What is a Passport Acceptance Agent fee?

As part of the process to get your first passport, replace your lost passport, or get a passport for your child, you will need to visit a Passport Acceptance Facility.  There you will have your passport application reviewed by a trained government employee. These Passport Acceptance Facilities are often located in Post Offices or courthouses, and sometimes in other government buildings like public libraries.

At the Passport Acceptance Facility, the Passport Acceptance Agent will check that you have completed your passport application correctly and supplied the right supporting documentation. They will also verify your identity by looking at your current driver’s license or other official ID. Finally, they will seal your passport application documents into an envelope that may only be opened by State Department personnel. This process is called “execution.”

The US State Department sets the fee for this service. For many years, the Passport Acceptance Agent fee was $25, but it will soon increase to $35.

Why has the government increased the Passport Acceptance Agent fee?

The US State Department first proposed the $10 increase in execution fees for passports in 2016. They periodically compile a report called a “Cost of Service Model.” The most recent Cost of Service Model showed that it was costing more in labor and overhead to provide the Passport Acceptance service. The $10 fee increase is meant to cover the expense of providing this service, not to provide a profit.

What types of passport service require a Passport Acceptance Agent fee?

You will need to visit a Passport Acceptance Facility and pay the Passport Acceptance Agent fee if you are applying for any of these types of passport service:

• New Adult Passport – This service is for travelers age 16 or over, who either have never been issued a passport as an adult, or whose most recent passport was issued more than 15 years ago.
• Minor Passport – Travelers under age 16 must use the minor passport procedure and visit a Passport Acceptance Agent, whether or not they have been previously issued a passport.
• Passport Replacement – If you need to replace a lost passport or a stolen passport, or if your current passport has been badly damaged, you’ll need to go to a Passport Acceptance Facility as part of the replacement process.

My whole family needs new passports. Do we each have to pay the Passport Acceptance Agent fee?

Yes, the Passport Acceptance Agent fee is charged for each traveler, not per family. That means that if you are visiting the Passport Acceptance Facility because you and your wife and three young children all need new passports, you will be charged five Passport Acceptance Agent fees, one for each of you.

Can I go to the Passport Acceptance Agent now to beat the fee increase, and send my passport application to G3 later?

It’s definitely a good idea to have your passport applications executed now, before the fee increases! However, you must send your sealed envelope with the passport application to G3 as soon as it is executed. Your passport application must be submitted to the Passport Agency within 5 business days of your visit to the Passport Acceptance Agent. If you wait too long to send it to G3, you will have to go back to the Passport Acceptance Facility and have your application re-executed… and you’ll have to pay the fee again!

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Child Passport Replacement – Which Service Should You Choose?

Children age 15 and younger are issued minor passports, valid for 5 years. Once your child turns 16, she is eligible for an adult passport valid for 10 years. When you replace a minor passport that has been lost, stolen, or mutilated, the type of passport your child will be issued will be determined by how old she is when you apply for the replacement.

If you need to replace the passport of a child age 15 or younger, please choose our minor passport service.

If your child is now age 16 or older, select the appropriate replacement service: lost passport, stolen passport, or mutilated passport replacement.

Passport Applications for Child Passport Replacement

You’ll need to prepare passport application form DS-11 to replace your child’s mutilated, stolen, or lost passport. On this application, you’ll be asked for details of your child’s most recently issued passport. If the passport is lost or stolen, and you don’t have the passport number, you can fill in “000000000” as the passport number, and provide your best guess at the issue and expiration date. But it’s best if you can provide the exact details of the missing passport. (This is why we always urge you to keep photocopies of your passports!)

Do not sign Form DS-11 until you get to the Passport Acceptance Agent!

In order to replace a lost or stolen passport, you’ll also need to submit Form DS-64. This form is an official statement on how the passport went missing. It will automatically be generated when you fill out the online passport application form.

If you are doing a child passport replacement because your child’s passport is badly damaged, you will need to write a statement explaining how the passport was damaged. This letter should be signed by the parents. Older children may also sign the statement, in addition to their parents.

What If the Whole Family Needs Replacement Passports?

We hope you never find yourself in this situation! But if you find yourself the victim of a fire, flood, or theft, you might need to replace everyone’s passport at once.

You can place multiple orders with G3passports.com, so we can help you get your new passports quickly. You will need to place a separate order for each person in your family.

When you go to the Passport Acceptance Facility, let the agent know that you will be using a passport expediting service. Make sure they seal everyone’s applications into separate envelopes, one for each member of your family.

If you have more questions, just let us know! We are here to help.

The post Child Passport Replacement – What to Do if a Passport is Lost, Stolen, or Damaged appeared first on G3Passports.

When is your child likely to need identification?

Let’s look at some scenarios in which your child could use their passport book or passport card as official ID.

1. International Travel

This one is obvious! Children, even babies, are subject to the same passport requirements as adults. Your child will need a valid passport book for all international air travel.

2. TSA Security at the Airport

Whether you’re boarding a domestic flight or an international one, you’re going to need to get through the TSA security checkpoint first. The official rule is that children under 18 do not require their own identification if they are traveling with an adult companion. However, in practice, having ID for your kids will get you through the security checkpoint much faster! Families who do not have child identification documents are asked many questions by TSA security agents. The agents have to determine whether your child should be traveling with you, or if there’s a risk that you might be abducting the child. Having ID for your child goes a long way toward proving that your child really should be with you!

3. Travel as an Unaccompanied Minor

Thinking about letting your kid fly on his own to go visit Grandma? Airlines have strict rules for air travel by unaccompanied minors. Many airlines require that your child have official ID in order to fly on their own. A passport is the ideal child identification to use for unaccompanied minor travel. Because it has a photograph, it will allow the airline to positively identify your child and make sure your child gets where he needs to go.

4. Enrolling in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

Frequent travelers love the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs! By assigning you a Known Traveler Number, these Trusted Traveler programs allow you to get through TSA security checkpoints and US immigration quickly using designated express lanes. Children age 12 and under can also use the express lanes if they are traveling with a parent who is part of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. That’s great for your little kids, but what about your middle-schooler? Children age 13 and over need to apply for their own Known Traveler Number, and in order to get one, they must have official ID. You can use your child’s passport book or passport card as child identification for TSA PreCheck applications for your young teen. If you’re enrolling them in Global Entry, you will need to have their passport books. Global Entry is specifically focused on international travel, so passport books are a must.

5. SATs and Other College Testing

We’ve talked a lot about the many ways your child’s passport can come in handy when you’re traveling. But it can also be useful when you are at home! One important use of a passport for child identification is for college testing, like the SAT. To prevent testing fraud, the College Board checks IDs against the name listed on the test. All students must show official photo ID when they arrive to take the test. A passport book or passport card is one of the few universally-accepted child identification documents that can be used for college testing.

6. Medical Emergencies and Child Identification

Imagine this: your 14 year old daughter is traveling with her soccer team. You’ve got to work, so you’re not with her. During the game, she falls and breaks her wrist on the pitch. It’s not a life-or-death emergency, but she’s in pain, and she needs medical treatment right away. Does she have the right documents to get registered at the hospital without you? If she has her passport book or card, she can use that as identification with her health insurance card.

How has your kid used their passport for child identification? Tell us in the comments!

The post Minor Passports: The Perfect Child Identification! appeared first on G3Passports.

The Basics of Minor Passport Requirements

Any time you apply for a US passport for a child under age 16, you’ll need to prove two things:

• Your child is a US citizen.
• You are the legal parents of your child.

If you’re the biological parents of a child born in the US, your child’s birth certificate is all you need to show.  It will prove that your child is a US citizen, thanks to being born on US soil.  It also proves that you are the parents, and documents your child’s age.  The birth certificate additionally shows that your child is under age 16, and thus needs a minor passport and not an adult passport.

For an adopted child, you may need to show a combination of documents to prove citizenship and parenthood.

US-Born Adoptees with Amended Birth Certificates

Adopted children born in the United States are usually issued an “Amended Birth Certificate” after the adoption is finalized.  Your adopted child’s Amended Birth Certificate (ABC) will list you, the adoptive parents, as the mother and father.

If you adopted your child as a baby, and the Amended Birth Certificate was issued before your child’s first birthday, you’re in good shape.  An Amended Birth Certificate issued within one year of birth is all you need to prove citizenship and parenthood.

Where you might run in to trouble is if your child’s Amended Birth Certificate was issued more than one year after his birth. It still is proof positive that you are the parents of your child.  However, the US State Department considers an ABC issued more than a year after birth to be a “delayed birth certificate.”  Delayed birth certificates are not sufficient proof of US citizenship.  You will also need to get your child’s Original Birth Certificate, the one that lists the biological parents.  Another option is to submit the ABC along with the original Adoption Decree that shows the date of the adoption and the biological parents’ names.

Passports for Your Internationally Adopted Child

Was your adopted child born outside the United States?  In that case, your child doesn’t claim her US citizenship because of where she was born.  Instead, her claim on US citizenship is because she was adopted by US citizens.  Your child automatically becomes a US citizen once she has moved to the United States and her adoption is finalized.

You will need to submit your adoption decree to prove you are the legal parents of your child.  The best way to prove your child’s US citizenship is to submit her Certificate of Citizenship.  Certificates of Citizenship are issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Like a Naturalization Certificate, it proves that your child has become a US citizen.  How can you get a Certificate of Citizenship for your child?  It will depend on how your child came to the United States:

• Children with IR-3 or IH-3 visas: If your child’s adoption was finalized overseas, he would have been granted an IR-3 or IH-3 visa.  Once you get back to the United States with your child, USCIS will send you his Certificate of Citizenship.  You won’t need to file any extra paperwork to get the certificate.
• Children with IR-4 or IH-4 visas: If your child’s adoption was finalized in the United States, you’ll need to file for his Certificate of Citizenship.  After the final adoption or “re-adoption,” you can file Form N-600 to get the Certificate of Citizenship.

Second Parent Adoptions

What if your child has one biological parent and one adoptive parent?  The issue here isn’t proving your child’s US citizenship.  You’ll have an original birth certificate that shows your child was born in the US.  Instead, the concern is with parental consent.  All of your child’s legal parents need to give official consent for the passport application.

You’ll need to submit both your child’s birth certificate and your second parent adoption decree.  Both parents will need to go with your child to the Passport Acceptance Agent.  If one parent can’t go, she’ll need to fill out and notarize Form DS-3053.

One nice thing is that the passport application, Form DS-11, no longer has the spots for parents’ signatures marked as “Mother” and “Father.”  Instead, they are marked “Parent 1” and “Parent 2,” in recognition that some children have two moms or two dads!

Getting a passport for your adopted child can be a little bit tricky, but the experts at G3Passports.com are here to help!  Contact us if you have questions about your situation.

The post Get a Passport for Your Adopted Child appeared first on G3Passports.

One of the biggest myths about US passports is that newborn babies do not need passports to travel with their parents.  This is absolutely not true. Every traveler needs to have their very own passport, and that includes newborn babies!

Whether you are planning to travel internationally with your young baby, or whether you want to get your baby a passport just to prove her US citizenship, there are some special considerations for passports for newborns.  Newborn babies are subject to all the same passport requirements as any other minor passport applicant.  Today, we’ll look at some of those requirements in depth and learn what’s a little different about getting passports for newborns.

Getting a Birth Certificate for Your Newborn

The birth certificate showing your child was born in the US is the most important requirement for a minor passport.  Usually, when we talk about getting a birth certificate for a passport, we’re talking about how to get an official copy of a birth certificate.  For a newborn baby, we need to talk about how to get a birth certificate issued for the very first time!

Birth certificates are issued by the Vital Statistics Office in each US state or territory.  It’s your responsibility, as a parent, to file for your baby’s birth certificate.  You’ll need to have decided on your baby’s name before you file.  You’ll also need to provide the full names of both parents and their city, state, and date of birth.   Part of the birth certificate form will also be completed by the medical practitioner who attended your birth.  The way you’ll file for the birth certificate will depend on where your baby was born.

• Hospital birth – Every hospital has employees on staff who go around the maternity ward to help new parents file for their baby’s birth certificate.  They will give you a form to fill out, and then they will collect the form and file it for you.
• Freestanding birthing center – The staff at the birthing center will help you file for your baby’s birth certificate. much like the staff at a hospital would.
• Birth at home with a registered midwife – Your midwife will help you fill out and file the form to get your baby’s birth certificate.
• Unassisted homebirth – Some people choose to give birth without medical assistance… and for others, it’s a huge surprise when baby decides to arrive in a hurry at home or in the car!  If you are planning an unassisted homebirth, we recommend you check in advance with your state’s Vital Statistics Office to find out if any additional documents are needed.  Some states require that you provide “proof of pregnancy,” such as records of your prenatal care or affidavits from people who saw you during your pregnancy.

Filing for the birth certificate is only the first step!  You will not automatically be sent a copy of your baby’s birth certificate.  You will either need to order a copy by mail, or you will need to go to a local Vital Statistics Office in person to get a copy of your baby’s birth certificate.  You’ll need to prove that you are your baby’s parent, usually by showing your driver’s license or passport, and you’ll have to pay for the birth certificate copy.  Most places offer a large discount on a second copy of the birth certificate — if you are offered the chance to get a discount on two copies, we highly recommend you get an extra!

Social Security Number

A new law that went into effect in December 2015 means that you have to list your Social Security Number on your passport application.  This is even true for passports for newborns!  You’ll need to include your baby’s Social Security Number on her passport application… which means she’ll need to get a Social Security Number before she gets her first passport!

You’ll be able to request your baby’s Social Security Number at the same time you file for the birth certificate.  You’ll get your baby’s Social Security Card in the mail as soon as it is issued.  It usually takes 2-4 weeks for the card to arrive.

Passport Photos for Babies

Your newborn baby is going to need a passport photo!  Getting an appropriate passport photo for a tiny baby can pose some challenges.  We actually think it works best to take your baby’s passport photo yourself!  Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Try to get a photo with your baby’s eyes open, if you can… but if you can’t, don’t sweat it.  The State Department understands that it’s hard to keep a newborn’s eyes open, and they will accept baby passport photos with eyes closed.
• Don’t have anything on your baby’s head — no hats, headbands, or hairbows.
• No pacifiers, toys, parents’ hands, or other objects can be in the photo with the baby.

Visiting the Passport Acceptance Agent

Yes, even babies have to go in person to the Passport Acceptance Facility!  But it’s totally fine if baby sleeps through the whole visit to the Passport Acceptance Agent.

Do you have other questions about passports for newborns? Ask us in the comments, or call us today!

The post Passports for Newborns – What Does Your Tiny Traveler Need? appeared first on G3Passports.

Parental Consent: The Basics

The US State Department has firm rules in place for children’s passport applications.  They will not issue a passport to a child under age 16 unless they have proof that all of the child’s parents and legal guardians want the child to get a passport.  These rules are in place to prevent international child abduction.

There are two ways to prove parental consent for a minor passport.  Parents and guardians can either:

1. Go in person to the Passport Acceptance Facility along with the child, or
2. Sign and notarize Form DS-3053, the “Statement of Consent.”

Please note that at least one parent/guardian must accompany the child to the Passport Acceptance Facility… and yes, the child does need to show up in person, too!

Now we’ll consider a few scenarios, and explain what parental consent requirements are needed for each.  If you don’t see your situation listed below, contact us!

I’m divorced, and have full custody of my children.  Do I still need parental consent from the non-custodial parent?

Yes, parental consent is needed from both parents, whether they have custody of the child or not.

My child doesn’t have a father listed on her birth certificate. 

A single mother whose child does not have a father listed on the birth certificate doesn’t need to get parental consent from the father.  All that is needed is for the mother to take the child in person to the Passport Acceptance Facility.

My child’s father is deceased.

Widowed parents will need to bring an original copy of the death certificate to show why parental consent will be given by only one parent.

My child’s mother abandoned us, and I have no way of contacting her.

If you have no way of getting consent from your child’s other parent — either because you cannot locate them, or because they are imprisoned or incapacitated, or because they are overseas and you need to get your child a passport urgently — you have the option of filing Form DS-5525, the “Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances.”  On this form, you’ll explain why it’s not possible for you to get consent from the other parent.  If you hold sole custody of your child, you should also submit original or certified copies of your court documents granting you custody.

I adopted my child.

You will need to provide an original or certified copy of the adoption decree, along with your child’s birth certificate.

I’m remarried.  Can my current husband give his consent, as the stepfather?

No, stepparents can not give parental consent for a child’s passport application, and do not need to. Parental consent must still be given by both parents who are listed on the birth certificate.

I am the legal guardian of a child whose parents have had their parental rights terminated by the court.

Please bring an original or certified copy of the guardianship order that shows that the biological parents no longer hold parental rights.  You’ll also need the child’s original birth certificate.

I am a foster parent, and would like to get my foster child a passport so he can join us on a family trip.

This one is going to be tricky!  Fostering a child is a form of temporary guardianship.  Unless the child’s parents have permanently lost their parental rights, they will need to give their consent for the passport application.  This will include having at least one parent go with the child to the Passport Acceptance Agent.

I’m worried that my child’s other parent will take him out of the US without my consent.  Is there any way to ensure that my child can not be issued a passport?

Parents or guardians who are concerned about the possibility of international child abduction can request to be enrolled in the “Child’s Passport Issuance Alert Program” by filing a form with the State Department.

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Passports for Study Abroad

No matter what type of educational experience you’ll have overseas, there’s one thing for certain: you are going to need to have a passport!  Any time you travel internationally by air, you must have a valid passport book.  If you don’t have a passport yet, G3 Passports can help you get one quickly.  Students age 15 and under will need to get a minor passport.  This type of passport is valid for five years, and requires the formal consent of both parents or legal guardians.  If you are 16 or over, you can get an adult passport valid for ten years.  There are some special requirements for passport applicants who are age 16 or 17… if that applies to you, check out our article for all the details.

Types of Study Abroad

Before we begin our discussion of visas for study abroad, let’s consider the different kinds of educational trips you might make.

• Enrolling in a foreign school or university.  You are attending an accredited school for a full term or longer. You’ll be earning credits toward graduating from the school in the foreign country.
• Participating in an educational exchange program.  You’ll remain officially enrolled in your school in the US, but you’ll travel overseas and attend classes at an accredited school in the foreign country.  The credits you’ll earn will count toward your graduation from the US school.
• Doing a semester abroad program. Much like an educational exchange program, you’ll remain enrolled in and earning credits from your school in the states.
• Taking classes at a non-accredited school.  Going to India for yoga teacher training?  Or to Thailand to study Thai massage?  Spending a month in Costa Rica taking Spanish classes?  These educational trips are different because you won’t be earning credits toward a high school, college, or higher degree.
• Taking a school trip. You’re making a short trip overseas with a school or club group.
• Participating in an amateur sports competition or artistic performance overseas. Your team has been invited to participate in an event overseas, but you won’t be earning any money or school credit for your participation.

Will You Need a Visa for Your Study Abroad?

Whether or not you’ll need a visa to study abroad will depend on a number of factors, including what country you’re going to, how long you’ll be there, and what kind of trip you’ll be making.  There’s no one-size-fits-all answer!  You may need a student visa, or a tourist visa, or possibly even no visa at all.  The visa experts at G3Visas.com can help you figure out if you will need a visa for your international educational adventure.

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As an adult, you probably don’t think too much about how you’re going to get your new passport photo.  It’s easy enough to pop down to the neighborhood drugstore, sit on a stool for a minute, and get your little cardboard folder with two new passport photos.  Child passport photos are a different story, especially if you are trying to get a passport photo for your baby, toddler, or preschooler.  Your local drugstore is well-stocked with baby essentials like diapers and formula, but they’re not necessarily equipped to take a good passport photo of your infant!

As both a passport industry professional and a mom, I’ve had a lot of experience with minor passports and child passport photos.  When my kids need photos for their new passports, I take them myself!  Today I’ll teach you how to take your own passport photos of your children.

The Essentials

You don’t need a fancy photographic setup to take child passport photos.  You probably already have everything you need, right in your house!  You’ll need:

• A space with bright, even lighting to take the photos
• A white backdrop: a plain white wall for children who can sit independently, or a white sheet for a baby to lie on
• A digital camera, or a smartphone with a decent camera function
• A kid (obviously!)

The Setup

If you’re taking a photo of a child who can sit or stand independently, have your child sit or stand with their back to the white wall.  Make sure the lighting across your child’s face is even, without shadows or glare.  Nothing should be near your child’s head or shoulders in the photo — no furniture, decorations, toys, or other objects.  Have your child look directly at the camera, and start snapping photos.  Take lots of photos!  That’s the great thing about digital photography… you can delete all the images you don’t like.

For an infant, the best way to take the photo is to spread a white sheet on the floor, and have the baby lie on the sheet.  Stand over the baby and take the photo looking straight down at your baby’s face.  Make sure that you aren’t casting a shadow on the baby!

Formatting Your Photos

You’ve taken a whole bunch of pictures of your child, and you’ve chosen one that meets all the State Department guidelines and is totally adorable.  Your next step is to format the photo.  Back when I started taking child passport photos, in the early 2000s, I had to use PhotoShop to crop the photos and size them properly.  But it’s so much easier now!  There are free tools to help you get a perfect passport photo.  I like the website PassportPhoto4You, which lets you upload a photo, size it properly for US passport applications, and then format it to print on standard 4″x6″ photo paper.  You can even format your photos directly on your phone! iPhone or iPad users can use the free Passport Photo Booth app.  It’s also available as a free app for your Android phone or tablet.

Printing Your Child Passport Photos

Now that you have your child passport photos formatted, your final step is to get them printed.  You can print them at home if you have a good-quality color printer and glossy photo paper on hand.  But if you don’t have a color printer, or if that cyan ink cartridge has dried up again, don’t worry!  Your neighborhood drugstore can print your photo, easily, quickly, and cheaply.  Most drugstores charge less than 50 cents for a 4″x6″ color print.  You can use the store’s website to send your photo for printing, or even upload it from your phone using their mobile site.

Once your photo is printed, carefully cut out one of the photos to submit with your child’s passport application.

State Department Guidelines for Child Passport Photos

Your child’s passport photo will need to meet the same photo requirements as an adult’s passport photo.  However, there are a few things you should be extra-careful of when you are taking DIY child passport photos:

• The printed photo must be clear, not grainy or blurry. If your child was moving while you took the photo, the image might not be sharp enough to print on a passport.
• No objects in the photo.  That means you child can’t be sucking on a pacifier or holding a stuffed animal, and you can’t have a parent’s hand holding the kid in place!
• Your child must be looking straight at the camera.  Your child shouldn’t have their head tilted or turned.
• Mouth closed and eyes open!  Passport photos are meant to show the bearer with a neutral expression.  So no matter how charming your kid’s big beaming smile may be, you’ll need to pick a photo where her mouth is closed.  Your child’s eyes should be open and looking at the camera, but the State Department relaxes this rule for newborn babies.
• No hats or headbands.  Sorry, but those cute headbands that are so popular for baby girls are a big no-no for passport photos!  The “no headgear” rule is enforced as strictly for children as  it is for adults.

The post Child Passport Photos — How to Take Them at Home! appeared first on G3Passports.