Passport News Roundup: Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae/Eat My Passport)

Welcome to the March 2017 edition of our Passport News Roundup! We have some wild stories to cover this month. We'll look at everything from passport lines to passport seizures... with a passport snack in between! This month's passport news features baseball stars, rappers, and the President of the United States.

Come with us as we review the hottest passport news stories from all across the United States and beyond.

 

Watch Me (Stand in Line for a Passport)

Back in November, we wrote an article asking if Trump's election would cause a passport rush. Less than four months later, it looks like we have a clear answer, and that answer is yes! Media outlets around the country are reporting on crowds of people jamming passport acceptance facilities seeking to get US passports.

The State Department had already expected a higher than normal number of passport applications in 2017, but last month's well-publicized immigration raids have prompted a new surge of applications.

In Travis County, Texas, the local Passport Acceptance Facility says that applicants are starting to line up at 5 A.M. every morning, three hours before the facility opens at 8 o'clock. Many of the people in line are families of undocumented parents seeking to get passports for their US-born children. A report from CBS News in Sacramento, California featured a mother who expressed the fears of many immigrant parents. She was seeking a US passport for her 11 year old son, not just to allow him to stay in the US, but to give him the freedom to travel if she is deported. More than anything, she feared being separated from her son. If he does not have a valid passport, he would not be able to travel with her back to her home country if she is deported.

It's not just US passports that are being sought - consulates of countries like Mexico and El Salvador report that they also are seeing an increase in passport applications. Families of undocumented immigrants are seeking passports from their native countries to make sure they can all travel together if one member is deported.

Passport News Roundup: Celebrity Edition!

This month's roundup includes several American celebrities making passport news around the world! We've got more than just celebrity news, though. We'll also review the latest news about gender representation on US passports, and ponder the question of whether a passport-issuing computer can be racist

Rapper Mos Def Leaves South African Home Over Passport Issues

 

Hip-hop star Mos Def, who now goes by the name Yasiin Smith Bey, has been living in South Africa since 2013. His passport issues first hit the news in January, when he was arrested at Cape Town International Airport. Bey had attempted to board a flight to Ethiopia using a "World Passport" issued by the World Security Authority. Although he is a US citizen and holds a US passport, he chose not to use his US passport for political reasons.

The World Passport was created by the World Government of World Citizens. This organization, headquartered in Washington, DC, wishes to offer people an alternative to claiming citizenship of any specific nation. They claim that by holding their World Passport, the bearer is entitled to all rights detailed in the United Nation's 1948 Declaration of Human Rights. The World Passport was originally meant for refugees unable to receive a passport from their home country or country of residence. More than a million people now hold World Passports, both refugees and people like Yasiin Bey who choose not to associate with their country of citizenship.

Bey was arrested at the airport for attempting to use his World Passport to leave the country. He'd most recently entered South Africa using his US passport, and should have used the same passport to depart. He was charged with misrepresenting himself, having a false identity, and presenting documentation that was not issued by a legal authority. In the ten months since his arrest, Bey has been prevented from leaving South Africa.  He was finally allowed to depart South Africa -- using his US passport -- on November 22.

The South African government has dropped the charges against him, but have officially labeled Bey an "undesirable person."  He is no longer allowed to enter South Africa without a visa.

Actor Steven Seagal Gets Russian Passport From Putin

 

A US passport wasn't enough for actor Steven Seagal, either.  On November 25, the action film star accepted a Russian passport directly from the hands of Vladimir Putin! 

Seagal, who is most famous for his roles in '90s action films like Under Siege, has been a frequent visitor to Russia.  He's been vocal in his admiration of Vladimir Putin, calling him one of the world's great leaders. He accepted the Russian passport from Putin in a ceremony at the Kremlin, bowing and then formally signing his new Russian passport. 

According to Seagal, he has no intention of denouncing his US citizenship, but will just hold dual citizenship with Russia. Putin has announced that offering Seagal citizenship was a signal of goodwill towards the United States, and that he wants it to be a step towards normalizing relations.

No Toilet, No Passport and Other Passport News From Around the World

At Passportinfo.com, our main focus is United States passports, but we also keep an eye on passport news from around the world! Today, we’ll look at some of the top passport-related news stories from India, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland.

India: You Can’t Have a Passport if You Don’t Have a Toilet

In rural India, many people do not have toilets in their home, and the national government has undertaken a major public health campaign about it. As the Hindustan Times reports, one local government has gone so far as to block people without toilets from obtaining passports!

Indian passport applicants are required to obtain a "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) from local police. The NOC is essentially a certification of good conduct, and is required for many official purposes, including getting a commercial driver’s license, gun permit, or passport. The superintendent of police in Katni District, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, has declared that his police department will now only issue No Objection Certificates to applicants who can produce proof that their home has a toilet. Applicants will have to ask local authorities known as "gram panchayats" to certify that not only do they have a toilet, but that they use it! The superintendent of police further states that even policemen from his own department will have to comply with the toilet requirement. It’s reported that more than 50% of households in Madhya Pradesh state do not have toilets, but subsidies are available under the national cleanliness program to help people build them.

France: You Can’t Have a Passport if You Smile

In France, you won’t be asked about the status of your toilette when you apply for a passport. But don’t get too happy about that – your passport application will be rejected if you smile in your passport photo!

A French civil servant known only as "Thierry" filed suit to challenge this rule two years ago after his passport application was rejected. According to rules laid down in 2009, French passport applicants need to have a neutral expression with closed lips, but French passport authorities have interpreted that to mean that the applicant may not smile at all. Even a faint "Mona Lisa smile" or, as the New York Times called it, "undertaker’s smile," is cause for rejection. In 2014, a lower court denied Thierry’s case and upheld the ban on smiling. Thierry was undeterred, and felt that it was a matter of national morale to be allowed to smile in a passport photo. He pressed the case, but in early October, an appellate court agreed with the lower court’s decision. French travelers still may not smile at all in their passport photos!

Passport News Roundup – Mobile Passport Control and Passport Acceptance Facilities

The month of May has drawn to a close, so it’s time for a roundup of all the month’s passport news! The past month saw several airports join the Mobile Passport Control program and the opening of new Passport Acceptance Facilities. We’ll also review some upcoming Passport Days when you can apply for a passport outside of normal business hours.

Mobile Passport Control

 

These days, it seems like you can do just about everything from your smartphone. With one app, you can order groceries; with another, you can remotely turn on or off the air conditioning in your house… and with the Mobile Passport Control app, you can bypass the long immigration lines at the airport when you return to the US!

When the Mobile Passport Control app officially debuted last year, we wrote an article explaining how the system works. In a nutshell, you can download the app onto your iPhone or Android device, fill out some details about yourself and your trip, and then breeze through a “fast lane” designated for Mobile Passport Control app users. Last year, the app could only be used at five airports, but the program is rapidly expanding. Three new airports opened up Mobile Passport Control lanes in May: Orlando International Airport (MCO), Denver International Airport (DEN), and San Jose International Airport (SJC) in California.

The new additions to the program bring the number of US airports within the Mobile Passport Control program to 12. It’s expected to expand to 20 airports by the end of the year. For now, you can use the Mobile Passport Control app at:

• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Newark International Airport (EWR)
• New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• San Jose International Airport (SJC)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

New Passport Acceptance Facilities

 

If you need to get a first-time passport, a replacement for a lost, damaged, or stolen passport, or a passport for your child under age 16, your first stop is going to be a Passport Acceptance Facility. That’s where a Passport Acceptance Agent will review your application, administer an oath to you, and either send in your application to the National Passport Center for processing or seal it into an official envelope so you can have your passport expedited by a registered passport expediting company.
In the past month, several new Passport Acceptance Facilities opened around the country.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

 

A dedicated Passport Acceptance Facility has opened in the United States Post Office in downtown Colorado Springs, CO. The new facility, located at 201 E. Pikes Peak Avenue, offers passport services in a separate area, apart from the main counters for postal service. The center has dedicated employees and private rooms for review of applications. Passport photos are also available on site, and appointments are not required.
The new consolidated facility is the second in the state of Colorado (the first is in Aurora.) With the new facility able to assist so many travelers, five nearby post offices have now discontinued passport services. The general mail facility on Fountain Boulevard and the Cimarron Hills, Cheyenne Mountain, Templeton Gap, and Rockrimmon post offices no longer accept passport applications, and travelers are urged to visit the downtown facility instead.

Harris County, Texas

 

In Harris County, Texas, four new Passport Acceptance Facilities have opened outside of Houston. The Harris County District Clerk’s Office now offers limited passport acceptance services at the public libraries in the towns of Bear Creek, Clear Lake, Humble, and Spring. The passport services at the libraries are a pilot program, meant to make it more convenient for Harris County residents to apply for passports. At the moment, each library offers passport service only one day a month, but the District Clerk plans to hire five new employees so that the acceptance hours can be extended. Appointments aren’t needed for service at the libraries, but you will need to plan your visit in advance, to make sure you go in on a day that services are available!

Syracuse, Utah

 

The city of Syracuse, UT has begun to offer passport acceptance services at the City Hall located at 233 E. Washington. The new Passport Acceptance Facility is open Monday through Friday, from 9am to 4pm. Walk-in service is available, but travelers are urged to make an appointment in advance to minimize their wait times. The new facility also offers passport photos on-site for a $10 fee.
If these new Passport Acceptance Facilities aren’t convenient to you, don’t worry! Our interactive locator will help you determine which of the 7,000+ facilities nationwide is the best for you.

Upcoming Passport Days

 

Do you work full-time during normal business hours? Are you worried about being able to get to a Passport Acceptance Facility to apply for your passport? If you answered yes to both questions, a Passport Day is for you. Passport Days, also known as Passport Fairs, are times when Passport Acceptance Facilities open outside of normal business hours to serve travelers who would have difficulty getting to the facility otherwise. Travelers can typically get passport acceptance service on a first come, first-served basis during a passport fair.
Upcoming Passport Days include:

• Milford, CT: Saturday, June 4 from 2:30 to 5pm at the Milford Post Office, 300 Pepes Farm Road, Milford, CT
• New Port Richey, FL: Saturday, June 25 from 8am to noon at the New Port Richey Post Office, 6550 Main Street, New Port Richey, FL
• Oldsmar, FL: Saturday, June 18 from 10am to noon at the Oldsmar Post Office, 3905 Tampa Road, Oldsmar, FL
• Springfield, IL: Saturday, June 4 from 9am to noon at the Illinois National Bank at 3150 W. Wabash Avenue, Springfield, IL
• Springfield, IL: Saturday, June 18 from 9am to noon at the Illinois National Bank at 2450 N. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 

Source: https://passportinfo.com/passport-news-roundup-may-2016/

Passport News Roundup – Passport Days and Weird Passport News!

The news has been full of stories about passports! In this Passport News Roundup, we have lots of upcoming Passport Days across the country and some wacky passport stories from across the pond.

With summer travel season on the horizon, many Passport Acceptance Facilities are planning Passport Days to help make it easier for travelers to apply for new passports. Passport Days are special events during which travelers can come to a Passport Acceptance Facility for passport service without an appointment. They're normally held outside of normal business hours, to make it easier for people who work full time to attend.

Upcoming Passport Days

Saturday, April 23

• Apopka, FL - 10am to 2pm at the Orange County Clerk of Courts, 1111 Rock Springs Rd, Apopka, FL
• Clearwater, FL - 9:15am to 12:15 pm at the Clearwater Main Post Office, 100 S. Belcher, Clearwater FL
• Huntsville, AL - 10am to 1pm at the Wynn Post Office, 645 Wynn Drive, Huntsville, AL
• Lakeland, FL - 8am to 3pm at the Lakeland Main Post Office, 2800 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, Lakeland FL
• Land O Lakes, FL - 9am to 12 noon at the Land O Lakes Post Office, 5230 Land O Lakes Boulevard, Land O Lakes, FL
• Monroreville, PA - 11am to 5pm at the Monroeville Post Office, 2630 Monroeville Boulevard, Monroeville, PA
• Newnan, GA - 12 noon to 3pm at the Newnan Post Office, 60 Postal Parkway, Newnan, GA
• Wichita Falls, TX - 8am to 2pm at the Wichita Falls Main Post Office, 1000 Lamar Street, Wichita Falls, TX

Tuesday, April 26

• East Windsor, NJ - 3pm to 7pm at the East Windsor Municipal Building,16 Lanning Boulevard, East Windsor, NJ
• Penfield, NY - extended hours from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Penfield Town Hall, 3100 Atlantic Avenue, Penfield, NY

Saturday, April 30

• Anacortes, WA - 10am to 4pm at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th Street, Anacortes, WA
• Pleasant Hills, PA - 11am to 5:30 pm at the Pleasant Hills Post Office, 500 Regis Avenue, Pleasant Hills, PA

Saturday, May 7

• Penn Hills, PA - 11am to 5:30pm at the Penn Hills Post Office, 11650 Penn Hills Drive, Penn Hills, PA

Tuesday, May 17

• East Windsor, NJ - 10am. to 3pm at the East Windsor Municipal Building,16 Lanning Boulevard, East Windsor, NJ

 

Passport News of the Weird

This week's wacky passport news stories all come from the United Kingdom. The ongoing saga of artist Oscar Murillo remains in the news. The young artist, who is a dual citizen of Great Britain and Colombia, made headlines last month when he flushed his British passport down an airplane toilet during a flight to Sydney, Australia. The artist confirms that this wasn't just a moment of madness – he did it as a calculated protest of the privilege enjoyed by citizens of Western nations. Murillo was detained in Australia for two days before being deported, and has now returned to the United Kingdom after a round-the-world journey via Spain and Colombia.

Another British citizen, Laura Matthews, was denied a passport by the UK Passport Office, and had to legally change her name before she could be issued one! In 2008, Matthews had legally changed her name to add "Skywalker" as her middle name, and adopted the signature "L Skywalker." When she applied for a passport in 2014, she signed her application "L Skywalker." Her application was denied because the Passport Office said that "L Skywalker" was a trademark and could not be used as a signature. After two years without a passport, Matthews gave up the fight and changed her name again to give up the name Skywalker.

While Her Majesty's citizens have been up to these passport shenanigans, it's now come to light that Queen Elizabeth II doesn't even have a passport! The reigning monarch, who is about to celebrate her 90th birthday, has visited 117 countries around the globe but has never held a passport. It’s good to be Queen!

Source: https://passportinfo.com/passport-days-and-weird-passport-news/