| 1. |
What is a Passport ? |
| 2. |
When do I need a Passport ? |
| 3. |
What is the difference between a passport and a visa ? |
| 4. |
Why does the government take so long to process my application ? |
| 5. |
The Passport Acceptance Agent told me they could get it done, why ? |
| 6. |
Why can't I call the passport agency directly? |
| 7. |
How does UPV Services help me? |
| 8. |
Does a child require a passport? |
| 9. |
How do I renew my passport? |
| 10. |
I have never had a U.S.
Passport / My passport was lost/stolen. How do I get a new one? |
| 11. |
My
child under 16 needs a passport. How do I get one? |
| 12. |
My child is too young to
sign his/her own passport. How do I sign my child's passport? |
| 13. |
How long is a passport valid ? |
| 14. |
What is a Visa ? |
| 15. |
What is the difference between a
passport and a visa ? |
| 16. |
When do I need a Visa ? |
| 17. |
What is required to
obtain a visa ? |
| 18. |
How long does it take to
obtain a visa ? |
| 19. |
How long is a visa valid ? |
| 20. |
Can my passport application be denied ? |
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| 1. |
What is a Passport? |
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A passport is an official
government document that certifies one's identity
and citizenship and permit's a citizen to travel
abroad and the case of a United States passport to
enter back into the United States. |
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| 2. |
When do I need a Passport? |
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The answer depends upon
which country you planning to visit. A passport is
required by many countries upon entry to their
country. Also, a document indicating proof of
citizenship is always required to re-enter the
United States. In some instances (Mexico, Canada,
etc.), a valid driver's license and a birth
certificate will suffice as the proof of
citizenship; however, as indicated many countries
require a passport to gain entry to their country
and the United States State Department "recommends"
a passport as evidence of citizenship in ALL cases. |
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| 3. |
What is the difference between a passport and a visa? |
| |
A passport is an official
government document that certifies one's identity
and citizenship. The passport serves two purposes:
to regain entry to the country of citizenship (i.e.
the United States) and is a requirement by many
countries to gain entry to the country you are
visiting. |
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|
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A visa is an official
government document that temporarily authorizes you
to be in the country you are visiting. Many
countries require a visa to gain entry. The visa
usually is in the form of a stamp IN the passport
and is obtained from the country you are visiting. |
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| 4. |
Why does the government take so long to process my passport application? |
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The United States Passport
Service, which is part of the State Department
processes over seven million passports each year.
This number has been increasing at an annual rate of
over 10% per annum. There are fifteen national
offices around the country which process the seven
million passport applications. Sheer volume alone
does not allow the Passport Service to process the
applications quickly, let alone within a week or so
- which many of our customers demand. |
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| 5. |
The Passport Acceptance Agent told me they could get it done, why? |
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Unfortunately, the
Department of State website indicates that "regular"
passport applications are processed in 25 days. The
website also indicates that expedited orders are
returned within a week. |
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|
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Unfortunately, this
misinformation is often quoted by the Acceptance
Agents. Most likely the reason for this problem is
the Acceptance Agents are involved in the beginning
of the process and are simply "Acceptance Agents",
as their name implies. They never receive feedback
from those who miss their trips because they did not
get their passports in time. |
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| 6. |
Why can't I call the Passport Agency directly? |
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To combat the surge in
passport applications, the passport agency
outsourced the customer service numbers to an entity
known as the National Passport Information Center. |
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|
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To contact the National
Passport Information Center, you must pay a fee and
unfortunately you deal with an operator who simply
relays information in their system back to you. |
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| 7. |
How does UPV Services help me? |
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UPV Services is
a passport-expediting service registered with
Passport Agency to act as an agent on behalf of US
Citizens in need of an expedited passport.
Our service is: |
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|
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- Our web site easily guides you through the
complicated process of applying for a passport
step by step. If you encounter a problem or have
a question, you can contact us via an 800 number
or via email.
- Once we receive your application, we
hand-carry your application through the passport
agency. If we encounter a problem we have
relationships with the Passport agency to
overcome special issues as swiftly as possible.
- Once we receive your passport, we can send
it back to you via FedEx.
- All of this can be done within 24 hours, not
six weeks.
|
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And, you can check the
status of your order every step of the way with us
real-time via the web. |
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| 8. |
Does a child require a passport ? |
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Yes. Anyone traveling to a
country that requires a passport must have their own
passport no matter what age. If your child needs a
passport, we can help you. The process is laid out
step by step on our web site. |
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| 9. |
How do I renew my passport? |
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Once you send us your
completed documents and expired passport, we'll
process the passport and return the new and old
passports to you. It is a good idea to keep the
expired passport as it's considered proof of
citizenship. |
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| 10. |
I have never had a U.S.
passport / My passport was lost or stolen. How do I get a new one? |
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In brief, you'll need to
fill out an application, gather documentation and
present these items in person to a passport
acceptance clerk. |
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| 11. |
My child who is under 16
needs a passport. How do I get one? |
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Once you send us the
child's completed documents, we'll process the
passport and return the new passports to you. |
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| 12. |
My child is too young to
sign his/her own passport. How do I sign my child's
passport? |
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In the space provided for
the signature, the mother or father must print the
child's name and sign their own name. Then, in
parenthesis by the parent's name, write the word
(mother) or (father) so we know who signed for the
child. |
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| 13. |
How long is a passport valid? |
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|
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| Age |
Validity |
| 16 years and older |
10 years |
| 15 years and younger |
5 years |
|
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| 14. |
What is a Visa? |
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A visa is a stamp or
endorsement placed by officials of a foreign country
on a passport that allows the bearer to visit that
country (Except Russia, whose visa is a separate
document). Visas are obtained from the proper
embassy or local the consulates of the country to be
visited. "Visit" is further defined as the reason
for entry, usually business, tourist or transitory.
There are over 270 countries that offer visas and
literally thousands of different types of visas
available based upon country, type of visit, and
length of visit. |
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| 15. |
What is the difference between a passport and a visa? |
| |
A passport is an official
government document that certifies one's identity
and citizenship. The passport serves two purposes:
to regain entry to the country of citizenship (i.e.
the United States) and is a requirement by many
countries to gain entry to the country you are
visiting. |
| |
|
| |
A visa is an official
government document that temporarily authorizes you
to be in the country you are visiting. Many
countries require a visa to gain entry. The visa
usually is in the form of a stamp IN the passport
(Russia is the exception and issues a separate
document) and is obtained from the country you are
visiting. |
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| 16. |
When do I need a Visa? |
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Unfortunately, the answer
to this question is subject to change almost on a
daily basis. |
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|
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- If you are a U.S. Citizen, visit our visa
database to view entry requirements.
- If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, we can help
you - send us an email detailing :
- Country to visit.
- Reason for visit.
- Length of visit.
- Country which issued your Passport.
- Status of residency in U.S. (Are you a
U.S. Citizen? If not - which visa do you
have?).
|
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We will get back to you as
soon as possible with up to date requirements and be
glad to assist you in obtaining the visa. |
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| 17. |
What is required to obtain a visa? |
| |
At minimum, the applicant
will need a valid passport to obtain a visa. When
the visa is issued, the passport will be stamped
indicating the visa was issued and expiration date
of the visa. Many countries require there be in
excess of 6 months of validity on the passport
before granting the visa. |
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|
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Additional requirements for
visas vary greatly depending on the visa required
and the region you reside in. Typically, countries
have consulates in several cities around the United
States. To balance the workload, the country is
divided into zones. Unfortunately these zones can
mean the requirements for obtaining a visa may vary
depending upon where you live in the United States! |
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|
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We can provide the specific
requirements for you to obtain a visa. |
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|
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- If you are a U.S. Citizen, visit our visa
database to view entry requirements.
- If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, we can help
you - send us an email detailing :
- Country to visit.
- Reason for visit.
- Length of visit.
- Country which issued your Passport.
- Status of residency in U.S. (Are you a
U.S. Citizen? If not - which visa do you
have?).
|
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We will get back to you as
soon as possible with up to date requirements and be
glad to assist you in obtaining the visa. |
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| 18. |
How long does it take to obtain a visa? |
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The answer varies greatly.
If you were to process the visa on your own, the
process of mailing the materials and application to
your local consulate, the visa processing, and the
mailing of your passport back to you typically takes
several weeks. |
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|
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We have knowledge of how to
expedite the process and can assist you if you are
in a hurry. |
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|
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- If you are a U.S. Citizen, visit our visa
database to view entry requirements.
- If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, we can help
you - send us an email detailing :
- Country to visit.
- Reason for visit.
- Length of visit.
- Country which issued your Passport.
- Status of residency in U.S. (Are you a
U.S. Citizen? If not - which visa do you
have?).
|
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We will get back to you as
soon as possible with up to date requirements and be
glad to assist you in obtaining the visa. |
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| 19. |
How long is a visa valid? |
| |
The answer varies greatly.
Visas are temporary in nature and depending upon
your requirements and the country you are visiting,
visas can be obtained with validity anywhere from 2
weeks to 10 years. |
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When a visa expires, a new
visa is required to gain entry to the foreign
country again. |
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Also, in many countries the
visa expires when the passport expires. |
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| 20. |
Can my passport application be denied? |
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Yes. During the Passport application process, applicants' backgrounds are
screened and these are some of the reasons that the Passport Agency can deny or suspend an application: |
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|
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- Outstanding child support
- Outstanding Felony/Criminal Warrant (not parking tickets or civil infractions)
- Prior Felony Conviction that prohibits international travel
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