Home

General Index

Passport and Visa

Obtaining a Foreign Visa

a. A visa is a permit to enter and leave the country to be visited. It is a stamp of endorsement placed in a passport by a consular official of the country to which entry is requested. Nearly all countries require visitors from other nations to have in their possession a valid visa obtained before departing from their home country. A visa may be obtained from foreign embassies or consulates located in the U.S. (Visas are not always obtainable at the airport of entry of the foreign location, and verification of visa issuance must be made in advance of departure). Various types of visas are issued depending upon the nature of the visit and the intended length of stay. A valid passport must be submitted when applying for a visa of any type.

b. Several countries do not require U.S. citizens to obtain passports and visas for certain types of travel, mostly tourist. Instead they issue a simple tourist card which can be obtained from the nearest consulate of the country in question (presentation of a birth certificate or similar documentary proof of citizenship may be required). In some countries, the transportation company is authorized to grant tourist cards.

c. The photographs required in submitting visa applications should be full view and should not be larger than 3 x 3 inches nor smaller than 2.5 x 2.5 inches on white background.

Obtaining a Passport

NOTE- Information about obtaining passports and a passport application are available on the world wide web at http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html

a. An application for a passport must be personally presented to and executed by:

1. A passport agent;

2. A clerk of any Federal court;

3. A clerk of any State court of record or a judge or clerk of any probate court; or

4. A postal clerk designated by the Postmaster General. (Postal clerks have been designated only in certain areas.)

b. Under certain circumstances, a person holding an expired passport issued within the last 8 years, can submit the expired passport with his application by mail.

Locations of Passport Agencies

NOTE-

1. Passport agencies tend to have extremely long lines during the busiest months (January to July) which results in longer waiting times for people applying in person at a passport agency. It is best to apply through a Clerk of Court or Post Office nearest your locale which accepts passport applications.

2. Locations equipped with the automated telephone appointment system require that customers make an appointment using this system prior to visiting the agency.

a. BOSTON Passport Agency

b. CHICAGO Passport Agency

c. HONOLULU Passport Agency

d. HOUSTON Passport Agency

e. LOS ANGELES Passport Agency

f. MIAMI Passport Agency

g. NEW ORLEANS Passport Agency

h. NEW YORK Passport Agency

i. PHILADELPHIA Passport Agency

j. SAN FRANCISCO Passport Agency

k. SEATTLE Passport Agency

NOTE- Seattle Passport Agency does NOT accept short form abstract birth certificates from California. When ordering birth records from California, you need to order a LONG FORM birth certificate.

l. STAMFORD Passport Agency

m. WASHINGTON, DC Passport Agency

Proof of United States Citizenship

a. A passport issued previously to an applicant, or one in which he was included, is proof of U.S. citizenship in lieu of the documentary proof outlined below. If a passport cannot be submitted, other evidence of citizenship will be necessary.

b. A person born in the U.S. may present his birth certificate. To be acceptable the certificate must show the birth record was filed shortly after birth and must be certified with the registrar's signature and the raised, impressed or multi-colored seal of his office. Uncertified copies of birth certificates are not acceptable.

1. If such primary evidence is not obtainable, a notice from the registrar may be used stating that no birth record exists. The notice shall be accompanied by the best obtainable secondary evidence such as a baptismal certificate, a certificate of circumcision (if applicable), a hospital birth record, affidavits of persons having personal knowledge of the facts of the birth or other documentary evidence such as early census, school, or family bible records, newspaper files and insurance papers. Secondary evidence should be created as close to the time of birth as possible.

2. All documents used as evidence of U.S. citizenship by birth must include the place and date of birth of the applicant and bear the seal of the office, if this is customary, and the signature of the person before whom such documents were executed or by whom they were issued.

c. A person who claims U.S. citizenship by naturalization may use his certificate of naturalization.

d. If U.S. citizenship was acquired through naturalization of a parent or parents, or by birth abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, the certificate of citizenship issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service may be used. If such a certificate is not available, citizenship may be supported by the following documents:

1. Parent certificate of naturalization, applicant's foreign birth certificate and evidence of admission to the U.S. for permanent residence. If citizenship was acquired through the naturalization of a sole parent, the other having been an alien, the divorce decree showing naturalized parent has custody, or the death certificate of the alien parent, when appropriate.

2. A Consular Report of Birth (Form FS-240) or Certification of Birth (Form DS-1350 or Form FS-545) issued by the U.S. Department of State may be used if citizenship was acquired through birth abroad to the U.S. citizen parent or parents. If neither of these is available, the foreign birth certificate, evidence of the U.S. citizenship of the parent, and an affidavit from parent showing the periods and places of residence in the U.S. and abroad before the birth of the applicant may be used. (Precise periods abroad in the U.S. Armed Forces, in other U.S. Government employment with a qualifying international organization, or as a dependent of such persons must be specified.)

Mutilation or Loss of Passports

a. Passports which are mutilated or altered shall not be used for travel. Such passports shall be turned in to passport agents, clerks of courts, or other officials of the U.S. Government.

b. The address and notification data appearing on the inside front cover of the passport may be changed by the passport bearer. The passport need not be submitted to a Government official for such changes. All other entries or changes, however, must be made by an authorized official.

c. If your passport is lost or stolen, you should fill out a FORM DSP-11 passport application and submit this form in person to your nearest passport acceptance facility. You are not required to know the passport number or issuance date to apply for a new passport.

d. If your most recent U.S. passport is still valid, you must also complete a Form DSP-64, Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport.

e. Forms DSP-11 and DSP-64 are available through your nearest passport acceptance facility or from the Download Printable Passport Applications page on the world wide web. ( http://travel.state.gov/Publications/publicuseforms.html)

f. When abroad, the loss or theft of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Accessibility

Privacy Policy