All United States citizens traveling abroad are now required to carry a passport. Prior to 2009, it was possible to leave and re-enter the United States from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, Panama and certain Caribbean nations by carrying only an official birth certificate or recognized valid driver’s license. That is no longer the case and an up-to-date document obtained from a government passport agency can help make your rush travel plans trouble-free.
Online Forms
The application forms are readily available on line for printing. All applicants, regardless of time considerations, must be able to present proof of citizenship in the form of an original birth certificate as well as having the correct type of photo. Those enjoying enough lead time for regular processing usually present their completed forms to a local acceptance facility.
Time It Takes
In most cases, normal processing will be completed in four to six weeks. This works well for those who are able to confirm travel plans well ahead of time but many people are faced with unplanned trips due to emergencies or business requirements. Today, it is possible to speed up that application by visiting a regional office equipped to handle those rush requests.
Acceptance Facilities
While a local acceptance facility and an agency may sound similar, they have differing functions. The acceptance facility is local and works best for people who have the time to wait for normal processing as well as for those seeking fee-based expedited services. A regional site, however, is able to handle emergency application requests when plans do not allow enough time for normal approval.
Regional Facilities
There are thirteen regional passport agencies within the United States and their locations and toll-free numbers are easily found on line. These facilities actually produce the physical documents in addition to serving last-minute customers. While there is no iron-clad guarantee that processing will be immediate, many people find they are actually able to obtain a completed document in as little as one day.
Proof Of Travel
Rush customers must provide proof that international travel is scheduled in two weeks or less. This proof may be a copy of an on-line airline ticket or even a fully paid-for travel itinerary from a travel agent. The toll-free local number helps callers set up an appointmen, but only will do so for those who must leave in less than 14 days.
Set Up The Appointment
After receiving an appointment confirmation number, all applicants must bring the necessary proofs of citizenship and regulation photos along with an acceptable form of payment. Fill out the forms carefully because mistakes will normally cause delays. And, because these are governmental offices, be prepared to deal with stringent security measures such as metal detectors or other devices.
Not only does this visit speed up the entire first time U.S. passport process but it can also save money. Some people prefer to use professional expediters to do the same work for a fee but visiting a regional American passport agency personally makes that unnecessary. While demand and processing times vary, most people find that their application request is completed in plenty of time for their international trip.
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