My son needs to send his passport in order to get a visa for a fall study abroad program. The process will take 60 - 90 days. However he will need his passport for his summer travel plans. Has anyone needed to get a second passport while the first one is being cleared for a visa? Is it less complicated then I’m making it out to be?
I was curious, because I wondered if it is legal to have 2 passports. Apparently it is fairly routine, and your son’s situation is one of the approved reasons.
from this page:
https://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/second-passport.html
Which country or countries does he need the visa for in the fall?
Where is he travelling this summer? Would a passport card do instead of a full passport?
He’s going to various places in Europe this summer, so sadly a passport card won’t work.
Read the comments on the link posted above. You have to send the current passport to get the second one, so you can’t send for the visa until you get the second passport. It recommends to expedite the second. Second catch-22 is that you can’t get the expedited one unless you have immediate need for travel, and if he’s not going until July…?
If you live in a city with an expediting office, I’d head there with everything you can think of - rules for the study abroad visa, schedule for summer travel (tickets?), the passport you have, etc.
I’ve been really lucky and run into some passport clerks who were very helpful and figured out what I needed to do. ID, pics, money (lots of money), passport, application filled out and each item I was using to prove that spot on the application (ID, old passport, for my kids their birth certificates and other papers).
We successfully got our second passports for vacation travel to Mexico when we could not get the first ones back from the third world country’s embassy that unexpectedly shut down because some big wig leader passed away or something like that (long story). IIRC, we did not need the actual first passports, but we had to show up in person at the passport office in Seattle.
We needed our IDs, proof of citizenship, affidavit that our passports were in a “black hole,” photos, a large fee, proof of travel to Mexico, and application forms.
I had to do this for Kiddo #1 when her passport was about to be surrendered for a visa application and we had travel planned to Canada that would require a passport. The opportunity to study abroad that summer and need for a visa application arose with short notice, so the situation was unavoidable.
Honestly, it was a stressful situation. I contacted a couple companies that will take care of everything for you, and they gave me different lists of what I had to provide. I found it disconcerting that they weren’t in agreement on how to handle the situation and so I decided to handle it myself.
The travel and surrendering of the passport were going to occur around the same time, so we still had the passport with us when I made the appointment at the passport processing center. (Which had to be within a short time frame of our intended travel, which only added to the stress.) We got up at 4am, and Kiddo and I drove 5.5 hours there with every. single. document. we could possibly imagine ever needing in our posession. I also had printed out two different passport application forms (which had been the big disagreement between the two expeditors).
We had to show proof of need - international travel and visa application - before they’d even let us in the office. Then we went to the first window and were asked to show Form A and all supporting documents. Person #2 took a look and then smugly told us that was incorrect; we needed to show Form B and all supporting documents. The look of surprise on her face when I pulled out Form B and all supporting documents made my day. They actually had to get a supervisor involved to make the final decision of whether it was Form A or Form B. I suspect that this situation is very rare - espeically since we were still in posession of the original passport. Once the supervisor had agreed and the documents were accepted, I figured we were safe and I could relax. We paid for expedited shipping and left. (I don’t remember the reason, but we were not eligible to walk out of there with the passport in hand. Probably because it was form B vs Form A lol.) I think we were there less than an hour total, even with having to go from window to window.
I’m glad we didn’t use an expeditor because of the uncertainty between whether it was A or B and I felt like this was a one shot deal with regards to timing.
My advice is to make sure you have dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” and then check it all over again and bring more than you think you’ll ever need with you if you have to go out of town to make this happen.
Thanks for all the replies
@My3Kiddos Thank you!
I have been having the same problems of concierge services wanting different documentation (not to mention the fees). His need for a visa application also arose with short notice. His school is just an hour away, so I was going to drive there with everything and take him to the post office to process, and have it expedited (they were really good with his passport). My other option is to take him to the passport office when he gets home in 2 weeks. All his visa documentation has to be submitted ASAP with an absolute deadline of June 1
Yes this is incredibly stressful.
@TNE2011 - Based on my experience, I’d recommend taking him to the passport office in two weeks rather than risk doing it through the mail and having your application rejected (because you provided incorrect documentation). Good luck! I hope everything works out for you guys like it did for us.
Once my son found his passport had expired the day before he was to leave for Mexico for a bachelor party. He found an early appt online in Philadelphia and he took an Amtrak from NYC to get to the office. His train was delayed so he was late for his appointed time. However, when he explained his predicament that his flight was leaving Philadelphia in less than 2 hours, they issued him a brand new passport (his had his photo ready already) within half an hour. Of course he was charged for expedition but it was done and he made his flight.
The post offices that ‘do’ passports are only agents. They aren’t the state department or the passport services office, and really can’t do more than take your forms and send them in. They can send them in expedited.
Made an appointment at the closest passport agency for 5/14. I’m going to take all the paperwork I can think of, extra blank forms, checks, credit cards and cash. Fingers crossed.
Thanks so much for all the help!
Update:
Gathered all materials I could think of, had blank forms and extra copies of everything. Went to the Los Angeles passport office on Monday 5/14, and everything seemed to go very smoothly, less than an hour. 3 people including a supervisor checked all of my son’s paperwork. Paid to have expedited and were told we could pick up Friday. Wednesday, received call that his statement and itinerary, which had been checked and handed back to us was needed. Said we could come and drop off an hour before our will call pick up time. Went and in order to drop off, we had to wait in line again and then talk to a senior supervisor. This time it was a lot more crowded. Hours later, we were able to go home with 2 passports! I’m sure it would have been more stressful without the help I received here. Thanks to all who replied. Hopefully this thread will help others who find themselves in this situation.
Thanks for the update and safe travels!