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Passport
Catastrophe Prevention
Here
are a few tips that you should consider
to make travel to Mexico and Caribbean
as stress free as possible.
Summer
Vacation Passport Relief!
Travel June 8 - September 30 - If you
applied for a passport you can travel to
the Caribbean, Bermuda or Mexico even if
you don't have the passport back
yet! Here
are the details
1.
Be informed!
Read the Guide
to passport regulations
2.
Apply Early - Expect Delays
14
weeks + before travel - Routine
Service if you apply
4 weeks + before travel - Expedite
Service and Overnight Delivery
2 weeks or less until travel - Plan to
go in person to passport center or use
a passport service
3.
Use the expedite service
Complete
the application
and present it at a passport
acceptance facility.
To find the facility nearest you click
here.
Make
sure you include the overnight payment
fee so the passport agency can use
overnight delivery to return your
passport to you.
4.
How to get a passport if you are
traveling in 2 weeks
The only way is to go in person and get
a passport at a regional
passport center
There
is no guarantee that you can get a US
passport in less than two weeks.
We have reports that this method is
still working.
Make
sure you have a paid in full itinerary
from your travel agent as proof that
you are traveling in 2 weeks.
Know
what is needed to get
the passport
Find
out how much your passport will cost and
add an expedite fee and overnight
delivery fee to that.
Find
the regional passport center closest
to you.
If
you have difficulty making an
appointment thru the automated system
call your Congressional office.
They can help get you an appointment.
Before
you go have a friend or family member
double check your paperwork.
Make sure everything is in order
before you go to the passport
center. Remember your payment,
forms, pictures, itinerary, all
required documents.
Take your application materials, your
itinerary and your form of payment and
show up at the passports office.
Be on time or early.
5.
Stay on Top of tracking your passport
Use
this link to tracking your
passport. Check
the status of your passport
Currently,
it is taking up to 1 week for
Expedited Applications and up to 4
weeks for Routine Applications to be
tracked online. Please
allow at least that time before
checking the status of your
application.
To
check the status of your application
online you will need:
- your
last name, including suffixes
without punctuations except the
hyphen, (for example: Jones III,
Patton Jr, Jackson-Smith, Varela
Garcia),
- date
of birth in the following format:
MM/DD/YYYY, and
- the
last four digits of your Social
Security Number.
6. When
to Panic
Ok you don't have to panic.
Be prepared to take to take dramatic
action
14 days prior to travel.
If
you have properly applied by routine
or expedite service and have not received
your passport call your Congressional
Office.
They can help. But they
will need time.
Also, do not rely on e-mail.
Make a phone call to the
office.
Make sure you speak to the person who
is handling passports.
Take notes and find out the person's
name. Ask when you should get
results. Follow up if you do not
have the information you need in a timely
manor.
They
can assist you in tracking your
passport or making an appointment for
you to come to a in person to get the
passport.
Keep
in mind that not all passport offices
are cooperating with congressional
offices. Unfortunately this seems
to be the only effective way to solve
problems with delays.
7.
Buy cancel for any reason insurance with
your package.
8.
Consider a destination that doesn't
require a passport.
US
Virgin Islands
Puerto
Rico
Hawaii
Cruises
from US ports
In
case you want to try to call the
National Passport Information Center
877-487-2778.
Or
just call us J
800-615-3389
Have
Fun – Feel Happy – Vacations
are FUN! Even if passport application
is a hassle.
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