Help! Travel Documents

[k_immi_e]

EXCELLENT!!!! I'll still keep my fingers cross that all goes well until we know you have all you need to travel.

 

Has your hubby gone out and bought Champagne yet?

 

Ha! No, our Champagne money went to Fedex fees!

[notentirelynormal]

Ha! No, our Champagne money went to Fedex fees!

 

You made me laugh. No matter the outcome having a positive attitude is good internal karma. It, of course, it will suck if it doesn't work. :rolleyes:

 

Wishing you good luck on everything and if nothing else at least this thread is an excellent eye opening reason for people that were born out of the country but as American citizens, they will now know and understand how some of the difficulties they might encounter getting their first passport.

 

Until it comes down to having an individual experience it is very difficult to give advice and/or understand other people's challenges.

[True Texan]

Been waiting for news. Hope it is going well

[donaldsc]

Just sent my congressman an email. Fingers crossed. From the calls I have been making I think traveling now will be no problem, just getting my passport is. If I don't get this resolved in the next 90days I lose my $135 filing fee... so fingers crossed.

 

If all else fails, I will be a stowaway in my husbands luggage.

 

Congressmen get many many e-mails every day which they ignore. Call them. Get the name of the person that you are talking to. Tell them when you need to get an answer. Follow up with frequent phone calls.

 

Sorry - didn't read the entire thread. Glad that your Congressman got his act together. After all, we pay their salary.

 

DON

Edited August 30, 2016 by donaldsc

[k_immi_e]

No update yet. I emailed the congressional staffer helping me just a bit ago and she responded that she will check on it (the FS240) and will get back to me. Soooooooo still waiting. 32 days until Cruising. I am very anxious.

[True Texan]

Thanks for the update. Hope it gets resolved soon for your sake. We are sailing on Sunday.

[k_immi_e]

Thanks for the update. Hope it gets resolved soon for your sake. We are sailing on Sunday.

 

Thanks!

 

Have Fun! Where are you going?

[True Texan]

We are on the Carnival Breeze Western Caribbean, Jamaica, grand Caymen and Cozumel.

[k_immi_e]

Sigh... I guess I just need to try to start laughing at this whole thing.

 

US Reps office finally gets a hold of State Dept. Turns out I do NOT have a FS240 on file. I say, huh? Passport agency told me I did. US Reps office says, "that is a standard answer"... so 2 weeks and $125 wasted, I don't know what is going to happen.

 

US Reps office says they are working on it, but I lack faith in them from all this wrong information. No Joke, none of this has gone smoothly. I am not trying to play victim. It is not the Reps or Dept of States fault I do not have this. It should have been something my parents should have had when I was born. I am only upset because of the wrong info I have been constantly given and fees I have had to pay for nothing.

 

While the Reps office is trying to figure it out, I am also trying to get my BC back from the passport agency so I can cruise with it. (Remember what Steve said a few posts back)

[NMLady]

Since your cruise is only a month away, instead of depending on getting BC back from passport agency I think you'd be wise to request a copy from wherever you got your original one. Would probably be faster.

 

Here's hoping this all gets straightened out soon!

Edited September 1, 2016 by NMLady

[sparks1093]

Since your cruise is only a month away, instead of depending on getting BC back from passport agency I think you'd be wise to request a copy from wherever you got your original one. Would probably be faster.

 

Here's hoping this all gets straightened out soon!

 

That's part of the problem- the birth certificate was issued by a military base overseas and is insufficient for travel, she needs a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

[k_immi_e]

A bit has happened since lunch time.

 

First is, my Birth certificate is being overnight-ed to me from the passport agency, got a tracking number and everything. SOOOOOOOOO I will have that back in time for the cruise. Which I called again and my US rep has called both Port Authority & Customs in Charleston and we both have gotten that this will suffice for my trip since it is a closed loop cruise.

 

But in the mean time, I am still trying to get my passport. I am going to have to deal with this at one point in my life because half my husbands family lives in Scotland and we want to go there. And it is just good to have your passport as a just in case. I have to jump thru a bunch of hoops and am trying to get it all done within 90 days of the initial letter that was sent to me on Aug 15th. I have to provide a lot of info from my parents, which my dad passed June of 2015 so it may take more than 90 days to get handled. If I don't do it within the 90 days I lose my passport application fee and all the work thus far into this. My mom is going thru her documents to see what she has, I am lucky they were married for almost 40 years and so I don't have even more craziness to deal with as if they were separated.

 

I have also emailed the Havana Consular and Guantanamo Bay Naval Hospital to see if they can come up with anything.

 

Thanks all for following along, advice, and words of empathy.

Edited September 1, 2016 by k_immi_e

[dickinson]

Sorry you have to go through all this. Am following along. Post when you have something new. At least you get your birth certificate back!

[k_immi_e]

So there was a mechanical delay with the plane carrying my birth certificate so I won't get it until tomorrow or Tuesday. Geezy Petes, can nothing go right with this?!

 

But the latest is: I am working on getting my passport still since I have paid for it. I need a bunch of paperwork to prove my parents citizenship, which is stupid because both of them are retired navy, so you think their DD214 would suffice. I was stressing out yesterday about it but my mom surprisingly had 90% of the paperwork I needed. Some of the paperwork requested was just crazy they asked for it so I was surprised my mom had it. She is not an organized type at all (my dad passed June 2015 so he can't help me in any of this)

 

I also heard back from GITMO Naval Hospital today from my call TWO WEEKS ago! Their records do not go back to 1985 so the officer could not tell me if a FS240 was filed or not. He told me that he sees about 1 out of 10 born abroad babies that were born before modern technology call all the time asking this same question and that 1 out of 10 does not have it. The issue is mostly with Cuba and US not having gov't ties so there is no US Embassy in Cuba (by the way, he also told me that they still have the gates lock and they still aren't allowed off base). That they have to have someone fly over from the US Embassy in Jamaica once a month to approve these Birth Abroads and that back in the day there was no follow up or easy way to communicate with parents, dept of state, & embassies to make sure it was done for everyone.

 

Anyways... I still have to file for a certificate of citizenship with US Immigration... that is a whopping $600 and an in person interview! I have to do this because if I ever need gov't benefits in the future (Social Security, Medicare, etc) I need this certificate to do so. Because I am over 18, I cannot file for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad/FS240.

 

 

So, in conclusion, I only need to get a couple small items from the state of Florida for my dad and I should be able to get my passport. I may not have it in time for the cruise, but I will have it none the less.

Edited September 2, 2016 by k_immi_e

[TX Catty Cruiser]

I can't believe all that you have been going through - pure hell! its scary that those government people are running our country. Did you ever hear back from the people that found your missing Fed-X? What did they say - no FS240? If so, will they refund your money since they can't providing a copy?

 

I really hope this all works out for you. I have read 2-3 other posts from people in the same predicament, so if it makes you feel betters there are others out there going thru the same hell.

 

Still got my fingers crossed!!!

[k_immi_e]

I can't believe all that you have been going through - pure hell! its scary that those government people are running our country. Did you ever hear back from the people that found your missing Fed-X? What did they say - no FS240? If so, will they refund your money since they can't providing a copy?

 

I really hope this all works out for you. I have read 2-3 other posts from people in the same predicament, so if it makes you feel betters there are others out there going thru the same hell.

 

Still got my fingers crossed!!!

 

Correct, no FS240. No clue if I will ever see that money back, I have asked.

 

Can you post the posts? I would like to help others with my knowledge.

[ShakyBeef]

Oh my gosh, K immi e, this ordeal of yours just keeps getting crazier!:eek: I know I've said it already, but I am so sorry you're having to go through all this.:( I'm still crossing my fingers for you and hoping the drama finally comes to an end and you get satisfaction well before your cruise date. Thanks for keeping us all updated. Hang in there, girl.

[sparks1093]

So there was a mechanical delay with the plane carrying my birth certificate so I won't get it until tomorrow or Tuesday. Geezy Petes, can nothing go right with this?!

 

But the latest is: I am working on getting my passport still since I have paid for it. I need a bunch of paperwork to prove my parents citizenship, which is stupid because both of them are retired navy, so you think their DD214 would suffice. I was stressing out yesterday about it but my mom surprisingly had 90% of the paperwork I needed. Some of the paperwork requested was just crazy they asked for it so I was surprised my mom had it. She is not an organized type at all (my dad passed June 2015 so he can't help me in any of this)

 

I also heard back from GITMO Naval Hospital today from my call TWO WEEKS ago! Their records do not go back to 1985 so the officer could not tell me if a FS240 was filed or not. He told me that he sees about 1 out of 10 born abroad babies that were born before modern technology call all the time asking this same question and that 1 out of 10 does not have it. The issue is mostly with Cuba and US not having gov't ties so there is no US Embassy in Cuba (by the way, he also told me that they still have the gates lock and they still aren't allowed off base). That they have to have someone fly over from the US Embassy in Jamaica once a month to approve these Birth Abroads and that back in the day there was no follow up or easy way to communicate with parents, dept of state, & embassies to make sure it was done for everyone.

 

Anyways... I still have to file for a certificate of citizenship with US Immigration... that is a whopping $600 and an in person interview! I have to do this because if I ever need gov't benefits in the future (Social Security, Medicare, etc) I need this certificate to do so. Because I am over 18, I cannot file for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad/FS240.

 

 

So, in conclusion, I only need to get a couple small items from the state of Florida for my dad and I should be able to get my passport. I may not have it in time for the cruise, but I will have it none the less.

 

It they can show your parents' citizenship at the time of your birth then they can show that you derived your citizenship from that and issue your passport (that's my take, anyway). The DD214 only shows your parents served, it doesn't prove citizenship. When I was in I served with many Philippines citizens and even if they served 20 years that still didn't make them US citizens (although I believe the law has subsequently changed, thank goodness). I continue to keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Sea Hag]

I haven't read all the replies, so I don't know if somebody else has said this or not. Through some ridiculous concatenation of events, I didn't have a valid birth certificate. Tried to get one through the state and the county both, and neither one of those thought I existed. The way I got my passport was through an old (really old!) census record that showed me as being a valid human being. That and notarized statements from my Dad and my older brother got me a passport. So, if all else fails, try census records.

[TX Catty Cruiser]

Can you post the posts? I would like to help others with my knowledge.

 

One that I remember was cruising in TWO days, but I think she got it resolved. Another one was on Facebook - Christine .... I'm getting really nervous!! We applied for our passports! I got mine but there is a hold on my husbands! He was born on a military base in Germany. He does have a US birth certificate but now also needs a born aboard certificate! It's a big mess. If you want to reach out to her I can see if she wants me to share contact info.

[k_immi_e]

I haven't read all the replies, so I don't know if somebody else has said this or not. Through some ridiculous concatenation of events, I didn't have a valid birth certificate. Tried to get one through the state and the county both, and neither one of those thought I existed. The way I got my passport was through an old (really old!) census record that showed me as being a valid human being. That and notarized statements from my Dad and my older brother got me a passport. So, if all else fails, try census records.

 

I am on the way to getting my passport. so Yay!

 

Since there was no Consular Record of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Citizenship I had to provide:

Parents Birth Certificates- in which I need to get a copy of my dads from the state

My dad changed his name at 18 so I had to provide his name change too

Parents Marriage License

An affidavit from my mom from where she was from when she born to when I was born. I also was supposed to supply this for my dad, which I couldn't as he has passed away. My mom luckily had on hand her history of transactions from the navy covering her enlistment to when I was born so she just had to write a statement saying she lived in two states and the time frame.

Then because my dad had passed, I had to provide his death certificate and his DD214. Originally they requested where my dad had been from when he was born to when I was born too which was going to be impossible without him here, but his DD2214 & Death Certificate & Birth certificate is fine.

Then they asked for my mom's DD214 as well.

 

The only thing I am waiting on is to get a copy of my dads birth certificate. He was born in Florida and they were busy getting hit by a hurricane today so I couldn't reach out to them yet. (Offices were closed).

 

THENNNNNNNNNNNNN I will be able to get my passport. But that is all separate from my citizenship crap.

 

Sigh- they can take my taxes but can't tell me for 30 years that I am not legal. You would think when I filled out my voters registration something would have red flagged. But nope, I am a legal voter too.

Edited September 3, 2016 by k_immi_e

[k_immi_e]

One that I remember was cruising in TWO days, but I think she got it resolved. Another one was on Facebook - Christine .... I'm getting really nervous!! We applied for our passports! I got mine but there is a hold on my husbands! He was born on a military base in Germany. He does have a US birth certificate but now also needs a born aboard certificate! It's a big mess. If you want to reach out to her I can see if she wants me to share contact info.

 

Is this on a public FB post? Or a friend of yours...

[wecamp]

I worked in HR and found out after asking an employee to apply for a passport for work trip that he was not a U.S. Citizen. He had to fess up. He came to America from Cuba when he was 6 months old and never became a U.S. Citizen, this man was in his late 40s. He was hired at another location in the 90s before I9s were processes electronically. Then the government would do random checks on your files. He was legal to be here (came legal, political refugee) but did not ever tell anyone ( not just work). He told me he had never been questioned and never had to show his green card. Voted, had SS card, Drivers License, and lied ( I pulled it) on his paper I9. It seems you can get all that stuff without providing US citizenship. One of the crazy stories from HR.

[TX Catty Cruiser]

Is this on a public FB post? Or a friend of yours...

 

It's on the Carnival Liberty October 22, 2016 group.

[sparks1093]

I am on the way to getting my passport. so Yay!

 

Since there was no Consular Record of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Citizenship I had to provide:

Parents Birth Certificates- in which I need to get a copy of my dads from the state

My dad changed his name at 18 so I had to provide his name change too

Parents Marriage License

An affidavit from my mom from where she was from when she born to when I was born. I also was supposed to supply this for my dad, which I couldn't as he has passed away. My mom luckily had on hand her history of transactions from the navy covering her enlistment to when I was born so she just had to write a statement saying she lived in two states and the time frame.

Then because my dad had passed, I had to provide his death certificate and his DD214. Originally they requested where my dad had been from when he was born to when I was born too which was going to be impossible without him here, but his DD2214 & Death Certificate & Birth certificate is fine.

Then they asked for my mom's DD214 as well.

 

The only thing I am waiting on is to get a copy of my dads birth certificate. He was born in Florida and they were busy getting hit by a hurricane today so I couldn't reach out to them yet. (Offices were closed).

 

THENNNNNNNNNNNNN I will be able to get my passport. But that is all separate from my citizenship crap.

 

Sigh- they can take my taxes but can't tell me for 30 years that I am not legal. You would think when I filled out my voters registration something would have red flagged. But nope, I am a legal voter too.

 

Well, here's the good news- once you have that passport in hand that is all the proof of citizenship that you'll ever need so at that point it would be entirely up to you if you wanted to go to the trouble and expense of getting the FS240.