Archive for June, 2012

Celebrity Becomes US Citizen, Now Awaits US Passport: Rush Passport

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

get a US passportBecoming a US citizen and getting a US passport is a dream for some.  For others it is a reality.  And yet others who have the opportunity to get a US passport, never get one.  A passport dream came true for the Sex and the City: The Movie hunk, Gilles Marini.  Marini has lived in LA with his wife and two children for many years, and after passing his naturalization exam, he has applied for a US passport.

Marini has officially been sworn in as an American citizen, and although he is waiting to receive his passport, he did get something that many Americans never receive – an official letter from US President Barack Obama.

Marini was born in France to a Greek mother and Italian father. After coming to the United States to learn English his acting career began to gain traction.  His is best known for playing the role of Dante in ‘Sex and the City: The Movie’.  Since then, Marini has been on television shows ‘Ugly Betty,’ ‘Dirty Sexy Money,’ ‘Criminal Minds,’ ‘Windfall’, ‘Nip/Tuck’, ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’, ‘Passions’, ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

Marini is very proud to be a US citizen and can’t wait to get his US passport. 

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

New Biometric Passport Initiatives Examined: Rush Passport NYC

Friday, June 22nd, 2012

Secure US PassportThe passport industry has been increasing its use of technology and all indications are that passports will include greater levels of technology as we venture into the future.  The future of passports centers around governments all over the world collecting biometric data.

While the collection of biometric data for passports raises significant civil liberties and privacy concerns, it doesn’t look like the partnership between state of the art technology and passport security is going to slow down.

Opposition to biometric passports includes the argument that unreliable biometric technologies can misidentify passport holders.  While some think passport security and the use of face, fingerprint, and iris recognition is really cool, others are more concerned with falsified biometric identification and passport fraud.

Since 2007, various European passport border checks utilize facial recognition in which Automatic Face Recognition in Border Control travelers’ faces are scanned and compared to measurements of their facial features stored on a chip in their biometric passports.

The United States requires visitors to submit biometrics in the form of a digital fingerprint when applying for a visa or when entering the country.   In the UK, the government abandoned the fingerprint initiative.

Another passport security measure that is in the works is iris scan recognition.  While it may seem cutting edge, there are concerns over hard contact lenses, watery eyes and long eyelashes that could possibly interfere with the scanning process.

It looks like we just have to wait and see which new passport initiatives are added to the US passport.

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

Children Born Overseas to US Citizen May Be Eligible to File for US Passport: Rush Passport NYC

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

get a US passportDid you know that if you are a US citizen and your children were born in another country that your children may be US citizens and may be eligible to apply for US passports?

The citizenship laws regarding how a child may be eligible for a US passport has changed through the years.  At the time of birth, children automatically acquire US if they satisfy the following requirements:

  • both parents were US citizens
  • they were married
  • one parent had lived in the US

If the parents were unmarried, then the mother has to have proof that she lived in the US for at least one year before the child’s birth and paternity in writing must be legitimized before the child’s 18th birthday.

Some people do not know that their children are eligible for US passports.  They think that because the children were born overseas that they are not eligible to apply for US passports.  However, due to the citizenship laws, their children may be eligible for a US passport.

If you think that your child satisfies the requirements to apply for a US passport, come to Rush Passport™’s New York City Passport Office and we will tell you if you qualify to apply for a child passport.

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

Investor Visas May Be Path to US Passports: Rush Passport NYC

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

passportAccording to a previous Rush Passport™ blog entry, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin surrendered his US passport and renounced his US citizenship to allegedly avoid paying capital gains taxes.  However, a new trend involving foreign investors is creating thousands of new potential US citizens who will soon be US passport holders.

Thousands of foreign investors have been making investments in US countries and have been issued “investor visas.”  The US Department of State is expected to hand out over 6,000 “investor visas” during the current fiscal year.  These investor visas could soon turn into passports for these wealthy investors.

Under the “investor visa” program, investors from foreign countries can acquire visas that permit them and their families to live, work and attend school in the United States.  In order to qualify for the visa, investors are required to invest a minimum of $1 million in a new or recently formed business.  Investors can also take advantage of the investor visa by investing a minimum of $500,000 to fund companies in rural locations or areas that are high in unemployment.

The concept is that the investment must be shown to have been responsible for the creation or preservation of at least 10 full-time jobs for US workers over a period of two years. Once this condition is met, foreign investors and their families advance to permanent resident status and in three years may apply for US citizenship and acquire US passports.

This investor visa program, known as EB-5, is not a new program.  It has actually been in effect for over twenty years.  However, as of late there has been an increase in wealthy participants – especially from China.

Other countries such as Australia and Ireland have initiated similar programs to try to lure wealthy investors to their country.  Currently there are approximately twenty countries that offer similar incentives.   For many, investor visas are the path to getting US passports.

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

70% of US Citizens Do Not Have a Passport. Do You Have Your Passport? Rush Passport NYC

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

get a passportDo you know how many people in the United States have a valid US passport?  Recent passport studies say that approximately 30% of US citizens have passports.  Some people think that this is number is high.  However, that means that 70% of Americans do not have passports.

Some states rank higher than others.  New Jersey and Alaska are believed to have the highest passport ownership percentage rates at approximately 60%.

It seems that there may be a trend with citizens living inland as states like Mississippi.  Only 20% of people living in Mississippi have a US passport.

This means that over 200 million US citizens do not have passports.  Why do such a large number of people not have their passports?  Will there come a time that the government will require all citizens to have a passport?

If you still haven’t gotten a passport and you are thinking about getting one, there are some things you should know.  For example, if you need a passport for immediate travel, there are passport expediting services available.  Passport agencies such as Rush Passport™can help people get new passports, expedited passports and passport renewal.  Rush Passport™ can also assist if your passport was lost or stolen.  If your passport is damaged or mutilated, Rush Passport™ can help. 

Did you know that children of all ages require passports to travel overseas.  There is a special child passport that is valid for 5 years.  The adult passport is valid for 10 years.

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

Cryptocat Creator’s Passport Confiscated: Rush Passport NYC

Sunday, June 10th, 2012

cryptocat passportHave you heard of “Cryptocat”?  If not, you probably will be hearing about it soon.  Cryptocat is a web-based program that allows users to communicate and share files over a secure, encrypted chat session that is not subject to commercial or government surveillance.

It was created by Nadim Kobeissi.  According to his Wikipedia page, Kobeissi was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1990 and lists his occupation as “computer security specialist, freedom of information activist”.

You may not have heard of Kobeissi or Cryptocat.  However, according to cryptocat founder, Nadim Kobeissi, US border patrol confiscated his passport.  The founder claims that he has used his passport to travel from Canada to the United States 4 times in the past three weeks.  The last time that he used his passport, he says that he was interrogated by US border patrol and his passport was confiscated.

Kobeissi has been on US radar for a while as a person of interest with regard to internet security and according to his Wikipedia page, “In 2012, the FBI attempted to entrap Kobeissi using Sabu – an American hacker involved with Lulzsec, an offshoot of Anonymous – as an undercover informant.”  That story is also backed up by a NY Times article.

Kobeissi cannot understand why his passport would be confiscated.  He sees Cryptocat as an application that “can save lives, because during the tense moments of the Arab Spring the sources of certain instant messages and other online communications were tracked down and killed for their political views and organizational skills.” 

While Kobeissi admits that Cryptocat can be used for bad as well as good, he thinks its worth the risk.  “It’s like if someone says ‘Hamburgers: they can be used to feed the good and they can be used to feed the Taliban. I guess that means we should get rid of hamburgers then.’ It bothers me that we’re so afraid that our freedom will be used against us that we’re willing to just give it up.”

I don’t know whether or not you’re convinced by his hamburger analogy, but it seems that Kobeissi’s decision to use his passport is under scrutiny.

Kobeissi is not the only computer developer who has been detained by US customs.  Last year a bitcoin developer using his passport to travel from China to the United States was questioned for hours by US Customs agents and then denied entry into the United States.

If you are interested in getting a US passport or visa, contact us at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

Dutch Passport Biometric Security in Question: Rush Passport NYC

Thursday, June 7th, 2012

Biometric data located in passports should be secure.  Only those meant to have access to passport data should have access.  According to a recent article from Dutch News nl website  there is concern over the possibility that US authorities may have access to biometric details embedded in Dutch Passports.

dutch passportBiometric passports, also known as e-passports, ePassports or a digital passports, refer to a combination of standard passport booklet and an electronic passport chip that contains biometric information.  The biometric information is used to authenticate the passport holder’s identity. The passport’s data should be both printed within the passport and stored on the passport chip.

The reason why there is concern about US access to Dutch passport data is because Dutch passports are produced by Haarlem-based company Morpho, a subsidiary of the American Safran group.  Dutch officials want to be sure that US authorities will not have access to Dutch fingerprint and facial scans that are stored on the Dutch passports.

There is no proof in the article that mentions that the US has access or is seeking access to Dutch passports, but the article speaks of a concern of a potential breech in Dutch passport security.

From a Dutch standpoint, authorities want to make sure that their biometric passport data is secure.

If you are interested in getting a US passport or visa, contact us at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

“Neutral Passports” Allow People to Visit the US? Rush Passport NYC

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

neutral passportHave you ever heard of a “neutral passport”?  You will be hearing about these new passports soon.  A recent proposal by US Secretary of State Clinton to recognize “neutral passports” has been rejected by the Kremlin.  Clinton proposed that the United States would recognize something called ‘neutral passports’.  The ‘neutral passports’ would allow people in parts of Russia such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia to visit the U.S.

The neutral passports will give Abkhaz and Ossetian people the opportunity to study in the United States.  Under the proposal, the neutral passports would make holders eligible for travel to the United States. 

Last year, Georgia suggested that neutral passports be put in place to allow people to travel abroad.  Currently, their Russian passports are only good for travel to Russia.  The locally issued passports are not valid for international travel.  

Georgians support the neutral passport initiative, but the Kremlin condemns it.  Georgians see the neutral passport proposal as a step towards freedom.  Russia is against the idea of neutral passports.

If you are hoping to get a neutral passport – good luck!  If you would like to get a US passport, then we can help.  Whether you are in need of an adult passport, child passport, first time passport or passport renewal, Rush Passport™ can help.

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.

Zimmerman Second Passport Found. Judge Revokes Bond. Rush Passport NYC

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

George Zimmerman’s bond was revoked after the discovery of a second passport.  As it turns out, Zimmerman who shot and killed Trayvon Martin in February got a second passport two weeks after bond was posted.  When the judge was presented with the evidence of the second passport, he ordered Zimmerman to surrender himself to the court within 48 hours.  In addition to the second passport, Zimmerman also hid the amount of money in his bank account.  As it turns out, he had over $135,000 in his account after telling the judge that he was broke.

As it turns out, there are taped conversations in which Zimmerman, while in jail, spoke with his wife in code about the money and second passport; both of which are kept in a safe deposit box.

Zimmerman was ordered to surrender his passport in April and soon after applied for a second passport.  The $135,000 in his safe deposit box was raised by Zimmerman on a website that he set up for himself.  Zimmerman was allowed to be free on bond awaiting the trial, but now with the new information, Zimmerman’s bond was revoked.  The second passport and the large sum of money qualify Zimmerman as a flight risk.

If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. 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 and Connecticut.