Help! Travel Documents

[TX Catty Cruiser]

Yes I am a US citizen. Both my parents were born in the US and served the military for 20 years each, and I was born on a US naval base. I am 31, have a DL, a SSN, own a house, pay taxes, got married, etc.

 

Waiting on the passport agency & Charleston Port Authority to call me back now.

 

Thanks!

 

BE SURE to get full names, titles & call back numbers of whoever you talk to from those agencies. Also, if it's what you want to hear, try to get them to send you an email or something in writing so that you have proof of what the say when you board. (especially if you are sailing out on the weekend!)

 

 

Something else to consider or look at, is a voter registration card. Only US citizens are support to have the right to vote.

[k_immi_e]

BE SURE to get full names, titles & call back numbers of whoever you talk to from those agencies. Also, if it's what you want to hear, try to get them to send you an email or something in writing so that you have proof of what the say when you board. (especially if you are sailing out on the weekend!)

 

 

Something else to consider or look at, is a voter registration card. Only US citizens are support to have the right to vote.

 

I have that! Been voting since the day I turned 18!

[Nmanack]

What were they able to do for you? Were they able to get you a passport or the documentation you needed for it?

 

 

I just use that birth certificate. I don't have a passport crazy as that sounds

 

 

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[GradUT]

I worked in a U.S. Consulate in Germany in the 1980's handling the issuance of passports for members of the military stationed in Germany and the issuance of Reports of Birth Abroad for the children of servicemembers born in either German or U.S. military hospitals.

 

A child born outside of the United States acquires his own U.S. citizenship through his parents. I won't go into all of the law, but in most cases, a child of U.S. citizens is also a U.S. citizen no matter where he is born. But that birth certificate issued by a military hospital does not prove citizenship (unlike a birth certificate from a hospital in the U.S.) because a child could be born in that hospital of parents who were not U.S. citizens or who, for legal reasons, could not confer U.S. citizenship on their child. (Again, I won't go into the law since these cases are rare, but they do happen.) So, the bottom line is that the birth certificate issued by the U.S. Naval Hospital in Cuba is worthless in proving your U.S. citizenship and should not be accepted by Carnival. (Whether they do accept it is another matter.)

 

In order for your parents to take you back to the U.S., they would have applied for a Report of Birth Abroad from the U.S. Interest Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana. The Foreign Service officers who manned the U.S. Interest Section would have gathered the citizenship records of your parents to prove they could pass U.S. citizenship on you. The Report of Birth Abroad would have been issued and THAT is your official birth certificate for proving U.S. citizenship (e.g. getting a U.S. passport).

 

Obviously, you no longer have a copy of your Report of Birth Abroad, but a duplicate can be requested from the U.S. Department of State. I imagine it takes a lot of time to get one, so that's where your U.S. Representative comes in. We used to deal with requests from U.S. Representatives occasionally and those requests were always put to the head of the queue because we had to respond to the request within a set number of days.

 

The bottom line--Carnival MAY (but I highly doubt it) accept your birth certificate from the U.S. Naval Station in Cuba. What you need is a Report of Birth Abroad and the only way I see you getting it in time for your cruise is with the assistance of a persistent U.S. Representative and his staff.

 

Good Luck!

[oohlalailicious]

The passport agency still has it.

 

How awful, I'm sorry you are going through this. Good luck. I have to wonder though, are you going to have the birth certificate back in time for the trip? Side note: my brother is 33 years old born in California, back in those days the hospital used to give you a copy of your birth certificate to verify the info it clearly stated it wasn't the actual BC and instructions on how to collect an official one. My mother never did this for him and never had a problem once using it for him in 29 years, he has a SSN card, CDL, jobs, whatever else, until he tried to get a a DL when he moved to NV it was a huge issue for them and that's when I read his BC and laughed so hard I just went and purchased him an official one, here in his hometown and he didn't have an issue at all after that. However he was really stressed and sad while it was happening.

[TX Catty Cruiser]

I worked in a U.S. Consulate in Germany in the 1980's handling the issuance of passports for members of the military stationed in Germany and the issuance of Reports of Birth Abroad for the children of servicemembers born in either German or U.S. military hospitals.

 

A child born outside of the United States acquires his own U.S. citizenship through his parents. I won't go into all of the law, but in most cases, a child of U.S. citizens is also a U.S. citizen no matter where he is born. But that birth certificate issued by a military hospital does not prove citizenship (unlike a birth certificate from a hospital in the U.S.) because a child could be born in that hospital of parents who were not U.S. citizens or who, for legal reasons, could not confer U.S. citizenship on their child. (Again, I won't go into the law since these cases are rare, but they do happen.) So, the bottom line is that the birth certificate issued by the U.S. Naval Hospital in Cuba is worthless in proving your U.S. citizenship and should not be accepted by Carnival. (Whether they do accept it is another matter.)

 

In order for your parents to take you back to the U.S., they would have applied for a Report of Birth Abroad from the U.S. Interest Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana. The Foreign Service officers who manned the U.S. Interest Section would have gathered the citizenship records of your parents to prove they could pass U.S. citizenship on you. The Report of Birth Abroad would have been issued and THAT is your official birth certificate for proving U.S. citizenship (e.g. getting a U.S. passport).

 

Obviously, you no longer have a copy of your Report of Birth Abroad, but a duplicate can be requested from the U.S. Department of State. I imagine it takes a lot of time to get one, so that's where your U.S. Representative comes in. We used to deal with requests from U.S. Representatives occasionally and those requests were always put to the head of the queue because we had to respond to the request within a set number of days.

 

The bottom line--Carnival MAY (but I highly doubt it) accept your birth certificate from the U.S. Naval Station in Cuba. What you need is a Report of Birth Abroad and the only way I see you getting it in time for your cruise is with the assistance of a persistent U.S. Representative and his staff.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

K_immi_e, with what GRADUT said above you might want to check with your Parents. They just might have the doc you need and not know it's what you need.

 

GRADUT what does the Report of Birth Abroad look like? Does it look like a birth certificate or just a US form or maybe a letter?

 

I really hope all works out for you!!! Let us know -

[crusinpsychRN]

Grad UT, great post chock full of info.

[k_immi_e]

Thanks GradUT!

 

My latest update:

1. Email in to the congressman, hoping to get a response tomorrow

2. Calls into different agencies looking for an answer on the BC being used.

 

And then lastly, which is my most hopeful option, according to the State site, I can overnight a request for the birth from abroad certificate and include an overnight label with it for it to be sent right to me.

 

I asked my mom (my dad passed last year) and she doesn't ever remember getting the birth from abroad certificate from the hospital, but as she said "she was busy having a baby" so who knows.

 

Fingers crossed something works!

[k_immi_e]

K_immi_e, with what GRADUT said above you might want to check with your Parents. They just might have the doc you need and not know it's what you need.

 

GRADUT what does the Report of Birth Abroad look like? Does it look like a birth certificate or just a US form or maybe a letter?

 

I really hope all works out for you!!! Let us know -

 

My husband has a birth from abroad certificate, he was born in Dundee and his dad is a US citizenship. It's smaller than a letter size piece of paper and just has his name and birth date on it and is signed. (It looks like a traditional certificate when you think of a certificate)

 

He got his passport back in a week!

Edited August 15, 2016 by k_immi_e

[sparks1093]

That should be all you need if returning from same port you leave from. As long as it's not leaving from Puerto Rico in which case you'll need your passport. I was lucky. My representative was new young and ambitious to make his constituents happy. His staff was awesome and so helpful as well as quick

 

 

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Puerto Rico is a US territory and cruises leaving and returning there are closed loop cruises just like from any other US port.

 

OP, you need an original Consular Report of Birth Abroad according to the DHS regulations and I do not believe that the certificate will get you anywhere. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that you will be able to get the CRBA prior to your cruise (if you are on a closed loop cruise you would be able to use it in conjunction with your drivers license).

[Nmanack]

Puerto Rico is a US territory and cruises leaving and returning there are closed loop cruises just like from any other US port.

 

 

 

OP, you need an original Consular Report of Birth Abroad according to the DHS regulations and I do not believe that the certificate will get you anywhere. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that you will be able to get the CRBA prior to your cruise (if you are on a closed loop cruise you would be able to use it in conjunction with your drivers license).

 

 

For some reason my kids needed passports to go with my parents but possibly was different port return

 

 

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[GradUT]

Thanks GradUT!

 

My latest update:

1. Email in to the congressman, hoping to get a response tomorrow

2. Calls into different agencies looking for an answer on the BC being used.

 

And then lastly, which is my most hopeful option, according to the State site, I can overnight a request for the birth from abroad certificate and include an overnight label with it for it to be sent right to me.

 

I asked my mom (my dad passed last year) and she doesn't ever remember getting the birth from abroad certificate from the hospital, but as she said "she was busy having a baby" so who knows.

 

Fingers crossed something works!

 

You might want to order TWO Reports of Birth Abroad. You can send one to the Passport Office so that they can continue processing your passport and you can keep the other to present with your photo ID in order to board the cruise. (Plus, it's always useful to have 2 of these sorts of documents.) And even though the DOS does offer overnight mail, the processing time of 4-6 weeks is a problem. I think your US Representative can be helpful with that.

Edited August 15, 2016 by GradUT

[summersigh]

If I were having those issues as a U.S. citizen, and especially as a U.S. citizen whose parents sacrificed being stateside to serve the U.S., I'd be all over my Congressional representatives to make sure my travel plans happen.

 

Keep us posted. You don't deserve the runaround you've been getting as a U.S. citizen. Good luck for no more stress over this!

 

Yes Yes Yes !!! With your parents service to this country you certainly do not deserve this treatment.

 

Definitely pursue the Congressional angle - notify ALL of them for your state.

Edited August 15, 2016 by summersigh

[wecamp]

Sounds like gradut knows. I would call the congressman office or local office. Who knows when they will respond to email.

My husband (Germany 1961) has the birth abroad certificate and a Certificate of Citizenship from Immigration stating he is a U.S. Citizen. Those 2 things always caused problems when used, most people don't deal with these documents. He finally got a passport about 5 years ago.

[winddawn]

My son was born overseas when I was in the military. A record of live birth was created and kept at the US embassy of the host country and with the State Department. Although we didn't have diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1985, there still should be a record of a live birth overseas maintained by the State Department. The personnel folks were pretty good about getting births recorded.

 

This link might be a starting point for you:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/abroad/events-and-records/birth/replace-or-amend-consular-report-of-birth-abroad.html

 

For Winddawn: Of course our kids born overseas are American citizens, to include the right to become President. What a disservice it would be if the children of soldiers, sailors and airmen serving our country abroad were denied that basic right of citizenship.

I totally agree, but did not see that stated in the OP's original post; thus, I asked if the OP is an American citizen.

 

And after I asked, the OP stated that she is a U.S. citizen. And if I were in her shoes, I would not hesitate to go to the media if the Congressional route does not pan out timely.

 

There is no excuse why an American citizen born overseas to U.S. military members should be hassled over citizenship to travel abroad and enjoy U.S. citizenship privileges!

[mumtopugs]

I was born on the Navy base in Rota, Spain. My birth certificate reads "Certification of Birth Abroad of United States Citizen" and it's issued by the State Department. The hospital ones are pretty useless whether born stateside or abroad.

 

You have plenty of time obtain a BC from vital records and travel with just that and a driver's

license.

 

Order a second copy and send that for your passport and maybe it'll come in before you go. They're only a few weeks out.

 

You gave yourself plenty of time to get it sorted out.

Edited August 16, 2016 by mumtopugs

[sparks1093]

I totally agree, but did not see that stated in the OP's original post; thus, I asked if the OP is an American citizen.

 

And after I asked, the OP stated that she is a U.S. citizen. And if I were in her shoes, I would not hesitate to go to the media if the Congressional route does not pan out timely.

 

There is no excuse why an American citizen born overseas to U.S. military members should be hassled over citizenship to travel abroad and enjoy U.S. citizenship privileges!

 

As a vet I appreciate the sentiment but they still need the correct documentation in order to travel abroad, just as any other US citizen does.

[k_immi_e]

Update:

 

Not much has happened yet.

 

My mom and I went thru every piece of official paperwork she has and no birth from abroad form. Talking with my mother in law who had 3 children overseas but are US citizens, my friend also born in the same wing of the hospital I was born in, & a father to someone who was born in that hospital, ALL of them have birth from abroad certificates. So as stated before, I am hoping I have one on file with the gov't.

 

I have reached out to my congressman 3 ways now. I have called his local branch, his DC branch, and emailed both. So hopefully I will hear something back soon.

 

I started calming down yesterday, but am now panicking again. I talked to my aunt, who I cruised with 10 years ago, and she is 100% sure I used my birth certificate then, but that was 10 years ago! So it may not be sufficient again.

[cherylandtk]

Kimmie, if you have not already done so, go ahead and apply for the replacement FS 240 now, with overnight mailing. Your representatives can help expedite that application, but you are still going to need to apply for it for them to expedite it. And, with normal service and no intervention, you could still get it before your cruise - so don't delay and press on with the congressional intervention. Do include a photocopy of your Cuba Naval hospital birth record with the application if you have one. Your representatives' Constituent Services offices CAN get this taken care of in time, but the easier you make it for them, the faster they can make it happen.

 

And yes, it would be a fluke if you were allowed onboard with the naval hospital certificate alone; regulations are much more stringent than 10 years ago and you ARE going to need your FS 240 in the future for proof of citizenship, so apply today (note the part for notarized signature and extra fee for overnight mailing). Good Luck!

Edited August 16, 2016 by cherylandtk

[k_immi_e]

Kimmie, if you have not already done so, go ahead and apply for the replacement FS 240 now, with overnight mailing. Your representatives can help expedite that application, but you are still going to need to apply for it for them to expedite it. And, with normal service and no intervention, you might still get it before your cruise, as yours is in 6 weeks. Do include a photocopy of your Cuba Naval hospital birth record with the application if you have one. Your representatives' Constituent Services offices CAN get this taken care of in time, but the easier you make it for them, the faster they can make it happen.

 

And yes, it would be a fluke if you were allowed onboard with the naval hospital certificate alone; regulations are much more stringent than 10 years ago and you ARE going to need your FS 240 in the future for proof of citizenship, so apply today (note the part for notarized signature and extra fee for overnight mailing). Good Luck!

 

Thanks Cherylandtk.

 

I have not applied for the FS240 yet- It's been less than 24 hours since I got the notice asking for this, so I have been still researching and trying to figure out what to do.

 

BUT I did just get an email back from my representative saying they can help and I have to fill out some documents for them first (info release & etc). I am going home on my lunch break to get the paperwork they need.

 

I am the dummy that forgot to photocopy my birth certificate before sending it off to the passport agency! What the heck was I smoking when I did that!

[Nmanack]

I forgot to look at mine but I'm leaving tonight so I'll get back later what it says. I'm thinking live birth certificate

 

 

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[k_immi_e]

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

 

I just got a call back from the Port of Charleston. Spoke to Susan. She said she has seen a few naval birth certificates and was pretty sure it would be okay. She had me call Charleston Customs & Border Protection. I spoke to Sam who transferred me to Steve who told me that it is no problem at all. Because it is a closed loop cruise (compared to ones like trans-atlantic), that I just need to prove I am a citizen, so my birth certificate (with marriage license proofing my name change) is good to go with Govt issued photo ID! I was told to speak to Charlie the port supervisor if there are any issues.

 

I am still trying to get my passport because I have already paid for it. But that is a big sigh of relief.

[Nmanack]

Yay[emoji6]

 

 

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[zqvol]

Yes I am a US citizen. Both my parents were born in the US and served the military for 20 years each, and I was born on a US naval base. I am 31, have a DL, a SSN, own a house, pay taxes, got married, etc.

 

I am dumbfounded why my status is an issue now :(

 

I had a good freak out cry earlier and am now calmed down a bit and have started making calls to figure out if I can cruise with just this BC. So far the signs are pointing to yes. Waiting on the passport agency & Charleston Port Authority to call me back now.

 

Thanks!

 

Your status is not an issue, and the person who was stupid enough to ask if you are a citizen needs to go retake US Government 101. Your issue is that the Department of State requires a certificate of birth abroad (or whatever its real name is) to issue a passport. It happens to everyone who is born abroad of US parents. Up until now you have not needed it because the people who you have dealt with are fine with your hospital certificate.

 

it will get straightened out, and in the future you will have your form and a passport so you won't have to go through this again.

 

Good luck with getting on the ship, you should be OK, but you never know what ICE will say. (Just read your good news! Have a fun cruise and don't lose the port supervisor's name because you may have to have your cruise line contact him before they let you on board.)

Edited August 16, 2016 by zqvol

[vjblk]

The next question is when will your birth certificate be returned to you. If you are still trying to get your passport, won't the passport agency keep the one you submitted?