, the first step is obtaining a passport. When you apply for a passport, remember to allow enough time for it to arrive before your trip. Obtaining a passport with regular processing usually takes about 6 weeks. Even with the government’s expedited processing, you can still expect to wait at least 3 weeks.

The easiest method of obtaining a passport is to use a private passport expediting company.  Expediting companies like RushMyPassport.com make obtaining a passport easy. You’ll get help with the paperwork, personalized attention and service, and much faster processing. In fact, you can often get your application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your passport today!

Are you tired of your job, or just ready to take some time off to travel?  Or, perhaps you, like millions of other people, have been victimized by the economic downturn? If you don’t mind living abroad, there’s actually an exciting career with lots of job openings available: teaching English overseas.

Becoming an English teacher in a foreign country has lots of advantages: learning a new language yourself, meeting new people and seeing new places. Plus, you’ll come back with experience overseas that looks great on a resume.

You don’t have to be a schoolteacher or even have a college degree to take advantage of this opportunity.  However,  in many cases you will need an ESL teaching certificate. You can take a course for the certificate either in the US or overseas, and companies that offer the courses usually offer job assistance or even guaranteed placement after you’re through.

As Doug from TheCanned.com notes in this blog post: “As crazy as the idea sounds, it may just be the thing to get a break from the 9-5 grind, give some thought to your career or prepare to go back to school.”

Before you jump on a plane to another country, don’t forget this important first step: obtaining a passport. Given current processing times, you need to allow at least 6 weeks after you submit your application for your passport to arrive in the mail. Even if you request expedited service from the government, you should still allow 3 weeks  or more.

Obtaining a passport more quickly than that is possible, but it’s best done through a private passport expediting company. An expediting company will submit your passport application by hand to the right people in the US Department of State, resulting in much faster processing times. In fact, if you choose the fastest option,  Rushmypassport.com can reduce your passport processing time to as little as 24 hours!

Are you ready to to take the plunge? Get started on obtaining a passport today!

According to the Associated Press, citizens who were denied a passport because they were delivered by midwives near the US border with Mexico may soon have an opportunity to reapply for free.

Here’s the background on the story:  Going back to the 1960’s,  some midwives on the Southwestern border were convicted of fraudulently filing birth certificates for children who may have been born on the Mexican side of the border.  So, the State Department began not issuing passports to people who had been delivered near the border by midwives instead of at a hospital.

However, delivery by midwife is very common along the border because many of the people there are poor and live in rural areas.  So, many people who are legitimately US citizens have found themselves barred from obtaining a passport, which has become increasingly urgent now that passports are required to travel to and from Mexico.

This led the ACLU to file a class-action lawsuit against the State Department. On Wednesday, the lawsuit was given preliminary class-action status by U.S. District Judge Randy Crane.  Judge Crane also approved a preliminary settlement offer by the State Department that allows members of the class to reapply for free and guarantees that the government will either approve or deny the applications, instead of leaving applicants hanging with no resolution.

If you need a passport, make sure to apply well in advance. Obtaining a passport currently takes at least 6 weeks with regular processing, if everything goes smoothly. However, no matter where you were born, it’s always a good idea to apply as far in advance as possible, so that any issues with your application can be corrected in time for you to travel.  A private passport expediting company can also make obtaining a passport easier by walking you through the application process, so that everything goes smoothly the first time. Plus, you’ll benefit from super-fast processing times,  possibly as quick as 24 hours!

Apply for your passport with RushMyPassport.com-We make obtaining a passport easy!

On June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative became law. The new laws require that Americans traveling to Canada by land or sea carry passports with them. Apparently, obtaining a passport is too much trouble for many Americans, as tour operators are reporting a shift towards domestic destinations.

According to this article on Canada.com, motor coach tours to visit destinations in Canada are down by 30% over the past year. This is almost the same as the percentage of tour members who stated that they didn’t have a passport and didn’t want to get one. Since 2001, after security became more of a concern and travel regulations became stricter, day trips are down by 70%.

So, is obtaining a passport to go to Canada really worth it? Definitely! For more details, check out the Top Reasons to Get an Express Passport and Visit Canada This Summer.

If you’d like to travel to Canada, you’ll need to allow at least 6 weeks for processing if you apply through the government with normal processing. The government’s expedited processing takes at least 3 weeks. For faster processing and better customer service, consider using a private passport expediting company. You’ll have knowledgeable, professional passport experts to help you through the application process, and processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Obtaining a passport is easy with RushMyPassport.com-apply today!

Do you have a wedding in your near future? Congratulations! Have you started planning your honeymoon yet? Many couples want to start their new life together by going somewhere new and exotic. However, the inevitable hassles involved in international travel can be stressful for newlyweds….or anyone else for that matter!

After all the stress involved in planning a wedding, you and your new spouse will probably want to relax. A honeymoon cruise may be just what the doctor ordered-you still get to go somewhere new and exciting, but the cruise line takes care of all the logistics for you.  Cruises are also a cheaper way to travel outside of the country, especially right now, when there are so many sales going on.

Destinations For Leisure has a post with some great recommendations for couples planning a honeymoon cruise. First, make sure to look for cruises that offer complimentary services to honeymooners. Also, if you’ve never been on a cruise before, choose a short cruise with a lot of time in port-nothing ruins a honeymoon like seasickness!

When you plan a honeymoon cruise, you also need to make arrangements for obtaining a passport if the cruise will take you outside of the US. Starting June 1st,2009, land and sea travelers to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean will need passports to reenter the US in many cases.

Obtaining a passport involves filling out the appropriate application forms, submitting proof of identification and proof of citizenship, and paying the appropriate government fees. Fees vary depending on whether you are applying for a new passport or a renewal-you can view current fees here.

Obtaining a passport does take some time-at least 2 to 3 months for the government’s regular service, and at least 3 weeks for their expedited service. To ensure your honeymoon goes smoothly, use a private passport expediting company if you are short on time. An expediting company can have your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, depending on how fast you need it.

International cruise coming up? Visit our website and find out just how easy obtaining a passport can be!

Many people dream of traveling the world, but find themselves unable to escape from work long enough to see as much of it as they’d like.  Is there a way to solve the conflict between work and travel? If you’ve often found yourself pondering these questions, maybe it’s time to try combining the two!

BusinessTravelogue has an excellent article about careers in which obtaining a passport is part of the job description. As the article notes, jobs that include paid travel are available in many different industries and at many different income levels, ranging from executive positions that pay $100,000 plus each year to working on a cruise ship or as a flight attendant. The most daring job option? Leading adventure tours in exotic locations!

If your job requires international travel, it’s a good idea to keep a valid passport on hand. However, sometimes business trips come up unexpectedly, and you don’t always have months to prepare.  Using a private passport expediting company makes obtaining a passport easy and fast for business travelers.

In addition to the normal required documents, obtaining an expedited passport for business travel also requires proof of departure. You’ll need either a travel itinerary or a letter from your company stating where you are traveling and when you are leaving.

RushMyPassport.com caters to business customers. Look over our options for expedited service, and let us take the headache out of obtaining a passport for your next business trip!