Another Silly Question about Passport Renewals

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I feel like the silly blonde that I sometimes can be but I have questions about the Passport Renwal application. I am ready to maild it off tomorrow and want to make sure I am doing it correcting since we cruise in about 10 weeks.

First when we get our passport pictures taken you get two pictures. No where in the instructions does it say anything about two pictures. I take it you send in both of them but I am confused why none of the instructions say anything about two photos. Next do you paper clip them to the passport? I figured I would fold the application, put the check on the inside of the passport with the two new pictures.

OK next silly questions how picky are there if you made an error and crossed it out and rewrote next to it and one letter in our street name I rewrite over to correct. :confused: Certainly not everyone sends them in absolutely perfect. Thanks for your help :)

[scdreamer]

If you are a US citizen, you only need to send one photo. Many places will give you two, because for some nationalities, two are required.

The form will show you where to affix the photo. You must use a stapler to put it on the application ... it's very clear how to staple it on.

Don't fold the application. You should put it in a large enough envelope that it needs no folding, and it is recommended that you send it registered or certified with a return receipt requested.

I would imagine any insignificant errors that may easily be corrected and read would be okay, but I would redo the form if there are messy difficult to read corrections. BTW, you can fill out the form online and print it before sending it via mail.

[slomotion]

I feel like the silly blonde that I sometimes can be but I have questions about the Passport Renwal application. I am ready to maild it off tomorrow and want to make sure I am doing it correcting since we cruise in about 10 weeks.

First when we get our passport pictures taken you get two pictures. No where in the instructions does it say anything about two pictures. I take it you send in both of them but I am confused why none of the instructions say anything about two photos. Next do you paper clip them to the passport? I figured I would fold the application, put the check on the inside of the passport with the two new pictures.

OK next silly questions how picky are there if you made an error and crossed it out and rewrote next to it and one letter in our street name I rewrite over to correct. :confused: Certainly not everyone sends them in absolutely perfect. Thanks for your help :)

Lisa, Check your email

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks scdreamer and Slomo, not sure why I did not check to just do it on line and print it. I guess because Tom had picked up the renewal form at the Post Office. I will redo it on line and print it so there will be no errors.

Thanks for the info about the passport photos. I was totally confused as to why they give you two photos but I guess in case you lose one ;)

I guess that will be my poject tomorrow night after work. Just too exhuasted tonight.

[Bobblsc]

We did a passport renewal a few months ago. I cannot recall why, but I sent two photos for each of us to the passport office. I also cannot recall why, but I think I understood why when we received our new passports.

I say "You have two photos, send them both." What would you do with the second photo if you saved it? Play it safe. Incidentally, we received our new passports much faster than expected.

Bob :cool:

[dobiemom]

Don't fold the application. You should put it in a large enough envelope that it needs no folding, and it is recommended that you send it registered or certified with a return receipt requested.
DH and I had to renew ours last year. I didn't want to pay for 2 certified letters so I called the passport agency. She said I could mail both applications together but just put each application in its own envelope. We received our new passports separately and then our old passports separately - 4 pieces of mail.

[protocrone]

My son lives in Santa Cruz and just received his first passport for our cruise in November. He's 33 and this is his first cruise so I wished we lived closer so I could help him with his planning.

Could you email me at mb (dot) broderson (at) prodigy (dot) net

thanks!

[jbhcw]

I renewed ours this year in February...cannot remember if I sent in two photos or not...but did send it certified mail...both in the same envelope. We got ours back in about 3 weeks...

If you go on-line Lisa...instructions are pretty detailed..and you can also check on the status after it's been in the system for a week or so:)

[catl331]

Lisa, IIRC we mailed in just one picture for each of us, because we still have two others in the original small folder that we bring on every cruise in case we need to get a replacement somewhere. We sent everything in one envelope and like dobiemom got them back in four separate mailings. And our passport numbers are not consecutive!

[thinfool]

In olden days....;)
Two photos were necessary so that they could laminate one into your passport and keep the other in their file.

Fast forward to the tecchie world....
Now one photo is sufficient as they scan your photo and print it into your passport.

I don't know what they do with the original photo...maybe trash it after they save a scan of it into your file.

[catl331]

Now one photo is sufficient as they scan your photo and print it into your passport.So maybe someday - maybe soon - we'll be able to send in a digital photo with our digital application ...

[thinfool]

So maybe someday - maybe soon - we'll be able to send in a digital photo with our digital application ...

Possibly with a renewal, but a first time app seems to require a face to face interview/certification with an approved agent (US postal worker, etc).

[jhannah]

So maybe someday - maybe soon - we'll be able to send in a digital photo with our digital application ... That would be great, wouldn't it? I hope you're right.

[Howasaur]

Hi LAFFNVEGAS In Canada when we went to renew our Passports, we filled out the application along with Passport pictures 2 plus our old passports, went to the office,paid for renewal and 7 days later our new passports were delivered by mail to our house in one envelope.. we had to sign for the envelope.

[superoma]

Hi LAFFNVEGAS In Canada when we went to renew our Passports, we filled out the application along with Passport pictures 2 plus our old passports, went to the office,paid for renewal and 7 days later our new passports were delivered by mail to our house in one envelope.. we had to sign for the envelope.

Now if the Canadian government would just hurry up and get the 10 year passports going, it would be a VERY simple process.

[crusinpsychRN]

One pic is stapled and one is loose. I got the loose one back when the passport came 6 weeks later.

[sail7seas]

Lisa, IIRC we mailed in just one picture for each of us, because we still have two others in the original small folder that we bring on every cruise in case we need to get a replacement somewhere. We sent everything in one envelope and like dobiemom got them back in four separate mailings. And our passport numbers are not consecutive!


:) Same here.
We sent our applications together but our numbers are not consecutive. We also bring spare passport photos with us in the event we need to get a replacement passport while traveling. One less stress on us to find a place to get photos taken.

[surfsidemary]

Hold on to them - I have needed photos for some visa applications (China comes to mind).

[Protseq]

I guess we are old fashioned. We made tracks to our local post office, had the clerk take the photos, then had the clerk mail everything all in less than 20 minutes.

[shadrack]

[QUOTE=catl331;30128388]So maybe someday - maybe soon - we'll be able to send in a digital photo with our digital application ...[/QUOTE

Here's the problem with digital photos. Even if you use a very good camera with high resolution, your photo can very easily be rejected. This happened to my husband with his recent passport application. His photo was rejected, and he had to have another photo taken at the passport office. We're now waiting to see if it works this time around.

[OldCodger73]

Back to the original question. The two photos are in case you want to also apply for the passport card in addition to the passport. The card is, I believe, only good for travel to/from Canada, Mexico and maybe the Caribbean.

We renewed are passports in late June and received the new ones in around three weeks.

Most post offices take passport pictures, however, if you're an AAA member you can get it taken at some offices and it costs less than at the PO.

[thinfool]

Back to the original question. The two photos are in case you want to also apply for the passport card in addition to the passport. The card is, I believe, only good for travel to/from Canada, Mexico and maybe the Caribbean.



So do they actually laminate your photo onto the PP Card?

Because they don't use an actual photo for the 'book'...it is electronically printed onto the information page.

[gte937k]

Back to the original question. The two photos are in case you want to also apply for the passport card in addition to the passport. The card is, I believe, only good for travel to/from Canada, Mexico and maybe the Caribbean.

We renewed are passports in late June and received the new ones in around three weeks.

Most post offices take passport pictures, however, if you're an AAA member you can get it taken at some offices and it costs less than at the PO.
I'm pretty sure that you can apply to the passport book and card on the same form. I got both and I think it was just an additional check box. I sent two photos in because that's what I thought was necessary. They sent the extra one back to me.

BTW, I don't bother paying for special mailing for government applications that require payment, unless I'm in a rush. The government is very quick at cashing your check, so I use that as delivery confirmation. :-)

[Luv2Travel0007]

I just go over to the office of my Clerk of the Court. They handle the complete application right there. then I do not have to worry about any of it.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks for all of the replies. Well I decided to go to the on-line site and electronically filled out the applications and printed them. They definitely look a lot nicer ;)
The photographs are stabled where they need to be and signed and in seperate envelopes with each having our passport and check. So the plan is now on my way home from work I will go to the post office to mail them off.

I will keep you posted as to how long it takes to get them :)

[sail7seas]

Happy you've completed your application. Hope you get the passports very quickly. I think we all have it lurking in the back of our minds until we have our passports back in our hands. :) Never know when a great trip might come up and we want to be ready to go.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Happy you've completed your application. Hope you get the passports very quickly. I think we all have it lurking in the back of our minds until we have our passports back in our hands. :) Never know when a great trip might come up and we want to be ready to go.


Thanks Sail :) I have to admit it is a weird feeling sending off those Passports and knowing that until you get it back you cannot go anywhere outside the US. Hopefully by the time the next 10 years roll around you can renew them on line and just upload a new picture and they send them to you a lot quicker than they do now.

[Davidson Duo]

The problem with digital picture upload is it is so easy to substitute a photo of someone else. In Canada, the back of your photo has to be properly verified and signed to confirm that the photo is "you". As honest as I am and think that uploading my photo with an online application would be easier, I totally understand how many dishonest people are out there, and as your passport is a major form of official documentation, it is just too easy to abuse it by going totally electronic at this time.

[superoma]

Thanks Sail :) I have to admit it is a weird feeling sending off those Passports and knowing that until you get it back you cannot go anywhere outside the US. .

Lisa, we will let you in to Canada BUT you won't get back home without a passport!!! It is a very weird feeling not having a valid passport in hand.

[bcd2010]

In olden days....;)
Two photos were necessary so that they could laminate one into your passport and keep the other in their file.

Fast forward to the tecchie world....
Now one photo is sufficient as they scan your photo and print it into your passport.

This is correct. I think places that take passport photos give you 2 because that's what was required in the past and IIRC there was a special camera that created the 2 at once.

Also in the olden days, there was no problem with folding the application and sending it in a regular (business 10) envelope. Now, I think they don't want it folded because they scan it and save both the photo and application digitally.

[InTheWASide]

Lisa, we will let you in to Canada BUT you won't get back home without a passport!!! It is a very weird feeling not having a valid passport in hand.

You can do anything that WHTI considers closed loop :) You aren't trapped :D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

You can do anything that WHTI considers closed loop :) You aren't trapped :D
Well I guess that is very true but I just feel better when i travel with a Passport. I could get a wild notion to go stay in some foreign country like.... Canada :D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

To those looking to send their renewals in via Priorty Mail. I sent ours off last Thursday (week ago yesterday) via priority Two day mail I was advised that the pasport office would not receive till Monday with the weekend but I thought OK that is fine. Of course I also did it will delivery confirmation.
All week it was showing that it had only gotten delivered to Austin Texas :confused: not Philadelphia PA.

Would you believe it finally got delivered today.:eek:

Priority Mail®

Delivered

August 19, 2011, 12:20 pm

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19190

Expected Delivery By:
August 15, 2011

Delivery Confirmation™




Service
Status of Your Item
Date & Time
Location
Features


Result 1

Your item was delivered at 12:20 pm on August 19, 2011 in PHILADELPHIA, PA 19190.
Priority Mail®

Delivered

August 19, 2011, 12:20 pm

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19190

Expected Delivery By:
August 15, 2011

Delivery Confirmation™



Priority Mail®

Delivered

August 19, 2011, 12:20 pm

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19190

Expected Delivery By:
August 15, 2011

Delivery Confirmation™




So I think I could have gotten it there quicker had I sent it regular mail.

[sail7seas]

:D At least you know they have received the applications.

Hope they get them returned to you quickly, Lisa. :) Lots of traveling to do!!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

:D At least you know they have received the applications.

Hope they get them returned to you quickly, Lisa. :) Lots of traveling to do!!!
Yes that is true but I think it is taking longer in recent months to get these renewals back. A year ago it was taking about 2 to 3 weeks I believe now it is running closer to 5 - 6 weeks maybe even longer. One I am sure they have cut back on the number of people they have to process the renewals but the other thing is there is a much larger percentage of people renewing them now. You figure it is coming up on 10 years since the 9/11 tragedy and where many smart America's realized that they better get a passport for traveling. I had a passport but had let it expire several years befor so Tom and I both got passports in Janaury 2002. I suspect in the upcoming months that the US Passport office will be very busy.

Our upcoming cruise is 9 weeks from tomorrow so I certainly hope it only takes another 4 weeks :o

[cherylandtk]

The big spike in passport renewals will be early 2017, ten years after the crisis summer when issuance was taking 3 months.

[MSMcDuffy]

One pic is stapled and one is loose. I got the loose one back when the passport came 6 weeks later.

This is exactly how I was told to do it when I called the passport office earlier this year - staple one picture to the application and send the other one loose (I paper clipped it to the paperwork so it wouldn't fly out when they opened the envelope).

The 2nd picture was then sent back in one of the mailings--I'm pretty sure with my old passport, which I got back before the new one. My new passport got lost in the mail for a while but that's another story:rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

This is exactly how I was told to do it when I called the passport office earlier this year - staple one picture to the application and send the other one loose (I paper clipped it to the paperwork so it wouldn't fly out when they opened the envelope).

The 2nd picture was then sent back in one of the mailings--I'm pretty sure with my old passport, which I got back before the new one. My new passport got lost in the mail for a while but that's another story:rolleyes:


Oh Wow..... That had to be unsettling particularly if you had travel coming up soon.

How long did it take for you to get the renewed passport?

[bcnvcanada]

Did you track your u.s. p. mail overnight package? It would be interesting to see where it went. Don't worry, if you don't get it back and your holiday is in a couple of days, take a copy of your old passport, one picture ( your extra one) go to the u.s.c and i office in your local airport(Las Vegas) has one and it can be issued right there. It would cost more, but if you need it, it can be done. It takes the worry out to sending passports off.

[MSMcDuffy]

Oh Wow..... That had to be unsettling particularly if you had travel coming up soon.

How long did it take for you to get the renewed passport?

The good thing was that I sent my renewal app in January and my trip was not until July so there was a large margin for error.

The thing I probably did wrong was I did not pay the extra small fee to have my new passport overnited; instead it was put in the regular mail (though, it was in a priority envelope). I was told it was mailed the same day as my old passport, which I received 3 wks after they received my application. I waited another few weeks and it never showed up.

So I called the Nat'l Passport Agency and they cancelled my new passport and told me how to fill out the notice of lost passport from their website. When I got home from work that very same day lo and behold my new passport was sitting at my front door (it was "lost in the mail" for a month). I called the next morning but it was too late, that new passport had already been cancelled so I still needed to send in the paperwork to get a re-issued passport. That one turned out fine and they ended up returning my check for the overnite fee and they overnited it anyway (nice of them).

Had that 1st passport arrived when it should have, it was a quick turnaround (I mailed it 2 day priority mail on 1/8 and the issue date on it was 1/31). One thing I was kind of bummed about...that lost passport number ended in "007" - how cool would that be for a passport number:cool:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The good thing was that I sent my renewal app in January and my trip was not until July so there was a large margin for error.

The thing I probably did wrong was I did not pay the extra small fee to have my new passport overnited; instead it was put in the regular mail (though, it was in a priority envelope). I was told it was mailed the same day as my old passport, which I received 3 wks after they received my application. I waited another few weeks and it never showed up.

So I called the Nat'l Passport Agency and they cancelled my new passport and told me how to fill out the notice of lost passport from their website. When I got home from work that very same day lo and behold my new passport was sitting at my front door (it was "lost in the mail" for a month). I called the next morning but it was too late, that new passport had already been cancelled so I still needed to send in the paperwork to get a re-issued passport. That one turned out fine and they ended up returning my check for the overnite fee and they overnited it anyway (nice of them).

Had that 1st passport arrived when it should have, it was a quick turnaround (I mailed it 2 day priority mail on 1/8 and the issue date on it was 1/31). One thing I was kind of bummed about...that lost passport number ended in "007" - how cool would that be for a passport number:cool:
WOW, it makes you wonder where the passport was for a month. Curious did you have to pay a whole new renewal fee?

To bcnvcanada, I what I printed above was just today, I have the whole tracking it spend 3 days in Austin Texas after leaving Las Vegas, then another three days at the Post Office in Philadelpha before it went out to be delivered. Makes me wonder if I had done done the Delivery COnfirmation if it would not have gotten then sooner. Even on the confirmation it states delivery should be my August 15th yet not till the 19th :confused: So it did not do a lot of good to even bother to pay for Priority Mail.

Now I hope I did not make a mistake I did NOT send the extra picture :eek: :o

[MSMcDuffy]

[quote=LAFFNVEGAS;30259283]WOW, it makes you wonder where the passport was for a month. Curious did you have to pay a whole new renewal fee?
I did not have to pay another renewal fee. After all was said & done I was only out the amount it cost to overnite the Statement of Lost Passport to the agency and the overnite pkg to return my lost passport that turned up.


Now I hope I did not make a mistake I did NOT send the extra picture :eek: :o I would think that would be okay. I would not have known to send the 2nd picture had I not called them. I don't think it is explained on their website so I imagine you're not the only one who didn't send 2 pics.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I just got my passport renewal back. It took between 2 and 3 weeks. I mailed it the cheapest way that still allowed for tracking. My indication that the passport application had arrived was that the check was cashed. That happened quickly, about two weeks before the new passport came back. BTW, the old passport arrived today. it doesn't necessarily come back at the same time as the new one.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I just got my passport renewal back. It took between 2 and 3 weeks. I mailed it the cheapest way that still allowed for tracking. My indication that the passport application had arrived was that the check was cashed. That happened quickly, about two weeks before the new passport came back. BTW, the old passport arrived today. it doesn't necessarily come back at the same time as the new one.
Thanks, I will keep everyone posted when we get ours since I know they got the passports today. I had heard they were cashing the checks quickly and it had not gone thru my bank yet.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I told everyone I would come back in and report when we would receive our Passports. To both Tom's and my surprise our new Passports arrived yesterday:) Just 15 days from the date they signed that they received the passport. Yes they did return in two different envelopes Priority Mail. When Tom brought in the mail yesterday he was thinking OH NO they are returning them because something is wrong :eek: We honestly did not expect to receive them this quickly especially since it took a week for them to even receive the application plus last weekend there was the Hurricane that hit the Philly area. The Passport web site is saying 4 to 6 weeks so I thought we would just barely be getting them in time for our next cruise. I guess the Passport office is practicing the Under Promise Over Deliver policy :D

[popcruisers]

Yes that is true but I think it is taking longer in recent months to get these renewals back. A year ago it was taking about 2 to 3 weeks I believe now it is running closer to 5 - 6 weeks maybe even longer. One I am sure they have cut back on the number of people they have to process the renewals but the other thing is there is a much larger percentage of people renewing them now. You figure it is coming up on 10 years since the 9/11 tragedy and where many smart America's realized that they better get a passport for traveling. I had a passport but had let it expire several years befor so Tom and I both got passports in Janaury 2002. I suspect in the upcoming months that the US Passport office will be very busy.

Our upcoming cruise is 9 weeks from tomorrow so I certainly hope it only takes another 4 weeks :o

We just got both of ours back in a little over two weeks..:cool:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

CC must be acting up again because I knew that popcruisers had replied but I could not see the post nor the post I made earlier :(
Hopefully this will get the posts to appear.

[mamaofami]

The main board says that Lisa posted here today, but Lisa, I don't see a post from you.

[RuthC]

Carol, when the new post doesn't show, call up the "reply" screen, then scroll down. The posts show there. You can then back out without replying.

Now that I typed that, I realize you may not see it! duh. :rolleyes:

[mamaofami]

Saw it Ruth by hitting the reply screen. Thanks.:)

[jbhcw]

Had this happen on a roll call last night...confusing to say the least:eek: The post finally showed up this am when I logged back in!