Schedule an appointment at a regional passport agency

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cpzinga

Registered Users (C)
According to thr state dept. web site, one can schedule an appointment at a passport agency for immediate passport if either of the following conditions met:

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT A REGIONAL PASSPORT AGENCY ONLY IF:
You need your U.S. passport in less than 2 weeks for international travel
You need your U.S. passport within 4 weeks to obtain a foreign visa

I know we need to show the tickets if the travel is within 2 weeks.
How about the second case, i.e., if one needs to obtain a foreign viaa within 4 weeks? How can we show the proof? I am actually planning to get a visa within 4 weeks. Has anyone have any experience?
 
With the airplane tickets too? I guess if you are planning to travel within 4 weeks you already got the tickets. The whole thing is related to when you are going to travel. I don't think you can interpret it as I'd like to have my passport soon so I can apply within 4 weeks for a visa I'm not going to need until three months down the road.
 
My question here is, the site says:

You need your U.S. passport in less than 2 weeks for international travel
OR
You need your U.S. passport within 4 weeks to obtain a foreign visa

If it is travel related, they ask for tickets and the condition is the first reason or the second one. If tickets are needed in both the cases, why do they have two reasons (either this or that)?


Huracan said:
With the airplane tickets too? I guess if you are planning to travel within 4 weeks you already got the tickets. The whole thing is related to when you are going to travel. I don't think you can interpret it as I'd like to have my passport soon so I can apply within 4 weeks for a visa I'm not going to need until three months down the road.
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Or one can see it this other way, if your trip is within 4 weeks they won't process your passport at the passport agency, unless you also need a foreign visa. I agree it is not very clear in the site, and I might be wrong on my interpretation. The only other way around is if a country only issues visas at a particular time of the year, and you need to apply for a visa to that country and the visa open season is within 4 weeks. Anyway, not likely.

Have you got the tickets already?
 
With nowdays e-tickets...you can just reserve the tickets and take a printout...It will be unreasonable to expect for the people to buy tickets without visa and passport...

The other approach is to buy fully refundable ticket...
 
It is not unreasonable if the passport agency takes into account that people might have tickets for travel within 2 weeks. One can usually get better prices when booking more than two weeks ahead of the trip. This seems to be international trip, thus the need for the passport and visa so I would expect one to get the tickets with at least two weeks. e-ticket is fine, just take a printout of the confirmed tickets, that's all.
 
How about this situation:

I am not sure whether I will be granted the VISA or not so I am not booking tickets now. I will wait until my VISA is granted and book the tickets only after I get the VISA. All I need right now is a US passport to apply for a foreign VISA.

Do they allow scheduling an appoint for above situation ...???

Huracan said:
It is not unreasonable if the passport agency takes into account that people might have tickets for travel within 2 weeks. One can usually get better prices when booking more than two weeks ahead of the trip. This seems to be international trip, thus the need for the passport and visa so I would expect one to get the tickets with at least two weeks. e-ticket is fine, just take a printout of the confirmed tickets, that's all.
Click to expand...
 
I'd assume the visa option is aimed at business travellers who will produce a letter from their employer / overseas sponsor to provide proof to the passport agency.

Ordinary travellerls probably don't NEED to travel so soon, unless there are exceptional circumstances which could be explained to the passport agency.
 
Huracan said:
I would call the appointment line and ask. Please let us know what they tell you.
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I have called the number and was told by the rep. that I would need a letter from employer regarding the foreign visa. So I think it works like:

- If one needs to travel within 2 weeks and need passport before that, they need to show travel tickets. This will work for all cases (personal/business/etc).

- If one needs to get a VISA (to travel again) within 4 weeks, but not have tickets to show, should at least provide a proof letter or some thing like that. For business travel, a letter from employer would be fine. Not sure this will be available to personal travel.
 
McTavish said:
I'd assume the visa option is aimed at business travellers who will produce a letter from their employer / overseas sponsor to provide proof to the passport agency.

Ordinary travellerls probably don't NEED to travel so soon, unless there are exceptional circumstances which could be explained to the passport agency.
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Yes. Please see my post above. I have called the customer service number and was told to get a letter from employer reg. visa.
 
cpzinga said:
How about this situation:

I am not sure whether I will be granted the VISA or not so I am not booking tickets now.
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CPZ, you cannot negotiate with the passport office no matter what you think or anyone here thinks.

If they say 4-weeks for the visa then the best idea for you is to get a fully refundable ticket to that country and use that to apply.

When you get the passport, apply for the visa and when you get that, return the refundable ticket and buy a cheaper e-ticket. The timing may be everything though and you may be stuck with the more expensive refundable ticket as the e-ticket by that time may be about the same price.

Why fight it? Just go with the flow. These are huge Government departments stocked with people that *always* go by the book to cover their arses.
 
Just apply "express service" and you will have the passport in about 10 days, no need to show tickets or letter from employer or anything, just when you fill the application put on where you are supposed to travel a date that is close so they see you need it soon. My boyfriend did it last year and got the passport in about 7-10 days I can't remember exactly but it was really quick
 
cpzinga said:
I have called the number and was told by the rep. that I would need a letter from employer regarding the foreign visa. So I think it works like:

- If one needs to travel within 2 weeks and need passport before that, they need to show travel tickets. This will work for all cases (personal/business/etc).

- If one needs to get a VISA (to travel again) within 4 weeks, but not have tickets to show, should at least provide a proof letter or some thing like that. For business travel, a letter from employer would be fine. Not sure this will be available to personal travel.
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Hello, does anyone know if the Passport Agency charges $60 expediting fee for issuing passports earlier if you are travelling within 2 weeks and have your tickets?
 
CP,

You are in Baltimore, just drive to DC in the morning and see if the passport agency downtown DC can process your passport for next day. I know someone who had their passport application processed in as soon as they opened, and came the next day at 3pm to pick up. So, 1 hour drive from Bmore isn't bad, cause you will have what you need. Passport Agency in DC issues passport on the same day for corrections, my son's was corrected on the same day. You can do a walk-in with a e-ticket or any airline ticket, show that to the guards and will direct you to the proper line. The office is located on 19th Street, between L and M. :D
 
Timali said:
Hello, does anyone know if the Passport Agency charges $60 expediting fee for issuing passports earlier if you are travelling within 2 weeks and have your tickets?
Click to expand...


Are you kidding me? Passport Agency would charge you for the ink they use to print your name and passport, only if they could....:rolleyes: Leaving in 2 weeks is where they make some money, screwing you fr $60, whereas only pay about $7 to mail it to you...:D
 
I think she said she didn't want to buy a ticket before having the passport...if this is the case then she can only do the expedite process where they don't ask for tickets, correct?
 
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Mimi1212 said:
I think she said she didn't want to buy a ticket before having the passport...if this is the case then she can only do the expedite process where they don't ask for tickets, correct?
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All that she needs to do, just go on Delta.com, buy an eticket on the morning you are headed to the passport agency, get access into the office and make an application for the passport. Once they process the passport, you will know when you can come to pick it up at the agency or mailing it home. Once you leave the office, get home and cancel the ticket. I bought couple of tickets from Delta 2 years ago, and I could cancel the tickets within 24 hours with no penalty and not being charged anything. Just need to check on their website if this is still the case...
 
AH tricky! then she should find out what airline does that, a no fee cancellation policy for an international flight or a 24 hour no cancellation fee....i see i see!
 
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