Expedited Passports

A new passport office will open in Buffalo, New York later this year, according to ABC News. The Regional Passport Agency will be able to offer same-day passport service, making it easier for people living in western New York to deal with sudden trips across the border to Canada, which now require a passport.

According to WIVB. com, the new passport office will be located in the Warner Building on Genesee Street. It should be open this fall, in late September or early October.  Until then, the closest place for citizens of Western New York to get a same-day passport issued is the passport office in New York City.

The Spectrum, the University of Buffalo’s student newspaper, quoted Representative Chris Lee as saying “Western New Yorkers need to have the ability to travel easily across our northern border. With a one-stop shop passport office located right in our community, Western New Yorkers will be able to more easily acquire valid travel documents while not having their need to conduct cross-border business negatively affected.”

However, there is a catch- same-day passports will only be issued to applicants who can produce proof of travel showing that they have already booked tickets to leave the country within the next 14 days (although if you are traveling for business, a business letter may be accepted).

Also, the passport office will operate on an appointment-only basis, so you can’t expect to just waltz in there and pick up a passport.  Finally, in all likelihood the office will have very limited office hours- many Regional Passport Agency offices have hours that might make bankers jealous.

Although the Department of State has been making an effort to open new passport offices, for many Americans the nearest Regional Passport Agency office is very far away, making driving inconvenient at best and impractical or even impossible at worst.

If you can’t make it to a Regional Passport Agency office, there is an easier way to get your passport expedited. A private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State, resulting in lightning-fast processing.  In fact, RushMyPassport.com can have your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

Here’s some good news for Florida travelers who desperately need a passport: the Department of State just opened an improved same day passport office in Miami.  The  new passport office is located in the Omni Center, and it boasts more than double the windows its predecessor.

The bad news? To get same day passport service, you can’t just stroll on over to the Omni Center and pick one up. You’ll still have to make an appointment first, go to the passport office at the appointed time, and wait your turn.  For a complete description of what you’ll need,  see Emergency Passport Checklist.

Another potential disadvantage to using the passport office is that it is  only open for  a limited time each day, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. If you work the day shift, you may have to ask for a little bit of time off work.

Another option for same-day passport processing is  to use a private passport expediting company, and let the expediting company handle going to the passport office and waiting in line.  RushMyPassport has an office in West Palm Beach, and we welcome walk-ins from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm,  Monday through Friday, with no appointment needed.

We’re located at 412 Clematis St, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401.

Also, a private passport expediting service is a good option for people who don’t live near a Regional Passport Agency office.  Many Americans don’t live within easy driving distance of one of these facilities, so an expediting company could save you a lot of time and gas, not to mention a stiff, aching back. You can mail in your documents, and in most cases get them processed within 24 hours of the time they are received.

Need a passport in a hurry? Apply for a same day passport today!

Good news for Arizona residents who need emergency passports: The US Department of State opened a new passport office in Tucson, Arizona on September 8, 2009, according to this press release.

The new Western Passport Center is located  at 7373 East Rosewood Street and is open by appointment only to help travelers who need a passport issued for travel within the next 14 days. It brings the total number of passport processing centers in the country up to 23, of which 19 are open to the public.

At this point, if you’re mathematically inclined, you might be thinking “Wait a minute…only 19 passport offices in the entire country? Is that enough for everyone?” It’s true, a lot of Americans don’t live within easy driving distance of one of these facilities.  In fact, the closest passport offices to the one in Tucson are in Los Angeles and Aurora, Colorado.

Plus, the offices operate on an appointment-only basis and they have limited hours of operation.  For example, the Tucson office is only open from 8:30am to 3:00pm from Monday through Friday. Even if you live near Tucson, that can make things difficult if you work during the day. If you already have an overseas trip coming up, you might not be able to take additional time off work to go to the passport office.

Oh well, getting an emergency passport is supposed to be difficult, right? Wrong! With a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com, you can get an emergency passport without having to make an appointment at a passport office. All you have to do is go to a passport acceptance facility (often a post office or library), get your application and documents sealed and send them in. The expediting company then hand-delivers your documents to the Department of State, where they will be processed in as little as 24 hours.  Doesn’t that sound easier?

Apply for your passport with us 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!

The US Department of State is increasing the number of regional passport offices available to issue passports.  The department just opened a new office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 18th, so Minneapolis residents who need to cross the border in to Canada can make an appointment to have their passport application processed on-site.  More passport offices are planned for the future, including one in  El Paso scheduled to open in 2010.

The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes into effect next month, on June 1st.  When it does, passports will be required for land and sea trips to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. More Americans will need passports than ever before, and more of them will probably need the last-minute passport services provided at Regional Passport Agency offices.

However, there are certain things that travelers should be aware of before trying to use a Regional Passport Agency office. First of all, you need an appointment-they won’t let you in without one. Second, the offices have limited hours of operation.  If you work a day shift, you will almost certainly have to take time off work. Third, there may not be one close to you-remember, there are still only 21 of these passport offices in the entire country!  Also, you need to remember to bring in all of the necessary documents. See “What to Bring When You Apply for an Emergency Passport” for a complete list.

What happens if you need a passport quickly but you aren’t close to a Regional Passport Agency? What if you just can’t get the time off work while the office is open? Don’t worry-a private passport expediting company can submit your application for you for speedy processing. With an expediting company, you can have your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment, drive to an agency office or take time off work.

Give yourself a break: Avoid passport offices and get your passport on time with RushMyPassport.com!

American citizens in Michigan now have a passport office nearby.  On Monday, Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, inaugurated a Regional Passport Agency office downtown at 211 West Fort Street.

Before this office opened, the nearest Regional Passport Agency was in Chicago, Illinois. A Regional Passport Agency office helps travelers who need a passport for travel within the next 14 days. Given that new passport rules will go into effect on June 1st, requiring a passport to come back across the Canadian border, the new passport office could not have opened at a better time.

Regional Passport Agencies admit travelers by appointment only. They are open only during limited business hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, meaning that many travelers will have to take off work to visit.

Is there an easier way to get a passport immediately? And what about the many Americans who don’t live within driving distance of a Regional Passport Agency office? Fortunately, there is a way to get your passport quickly without having to wait in line, make an appointment, or drive long distances. A private passport expediting company can forward your application directly to the US Department of State for faster processing-sometimes in as little as 24 hours!

Why waste time driving to the passport office for your appointment? Order your passport from us today!

El Paso residents who need passports should be aware that the County District Clerk has temporarily stopped accepting passport applications due to confirmed cases of swine flu in the area.

According to this report from a local Fox News affiliate, the office decided to stop accepting passport applications after 7 cases of swine flu were reported in the district, and will remain closed “until further notice.”

The office was already experiencing long lines as area residents struggled to get their passport applications filled out in time for the June 1st implementation of the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.  After June 1st, a passport or a passport card will be required to return to Mexico by land or sea.

If you live in El Paso and are worried about getting a passport, there are other places you can apply. The US Department of State has a listing of all the passport acceptance facilities in the El Paso area.  You may want to call these facilities before you start driving, to make sure that they are open and to check on current wait times.

Right now,  according to the US Passport Agency,  getting a passport takes at least 4 to 6 weeks. If you need your passport sooner than that, a private expediting company is your best bet. An expediting company can forward your application to the US Department of State personally. This results in processing times that can be as fast as 24 hours, so you can still beat the June 1st deadline.

Let RushMyPassport.com help you with getting a passport today!

This Saturday, March 28th,  passport offices around the country will celebrate “Passport Day in USA.” During this event, many Passport Acceptance Facilities will be open to accept passport applications, answer questions and provide information about the passport application process. All Department of State Regional Passport Agencies will also be open.

“Passport Day in the USA” is the only day of the year when the general public will be allowed to submit passport applications directly to a Regional Passport Agency without first making an appointment and paying an additional expediting fee.

This event is especially important this year, as the regulations governing travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean are changing effective June 1st. Currently, passengers traveling to these countries by plane must have a US passport, but passengers traveling by land or by sea can use a driver’s license and birth certificate. After June 1st, land and sea passengers will also need passports.

Since the rules are changing, it could take longer than usual to get a passport as the deadline approaches.  The last time the rules changed, passport offices were swamped with applications and wait times shot up dramatically. So, if you think you are going to be traveling this year, it’s a good idea to head down to your local passport office and apply for a passport.

To look up the nearest participating passport office and its hours of operation, visit the Department of State’s website.  However, don’t expect to actually get your passport on Passport Day in the USA. You’ll still have to wait at least 4 weeks!

If you need a passport more quickly, consider using a private passport expediting company to submit your passport application.

A private passport expediter will deliver your passport application directly to the US Passport Agency for processing,  so you won’t get caught in a “traffic jam” of passport applications.  Plus, expediters offer processing times that can be as fast as 24 hours!

Expedite your passport today and see how easy it is to get ready to travel!