Archive for July, 2012
Sunday, July 29th, 2012
Losing your passport can be stressful. Now imagine losing your passport and not being able to make it to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. US shooter Kim Rhode has here US passport, but she wasn’t able to fly with her team to Olympic training camp. Her puppy ate her airline ticket. After the ticket was reissued, Rhode found out that her husband couldn’t make the trip to the Summer Games. He lost his passport.
Rhode is attempting to become the first American to win individual medals in 5 Summer Olympics in a row. Think about it, that’s medals in a twenty year span!
Since Rhode was unable to travel with the team, she practiced at home with support from her husband who couldn’t find his US passport.
Her four month old puppy ate her airline ticket and was not considered a suspect in the case of the husband’s missing passport. Eventually, the missing passport was found and the ticket was reprinted.
Rhode will be partaking in the women’s trap and the skeet event at the Olympics and her husband will be there to support her (with his passport).
With so many athletes and their families coming from so many countries from all over the world, it is not surprising that passport issues can arise. Considering just how many people with passports are traveling to the 2012 Olympics in London, the cases of lost passports and passport problems are relatively low.
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.
Tags: dog ate my passport, lost passport, mutilated passport, olympic passport, passport, passport nyc, passports, puppy ate my passport, rush passport, stolen passport, US passport
Posted in Latest Passport News, Passport Ponderings | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
In 2011, the US averted a government shutdown which could have shut down passport offices across the country. Now in 2012, Britain is facing a similar problem as immigration staff threatens a work stoppage at airports on the eve of the Olympics.
The strike is set to begin on Thursday, the day before London’s Olympic Games begin.
The government is seeking an injunction by the High Court. Just think about the problems that this would cause. Most of the athletes have already arrived in London with passports in hand. However, there must be Olympic coaches, staff, fans and families who have yet to arrive at London airports and produced their passports.
This passport checkpoint dilemma arrives at a time when everyone in the world will be watching.
In the past, the government was able to send in government employees and civil servants to replace the passport border patrol agents who went on strike. That is probably the best option if the passport patrol does go on strike later this week.
Can you imagine the disruption to incoming travelers arriving in London with passports in hand?
The UK government is hoping to avoid any disruptions at UK airports as passport holders arrive for the July 27th -August 12th Olympic games.
This impending passport border patrol strike comes at a time when Heathrow Airport has been plagued by long lines at passport control.
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.
Tags: expedited passport, lost passport, olympics passport, passport, passport nyc, passport olympics, passport photos, passport uk, passport US, passports, rush passport, uk passport strike
Posted in Latest Passport News | Comments Off
Sunday, July 22nd, 2012
In a previous Rush Passport™ blog article, the passport story of Amaechi Morton, an Olympic hurdler competing for Nigeria, was told. The focus of today’s passport blog is on Guor Marial, a marathon runner born in what is now the Republic of South Sudan.
Marial is scheduled to run in the 2012 Olympics in London, however he will not be wearing any country’s flag – instead he will be running under the Olympic flag.
Marial lives and works in the United States and is an Iowa University chemistry graduate. However, he cannot represent the US in the Olympics because he is not a full US citizen and does not have a US passport.
Gurial, who works with people with mental disabilities, fled to the US in the midst of Sudan’s 20 year civil war. The war led to a peace arrangement that allowed the southern part of the country to secede. While South Sudan is currently a member of the United Nations, the country has yet to form a National Olympic Committee. This means that South Sudan cannot send athletes to the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Sudanese team invited Marial to join their team, but he refused due to the fact that he lost many members of his family and over two million countrymen in the war.
Marial gained refugee status to stay in the Unites States because of the danger presented to him by the country of Sudan. To compete for Sudan in the Olympics would not be acceptable.
Marial is set to be 1 of 4 independent competitors at the 2012 London Games. The other three athletes are from the Netherlands Antilles.
I guess he will be using his Sudanese passport to make the trip to London. It may be a matter of time before Marial gets 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.
Tags: amaechi morton passport, Guor Marial passport, NY Passport, olympics, olympics passport, passport, passport ny, passport sudan, passport US, passports, rush passport, rush passports, sudan visa, US passport, US Passports, visa ny
Posted in Latest Passport News | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Amaechi Morton is one of the best in the world at the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Morton will be competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. However, 3 years ago if you asked Morton if he would ever return to Nigeria, his reply would have been “Never!”
In 2009 Morton used his US passport to visit Nigeria in order to compete in the IAAF World Championships. When he arrived back home to the US, he threw his US passport in the garbage and told his mom he would never return.
However, when he learned that he had the chance to compete in the Olympics, Morton called his mom is a panic asking if she knew where his passport was. His mother reminded him that he threw his passport in the garbage before informing him that she had fished the passport out of the trash.
Morton holds dual citizenship with the US and Nigeria and he used his US passport to travel to Nigeria where he qualified for the Nigerian Olympic team.
Morton’s mom, Obiekwe, had the passport the whole time. She thought it was a silly decision to throw his US passport into the garbage and figured that there would be a time that her son would need the passport in the future.
Morton tried out for the US Olympic team first and finished in 4th place. Only the top three finishers qualified for the games. That’s when the idea to use his passport to fly to Nigeria surfaced.
Let the lesson be learned – don’t throw your US passport in the trash – you never know when you may need it.
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.
Tags: Amaechi Morton, lost passport, Nigerian Passport, Nigerian visa, olympics passport, passport, passport renewal, Passport Services, passports, rush passport, US passport, Visa
Posted in Latest Passport News | Comments Off
Sunday, July 15th, 2012
US citizens born in the United States have the right to apply for a US passport. This seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, it can get a little complicated when it comes to natives of American Samoa. Is American Samoa part of the United States? If so, are people born in American Samoa considered US citizens? Are people born in American Samoa eligible for US passports? Apparently not.
In spite of the name, “American” Samoa, people born there do not become US citizens at birth. For some reason, US citizenship is automatically granted to the inhabitants of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. However, people born in American Samoa are not granted US citizenship.
People born in Puerto Rico automatically become US citizens at birth and are eligible to apply for US passports. Why are American Samoans subject to different rules? Should American Samoans be given the same rights as US citizens? Should American Samoans carry US passports?
While American Samoans can claim citizenship if, at the time of their birth, at least one parent was a US citizen. American Samoans can also become US citizens. However, a recent lawsuit questions why American Samoans should need to go through the US citizenship process which can be lengthy, costly and at times burdensome.
American Samoans actually receive passports with an imprint describing them as non-citizen U.S. nationals.
Some claim that this is goes against the 14th Amendment. It will be interesting to see what officials at the US State Department, which issues passports, have to say about this topic.
It should be interesting to see how this passport story develops.
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.
Tags: american samoa, are american samoans us citizens, NY Passport, passport, passport american samoa, passports, rush passport, rush passports, US passport
Posted in Latest Passport News, Passport Ponderings | Comments Off
Thursday, July 12th, 2012
There are millions of people who would do almost anything to be able to get a US passport. Meanwhile, there are millions of people who are eligible to get a US passport, but never do. Yet, there are others who have US passports and give them up.
Such is the case with Denise Rich, the wealthy socialite and ex-wife of billionaire trader Marc Rich. The reason that she has given up her US passport is to avoid paying taxes. Recently, others have followed this trend of renouncing their US citizenship and turning in their US passports. It seems that when they need the United States, they have no problem applying for a US passport. However, when it comes to paying taxes, these people have no problem giving up their US passports.
By getting rid of her US passport, Rich is projected to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars in US taxes.
Denise Rich, a song writer for Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Jessica Simpson joins the list of other wealthy people who recently gave up their US passports. In a previous Rush Passport™ blog entry, it was reported that Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin gave up his US passport and became a citizen of Singapore to avoid paying taxes before the company’s initial public offering in May of 2012.
Almost 2,000 US citizens gave up their passports in 2011.
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.
Tags: denise rich, get a passport, get a US passport, get a visa, new york city passport, NY Passport, passport, passport nyc, passports, rush passport, U.S. Passport, US passport, Visa, where to get a passport
Posted in Latest Passport News | Comments Off
Monday, July 9th, 2012
Some people are photogenic and others look better in person. However, most people are self-conscious about the way they appear in photographs. Passport photos are no exception. Many people don’t like the way they look in their passports – with good reason. The problem with passport photos is that they require a neutral expression. For some people it is hard not to smile in a photograph. For others, a neutral expression is simpler to achieve.
According to a study at Glasgow University, when a person tries to give a neutral expression for a passport photo, it actually makes them less recognizable and can even distort their facial features.
Biometric passports contain data including facial information. There are certain measurements that are used in passports to identify the person in the photo. For example, passport photos contain biometric data that measures the distance between the eyes and nose. There are other measurements that are contained in the passport photo data to help identify the passport holder.
The purpose of the biometric data is to assist border patrol in recognizing the passport holder, but the Glasgow University study hints that the passport technology can use an upgrade. Biometric passport data will surely improve over the next few years and the improvements will be seen in the latest US passports that are issued.
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.
Tags: biometric passport, expedited passport, passport, passport agency nyc, passport bronx, passport brooklyn, passport connecticut, passport manhattan, passport nyc, passport office midtown manhattan, passport photo, passport queens, Passport Service, passport staten island, passports, rush passport, US passport
Posted in Latest Passport News | Comments Off
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
Now would be a great time to apply for your US Passport. Summer travel is upon us, but if you still haven’t made plans for your summer vacation, there is still time. Traveling abroad can be very exciting and now is the perfect time to get your passport. Adult passports are valid for 10 years and child passports are valid for 5 years.
What’s stopping your from getting your passport? Do you think that the passport application process is confusing? The passport experts at Rush Passport™ can make the passport application process easy. Do you think that the passport fees are too expensive? Passport fees come out to less than $20 per year. Is that too expensive to prevent your from seeing the world?
Just about 30% of US citizens have their US passports. There are people in the other 70% of the population that may have misconceptions about getting a passport. To find out just how easy the passport process can be, contact the passport specialists at Rush Passport™. We make getting a passport easy and make your trips come true.
Even if you need a same-day passport, first time passport, passport renewal or visa, Rush Passport™ can help. So, what are you waiting for? Contact Rush Passport™ to see just how easy it is to get your 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.
Tags: bronx passport, brooklyn passport, Connecticut Passport, Long Island Passport, manhattan passport, nassau county passport, New Jersey passport, passport, passport agency ny, passport nyc, passport specialists, passports, philadelphia passport, queens passport, rush passport, staten island passport, suffolk county passport, U.S. Passport, US passport, westchester passport
Posted in Passport Ponderings, Passport Services | Comments Off
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Millions of US citizens hold dual citizenship and have more than one passport. It seems that the US Department of State does not have accurate records of just how many US citizens hold dual citizens. This is because dual citizenship is not recognized in US. However, US residents holding US passports are not forced to choose. Some countries do not allow citizens to hold dual citizenship with the United States. For example, Japanese passport holders and Indian passport holders are not allowed by their respective countries to hold US passports. Holding passports and citizenship from two different countries can cause confusion when paying taxes. In addition, holding 2 passports can also be confusing when it comes to military service. Same-sex marriages is the latest development that is creating confusion when it comes to having dual citizenship and holding 2 passports.
It is estimated that the largest contingents of US citizens who hold US passports and foreign passports are also citizens of Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. However, these are not the only countries where people have dual citizenship. Dual citizenship is dependent on the relationship that the US has with the particular country in question. For example, Afghanistan, Botswana, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand and Venezuela are among the countries that require their citizens to renounce their citizenship upon getting a US passport. This process is known as forced expatriation.
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.
Tags: Afghanistan, Botswana, dominican republic, Indian passport, Indonesia, Japan passport, Kenya, passport, phillipines, Thailand, UK Passport, US passport, venezuela
Posted in Passport Ponderings | Comments Off
