Question:
Sometime next month I will be sworn
in. As soon as I am sworn in, I'd
like to apply for my Passport (I
travel a lot). However, having had
the Post office lose my important
documents before, I'm wondering,do
I need to submit my original certificate
of natrualization? Is there some
method to get the first US passport,
by which one does not have to relinquish
the certificate? Can I go somewhere
in person to have an official "accept"
my application and confirm my certificate
or something?
Answer:
You have to give the US state Department
the Original Naturalization Certificate!
There is no way around. To apply
for the first passport they want
the Original. The US State Dpt is
much better than the INS and they
have a very low rate of lost/mistakes
form them. I know the feeling (I
was in anxiety for 8 days last Feb.).
However you can have proof of your
citizenship from the local Court
for about $4. Every citizenship
by naturalization is registered
at the local court and therefore
they can issue a certificate that
proof your citizenship.
At least this
is what they do in San Francisco,
Ca. You might want to try to get
an appointment with a passport agency
and try to file directly with them.
You are not restricted to the USPS.
There are other forms of mail delivery
such as fedex, DHL, etc. Also you
can go a passport office in your
area and apply in person. Here in
NYC it is in Rockefeller Plaza.
Some major postal offices have passport
offices in them as well. Look up
US Passport on the web and see what
they have to say about locations.
Yes, they
require original documents. I can
recall applying for my passport
and was concerned that I had to
give up my original birth certificate,
They did indeed send it back to
me, no problem. :) Recently, I applied
to replace my stolen passport at
the US Embassy in Canada, and they
just photocopied my birth certificate.
They processed it in about 2.5 weeks.
Not a bad timeframe. You can go
to a "passport officer" located
in many county offices and give
them your documents or send them
in by FedEx. Also you can copy it
but they might not take that.
