How NOT to Get an Expedited Passport - Expedited Passports

Are you in a hurry to get your passport? Does your application seem have gotten mysteriously stuck in limbo? That’s frustrating for sure, but here’s how NOT to handle it: Calling your congressperson’s office and threatening them.

It may seem like I’m stating the obvious here, but apparently one East Tennessee man had to learn that particular life lesson the hard way. Here’s the gist of the story, from KnoxNews.com:

“Eric Robert Henderson, 27, admitted he called U.S. Rep. Phil Roe’s office in Washington, D.C., and left threatening voice-mail messages in September 2010. Federal authorities said he made the calls twice and threatened murder unless the government issued him a passport”. During each phone call, he specifically threatened to either assault, shoot or kill someone,” FBI agent David Bukowski wrote in a warrant.”

Apparently Mr. Henderson is unfamiliar with that old adage about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar. He was arrested, pleaded guilty and is now facing up to five years in jail. It probably goes without saying that he didn’t get a passport, either.

The really crazy thing about the whole incident is that the Congressman he threatened isn’t even his Congressman!

Look, if you need an expedited passport, you do have options. Paying the $60 expedite fee and requesting expedited passport service will cut the processing time for your passport application down to three weeks instead of six. If that’s still not fast enough, you can either make an appointment at one of the 15 regional passport agency offices in the United States, or purchase expedited passport service from a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. We’ll hand deliver your paperwork for processing in as little as 24 hours.

If you’ve submitted an application already, you can check the status online at the Department of State’s website or by calling the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.

If your application is delayed and you can’t figure out why, it’s not a bad idea to contact your representative. As long as you’re not making creepy death threats, they’re usually more than happy to help!

Need expedited passport service? We can help!

When you head out to catch a flight to Canada, what’s the one thing you shouldn’t leave home without? Hint: It’s not your American Express card! It’s your US passport, which you’ll need to get on the flight.

Evan Longoria, the third baseman for the Tampa Rays, found that out the hard way when he tried to catch a charter flight with his teammates to Toronto. As he explained to the St. Petersburg Times, “First road trip of the year into Toronto, I packed everything, I was up early, took my dog for a walk and just didn’t even think about bringing my passport.”

Fortunately for him, he was traveling with a sports team on their own chartered flight, so the team simply waited at the airport until someone showed up with his passport. His trip wasn’t ruined; he just has to deal with the VERY public razzing of his teammates, one of whom immediately took to Twitter to make fun of him. Meanwhile, team manager Joe Maddon told the St. Petersburg Times that Longoria “probably owes somebody or all of us some kind of a meal or something. We’ll figure out something. … There’s got to be some kind of due punishment.”

This story would have a had a much less happy ending if you or I had shown up at the airport without a passport. Most people don’t have access to a private chartered plane, after all, and commercial airlines won’t wait for your passport to be brought to you. Plus, if you miss your flight, you’re likely to be on the hook for all sorts of hefty change fees. The best thing to do is to check and make sure you know where your passport is at least a month before you plan to leave. Then, put it somewhere safe.

That way, if your passport isn’t where you thought it was you’ll have time to locate it or get it replaced. Regular processing takes at least six weeks, and expedited processing from the Department of State takes at least three. If you get caught without a passport at the last minute, you’ll have to either make an appointment at the nearest US passport agency office, or use a private company like RushMyPassport.

We’ll walk you through the application process and then personally hand your paperwork over to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours without the hassle of travel to a passport agency office.

For fast US passport processing, contact us 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’re planning on traveling outside the US with an expired passport, you’re out of luck.  A valid US passport is required for international travel. The only exception to this rule is if you’re traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. In that case, you’ll be able to get by with your photo ID and a birth certificate until June 1st.  After that, the rules change, and you’ll need a valid passport. For more information, see “Do I Need a Passport to Go to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean?”

If you’re traveling outside the country and you are going anywhere other than Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, you need to have a passport and it needs to be valid. In fact, many countries require you to have at least 6 months left before the expiration date on your passport.

If you try to travel with an expired passport, you probably won’t be allowed on the plane.  Even if the airline doesn’t catch that your passport is expired, you’ll certainly run into problems when you try to get your passport stamped after you land.

So, don’t risk turning your vacation into a bureaucratic nightmare. Check the expiration date on your passport before you book your trip! Ordinarily, it takes at least a couple of months to get your passport renewed in the mail. However, if you have a trip coming up in the near future and you notice that your passport is expired, don’t panic. You can get an emergency passport!

The easiest way to get an emergency passport is to use a private passport expediting company. You don’t have to make an appointment or wait in line. All you have to do is fill out the paperwork for your passport renewal, send it to the expediting company along with all the necessary supporting documents, and the expediting company will hand-deliver it to the US Department of State for faster processing. Your new passport can be on its way back to you in as little as 24 hours!

Don’t risk trying to travel on an expired passport. Renew your passport with us today!

According to Reuters, Korean baseball star Byung-Hyun Kim, a former major league pitcher in the US, will not be able to attend this year’s World Baseball Classic due to a lost passport.  Sports fans may remember Kim from his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Boston Red Socks and the Colorado Rockies.

Kim hasn’t played for about a year, and was hoping to get back in the game in the WBC. Unfortunately, he lost his passport and was not able to attend training with the rest of the  South Korean team in Hawaii. So, he can’t play in the game.

What should you do if you lose your passport? Will you have to cancel your trip like Mr. Kim did?  If you’re a US citizen, a private passport expediting service can help you replace a lost passport quickly, so you don’t have to cancel your plans.

How fast can you get your passport with an expediting company? RushMyPassport.com offers same-day processing, so you can have your passport in as little as 24 hours.  If you have a little bit more time to spare, other, more affordable options are available that will allow you to replace your lost passport in just a few days.

Don’t miss out…expedite your passport today!

Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, so does the US Passport Agency. Whenever you get a new passport, you should look it over carefully, just to make sure all of the information is correct. If there is a printing error, you’ll need to get it corrected before you travel.

How do you fix a printing error on your US passport? Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the entire application process again. Instead, submit Form DS-5504. You’ll also need to send in your US passport, and evidence to show that the change you’ve requested is valid. For example, you can send in a copy of your birth certificate if you need to have the spelling of your name or your birthday corrected. If it’s been more than 90 days since your US passport was issued, you’ll also need to get new passport photos taken.

Fixing a printing error is free if you request regular processing. However, it could take several weeks for you to get your passport back in the mail. If you have an international trip planned in the near future, a private expediting service like RushmyPassport.com can have your passport sent to you more quickly. Depending on how long you have before you have to travel, an expediting company can get your passport in as little as 24 hours!  The price of the service varies depending on the processing time you select, and more affordable options are available that take just a few days more. Considering how much money you’ll lose on your international trip if you don’t have a passport in time, the expediting fee is a bargain!

Are you traveling overseas? Go to RushMYPassport.com to make sure your passport is ready when you are!

Applying for a passport is not as easy as it sounds. It’s easy to make mistakes on the paperwork, and even a small mistake can delay your application. Of course, with a private expediting company tracking your order, we can minimize these delays and often catch mistakes before they happen. However, if getting your passport as quickly as possible is important to you, we encourage you to review the top 10 causes of passport processing delays:

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