A passport is issued by the government as proof of being an American citizen. It allows one to travel to other lands securely and with the belief that the US government will look after her citizens. When a child gets to travel abroad, he gets a rewarding experience that makes him a better individual. If you want to get a child U.S. passport for one of our children, read on. This short article will show you how easy it is to get one.
Application Form
All parents wanting to get the document for their children have to fill out an application form. This form is called form DS-11. The US online passport renewal application is freely downloadable from the Internet. When you are ready to submit the filled-up form, you must accompany your child to the nearest acceptance center. You can also get applications for an expedited American passport, if you need it faster.
Main Document
The main document that will support the application is a birth certificate. It must be certified with an official seal by the office where it came from. It must contain the full names of you and your partner as well as the full name and place and date of birth of your child.
Document Submission
After submitting the documents, they will be inspected. When you are asked to pay for the application fee, it means that you have satisfied the documentary requirements. This will be good news. Aside from the application fee, you might want to pay for the express delivery of the new document. All in all, the average time you will spend in the application center should be less than half a day. The new passport that you will be getting is good for five years. There is a rule that says that all passports issued to children less than 15 years will expire five years from approval
Wait Time
The time to wait for the document to arrive is from a month or a month and a half. To avoid the pressure of applying in a rush, get the passport even when there is no scheduled plan to travel. When the holidays are approaching, or when school break is near, a lot of people line up to apply for their passports. By applying early, you will avoid this line.
Expedite Process
When there is a need to get a new travel document in a hurry, the parent applicant may choose to have the application processed in an expedited manner. There is an extra fee for this transaction. Waiting time for this faster process is usually two to three weeks.
Tracking System
When you want to know what processing step it is in, your may do so online. This tracking system requires that you log in using your last name, the last four characters of your social security number and your birth date.
Impending Travel
It is surprisingly easy to get a passport for your child, or just new passport pages. Because everyone is free to apply for the document, even if there is no impending date of travel, use this time to get a U.S. online passport renewal application already. This is the secret is to avoid rushing by applying early. If you already have all the required documents, why not apply for a new child U S passport now.
