Getting a replacement US passport is an easy process but often people do not get the document as fast as they may wish, especially those with urgent travel needs. This is because the entire process takes an average of eight weeks to have all the processing complete. There are several reasons why a replacement might be required such as theft of the document, loss or expiration. This document is very vital especially, for constant travelers and the lack of it will certainly interrupt your travel plans. The average processing period, which is 6-8 weeks, proves inconveniencing at times, especially for people with urgent travel needs.
Use The Internet
The Internet is a good place to search for people wanting the document in a hurry. Here, you will find several companies that offer replacement services. Using them is fast and you could get your document within 24 hours if need be. Nevertheless, you should note that urgent processing carries an extra fee. The costs for overnight processing can cost up to $300 but this will vary with the degree of urgency. Documents processed in a longer time frame will be cheaper.
The Government Connection
These companies have a working relationship with government agencies issuing passports. This enables them to achieve faster processing of the document. For this reason, they are more advantaged than personal applicants. As an individual applicant, the best one can do is to go through the government agencies and this is only appropriate when the document is not urgently required because it will take 3-4 weeks.
Your Responsibility
It should be noted that an applicant has responsibility when they choose to work with a processing company. This will involve the completion of all the forms required by the government and those by required by the service provider. Government application forms are available on its site and can also be obtained from the provider’s site. The service company issues the applicant with a full set of instructions that apply to the form’s completion.
Passport Photos
A new document will require photographs that have been taken according to the required measurements. This will be two, 2×2 inch photographs taken from a frontal view and in full color. You should follow the guidelines for requirements because there will be additional requirements such as those addressing the permitted attire and eyewear. To avoid rejections, hire a professional photographer to take the photos.
Submission
After all the above is done, you now have to submit the photos, application and any other required identification documents to the processing company. You should mail these documents in one parcel to the company using a mailing service that allows parcel tracking. This assures you of a safe delivery.
Return Old Passport
The old United States passports should be returned together with other renewal documents. The government cancels it and it is returned to the owner. This makes the document invalid but can still be held with the records of the holder.
Lastly, all stolen or lost documents, like United States passports, that are retrieved should be given back to the government to have them canceled. This makes them invalid and prevents them from being used by anyone. As stipulated in this article, pass port replacement is simple and can be very fast if a good independent processing provider is used.
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