Help Urgent Passport Qquestion

[CRUISE BUG BIT HARD]

Hello everyone,

We are scheduled to leave for a family cruise on Liberty on Saturday. Two of the kids (adults)had never cruised before so they applied for passports. However, child #1's has still not arrived, she is adopted so her certified birth certificate states she was born in Korea. State department asked for her adoption papers and they were overnighted to state last Monday, they would have gotten them last Tuesday. Child #2 got his two weeks ago as of tomorrow and they applied the same day.

So my question is: will she be able to board the ship with a birth certificate that list place of birth as Korea if the passport doesn't come. She didn't make a copy of the adoption papers before she overnighted them so the birth certificate is all she has.

I am so frustrated I could scream, we told them for months to go get passports and they waited and waited and now they might not get to go on the trip.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[janabm81]

Is there any proof on the birth certificate that she is a US citizen or is a Korean Birth Certificate from Korea?

[CRUISE BUG BIT HARD]

It is a birth certificate from the State of Maryland

[janabm81]

No problem then...as long as it's a closed loop cruise you'll be fine! :)

[CruisinDawn]

Just bring the adoption papers too :) I take it they have a second copy of the birth certificate? Recall when we got our daughters passport we had to mail it in with the application. We are on a closed loop cruise so they would only need her birth certificate & adoption papers that matches both parents names traveling. If one isn't traveling you may also need a letter from the other parent saying it's ok.

 

See ya Saturday!!

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[Maybaybie10]

Have you gone on the website and checked the status?

 

Application Status

 

There is also a number you can call: 1-877-487-2778. They are open from 8am to 10pm EST. Sometimes they can give you (or her) more info. My family applied (4 of us) at the same time and they were all showing as "processing" on the website except for mine. When I called they told me they did have my application but that sometimes, for whatever reason, they don't show up online. I guess it's a computer glitch or something. Good Luck!

[Luv2CruiseRCL2]

Hello everyone,

We are scheduled to leave for a family cruise on Liberty on Saturday. Two of the kids (adults)had never cruised before so they applied for passports. However, child #1's has still not arrived, she is adopted so her certified birth certificate states she was born in Korea. State department asked for her adoption papers and they were overnighted to state last Monday, they would have gotten them last Tuesday. Child #2 got his two weeks ago as of tomorrow and they applied the same day.

So my question is: will she be able to board the ship with a birth certificate that list place of birth as Korea if the passport doesn't come. She didn't make a copy of the adoption papers before she overnighted them so the birth certificate is all she has.

I am so frustrated I could scream, we told them for months to go get passports and they waited and waited and now they might not get to go on the trip.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

From the RCI web site:

 

What travel documents and identification will I need for domestic sailings? - Royal Caribbean International U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same port in the U.S.) will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate and laminated government issued picture ID, denoting photo, name and date of birth. A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by DOS, or Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[CRUISE BUG BIT HARD]

According to the website it is processing. However it shows that child number 2's is still processing and he has had his for almost two weeks. Phone hasn't helped either

 

Thank you for all the advise and help

[sailinglisa]

Call your Congressman's office and ask for their help.

[waterbug123]

Just bring the adoption papers too :) I take it they have a second copy of the birth certificate? Recall when we got our daughters passport we had to mail it in with the application. We are on a closed loop cruise so they would only need her birth certificate & adoption papers that matches both parents names traveling. If one isn't traveling you may also need a letter from the other parent saying it's ok.

 

Go back and read the OP. She does not have the adoption papers; she sent the only copy to the state department. And the "child" is an adult, so she doesn't need a parental letter. ;)

[wrp96]

Call your Congressman's office and ask for their help.

 

 

Agree with this advice. Call your Congressman's office and ask for help. They usually have a staff member whose job it is to help constituents with issues like this.

[waterbug123]

No problem then...as long as it's a closed loop cruise you'll be fine! :)

 

The "closed loop cruise" only applies to US citizens. Now, the adult child in question IS a US citizen, but I would not be surprised at all if she is questioned at check-in about her birth certificate. Although it was issued by the state of Maryland, it states her place of birth as Korea, so I can foresee questions about her citizenship.

I agree with another poster about contacting your congressman ASAP. This is the type of thing they can help with. If nothing else, perhaps they can see to it that the adoption papers are overnighted back to her so she has those along with her birth certificate

[CI66774]

OP - do you have another certified birth certificate for your adult child? If you do, you should be fine if you're going on a closed loop cruise. It doesn't matter that it reflects she was born in South Korea - she is a U.S. citizen but if you think it's necessary, bring a copy of her Certificate of Citizenship, etc with you if they question you. My child is adopted, her birth cert reflects she was born in China - she has a U.S. Passport, but I always bring a certified copy of her birth cert., cert. of citizenship, adoption decree, etc with me when we travel. Never had a problem.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Just bring the adoption papers too :) I take it they have a second copy of the birth certificate? Recall when we got our daughters passport we had to mail it in with the application. We are on a closed loop cruise so they would only need her birth certificate & adoption papers that matches both parents names traveling. If one isn't traveling you may also need a letter from the other parent saying it's ok.

 

See ya Saturday!!

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

 

OP stated the adoption papers were overnighted and they didn't make a copy.

 

OP.....good luck, sorry they procrastinated.....its not your fault!

 

***

[waterbug123]

OP - do you have another certified birth certificate for your adult child? If you do, you should be fine if you're going on a closed loop cruise. It doesn't matter that it reflects she was born in South Korea - she is a U.S. citizen but if you think it's necessary, bring a copy of her Certificate of Citizenship, etc with you if they question you. My child is adopted, her birth cert reflects she was born in China - she has a U.S. Passport, but I always bring a certified copy of her birth cert., cert. of citizenship, adoption decree, etc with me when we travel. Never had a problem.

 

 

That's great, but as you said, you have a passport for your child as well as adoption papers. As for the OP, it doesn't matter that she IS a US citizen; what matters is whether or not she can present documentation at check in that PROVES she is a US citizen. She seems to have available, at present, only her birth certificate. Depending on A)where her adoption was finalized and B)her individual state laws, her US birth certificate that states she was born in Korea may or may not be valid for proving US citizenship. Some states' certificates of foreign birth, in fact, specifically state right on them that the certificate in and of itself is not proof of citizenship.

[jcl410]

Suzanne & Howard -

 

When you (assuming you are the adoptive parents) brought Child #1 back into the US, did you receive a "Certificate of US Citizenship" from INS? That could be used for the cruise.

 

Good luck!

 

Aloha,

 

John

[CruisinDawn]

Sorry my post didn't help much since I didn't thoroughly read the OP post :o Hope they get things figured out today or tomorrow at the latest so you can relax and enjoy the excitement of leaving for a cruise instead of stressing. See ya Saturday!!

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[CI66774]

Her Birth Cert. is as valid as any person who was born in this country. If RCI accepts a BC as proof of citzenship, then it's ok. It would be helpful to bring her Certificate of Citizenship with you (I always bring a copy) becuase that, on its face, is proof of citzenship. If you have one or the other, I wouldn't worry.

[xxoocruiser]

It is a birth certificate from the State of Maryland

 

How can it be a birth certificate from the State of Maryland when you already stated the child was born in Korea ? a Birth certificate issued from the State of Maryland noting the child was born in Korea is not proof of US. citizenship

[nyer]

How can it be a birth certificate from the State of Maryland when you already stated the child was born in Korea ? a Birth certificate issued from the State of Maryland noting the child was born in Korea is not proof of US. citizenship

 

When the adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate is issued from the state of residence naming the adoptive parents as the mother and father.

[CI66774]

Nyer - yes it is - it is as valid a document as it would be for anyone born in country. A child adopted internationally is an automatic US citizen the moment they land on US soil (Clinton made this automatic and no need to readopt unless only one parent travels, etc) - the child then goes through customs and is issued a Certificate of Citizenship about one month later. Then the parents (or in my case - parent) can go to their respective state and have them issue the child a US birth certificate - as valid as any other birth certificate for a child born in the US. This is not mandatory - only suggested - a Certificate of Citizenship is proof positive of US citizenship. They, typically, the adoptive parent will get the child a passport, social security card, etc.

 

In other words, if the OP has her child's Certificate of Citizenship (and I always bring my adoption decree) that's enough. If she has her Birth Certificate - that's enough - if she has her BC and her Cert of Citizenship - that's more than enough on a closed loop cruise.

[waterbug123]

Her Birth Cert. is as valid as any person who was born in this country. If RCI accepts a BC as proof of citzenship, then it's ok.

 

RCI accepts a BC as proof of citizenship when the BC actually proves citizenship, i.e. it says the person was born in the US. The OP was not born in the US. Depending on the specifics, her BC may or may not prove her citizenship.

[waterbug123]

Nyer - yes it is - it is as valid a document as it would be for anyone born in country. A child adopted internationally is an automatic US citizen .

 

You are wrong. The adopted child may be a citizen but their birth certificate alone doesn't necessarily prove that. From the Maryland Division of State Documents:

 

http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/comarhtml/10/10.03.01.07-1.htm

 

Note the very last sentence, which refers to a notation that shall be on a Maryland Certificate of Foreign Birth, and which says:

 

(3) A statement that the Maryland certificate of foreign birth is not evidence of United States citizenship for the individual for whom it is issued.

[nyer]

You are wrong. The adopted child may be a citizen but their birth certificate alone doesn't necessarily prove that. From the Maryland Division of State Documents:

 

http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/comarhtml/10/10.03.01.07-1.htm

 

Note the very last sentence, which refers to a notation that shall be on a Maryland Certificate of Foreign Birth, and which says:

 

(3) A statement that the Maryland certificate of foreign birth is not evidence of United States citizenship for the individual for whom it is issued.

 

I was not answering the question about the bc proving citizenship, only how could the child have a Maryland bc. My grandson was adopted at birth, but he was born in the US.

[waterbug123]

I was not answering the question about the bc proving citizenship, only how could the child have a Maryland bc. My grandson was adopted at birth, but he was born in the US.

 

And I wasn't actually responding to you; sorry for any confusion. I was responding to CI66774 who was responding to you, and meant to quote two different parts of that person's post instead of just the one. CC66774 made a point about children being adopted internationally are automatically US citizens, and then went on to say that they would therefore only need their US birth certificate (actually a certificate of foreign birth) to prove citizenship.) And as I posted in the link, that is not necessarily true.