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Archive for May, 2010

Passport Status for Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Juian Assange, Wikileaks founder.

Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder, recently experienced some passport complications in his home country of Australia. Wikileaks according to their own words is a website that “Publishes and comments on leaked documents alleging government and corporate misconduct.” Upon arriving at Melbourne Airport, officials took his passport from him and told him that it looked worn. It is standard policy for officials to hold passports for closer examination if they appear damaged.

However, this turned out to be a bit more than a routine examination when after 15 minutes, the passport was returned and Assange was told by customs officials that his passport was about to be canceled. Then after a half hour, Assange was approached by a customs official who searched his belongings and questioned about his criminal record relating to computer hacking offenses in 1991.

In 2009, Assange gained notoriety in Australia for published a list of websites that the Australian government planned to block under new Internet filtering laws. Wikileaks has also been known to post Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports and footage of US forces behaving in questionable manners.

Australian Immigration officials maintain that Assange’s passport is classified as ‘normal’ on their immigration database and that the Wikileaks founder can travel freely on it.

If you are interested in getting a US Passport or US Passport Card, visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Agency.

Tags: Australia, damaged passport, Melbourne Airport, passport, passport officials
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Got a Passport? Get Your Bike!

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Approxmately 100 people will get to bike across the Ambassador Bridge into Canada.

Every year in autumn, during the Detroit Free Press marathon, thousands of marathoners get to run across the Ambassador Bridge. This year, another option is being offered to approximately 100 people…but besides endurance, you’ll two need things – a passport and a bicycle!

On June 13^th the 2^nd annual ‘Bike the Bridge Bicycle Tour’ is taking place. Interested bikers with passports must register by midnight Monday, May 31^st at www.bikethebridge2010.eventbrite.com. The fee for Canadians is $35.99 and Americans will be charged $56.38 to cover the cost of renting buses to bring the Americans back over the bridge afterwards.

They only close the bridge for 30 minutes starting at 8:00am, which means that bikers need to be quick!

The fund raiser bike ride begins at Rivard Park in Detroit about 7:00am and participants will be provided with bus transportation from Canada back to Detroit at 3:00pm.

Breakfast is included in the tour as well as a memorial event T-shirt. Upon crossing the border into Canada, riders must show their passports. Then they may select from several options including a visit to the Carousel of Nations Festival, a tour of the Hiram Walker Distillery (limited to riders over the age of 18) or a 50 mile distance ride. To participate, bikers must be at least 16 years old and carry a valid passport, passport card, Nexus card or enhanced driver’s license.

If you need to get a passport or get a passport card, feel free to call Rush Passport™ 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at Tri-State Area 212- 643-9305, Toll Free: 1-877-937-7277 or Nationwide: 1-877-937-8472.

Tags: Canada passport, get a passport, passport, passport card, passports, rush passport
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Passport Traffic at the US – Canadian Border Expected for Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Have your passport ready to cut delays at the US - Canada border.

According to Champlain New York’s NBC Affiliate, many people are expected to spend this Memorial Day holiday weekend out of town, and some will be spending it out of the country – in Canada.

Thousands of US passport holders are expected to drive through the Champlain Border Crossing from the U.S. into Canada over this weekend. For their sake, I sure hope that border officials are prepared for the extra traffic that is anticipated.

Paul Mongillo, Area Port Director at the Champlain Border Crossing expects that “Over the weekend, we’ll probably see around 3,000 (vehicles) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, as it builds up to Monday when a lot of the U.S. citizens return to the United States from Canada,”

To combat this potential traffic nightmare, extra staff will be on hand. If needed, all ten lanes will be open.

In previous months, delays were compounded due to the new rules that went into effect requiring travelers to possess a passport, passport card, enhanced driver’s license, or Trusted Traveler card to cross the border. However, it’s been just about a year since the new passport rules were put into place and less delays are expected as most people now have the proper documents. This has helped to cut wait time at the border to a maximum of 40 minutes. For updated wait times for all of the Canadian Ports of Entry, visit: http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/.

Tags: Canada - US border, Memorial Day Weekend, passport, rush passport
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Passport Blunders: What do Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rush Passport™ President and Me all have in common?

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Passport Blunders for Paris Hilton and Linday Lohan

The answer: We all have US Passports! But, there’s more to it… Each of us have had some passport blunders this month!

Paris Hilton, en route to Cannes forgot her passport! When she realized that she didn’t have her passport she was in Madrid. I wonder how she got that far?!? So, then she had to turn around and get another flight.

Lindsay Lohan claims that her passport was stolen while in Paris for the Cannes Film Festival. Her timing couldn’t have been worse as she was due in court and had to stay in France while a replacement passport was issued. The whole stolen passport story seems a bit shady if you ask me.

The Rush Passport™ President avoided a potential passport nightmare not long after arriving at John F. Kennedy airport. He was with his family ready for a vacation in sunny Dominican Republic. The itinerary that his travel agent prepared added an additional ‘a’ to the end of his wife’s name that was not present on her passport. This mismatch forced him to wake up the travel agent at 6:00am and have a new travel itinerary faxed over to the airline as soon as possible. The airline was able to correct the problem and they boarded the plane after a 45 minute delay.

Now for my passport blunder… here I am writing passport blogs every day, sharing amusing passport stories, keeping the world up-to-date on the latest passport news and giving people good advice regarding everything you ever wanted to know about passports but were afraid to ask. Are you ready for this? While researching information on what to do in case of an expired passport, I decided to check my own passport to see when I needed to renew. Guess what… it was expired!

No problem, I filled out the passport application, submitted my old passport and dropped it off with the experts at Rush Passport™. I even applied for the passport card while I was at it. Check out a previous blog entry on passport cards for more information. I don’t have any travel plans in the next 30 days, so I didn’t need to opt for the expedited passport service. I’ll keep you posted on how it all turns out.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Rush Passport™ 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at Tri-State Area 212- 643-9305, Toll Free: 1-877-937-7277 or Nationwide: 1-877-937-8472.

Tags: expired passport, Lindsay Lohan passport, Paris Hilton passport, passport, passports, rush passport, US passport
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Got US Citizenship? Surrender Your Passport!

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

People of Indian origin have just 90 days after acquiring US Citizenship to surrender their passports.

According to an article in the India Times, a group is trying to get Indian officials to reconsider new rules that require persons of Indian origin to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Consulate within 90 days of acquiring US citizenship.

Can you even imagine the burden to the community that these rules present?

Not only does the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) oppose the rules, but they are urging the Indian Government to reconsider. These rules not only apply to new US citizens, but retroactively include several thousand people over the last 60 years who have acquired United States citizenship.

Not only will these people have to surrender their passports, but there may also be fees involved. As long as the person’s passport expired before January 1, 2005, there is no fee to surrender. However, if the Indian passport expired after January 1, 2005 and was not surrendered within three years of obtaining US citizenship, a service fee of $175.00 will apply. In some cases, there also may be penalties depending on when the passport was last used.

This new requirement of people of Indian origin to surrender their Indian passports is certain to cause great delays in Indian consular services. People applying for new passports, reporting passports missing or stolen and renewing passports will surely feel the effects of these new rules as consulates will surely be overcrowded.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Rush Passport™ 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at Tri-State Area 212- 643-9305, Toll Free: 1-877-937-7277 or Nationwide: 1-877-937-8472.

Tags: GOPIO, Indian Consulate, Indian passport, passport, passports, rush passport
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Elvis’ Passport Has Left the Building!

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Elvis' Passport Has Left the Building

According to an article on CNN’s website, two ‘ethical hackers’, as they call themselves, were able to be cleared through an automated passport scanning system at an international airport using a biometric passport issued in the name of legendary (and also long-deceased) rock ‘n’ roll king Elvis Presley.

The doctored passport was presented at a self-service passport machine, and the hacked passport was cleared for travel after a picture of Elvis himself appeared on the scanner’s display screen.

The hackers maintain that the exercise was meant to expose how easy it is to trick a passport scanner using a fraudulent biometric chip.

The Presley Passport test was put into effect to highlight potential security shortcomings. The chip was manufactured by the hackers using materials that are easily accessible and cost less than $100. They were able to create passport content for Elvis Presley, put it on a chip and sign it with a security key for a non-existent country.

Besides an international system for security signatures, a more secure form of scanner that includes fingerprint or eye scans and digital photographs to check a traveler’s biometrics is also suggested.

Currently, most countries depend upon a combination of automated passport scanners and inspection by border control officers. Over-reliance on the automated passport scanning process may be a costly mistake. Too much confidence in technology can create security issues as biometric passport can be compromised as long as passport photos and chips match.

Tags: biometric passport, Elvis passport, Elvis Presley passport, get a passport, passport, passport card, passport machine, rush passport, US passport
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How to Get a Passport Quick, Quicker and Quickest

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Quick, Quicker, Quickest... Rush Passport™

The summer travel season is approaching, and you should be advised that the number of passport applications always increase significantly at this time of year. During the busy passport season, it can take up to 10 weeks to obtain a first time passport or to renew a passport. If you are willing to wait that long to get your passport, then you are more patient than most.

If you cannot wait, then there are some options:

Quick

Those travelers who need a passport in fewer than six to 10 weeks, may opt to pay the US State Department an additional $60 plus overnight delivery fees in order to expedite the process. This method can cut the time into approximately three to four weeks for the State Department to expedite passport requests including applications for a new passport, passport renewals and amendments to an existing passport.

Quicker

If you need to obtain a passport in less than 14 days for international travel or a need to get a passport within 14 days to obtain a foreign visa, then you will need to schedule an in-person appointment at a regional passport agency. Rush Passport™ can schedule such an appointment. Feel free to call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week TOLL FREE at (877) 937-7277 and a live passport expedition specialist can answer all of your questions and arrange all of the necessary steps for you to receive your passport. You will need to provide proof that you are traveling within 14 days. You will need a flight itinerary, cruise itinerary or a letter from your company or travel agency may suffice.

Quickest

If you need to get a passport in from 1 to 10 days, you will need to secure the services of a passport expediting company that is registered to do expedite passports with the US Department of State. Rush Passport™ can get your passport for you in as little as 6 hours. Call TOLL FREE (877) 937-7277, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a live passport expedition specialist will answer all of your questions and arrange all of the necessary steps for you to receive your passport. You will need to provide proof that you are traveling within 10 days. You will need a flight itinerary, cruise itinerary or a letter from your company or travel agency may suffice.

Tags: passport, passport expeditor, quick passport, quicker passport, quickest passport, rush passport
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Passport Service Gets a Little Bigger in Texas

Monday, May 24th, 2010

New Passport options for San Antonians

According to the San Antonio Business Journal, the San Antonio City Clerk’s Office has been approved to serve as an official U.S. Department of State Passport Acceptance Facility. This move makes it the only municipality in Bexar County with this designation.

A number of San Antonio area post offices currently process US Passports. Now with the City Clerk Office offering passport services, it will be another option and a valuable resource for residents and municipal workers.

This new passport location should help to ease the backlog of existing passport applications and it comes at a great time as there is a heavy level of travel expected this summer.

In addition, there is talk of several post offices closing next year, so the City Clerk’s Office passport services will provide even more assistance.

Starting today, May 24, San Antonio residents will be eligible to submit passport applications at the main City Clerk’s Office at City Hall and the Municipal Archives and Record Facility located at 719 S. Santa Rosa. Passport service will be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

A major benefit of applying at the Municipal Archives office is the fact that the city’s vital statistics office is next door. In the event that a passport applicant needs to obtain a copy of a birth certificate for the passport application, as long as the person was born in San Antonio, will be able walk next door and pick it up. Another plus is that the Municipal Archives office offers free parking and is open Saturdays by appointment.

If you have any questions about obtaining a passport, feel free to call Rush Passport™ 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at Tri-State Area 212- 643-9305, Toll Free: 1-877-937-7277 or Nationwide: 1-877-937-8472.

Tags: get a passport, passport emergency, Passport Services, rush passport, San Antonio passport, texas passport, US passport
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Passport of 88 Year Old US War Hero Held

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

Passport of 88 Year Old US War Hero Held

An 88-year-old Laotian man is in the process of suing the United States government to get his passport back so that he may return home to spend his final days in his native land.

A little background info: In 2007, the 88-year-old man, Mr. Xiong left his wife and 16 children in Laos and came to the United States on a visa. Upon arriving in San Francisco, Xiong claimed political asylum. At that point, Homeland Security confiscated his Laotian passport as part of the the asylum case. Mr. Xiong’s case for asylum is scheduled to be heard next year.

This presents a problem, because Xiong, in the meantime, has become ill and as part of Hmong tradition, wants to die and be buried in Laos. Government officials have refused to return his passport. A federal lawsuit has been filed in San Francisco seeking the return of his passport as well as damages against government officials.

US Immigration officials refuse to give the passport back because they need it as part of the asylum case. You’d think that they would just return the man his passport once he became ill. Another twist in the case is that Xiong is actually a US war hero as he reportedly fought on the side of the U.S. military during the Vietnam war.

Hopefully, Xiong will get his passport back and the issue will be resolved in time for Xiong to spend his final days at home.

Update: Xiong has gotten his passport back and will get the opportunity to return home.

Tags: asylum, get a passport, Laos passport, laos visa, passport, political asylum, rush passport, US immigration, Vietnam visa
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Passport and Driver’s License All-in-One

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Passport from Minnesota to Canada

Minnesota state residents will soon be using enhanced Minnesota driver’s licenses to re-enter the United States from Canada. The new driver’s licenses will work like a U.S. passport. The new license will contain encoded data required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for entry from Canada to Minnesota.

This concept is not completely new as Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington State already offer the enhanced driver’s license option. While there is an additional $15 charge for Minnesota drivers who choose to renew their licenses with the passport option, it’s less expensive than the alternative of shelling out $100 for a U.S. passport or $85 for a passport card.

In addition to being used as proof of driving privileges, the enhanced licenses also are acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship. They are not only valid to cross the Canadian borders, but are also valid for Mexican borders by road, rail, or sea. Air travel still requires a traditional passport book due to International Civil Aviation Organization regulations.

In case you’re wondering what U.S. citizens age 16 and younger who do not yet have driver’s licenses can do, they can continue to use their birth certificates as identification at the border.

Many Canadians and Minnesota natives applaud the new legislation as the passport requirement had been stunting economic activity and travel to Northland communities and businesses. The change also allows plenty of Canadian-licensed drivers to enter Minnesota using their enhanced licenses as well.

Minnesotans, don’t run out to the Department of Motor Vehicles just yet. You will be able to purchase the new licenses at DMV locations throughout Minnesota beginning June 1, 2012.

Tags: driver's license, get a passport, Minnesota, passport, US passport
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