Archive for April, 2011
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
In 1938 a spacecraft crash landed in Kansas. The aircraft contained an infant. That infant grew up to become a symbol that is as American as baseball and apple pie and the US passport. This is of course the story of fiction and the character is Superman. Superman is a representation of America and has been since 1938. However, that is all about to change. It has been reported that DC Comics plans to go in a different direction as Superman will renounce his American citizenship and give up his US passport.
Action Comics #900 is the comic book issue in which the Man of Steel will give up his passport. No, he’s not giving up his passport to avoid paying taxes. He is giving up his passport in an effort to work on a more global scale.
Who knows if this is a ploy to get more readers or if it is a critical statement against America, but I wonder if Superman will still be required to show his US passport at border crossings? Actually, since he is traveling by air a US passport card would not be sufficient, he would need to have a US passport booklet.
And come to think of it, what about Clark Kent? Will he give up his passport too? Where will he live? How will he leave the country without his passport and how will he return if he changes his mind?
Even though this is purely fictitious, it is still interesting to see how DC Comics handles Clark Kent’s passport. I wonder if Superman actually needs a passport anyway.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida
Tags: Clark Kent's passport, emergency passport, expedited passport, expired passport, lost passport, passport, passport card, passport ny, passport office, passport photos, passport renewal, Passport Services, passport US, passports, rush passport, Superman's passport, US passport
Posted in Latest Passport News, Passport Ponderings | Comments Off
Friday, April 29th, 2011
Have you ever lost your passport? Have you ever misplaced your passport? For professional athletes, losing a passport can be a nightmare. Soccer players have lost their passports before as mentioned in a previous Rush Passport™ blog entry. In case you forgot, back in April of 2010, Mexican soccer player Carlos Vela lost his passport and as a result, he missed the biggest game of his career – the Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final game in Barcelona. His team ended up losing the game and some blamed the loss on the lost passport. Now, Vela takes his passport to bed with him – literally!
Another previous Rush Passport™ blog entry mentioned a professional cricket player, Graeme Swann who realized that his passport was lost just 48 hours before his scheduled departure for a big match in Australia.
This time it was a professional baseball player, Tampa Bay Devil Rays third baseman Evan Longoria who lost his passport. It turns out that he left the passport at his Tampa apartment before a team trip to Canada to play the Toronto Blue Jays.
With the team plane and 50-plus people waiting for Longoria to retrieve his lost passport, teammate David Price tweeted about the lost passport on Twitter. David Price tweeted about the lost passport on April 22nd if you want to check it out.
Longoria is on the disabled list but he was still traveling with the team. He didn’t realize they were playing in Toronto and he packed up his belongings for the road trip, but just forgot his passport.
Longoria didn’t even think of the missing passport until he boarded the plane.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida
Tags: Canada passport, Carlos Vela, Evan Longoria, expedited passport, Graeme Swann, lost passport, missing passport, NY Passport, passport, passport agency, passport agent, passport card, passport photos, Passport Services, passports, rush passport, US passport
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Thursday, April 28th, 2011
The US Department of State has created a new passport questionnaire in an effort to make the passport process more secure. The new passport questionnaire has been getting a lot of buzz. The 5 page passport questionnaire asks straightforward questions such as date of birth and current employer. However, there are also some strange questions that are somewhat puzzling.
The passport questionnaire requires the passport applicant to complete some bizarre fields such as “Who was present when you were born?” The passport applicant is also required to list every address that they have ever had, every place where they ever worked and whether or not they received pre-natal or post-natal medical care.
Does this seem like a lot of extraneous information to be on a passport application? Well, that’s not all. The passport applicant is also required to list personal details about siblings and parents. The information on the passport application is “voluntary” but failure to provide the information may result in the passport application being denied.
This proposed passport questionnaire is supposed to be geared towards passport applicants who are unable to produce an original birth certificate.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida
Tags: emergency passport, expedited passport, new passport, NYC Passport, passport, passport applicants, passport application, passport ny, passport office, passport photos, passport process, passport questionnaire, Passport Services, passports, rush passport, same day passport, US Department of State, US Passport Card
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Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Want to travel abroad? Getting a passport may not be enough. Did you know that US citizens need something more than a passport to travel to Brazil, China and India? All of these countries not only require a US passport, but they also require American travelers to get a visa before visiting.
Most US citizens are not even aware of what a visa is. Many US citizens think that all they need is a passport. However, many US citizens have experienced a rude awakening upon landing in Brazil and being sent back to the US without even being able to leave the airport.
A visa is a travel document that is required by some nations in addition to a US passport. Visas are also needed for travel from the US to Vietnam, Cambodia, Nigeria, Russia and Australia.
Can you imagine all of the preparation that goes into a trip abroad only to find out once you have arrived that you are not allowed to enter the country because you don’t have a visa? Then think about how you would feel if you were sent right back to the United States immediately after getting off the plane.
Some visas can take several weeks to process. Other countries offer passport holders immediate approval. Some countries even let US passport holders apply for visas upons arrival.
This does not mean that every country requires US passport holders to have a visa. In actuality for most countries a US passport by itself is just fine.
The main reason that some countries require visas and some do not is generally due to money. Wealthier countries tend to require travelers from poorer nations to get a visa. Another reason that some countries require visas is due to politics. Brazil requires a visa from US passport holders as retaliation for the US requirement for Brazilian’s to get a visa to travel to America.
It is best to apply for a visa one month prior to your trip, but unfortunately that is not always possible. If you need a visa for travel and your trip is less than a month away, it is a good idea to contact Rush Passport™, Official Passport and Visa Expeditors Registered with the US Dept of State and Foreign Consulates.
If you need a visa, US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida
Tags: Australia, australia visa, Brazil, Brazil visa, Cambodia, do I need a visa to travel to russia, emergency passport, emergency visa, India, passport, passport holder, passport ny, passport photos, passport US, passports, rush passport, rush visa, Russia, US visa, Visa, visa expediter, visas
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Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
Almost 14 million US passports were issued in 2010. That figure includes approximately 1.5 million passport cards. If you still haven’t applied for a US passport, the passport application process may soon become more difficult. In an effort to make the US passport more secure, the US Department of State is proposing a new Biographical Questionnaire for new passport applicants. The new passport form: DS-5513 requires the passport applicant to enter all addresses since birth, a comprehensive lifetime employment history (including employers’ and supervisors names, addresses, and telephone numbers), personal information about siblings, mother’s address one year prior to passport applicant’s birth, and any “religious ceremony” that took place around the time of birth. Failure to complete the passport application may result in the passport application being denied.
This new passport form will not be required of all new passport applicants, and the criteria that will require a passport applicant to fill out this new form has yet to be released. The US Department of State feels that these changes are necessary to keep the US passport as secure as possible.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: DS-5513, expedited passport, passport, passport agency, passport agent, passport application, passport ny, passport office, passport photo, passport photos, passport renewal, Passport Services, passports, rush passport, secure passport, US passport
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Monday, April 25th, 2011
How Secure is the US Passport Card?
The US passport card is very hard to counterfeit. The passport card is laser engraved and contains state-of-the-art security features to minimize the chance of fraud. Production of the US passport card began in 2008. Since then almost 3 million US passport cards have been issued.
The passport card uses Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID). This technology is widely used in other fields in addition to the passport field such as bank cards and EZPASS. For best results, it is advised to use the protective sleeve that the passport card is issued with. The protective sleeve prevents the passport card from being read when not in use.
Those worried that the passport card reveals personal information shouldn’t worry. In actuality, there is no personal information written on the electronic chip that is contained within the passport card. Instead, the passport chip contains a number that is matched to a record that is retrievable through a secure government database.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: emergency passport, expedited passport, passport, passport card, passport nyc, passport photos nyc, passports, rush passport, same day passport, US Passport Card
Posted in Passport Ponderings, Passport Services | Comments Off
Sunday, April 24th, 2011
A US passport is a very powerful tool. Many US citizens take getting a passport for granted. According to the most recent studies, just 30% of US citizens hold valid passports. Even though 70% of US citizens do not take advantage of getting a US passport, it seems that several people who are not US citizens have gotten US passports through fraudulent activities. Most recently it was discovered that a well respected police officer in Alaska known as Rafael Espinoza held a fraudulent passport.
As it turns out, authorities discovered that the person posing as Rafael Espinoza was really Mexican citizen Rafael Mora-Lopez. Mora-Lopez, as it turns out, was in the US illegally and he stole Espinoza’s identity. By using Espinoza’s identity, he Mora-Lopez was able to get a US passport.
Mora-Lopez went on to become a respected police officer in Anchorage Alaska. The passport fraud was discovered when Mora-Lopez applied for a passport renewal. It was during the time that the passport agents were processing the passport renewal request that the passport fraud was discovered.
Mora-Lopez appeared in court in Anchorage and pled not guilty to the charge of passport fraud. Passport fraud carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
It turns out that Mora-Lopez had been an Anchorage police officer for the past 6 years and his passport fraud had gone undetected. The real Rafael Espinoza is a US citizen who is still living.
In the meantime, Mora-Lopez was released on $50,000 bond and he was ordered to home-confinement and electronic monitoring.
This particular passport fraud case has similarities to a 2007 case in which a Mexican citizen took his deceased cousin’s identity to become a US citizen. He also became a police officer, but in Milwaukee. The man who perpetrated the passport fraud in that case, Oscar Ayala-Cornejo, was deported back to Mexico.
Need a Passport?
If you are a US citizen and you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: emergency passport, expedited passport, passport, passport agency, passport agent, passport card, passport fraud, passport photos, passport renew, passport renewal, Passport Service, passports, renew passport, rush passport, US citizen, US passport, US Passports, valid passport
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Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
The US State Department is doing is best to prevent passport fraud. As a result, some passport acceptance facilities across the country will be closing. Passport security is a very important area for the State Department to concentrate on. In addition to passport offices and post offices, certain cities and towns have recorder’s offices that may also accept passport applications.
However, in 2003 the US State Department, in an effort to maximize passport security stopped opening new facilities that could issue both birth certificates and passports. The Hancock County Recorder’s Office in Iowa is one such example of an agency that issues birth certificates and passports. In 2010, the US State Department announced that any existing offices that issue both birth certificates and passports would no longer be able to issue passports.
As a result, the Hancock County Recorder’s Office will no longer be able to issue passports. The last day that the office can act as a passport facility is Friday, April 29, 2011. The workers at the Hancock County Recorder’s Office feel that they should be able to continue issuing passports because there has never been an incident of passport fraud coming from their office. They have received passport training and feel that it is a service to the community to offer passport services.
The US Department of State feels that although there may have not been instances of passport fraud coming from the Hancock Recorder’s Office, they must adhere to the new regulations in the interest of passport security.
Need a Passport?
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: emergency passport, expedited passport, NY Passport, passport, passport acceptance facility, passport agency manhattan, passport agency ny, passport agency queens ny, passport fraud, passport nyc, passport office, passport office manhattan, passport office queens, passport security, passports, rush passport, US Department of State, US passport
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Friday, April 22nd, 2011
95-year-old Leland Davidson had been an undocumented US citizen for his entire life. Davidson was born in Canada to American Parents. When he was five, his parents (both US passport holders) moved back to the US to raise their son in America.
Davidson voted, obtained his social security number and even served in the United States Navy during WWII.
His US citizenship came automatically because his parents were both born in the US. Although Davidson was born in Canada, since his parents were both US passport holders, he was automatically given US citizenship.
However, last summer he was planning a trip to Canada and applied for an enhanced Washington State Driver’s License. He was told by the Department of Licensing that he couldn’t get an enhanced driver’s license because he was a Canadian citizen.
Davidson was trying to get an enhanced driver’s license to travel to Canada. The enhanced driver’s license can be used to enter Canada from the US and return back to the US in lieu of a passport.
Davidson was shocked. He thought of himself as a US citizen for 95 years and now he was told that he was a Canadian citizen. After a few months and a lot of red tape, Davidson finally was recognized as a US citizen. Davidson can get an enhanced driver’s license or a US passport to travel between the US and Canada. A US passport will also allow him to travel the world if he so wishes.
Davidson said he never got a US passport because he never traveled abroad. For years he had traveled back and forth to Canada, but never had to show more than a driver’s license.
All of that changed 2 years ago when the US government regulations changed and a passport or enhanced driver’s license was now required for people traveling by land to Canada from the US.
Need a Passport?
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: Canada, emergency passport, expedited passport, get a passport, need a passport, passport, passport agency, passport agent, passport card, Passport holders, passport nyc, passports, rush passport, US citizen
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Below is a list of some Frequently Asked Questions regarding the US Passport Card:
1. What is the purpose of the US passport card?
The US passport card is valid for entry and exit between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The US passport card is valid only at land and sea borders and is not valid for air travel.
2. Why would a person opt for a US passport card instead of getting a US passport book?
The US passport card is less expensive and since it is wallet sized is more convenient than the US passport book. It is only advisable for travelers who plan to travel by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda.
3. Why isn’t the US passport card valid for flights to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda?
The US passport card was created primarily to accommodate the specific needs of people who cross the border frequently by land. If you plan to obtain a travel document for air travel, stick with the US passport book.
4. The US passport book contains an electronic chip. Does the US passport card also contain an electronic chip?
Not only does the US passport book contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, but the US passport card has the technology embedded inside as well.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: air border, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, e-passport, electronic chip, frequently asked passport questions, land border, Mexico, passport, passport agency, passport agent, passport book, passport card, passport emergency, passport expediters, passport ny, passport nyc, passport office, RFID, rush passport, sea border, United States, US passport, US Passport Book, US Passport Card
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