Community Chat

[Shorty2U]

Has anyone had this much trouble getting a passport?

My granddaughter (18) applied for her 1st passport (to travel to Europe this Summer)

She was of course born in PA here in the USA. But she was refused saying they need more proof she was born in America. She had filled out everything including sending her birth certificate.

Years ago, her birth certificate was lost. So my daughter sent for a new one years and years ago. But there was something misspelled on the birth certificate. So my daughter had that all fixed long ago and got her birth certificate long ago (as in many years ago).

Well the passport was refused due TO her getting a copy and fixing the mistake (again long ago) so they wanted more proof she was born in America.

They said to get school records and everything which she did. (Which makes no sense to me because how can school records prove she was born here, she didn't start school till 5 yrs old!). But of course she complied and did what they said.

NOW she got a thing saying no passport until she fills out a census! She lives at home with her parents and sisters because she just turned 18 (2 months ago) and is just about to graduate high school! But she is now filling out the census.

Yes I understand these are different times and things are strict, but I spoke to others who had their kids get passports in the past years and no one had all this trouble.

And my thoughts are I wonder if other countries are checking who flies back and forth over here like this? Geesh, I cant get over they don't trust a birth certificate from the USA and then school records. Now its a census has to be filled out first?

PS) She is actually thinking of changing her trip to later because she doesnt know if her passport will get OKd and here in time.

[sunshine45]

my daughter got hers a couple of years ago when she went to study abroad for her junior year. we had her official birth certificate (ordered several from the department of vital records for our state), her social security card (although i am not sure they needed that), and her drivers license......all with her name spelled the same way. she did not have any problems. she filed it with expedited service and she received it within two weeks.

[Kachina624]

I never heard of anyone having as much trouble as your granddaughter.   We had major congestion at all the passport application places here a few months ago when the government said NM drivers licenses would not get you on a plane or in government facilities because they were issuing them to illegal aliens.  Our last legislative session seems to have fixed that.

Hope she get it straightened out.

[Stray]

@Shorty2U- I had to get a birth certificate issued by the state with a raised seal.  I was born in a city in NJ where some records were stolen from our Town Hall and a known terrorist lived there with an active cell. 

[qbetzforreal]

---

@Shorty2U wrote:

Has anyone had this much trouble getting a passport?

My granddaughter (18) applied for her 1st passport (to travel to Europe this Summer)

She was of course born in PA here in the USA. But she was refused saying they need more proof she was born in America. She had filled out everything including sending her birth certificate.

Years ago, her birth certificate was lost. So my daughter sent for a new one years and years ago. But there was something misspelled on the birth certificate. So my daughter had that all fixed long ago and got her birth certificate long ago (as in many years ago).

Well the passport was refused due TO her getting a copy and fixing the mistake (again long ago) so they wanted more proof she was born in America.

They said to get school records and everything which she did. (Which makes no sense to me because how can school records prove she was born here, she didn't start school till 5 yrs old!). But of course she complied and did what they said.

NOW she got a thing saying no passport until she fills out a census! She lives at home with her parents and sisters because she just turned 18 (2 months ago) and is just about to graduate high school! But she is now filling out the census.

Yes I understand these are different times and things are strict, but I spoke to others who had their kids get passports in the past years and no one had all this trouble.

And my thoughts are I wonder if other countries are checking who flies back and forth over here like this? Geesh, I cant get over they don't trust a birth certificate from the USA and then school records. Now its a census has to be filled out first?

PS) She is actually thinking of changing her trip to later because she doesnt know if her passport will get OKd and here in time.

---

yes, all countries require a valid passport/papers to travel outside of the country of origin.  in some countries, it's even worse.

She's also going to need a visa.  That's another part of traveling abroad. She's get her docs.

[Suziepeach]

I got my first passport only a couple months ago.  All they needed was my birth certificate & thank goodness filling out the paperwork wasn't bad at all.  I had my passport in my hands at almost 3 weeks and a few days later they returned my birth certificate.

[truffle]

---

@sunshine45 wrote:

my daughter got hers a couple of years ago when she went to study abroad for her junior year. we had her official birth certificate (ordered several from the department of vital records for our state), her social security card (although i am not sure they needed that), and her drivers license......all with her name spelled the same way. she did not have any problems. she filed it with expedited service and she received it within two weeks.

---

That's exactly right.  One must contact Vital Records in the state you were born to get an official birth certificate.  Years ago I contacted the hospital where I was born and obtained a copy that way and it included a raised seal...not accepted anymore and hospitals no longer can do that as it all has to come from Vital Records.   I wonder if a newborn can get a birth certificate anymore from their hospital.  Anyone know? 

[Lila Belle]

While it may be an inconvenience I'm happy to hear that there is scrutiny being paid where discrepancies have been found.

@truffle I got mine soon after my birth as did both my children. Thankfully we had no problems.

[Mz iMac]

Your granddaughter was red flagged because of the following:

"there was something misspelled on the birth certificate."

"passport was refused due TO her getting a copy and fixing the mistake"

Granddaughter needs an original BC showing a raised seals showing no mistakes.  Not a BC that apparently was obviously "altered."

"NOW she got a thing saying no passport until she fills out a census!"

If your GD is 18 she is no longer a minor in the eyes of the government.  She must complete a census report if ordered no matter who she lives with.

[Shorty2U]

Ok thanks for the replies, and she does have her birth certificate from vital statistics. But it wasn't the 1st one from when she was born, but it has the seal (it just had been fixed and re-ordered) so I guess that's why they got suspicious. I just don't get this census thing now? I guess its best that they are checking people out, but from the replies here it was easier for others. That must be because everyone else had their original birth certificate "since birth".