Passport Query

[shinyleaf]

HI everyone, I've been away for a looonggg time. Hope everyone is well - it's hard to catch up on 6 months worth of QLC news! Congrats to those getting married, having babies, new jobs and new leases on life in general

As some of you might know (i.e., the other Canadians), we need passports to enter the U.S. as of Jan 23rd. The passport offices here are crazy-busy at the moment, to say the least. I have just applied for mine (my old one expired) on Jan2, and am crossing my fingers it will arrive in time for my Feb hot holiday.

ANYWAY - just wondering if any of you have insight or stories about your passports.

(maybe this should be in the "procrastination nation" forum... sorry, I'm not used to the new format yet! But I like it!)

[AshleyJordan]

I got mine ages ago, in the US, and it took a couple weeks. You can also request a rush processing, for a fee, here. Dunno if you can do that in Canada.

[Kitty]

I got my passport when I was 17 and about to travel to Europe for three months. The photo is AWFUL. I have bangs, braces, a slight sunburn and I'm not smiling.

I didn't realize at the time how long I was going to have to carry around that picture.

[WorkInProgress]

I got my passport when I was 17 and about to travel to Europe for three months. The photo is AWFUL. I have bangs, braces, a slight sunburn and I'm not smiling.

I didn't realize at the time how long I was going to have to carry around that picture.

Yep, I got my most recent one when I was 17, I think. Seriously bad photo. No braces, though. Can't wait for my new photo.

My mother just had to get a new one and it came back awfully fast (just a few weeks). Much faster than I recall mine coming in several years ago.

[meatwad]

Oh, those photos must have to be leaked on to the interweb! :evil:

[J-girl]

Shinyleaf- Remember you can't smile in your passport photo. :rolleyes:

I need to get a new passport as well.

[meatwad]

I should get a passport. The names Wad. James Wad.

[shinyleaf]

I got mine ages ago, in the US, and it took a couple weeks. You can also request a rush processing, for a fee, here. Dunno if you can do that in Canada.

for $30 you can get a rush order, but only for dire circumstances (apparently having your plane ticket booked does not count as dire, hee hee)

Since you are not allowed to smile anymore, I think most people's passport photos look rather convict-like! My husband looks like a total thug.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I got my first American passport in June 2000. I applied for it in the Spring of that same year so that I can study abroad by the fall.

My passport before that was when I was still a citizen of the Philippines when I was 11 months old! (That's when my family and I moved to the States). I never left the country since. It expires in June 2010.

It was fairly easy since I did everything within a timely matter.

[WorkInProgress]

Oh, those photos must have to be leaked on to the interweb! :evil:

Nah, it's sad enough that the airport security folks have to look at it when I enter a new country. It's sadder that I'm afraid I might actually occasionally look like the person in my picture.:eek:

[WorkInProgress]

My passport before that was when I was still a citizen of the Philippines when I was 11 months old!

Yeah, my first passport was when I was an infant. The picture in it pretty much looks like just about every other baby with similar coloring.

[SmilesSoSweet]

Yeah, my first passport was when I was an infant. The picture in it pretty much looks like just about every other baby with similar coloring.

Yeah, the picture in my Filipino passport is when I was like six months old, but we didn't leave the country until I was 11 months old. So I definitely looked a little different.

I think in the US if you're still a kid you have to renew your passport every five years instead of the every ten years because kids change so much.

[shinyleaf]

Nah, it's sad enough that the airport security folks have to look at it when I enter a new country. It's sadder that I'm afraid I might actually occasionally look like the person in my picture.:eek:


I know, I said "ew" when I saw mine, but was told "hey, that's what you look like"! *horror*

Here's another question - is it true that US customs won't let you in if your passport is stamped from Cuba? Is this just an urban myth? IF not, please don't tell customs I'm going to Cuba.

[shinyleaf]

Yeah, the picture in my Filipino passport is when I was like six months old, but we didn't leave the country until I was 11 months old. So I definitely looked a little different.

I think in the US if you're still a kid you have to renew your passport every five years instead of the every ten years because kids change so much.
... wow, everyone has to renew every 5 years here.

That's funny that babies need passport photos. I can barely tell babies I know apart.

[AshleyJordan]

I know, I said "ew" when I saw mine, but was told "hey, that's what you look like"! *horror*

Here's another question - is it true that US customs won't let you in if your passport is stamped from Cuba? Is this just an urban myth? IF not, please don't tell customs I'm going to Cuba.

Dunno, but look online. I doubt it.
You can also ask them not to stamp your passport. ;)
That's what I tried when I went to Israel-- so I could go to nearby Arab countries. Pity that they didn't listen.

[WorkInProgress]

I think in the US if you're still a kid you have to renew your passport every five years instead of the every ten years because kids change so much.

It was that way when I was a kid.

[WorkInProgress]

That's funny that babies need passport photos. I can barely tell babies I know apart.

I'm pretty sure that all US citizens abroad need them. We lived overseas when I was born, so that's why I had to have one.

And yeah, little babies of similar coloring often look somewhat interchangeable to me.

[Trillian42]

I know, I said "ew" when I saw mine, but was told "hey, that's what you look like"! *horror*

Here's another question - is it true that US customs won't let you in if your passport is stamped from Cuba? Is this just an urban myth? IF not, please don't tell customs I'm going to Cuba.

I think that's only if you are a U.S. citizen.

[WorkInProgress]

I think that's only if you are a U.S. citizen.

And even then, it's still possible to get back into the US. A friend of mine from college did a "semester at sea" kind of study abroad and they went to Cuba. She managed to get back in A-OK.

[coll214]

I got mine when I was 24, i think... and the picture sucks. I have this one piece of hair stuck in my collar that i'm now stuck w/ until i turn 34 :eek:. But they told me it would take 6-8 weeks to come and i easily got it in half that time... but then again there wasn't a bum rush of people trying to get one at the time.

[Starsailor]

I got mine fairly quickly too, but it was right after 9/11 so I don't know if there was exactly a rush to acquire passports then either. My photo is horrific. Thought it was impossible to surpass ugliness in my driver's license photo, but alas it isn't.

As for Cuba, a friend of mine visited on a study abroad mini-semester trip and they had no trouble getting back in. But maybe it's different if you're there as a student? I really don't know!

[crystal_dance]

Holy crap! I'm going through this whole Canadian passport renewal bullshit right now :eek:

It's totally insane - especially since I've been living in the US for less than 2 years, I have a whole different set of "rules" because I don't have a guarantor who I've known for atleast 2 years. I had to run around the place trying to find a notary. Plus I've spent close to $30 just trying to get the "right" photos!!!
No smiles, no background shadow, no facial shadow/expression, no anything! Plus they are kind of anal about the size of your head in the snap. gah
Why do we have to renew it every 5 years??? It really sucks :(

[J-girl]

Holy crap! I'm going through this whole Canadian passport renewal bullshit right now :eek:

It's totally insane - especially since I've been living in the US for less than 2 years, I have a whole different set of "rules" because I don't have a guarantor who I've known for atleast 2 years. I had to run around the place trying to find a notary. Plus I've spent close to $30 just trying to get the "right" photos!!!
No smiles, no background shadow, no facial shadow/expression, no anything! Plus they are kind of anal about the size of your head in the snap. gah
Why do we have to renew it every 5 years??? It really sucks :(
Okay another crappy part is you have to send your Birth ceritificate with the passport application to prove you are a citizen. And they want original not duplicate. What kind of mother fucking bullshit is this?!?! :mad:

[Umbra]

I've been thinking about getting a passport. I may do it, eventually.

[crystal_dance]

Okay another crappy part is you have to send your Birth ceritificate with the passport application to prove you are a citizen. And they want original not duplicate. What kind of mother fucking bullshit is this?!?! :mad:

I know. I'm actually a little nervous about that J-girl. Like what if by accident they misplace it or something? Wow, I don't even want to think about the procedures involved there.

[WorkInProgress]

I know. I'm actually a little nervous about that J-girl. Like what if by accident they misplace it or something? Wow, I don't even want to think about the procedures involved there.

Whoa!? That is incredible. I think I'd get an ulcer worrying about it getting lost, either in transit or misplaced on someone's desk so something. I don't like even taking mine out of the lockbox I keep it in.

[springhaze]

I had to send in my original US naturalization certificate in order to get my US passport...literally the only piece of paper that proved that I was a citizen, which can take a year to replace if it's lost. After working so hard to get the damn thing it was difficult to let it go, even to get my passport....but I did and it came back fine, to my relief.

[shinyleaf]

Yeah, send in your original birth certificate, $80, a hideous photo of yourself, signed by a guarantor, legible photocopies of 2 pieces of ID, also verified by your guarantor, and sign here in blood. Every 5 years please.

Maybe it's the government's overcompensating response to allegations that it's border-crossing control is too lax. Whatever, it's worth it if I get to lie on a Cuban beach for a week.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I had to send in my original US naturalization certificate in order to get my US passport...literally the only piece of paper that proved that I was a citizen, which can take a year to replace if it's lost. After working so hard to get the damn thing it was difficult to let it go, even to get my passport....but I did and it came back fine, to my relief.

I don't remember if I had to mail in my naturalization certificate. I do remember going to the main post office nearby to get the paper work going and bringing all needed original documents with me.

Now my passport, naturalization certificate, birth certificate, immunization card, and any other major document are locked up in a fire proof safe box that I have in my apartment.

[crystal_dance]

Passport Canada expects a 5 to 20 day delay for every passport application due to the huge influx of applications. Man... this is NOT good. I wouldn't be surprised if 20 days goes to 30.

I tried calling their 1 800 number to track my application and the line is permanently busy.