Expedited Passports

Soon, El Paso residents who wish to apply for a passport will no longer be able to use the El Paso county passport office. The office, which accepted applications for regular and expedited processing, is located inside the El Paso County District Clerk’s office at 500 E. San Antonio.

County District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez announced the planned closure on Monday.  He blamed it on budget cuts and an “unsupportive” commissioner’s court, though the office was making money and the commissioners’ court is sorry to see it go.

Sanchez told the local Fox 14 station that he was closing the office because “It’s a non-mandated function. My position here is to service the courts. Commissioner (Veronica) Escobar has said why don’t they go to the post office…The people of El Paso had two years to get their passport. The post office is still open and they can get it by other means.”

The passport office will be closing next month unless something changes.  But if you’re in El Paso, don’t worry…there are actually multiple post offices throughout the city that will be happy to accept your passport application.  Visit the Department of State’s website for a list of passport offices in El Paso.

Like the office in the County District Clerk’s office, these passport offices are all passport acceptance facilities, which means they can only take applications for regular processing, which can take 6 weeks or more, or the government’s expedited processing, which can take 3 weeks.

If you need your passport more quickly, you’ll have to make an appointment at a different type of passport office, called a Regional Passport Agency office. These offices can issue same-day passports, but the nearest one is in Tucson, Arizona.

If you don’t want to go that far out of your way or you just don’t want to go through the hassle of making an appointment, a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com may be a better fit for you.  With an expediting company, you can just go to the post office as usual and have them “seal” your documents. Then, send them to the expediting company and the expediting company will hand-deliver them to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your expedited passport today!

Residents of Dallas, Texas (and nearby cities) who need emergency passports have been able to apply for them at the new Dallas passport agency office since July. However, according to this article from the Dallas News, many  area residents are not aware that the office, located in at 1100 Commerce St, is even there.

In the article, Britany Williams, the regional director of the Dallas passport agency, told the newspaper that “We actually don’t have a lot of traffic right now because a lot of people don’t know we are here.”

The office, which can issue emergency passports, probably won’t remain an open secret for long. Also, applying for a same-day passport at an agency office is not a viable option for everyone, even if you live in the Dallas area. First of all, the office may not be busy, but it is by appointment only. Second, the office hours are not convenient for people who work during the day, and if you are already leaving the country unexpectedly, you may not be able to get additional time off work.  The Dallas office is open from 8am to 3pm, weekdays only.

Third, many people don’t live anywhere near one of these offices. The Dallas office is one of only 18 regional passport agency offices scattered across the country. Depending on where you live, your nearest office  could be a long drive or even a plane ride away!

Fortunately, there is an easier way to get an emergency passport. A private passport expediting service, like RushMyPassport.com, can hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for immediate processing.  There’s no need to wait in line or make an appointment, and your application can be processed in as little as 24 hours!

Need an emergency passport? Apply for one today!

If you need a 24 hour passport in Minnesota, you’re in luck-you now have a Regional Passport Agency where you can apply for one. According to this press  release from the of Department of State, the Minneapolis Regional Passport Agency was officially inaugurated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier today with a visit from United States Senator Amy Klobuchar, Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick F. Kennedy, and Janice L. Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.

The Minneapolis Regional Passport Agency is one of 17 US passport agencies available to the public. Before it opened, the closest place that Minnesotans could go for emergency passport services was the passport office in Chicago or Detroit.

The Minneapolis Regional Passport Agency is located at 212 South Third Avenue.  To get a 24 hour passport, you must first call and make an appointment. The office is only open from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, so be prepared to take time off work. Make sure you bring all necessary documents: proof of identity, proof of citizenship, 2 passport photos and a copy of your itinerary showing that you plan to depart in less than 14 days.

But what if you aren’t able to take time off work? What if you live hours away from the city? Is there an easier way to get emergency passport services without having to jump through all of those hoops? (more…)

The U.S. Department of State just announced the opening of the 22nd Regional Passport Agency in Dallas, Texas on their website. The new office will serve applicants who need to travel within the next 14 days by providing same-day passport application processing.

Regional passport agencies exist to help out travelers who need emergency passport services, but for a lot of people, they are not the easiest solution. First of all, you can’t just go to a regional passport office at your own convenience-you have to make an appointment. Second, the passport agencies have limited office hours. For example, the Dallas office opens at 8 am and closes at 3 pm, and is not open on weekends at all. This means that most visitors will need to get additional time off work to get a same-day passport. Third, there are only 22 Regional Passport Agencies to serve the entire country. Many people live so far away from the nearest passport agency that it simply isn’t practical to drive.

Fortunately, there is an easier way to get same-day passport service. Private expediting companies like RushMyPassport.com can often have your application processed the same day they receive your paperwork. Even better, you don’t have to make an appointment or wait in line. All you have to do is send in the appropriate paperwork and supporting documents, after having your application envelope “sealed” at a place that accepts passport applications, such as post office or library.

Visit RushMyPassport.com for same-day passport service without the hassle!

Sometimes, a lost passport isn’t as much of a tragedy as you’d think. For example, in this article from the Santa Fe Reporter, one writer described how losing a passport right before an international trip gave him the chance to see the exquisite art in the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. Why Houston? Houston is home to one of the 15 US Passport Agency offices scattered throughout the country. These offices are capable of issuing a same day passport if you appear in person with the right documents.

After realizing he had lost his passport right before a trip to Mexico, writer Zane Fischer scheduled an overnight stop in Houston on his way out of the country. By making an appointment at the US Passport Agency office, he was able to get a same day passport and still had time to check out some of the city’s best art. If you’re interested in art, his article contains an amusing description of the eclectic Menil Collection, which contains everything from Byzantine frescoes to the abstract expressionist paintings of Mark Rothko.

Same Day Passports Without Going to a Passport Agency Office

However, not everyone is able to stop by a Passport Agency office on the way out of the country.  What if you need a same day passport and can’t make it to one of the Passport Agency offices? In that case, a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can hand-deliver your passport application to the passport office for you. When you use an expediting service for a same day passport, your application will be handled by trained passport specialists, and you’ll be able to track your order. In most cases, you can get your passport within 24 hours, without having to make an appointment or wait in line!

Currently, the US government recommends that you allow at least 3 weeks to receive a passport using normal passport processing. If you pay extra for the government’s expedited service and use overnight shipping for your application, in most cases you’ll have your new passport within 2 weeks. However, life doesn’t always give you a 2 week notice. For example, if you have relatives overseas, you might have to leave the country on short notice to deal with a family emergency. Also, even seasoned travelers sometimes make international travel plans, only to realize at the last minute that their passport is lost or expired.

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