Passport Debacle...advice?

[Maybaybie10]

Ok....here's the scenario:

 

My nephew (we'll call him Bob) is cruising with us (my family and my parents) in April and we are trying to get him a passport.

 

Bob is currently living with my parents (his grandparents) while my brother is deployed overseas. He is recently divorced from my (ex) sister-in-law.

 

In November my brother signed the necessary paperwork so my parents could get him a passport. He had it notarized and sent it to us. My husband actually works for the post office and is a passport agent, so we knew what forms we needed.

 

We tried to get my ex sister-in-law into the post office to sign her part of the passport application, but couldn't get this done until December 30th as she's "busy" a lot.

 

Approximately two weeks later, my parents got a notice from the passport office saying that the pictures were not good and they needed them retaken. Unfortunately because my husband is related to Bob, he was not able to process the application and the person who took the pictures apparently didn't do a good job. My parents had the pictures retaken and sent them back in within 2 days. This was mid-January.

 

Today they got a notice from the passport office that my brother's signed and notarized paperwork is now more than 90 days old, so it's no good.

 

We sail in 6 weeks. There is no time to send my brother another form and have him send it back because it takes almost 2 weeks by snail mail from where he is...then we'd have to send it back to the passport agency and by then my (ex) sister-in-law's paperwork will be over 90 days old too.

 

I have advised my Mom to call the agency and see what they can do, if anything. It is a closed loop cruise, however since Bob is sailing without either parent, we think it's important for him to have a passport, even though they will have permission slips from both parents stating it is ok for him to travel with us.

 

Any advice would be appreciated. My Mom will call the passport agency tomorrow and I'll let you know what they said, but for now I think she is a little frazzled over the whole thing...as am I.

 

Thank you in advance...

[Littlebrookfarm]

First thing to consider - does the passport agency have the original and/or only available copy of your nephews birth certificate? if so, are you able to replace it before the cruise if you are unable to get the passport in time? I would first see what the passport agency says when you call. The passport is very helpful if your nephew needs to return by air due to an emergency. The cruise you are on visits St Thomas which would not be an issue with the BC, but Bahamas and St Maarten could be a challenge without one. Do the rest of you travelling have passports too? Chances are everything will be just fine with only a birth certificate but better safe then sorry if you can find a way to get one in time. Sorry for your hassles there! Best of luck to you!

[reallyitsmema]

Contact your Senator and see if they can help expedite things.

[Maybaybie10]

Thank you...and good point about the birth certificate. Luckily when Bob went to live with my parents, my Mom got several notarized copies of his birth certificate and the passport agency only has one of them...otherwise that would have been a whole other headache!!

 

(Yes, the rest of us all have passports)

[JuliaMS]

He also will need a notarized letter allowing him to travel with you, make medical decisions and sign for activities such as flow rider.

[bobmacliberty]

Try contacting a company called CIBT Visas. Do a Google search and you'll find them. They expedite passports and visas. We use them a lot where I work. You'll pay, but they'll help you get a passport quickly.

[phoenix1181]

Can you email the document to your BIL? That would cut mailing time in half............

[reallyitsmema]

Try contacting a company called CIBT Visas. Do a Google search and you'll find them. They expedite passports and visas. We use them a lot where I work. You'll pay, but they'll help you get a passport quickly.

 

While they can help expedite the actual passport, the documentation to get the passport will still be outdated which is the issue.

 

Hopefully, if she contacts her Senator, he or she will be able to get that rule waived for a deployed soldier's dependent.

[Maybaybie10]

Thank you all!!

[cb at sea]

If it's a "closed loop' cruise....he only needs his BC and DL...he doesn't NEED the passport!

[Coralc]

Contact your Senator and see if they can help expedite things.

 

^^^^ THIS^^^^ Call the office of your state senator or assemblyman and get them involved and explain that your brother is deployed and there are issues with obtaining a passport for his son. They are amazing about getting these sorts of things resolved in a timely manner.

[CruiseMore1]

Absolutely, your Senator or Congressman's office should be able to help!

 

All best to you. Enjoy your cruise!

[mollyeilis]

Can you email the document to your BIL? That would cut mailing time in half............

 

Great idea.

 

 

 

We sail in 6 weeks. There is no time to send my brother another form and have him send it back because it takes almost 2 weeks by snail mail from where he is...then we'd have to send it back to the passport agency and by then my (ex) sister-in-law's paperwork will be over 90 days old too.

 

I wonder if his mom can fill out the notarized form as well?

 

Does their area have an office they can go into for a quick passport when it gets really close to sailing time?

[brenderlou]

As another mentioned? Is this a US closed loop cruise (leaving and coming back to a US port)? If so, no passport needed and the stress can be lifted that if it's not resolved in time it won't be a problem to travel. Birth Cert. & drivers license is all he needs.

[Maybaybie10]

Thank you, again. I called the Senator's office and was given the advice to get new forms and submit again and if it is close to sailing we can drive the paperwork to Boston (we're in Maine) to have it expedited. I wasn't the one who talked to them and Mom forgot to ask about the $$ we already paid for the passport and the birth certificate that they currently have (luckily a notarized copy and not the original). If we never submit new paperwork, what happens to the bc and the $$?? I think since it's closed loop we will just go with his BC and military dependent card and call it good- too much of a headache at this point.

[garycarla]

...I think since it's closed loop we will just go with his BC and military dependent card and call it good- too much of a headache at this point.

 

 

That would have been much easier to deal with and what I would have done.

[ScoutLeoOz]

I feel like a previous poster made a good point - your mom is technically the legal guardian of her grandson at this point in time - she should have notarized papers from your brother making her legal guardian - if that is so then you might want to follow up and see if she can sign the papers for the passport.

[Maybaybie10]

I feel like a previous poster made a good point - your mom is technically the legal guardian of her grandson at this point in time - she should have notarized papers from your brother making her legal guardian - if that is so then you might want to follow up and see if she can sign the papers for the passport.

 

Well that's what we thought to, but passports are different and it won't work for her to sign....we looked it all up...several times! Sigh...

[Melozone]

We travel with our grandchildren often. Besides the passport or birth certificate she will need notarized letters signed by both parents for permission to travel. It does not matter that only one has custody. It is to protect the child from international kidnapping. Also as others have mentioned you need one for the ship activities. I have a form I made up and print out a new one for every trip.

[maxwellito]

There are agencies you can pay to expedite a passport

So if you get the documents from everyone, rather then go thru the post office use an agency that can do this

They are pricey but can do a 2-3 day turnaround or even shorter

You can also go to the US Passport agency if one near you and get a passport the same day

Check to see what the requirements are