Time Flies - Passport Renewal Time

My current U.S. passport photo was taken literally within 3 weeks of my birth. I'm almost 4.5 years old now, and I look pretty different these days. But more importantly, my child passport is set to expire November 30, 2016.

While it may seem like I have plenty of time to apply for a renewal passport, consider the following:

1. Many countries require you to have at least 6 months of validity left before allowing you to enter. Therefore, I should have my new one by May 30, 2016.
2. Factoring in that it can take up to 6-8 weeks to process, we should be applying no later than March 31, 2016.

But since we're not planning to go outside the country over the next few months, we thought it made sense to apply for my renewal now, so that I'd be ready to travel internationally for my school's Spring Break in late April.

As you may recall, I had to apply for my passport in person with both of my parents. Given I'm still not 16 years old yet, that rule still applies.

Step 1 - Print your forms
So my father went online and found a web-version of the DS-11 form that we need to fill out. Mostly it was just basic information such as full legal name, address, phone number, social security number, etc. Since we had to go in person, you to save it as a PDF and print it out with you (single sided).

Step 2 - Submit your forms.
We were told:

"For Minors under Age 16 you must establish proof of citizenship AND proof of relationship between the child applicant and the parent(s)/guardian(s). Previous U.S. passports are not acceptable as proof of relationship."

So we'll bring an original birth certificate (which we were going to need anyway).

Step 3 - Where to submit
By clicking on the Locate button, we found several post offices and passport centers near us with information about (a) when they're open, (b) if you need an appointment and (c) if they do photos there.

Step 4 - What to submit
As you can see in the infographic, we'll need a passport photo, a check for the $105 in total fees ($85 for the passport and another $25 for processing), proof of my U.S. Citizenship and proof of parent's relationship including their photo IDs.

It's important to note that for my Proof of U.S. Citizenship, I need to give them both (a) the original certified certificate and (b) a photocopy of both the front AND back. Fortunately, my father had ordered 4 original copies when I was born, so we had backups. Smart dad!

Now I just need to practice my poses for my new passport photo. I wonder if they'll allow some sassy shots.

UPDATE 3/4/2016:  Definitely did not need to pay any expedite fee as we received our passport back within just 16 calendar days after submitting it.

Passport Process Nightmare - Part 2

As I started talking about yesterday, my father's experience getting his additional passport pages was (as you can tell from the title) quite horrible. It all started on July 15th when he sent his current passport to the US Department of State.

After about 3 weeks of processing, the South Carolina Passport Agency sent his passport back using regular US mail on August 2nd, but it went missing. The Post Office claims they never received it from the sender.

It was now August 14th and on September 3rd, my parents and I were scheduled to fly to Israel to visit my grandparents. As you may know, Israeli security isn't too keen on letting people into their country without proper identification.

Normally, that'd be enough time, but the week before, we were going to be in Colorado (August 22nd through August 31st), so we really wanted to make sure my father had his passport before we left for Denver this Thursday.

After 3 rounds of playing US passport bureaucracy games, my father seemed to be on his way to a brand new passport after cleverly scheduling an elusive NYC Agency emergency appointment for Wednesday August 21st.

Round 4
It was still Wednesday August 14th and he had his appointment in 1 week where he'd explain how they lost his passport and he should be issued a new one for free. But the tone of the apathetic National agent kept eating at him all afternoon. Something just didn't feel right, so he called his new South Carolina friend to see if the passport was found at her office. Unfortunately, it was after 5PM, and she had left for the day. So he left a message.

At 7:30AM Thursday morning, the SC agent called my father back and confirmed his missing passport was not in their offices and most likely lost in transit to the post office. He was still very disoriented having been sound asleep, but he managed to ask her if the NYC Passport Agency would process his replacement as she suggested and if she could provide him with any sort of official confirmation / authorization to show the NYC Agency that the SC office specifically instructed him to proceed that way.

She put him on hold while she spoke with her supervisor. When she returned, she confirmed, "Yes, there's a chance they will charge you for an entirely new passport application. I can't be certain with how they'll treat your application."

By now, it was Thursday August 15, and my father was starting to get very nervous. He decided to go back to Option #1 and re-send a new DS-86 form with passport photos and overnight it via FedEx for Friday morning delivery. The SC agent assured him that she would be looking out for it and have it returned via UPS Overnight to ensure a Saturday delivery.

So by 8:30AM Thursday morning, the new DS-86 package was dropped off at my father's local FedEx facility sent to the following given address:

Replacement Supervisor 233
Charleston Passport Center
1269 Holland Street - Building D
URGENT Passport Locator #xxxx301
Charleston, SC 29405

The package was then on it's way scheduled for 10:30AM Friday delivery and had a real FedEx tracking number.

Now, nothing to do but wait, right?

Round 5
After constantly refreshing the FedEx Package Tracker website over and over again Friday morning, it was close to 9:30AM and the Tracker still had the last scan being "Departed FedEx location Memphis, TN" at 4:07AM. I'm not a logistics expert, but tough to see how the package would get to the Charleston, SC Passport Agency by 10:30AM if it didn't get to Charleston yet by 9:30AM.

So my father contacted FedEx to see what the status was. He was given the option to chat with an online representative, Brandy.

You have been connected to Brandy.
Brandy : Hi. I am researching your question now...
Dad: Good morning
Brandy : Can you please verify your delivery address?
Dad: Charleston Passport Center 1269 Holland Street Building D Charleston, SC 29405
Dad: it's an urgent passport document that they need to provide my passport within 24 hours
Brandy : I apologize for the inconvenience, your package has been delayed due to fog at the airport. This FedEx express service is running hour behind.
Brandy : hours
Dad: can you confirm how many hours behind?
Dad: its CRITICAL that it be delivered today
Dad: with enough time for them to process my passport before i fly out
Brandy : Yes, I am sorry, it is 2 hours.
Dad: so by 12:30PM eastern it should be delivered?
Brandy : Yes, It will be delivered today.
Dad: what recourse with FedEx do i have that it's delayed?
Dad: my expectation was that it would be delivered by 10:30
Dad: they need time to accept the package and then process before close of business today. I'm not sure how long it takes them
Brandy: One moment while I research...
Brandy: I am sorry about the delay due to fog. The package will be delivered today. You can all 1-800-463-3339 and ask to speak with a station manager after sorting. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?

My father then called the SC agent to give her an update that she should expect the package at 12:30PM. She thanked him for giving her an update as she was also checking the FedEx tracker site and didn't see any updates.

My father then called FedEx and spoke with an actual native English speaking American on the phone. This FedEx representative was less optimistic than the online chat representative. She wouldn't confirm a 12:30PM delivery or even that the package would be delivered that day. Despite my father's protests and complaints, she didn't seem wiling or able to help in this situation.

As expected, 12:30PM came and went. The latest update on the FedEx Tracker was that the package arrived at the local Charleston FedEx facility at 11:57AM and then put on a delivery truck at 12:22PM. But it was unclear when the package would reach the destination. If it was end of day, then it wouldn't be enough time for them to process the package and have it mailed by the last 7PM pickup.

But at 2:06PM, the FedEx tracker said it was delivered and signed for! Immediately, my father called the SC agent and told her the package had arrived. Unfortunately, she said she didn't get it yet and that it was probably accepted at a different facility.

It was unclear when it would make its way to her desk for processing and she was finishing her shift soon. She assured him that she would leave detailed instructions and notes for the person on the afternoon shift that would relieve her and hopefully get the package out by 7PM. After a roller coaster of ups and downs, my father's heart fell to the floor yet again.

But at 2:30PM, she called my father back and said she now had the package and was starting right away. She said she would do everything she could, but that if her shift ended, that my father would be in good hands with the next person. She even gave my father the name and direct phone number of the second agent.

Now, nothing to do but wait, right?

Round 6
After waiting a few hours, it was 5PM and didn't hear from anyone. So my father decided to be annoying proactive and call the second shift person. But unfortunately, it went to her voicemail, so my father left a message. No call back that evening, so my father could only hope that the passport was processed and given to UPS for overnight delivery.

Saturday morning, no package delivery.

Saturday afternoon, no package delivery.

Sunday was a day of rest, so when Monday (August 19) rolled around, my father called his favorite SC Passport agent again. She confirmed that the package was not sent out Friday night and that the second agent she told me about didn't come in Friday. She said it was processed by someone else and was going out that night (Monday) for Tuesday delivery. Then when she looked in the system to confirm status, she said "I can't believe it..."

Apparently, the 2nd shift crew finished processing my father's passport, but didn't follow the instructions. Instead of having it sent via UPS Overnight, they sent it regular US Priority Mail (3-5 business days). Instead of receiving it Tuesday morning, it would hopefully arrive by Thursday or Friday (after my parents and I will have left for Colorado). Since it hadn't gone out yet, she said she would try to look for it in case she could intercept it before it left. But unfortunately, no such luck.

My father, refusing to accept that fate, asked her if she could process a completely NEW passport and have it sent overnight. Unfortunately, when she asked her supervisor, they told her that she cannot work on another shift's application, so that my father would have to wait and call the second shift supervisor when they took over at 3:30PM and came out of their daily meeting. She also encouraged him to call the National hotline and request them to send an Urgent Email to the SC Passport Agency Supervisor for a call back.

Now, nothing to do but wait, right?

Round 7

After repeatedly calling every 5 minutes starting at 3:30PM, my father finally reached the second shift agent at around 4PM. Thankfully, she was expecting my call and told him of 2 options (sound really familiar?):

1. Schedule an emergency appointment at the NYC passport agency for Tuesday to get a new (3rd) passport.
2. Have the SC agency re-issue the new passport and have it sent UPS Overnight.

My father elected #2 since the SC Agency had the background context and history. Given all the bureaucracy he's dealt with in the past week, he didn't feel confident that his situation would be given the same amount of urgency at an entirely new agency without an on-site internal champion like his SC agent. So the second shift SC agent assured him that she would start on it right away and have it ready for the 7PM UPS deadline.

Now, nothing to do but wait, right?

Final Outcome
Well, around 7PM, my father called the second shift SC Agent and got her voicemail, suggesting perhaps she was done for the day. Though a bit frustrated at this point, my father realized there was no more he could do aside from plan to go to the NYC Passport Agency on Wednesday August 21 and take his chances.

But then the second SC agent called him back at 7:30PM. She said she was on the late shift and provided him with the UPS Next Day tracking number. And on Tuesday morning at 9:30AM, UPS finally delivered my father's passport to our apartment. Phew!!!!

And if you were wondering, yes, my father did call the National Passport Hotline to cancel his Wednesday appointment so that the slot would open up to other travelers in need.

Now, nothing to do but pack!

Passport Process Nightmare - Part 1

Put this one in the "Counting Chickens Before They Hatch" column.

Background
About two weeks ago, I posted how easy it was for my father to get additional pages added to his passport (see: "Extra Passport Pages" from Aug 6, 2013). In case you're not a fan of clicking random links while you're at work, here's a summary recap:

• July 15 - My father mailed out his passport with the DS-4085 form and the check for the fees. 
• July 18 - The US Postal Service notified him that the package was delivered. 
• July 19 - The check was cashed by the Department of State.
• August 1 - My father saw good prices for flights to Israel and booked a trip for Sept 3.
• August 6 - They emailed him a status update. The passport was in the mail scheduled for Aug 10.

Well, Saturday August 10th came and went....No passport.

Perhaps, it will come the next business day (Monday, August 12)....Nope.

Well, now this was getting a bit worrisome. The US Postal Service tracker number that was provided wasn't any help at all. It only said that the label was created on August 2nd. This is an example of how it looked on August 12th.

Upon further inspection (and a few calls to the US Postal Service), the local Post Office said they would have scanned it upon accepting the package on August 2nd. If, for some crazy reason, they accepted it without scanning, someone else in the chain would have scanned it as it made its way  from Columbia, SC to New York, NY - either at the next collection hub or a sorting facility along the way. This is how it should have looked.

The fact that there was no scan history at all after August 2nd should have alerted my father that something was wrong. But too often, my father had ordered things online (via points/miles earning shopping portals) that didn't show any online shipping progress only to see everything updated on the same day he received the package. So he just waited faithfully (1st mistake).

Round 1
He called the National Passport Agency at 877-487-2778, and while they couldn't connect him to the South Carolina Passport Agency that processed his passport, they suggested he just submit a DS-86 "Statement of Non-Receipt" form to them which would cancel the current passport and re-issue him a new one. Sounds simple enough.

But my father didn't love this idea, because he thought there was a slim chance the actual passport would show up late and didn't want it cancelled. After all, he just received Global Entry access on that passport and didn't want to have to re-do the application for a new passport number. [UPDATE: For Global Entry, a new passport # can be updated online in about 10 seconds.]

So he waited another day before taking action. (2nd mistake).

But then Tuesday came and went, and now it was now obvious that there was a problem. The US Post Office claimed they never even received the package from the Passport Agency. By now, it was Wednesday August 14th and we had our trip to Israel coming up on September 3rd - less than 3 weeks away!!!

Luckily, he had a lot of free time to focus on fixing this issue. Wednesday (August 14) morning, he filled out just the DS-86 form and mailed it in (3rd mistake). The US post office was charging $25 to send the envelope "Express" to arrive by Friday August 16. He opted for regular certified mail for just $3.56 which would get there Friday or Saturday, but more likely Saturday (August 17).

Now nothing to do but wait, right?

Round 2
Being super anal Out of general curiosity, my father again called the US Passport Hotline when he returned home later that afternoon. Constantly double and triple checking things makes my father feel better in these situations. But he sure was lucky that he did!

The first representative he got was very unhelpful. They say it's hard to extrapolate too much from a voice on the phone, but it was very easy to assume that the representative was a complete... not highly educated. He kept telling my father that the package was sent out on August 2nd and that it was just late.

He hung up and called back (1st smart thing my father did).

The second representative was more helpful. She recognized that the tracking number was for a shipping label being printed, not an actual package being delivered. My father thought that since the Post Office never received the package, there was a chance the passport was still at the Agency somewhere. Perhaps if he could just speak with someone to confirm that, we could shortcut this process.

Fortunately, the representative agreed and sent an "Urgent Email" to the South Carolina Passport Agency that processed his passport with a request that someone there call my father back. She also strongly suggested that he take down the name and number of the person who called him back. She really seemed to want to help my father. In fact, she put a note that he needed his passport back by August 21st to make sure people took urgent action.

While we weren't leaving for Israel until Wednesday September 3rd, we were leaving for Colorado on Thursday August 22nd and returning Saturday August 31st. The next day (September 1st) was a Sunday, and September 2nd was Labor Day. So if the passport didn't arrive by Wednesday August 21st, he wouldn't even be home to see if his passport arrived until the 31st, just 2 non-business days before our Israel flight.

Luckily within an hour (by about 12:30PM), someone did call him back. After my father explained the situation and his theories on what may have happened, the SC customer service agent said there was a chance that the missing passport was misplaced somewhere in their offices and that she would ask her supervisor when they returned from lunch.

However, she also informed my father that he needed to have sent (a) 2 new passport photos and (b) a copy of his upcoming international travel plans along with his DS-86 form. The National representative never mentioned anything about including photos, but DUH! Of course they'd need photos! So now, the submitted DS-86 form in the mail (Phase 1) was useless. Thank goodness he didn't spend $25 to send it Express.

She then gave my father a few options.

1. Fill out a new DS-86 form (and include passport photos). Then send the package via FedEx/UPS overnight to the SC Agency for them to start on a replacement passport and have it mailed back. 
2. Call the National hotline and schedule an emergency appointment at the NYC Passport Agency to request a replacement on site.

My father, now armed with a strong distaste for the mailing process, elected for Option #2. However, my father still held out hope that his missing passport was somewhere in their office. The SC agent said she would call him back when people returned from lunch, but my father took down her name and number anyway.

Now nothing to do but wait, right?

Round 3
Immediately after hanging up with the SC agent, he called the National Hotline again (877-487-2778) to schedule an appointment at the Manhattan location through the automated system. First available appointment date: August 27th.

So my father hung up and called back but this time got a live representative on the phone. He explained that his travel plans were complicated (Denver trip immediately prior to his international trip) and that he needed an earlier appointment. This new agent told my father there was availability for emergency appointments on Wednesday August 21st, but only for those people traveling within 2 weeks.

"My trip is for September 3rd. That's less than 2 weeks before August 21st."

"Yes, but for me to schedule your appointment now, your travel needs to be less than 2 weeks from today, which would mean by August 29th."

"Well, I'm actually traveling to Denver next week and leaving for Israel from there." (slight fib)

"I'm sorry, but the international flight needs to be within 2 weeks."

By now my father was getting really frustrated, but sometimes that leads to clever ideas. He remembered that (a) flights could be cancelled within 24 hours of booking for 100% refund and (b) he had a big stash of British Airway Avios miles that he could use to book short haul flights using just 4,500 miles.

"OK, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to book a flight to Canada  for next week right now while we're on the phone... There. Done. Now I have international travel in 1 week. My flight confirmation number is [redacted] and I'm flying from New York to Montreal at 8AM on August 21st. Can you schedule my appointment now?"

"Um...uh...OK. Let me transfer you to the appointment scheduler."

After getting transferred to the next representative, my father had an appointment for Wednesday August 21st at 1PM in the Manhattan Passport Agency. Of course, this would be too late to make his 8AM flight to Montreal, but that'd be OK.

"So you will need to bring with you a form DS-11..."

"Wait a minute, I'm not applying for a new passport. Don't I just need the DS-86 for a replacement for my non-receipt passport?"

"If that's what the agent told you, sir."

But then my father anally proactively asked, "So at the NYC agency, they'll be able to issue me a replacement passport without charging me right? After all, my passport went missing on your end. Or am I going to have to apply for an entirely new passport and pay the full fee? Also, will they issue me the passport right there or will they mail it back to me?"

"They will determine that at your appointment, sir."

This frustrating conversation went on like this for a few more minutes. My father kept asking clarifying questions, and the National Passport agent refused to confirm anything that the NYC Agency would or would not do. Everything was, "If that's what the other agent told you, sir."

Skeptical but satisfied, my father just re-confirmed the appointment and hung up. He scored an emergency appointment using some clever miles/point tricks. He was pretty proud of himself.

Now nothing to do but wait, right?

TO BE CONTINUED....

Extra Passport Pages

If you are new to reading Lap Child Diaries, the first thing you should know is that I'm a lap child (under 2 years old). The second thing is that my family and I travel ... a lot. Here's a map of where I've taken my parents since January 2013.

In one of my earlier posts, I explained how to get an infant passport so that you can start traveling outside the United States. My passport only lasts 5 years, but my parents' passports last 10 years. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of State doesn't give adults any extra pages for the additional 5 years. So while I still have a handful of empty pages in my passport left that I need to fill up in the next 3+ years, my father was starting to run low.

The Process and Timing
According to the U.S. Department of State website, if you have less than 4 empty pages left, you can get additional pages added to your current passport. After our last international trip to Germany/France, he was down to exactly 4 empty pages. With no immediate plans to travel outside the U.S., he decided to add some pages.

He had a few options. First, he could just mail in his passport and wait for regular processing. As of August 6, 2013, the official Travel.State.Gov website estimates you should allow up to 4-6 weeks before getting your passport back in the mail. Note: this timing may change based on when you apply, so check the official website, not an amateur blog.

• If you would like (but not need) your passport back sooner, then you can pay extra and have it expedited (up to 2-3 weeks).
• However, if you do NEED it back sooner (i.e., have near term travel plans within 2 weeks or applying for a foreign visa in the next 4 weeks), then they suggest you not mail it in. Instead, make an appointment to physically visit a Regional Passport Agency and have it done in person there.

The Application
When you apply, you need to submit the following items:

1. Your current passport
2. Form DS-4085 (seen here)
3. A check for the fees (currently $82 at the time of this post)

The DS-4085 document will have instructions telling you all the details about where to apply, so I will refer to that website instead of listing an outdated mailing address here.

Since my father's application was being sent to a P.O. Box, the UPS store said they'd have to send it via regular U.S. postal service mail, but my father made sure to (a) get a tracking number to make sure it was delivered and (b) write out a personal check to the "US Department of State" so that his bank would have a record of when it was endorsed and deposited. As much as he hates using cash/checks, in this situation, it made a lot of sense.

Our Timeline
July 15 - My father mailed out his passport with the DS-4085 form and the check for the fees.
July 18 - The US Postal Service notified him that the package was delivered.
July 19 - The check was cashed by the Department of State.

Now we waited...

Then on August 1st, my father saw that non-stop flights to Israel on United in early September were very reasonable ($1,100/person). Since I'd still be a lap child in September (but not during December), we decided to move our Christmas trip to Israel trip up a few months. Flights booked for September 3!

But now, my father would NEED his passport for our outbound flight! After looking at the calendar, 6 weeks from July 19 would be Friday August 30th, only 4 days before we were supposed to fly out on Tuesday September 3. Ruh-roh.

So my father checked online first at http://travel.state.gov/passport/status/status_2567.html. It said his passport was IN PROCESS. Not that helpful. My father did sign up online for email updates though.

Undeterred, he then searched online for a phone number to call them.

Passport Status Information Center: 1-877-487-2778
Automated Passport Information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., EST, excluding federal holidays.

The representative was extremely friendly, and said not to worry. While he couldn't specify exactly when my father would receive his passport, he said my father could call them back if it was within 2 weeks of departure (August 20th) and they'd then expedite.

However, he said he would be very shocked if it went even that long before the passport arrived.

Update
And he was right. Yesterday (August 6), my father received an email from Travel.State.Gov:

We have finished processing your passport, and it has been mailed to you. Your passport application locator number is xxxx301. 

You requested delivery by regular mail. Passport Agencies use Priority Mail. This means you should receive your passport on or about 08/10/2013.

Check the USPS status at: http://trkcnfrm1.smi.usps.com/PTSInternetWeb/InterLabelInquiry.do?origTrackNum=xxxx71". 

It's obviously not August 10 yet, but it looks like it will take just under 4 weeks door to door. However, if you're in a comparable situation and need your passport back in time for an upcoming trip, then don't rely on my father's experience. You may be applying at a much busier time and your results may vary.

Helpful Links

• Adding Passport Pages - http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds4085/ds4085_2662.html
• Passport Fees - http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html
• Processing Times - http://travel.state.gov/passport/processing/processing_1740.html
• Expedited Service - http://travel.state.gov/passport/hurry/hurry_831.html
• Check Status Online - https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_ip.asp
• Contact - http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/npic_898.html

Global Entry Interview

When you travel in/out of the country often, it may make sense to apply for Global Entry to speed your way through U.S. Immigration when you return home.

For those of you who don't know what Global Entry is, it's basically a VIP Fast Track through Immigration for those individuals whom the U.S. government has already done a thorough background check on and have deemed as "safe."

Sometimes, we've been stuck in some pretty long U.S. immigration lines even for American citizens (over an hour with no bathroom/baby changing options). I'm looking at you, LAX! So when our American Express Platinum card had a feature to reimburse you for your $100 application fee, I made my parents sign up.

Now, my father was originally hesitant about getting Global Entry. Not because he had anything to hide, but because there'd be no point in him getting through Immigration quickly when my Israeli citizen mother would still have to wait in line. However, I did my internet research and found out that U.S. greencard holders can also apply, so we were in luck!

Then my father responded to me, "What's the point of your mother and I getting Global Entry, when you (Baby Songer) won't have it?" Well, apparently, the U.S. government thought about this scenario as well because infants/children are welcome to apply for GE.

The steps are simple.

1. Apply online and fill out a question form.
2. Schedule an in-person interview with an immigration officer.
3. Get approved.

So to apply, we had to go to www.globalentry.gov and create a log in username and password for each of us. Then we had to fill out an online form asking us general background questions like name, contact information, passport information, current address, past addresses, and other yes/no questions about our past. The best part was the section where you had to list all the foreign countries you've visited in the past 5 years. As you can imagine, my family had quite a long list.

Next, you pay $100 per person for the non-refundable application fee. However, if you have an American Express Platinum card and use it to pay, then Amex will reimburse you the $100 GE charge within just a few days. Great customer service!

Then you hit submit after you've double checked all your responses, your application is submitted for review. But before you hit Submit, I HIGHLY recommend that you print out your application first. That way, you will have all your responses handy to study/remember, because I read that most of the GE interviews will be basically the same questions on the form or some derivative of it, such as "Why did you visit Laos in 2008?"

Then you wait.

About a week or so later, we each received an email stating that our applications been reviewed and we are allowed to sign up for an interview with a Customs & Border Patrol officer either at an international airport or select administrative offices in major cities.

We could have selected the office in downtown Manhattan, but since we were going to fly out of JFK Airport for our European trip anyway, we just decided to schedule our 3 interviews for 2PM (a few hours before our scheduled departure tonight at 5:40PM).

The interview took place in JFK's Terminal 4 Arrivals right by the entrance/exit. We walked into the small office and sat in the waiting room. They didn't have any check in system so people were called in randomly, and you had to police yourself in terms of who came first and who had a scheduled appointment. But no one was overly aggressive, so it worked itself out quite nicely.

I can't speak to my mother's interview, but mine was pretty simple. The CBP officer took my U.S. Passport and typed in a few keystrokes. Then I had to put my four fingers onto the pad to get scanned. Unfortunately, my fingers were too small to have the fingerprints read by the computer. So I guess the FBI won't be running any fingerprint checks on me until I'm a few years older.

But the CBP officer saw that I was an honest and trustworthy baby, so he approved me without the fingerprint verification. Now I have Global Entry status and can skip the Immigration lines whenever we come back to the US from abroad. But when we get to the Global Entry kiosk, my passport scan will be rejected, and I'll have to explain the situation to the Global Entry officer standing by. I'll put on my cutest little smile and let my father talk his way through it.

Let's hope he does better now than he did for his Princeton undergraduate interview.

Airport Series - Immigration

1. Packing
2. Getting to the Airport
3. Checking In Luggage
4. TSA Security Screening
5. Boarding Gate
6. Immigration

The relevance of this post obviously depends on if you're leaving your country or not. But my family never keeps our passports clean for very long, so we're big advocates of visiting other cultures across the globe.

So after you've somehow managed to survive your multi-hour flight with your dear parents, now you're approaching your final destination and ready to use your legs/stroller again. In general, the process will break down as follows:

A. Get Off the Plane
B. Go Through Immigration
C. Collect Your Baggage
D. Go Through Customs
E. Find a Taxi / Rental Car

Now that you know what to expect, here's some tips.

Get Off the Plane

• Start packing up your things when you're still in the air and before the "Fasten Seat Belt" light turns on as you're descending. You want to keep your hands free and your lap clear so you can get your things quickly.
• Be patient. Everyone was on the same long flight as you and wants to get off quickly too. Some people, however, have connecting flights they need to run to, so let them get off the plane first and then wait your turn. You'll have plenty of opportunity to pass people on the long walk to Immigration.
• Don't forget your gate-checked stroller!

Go Through Immigration

• Surprisingly, this is no cake walk - even if you're a well-heeled American traveler. In some countries (like Canada and Israel), they're very very strict and try to make you nervous even if you have no reason to be.
• Immigration officers will ask you the typical questions like "Why are you visiting? How long are you staying? Are you traveling for business?" The main things they're looking for are suspicious reasons (no set departure date), if you're going to look for work in their country (no job), if you're coming to use their free healthcare or give birth (pregnant women), etc.
• Hopefully you've checked weeks before if you need a Visa to enter the country (i.e., Australia, Argentina, Vietnam, Russia, India). But fortunately, if you're on the flight, you're probably fine because the airlines won't let you on board if you don't show them your visa. 
• But don't rely on the airline to make sure, because if you're flying from Chile to Argentina, the Chilean airline may not know that Americans need a Visa to get into Argentina.
• However, many countries don't require a visa for Americans (i.e., Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, European Union) or will allow you to get the visa when you land (i.e., Turkey, Chile)
• If you're not sure, check online at Delta Airlines' Visa Center.

Collect Your Baggage

• I don't know for sure, but I assume the bags get re-scanned once they get to the destination airport for security reasons. They usually arrive on the baggage carousel just after the first passengers clear Immigration.
• Get a baggage cart. You're still a long way from getting out of there.
• Many international flights will have people coming back home to their native country so expect a lot of people with massive checked bags and oversized packages.

Go Through Customs

• Now that you have your bags, the destination country wants to see if you're trying to sneak in anything.
• Sometimes they're looking for illegal things (drugs, guns, excessive cash) but sometimes they're also looking for food/animals/plants that may disrupt their local ecosystem if there were any bacteria or insects that may have hitched a ride on your favorite food.
• Not everyone will be asked to have their bags searched. It's supposedly luck of the draw (1 out of ever 3-4 people), but hard to imagine that some people aren't visually profiled over others.

Find a Taxi / Rental Car

• Before you even get on the plane, you should get a rough idea of how to get to your hotel. Most hotels will have a DIRECTIONS section on their webpage with driving or public transportation information.
• If you're taking a taxi, there are websites like TaxiFareFinder.com that will give you estimates of what the ride should cost.
• But before you leave the airport, you should get some cash in local currency. Depending on where you go, you may not be able to use your credit card and, believe it or not, not every country takes US Dollars. 
• My parents always go to an ATM from a bank they've heard of (even though I prefer the ATM machines with pink or purple colors). The ATM option is almost always better than converting your money at a currency exchange place. And if you have a Charles Schwab checking account, they will reimburse your ATM fees every month.
• Where possible, use a prepaid taxi service they have at the airport. First, it removes the possibility of your driver taking you the LONG way to boost his fare. Also, it allows you to use your credit card and conserve your local currency for when you really need it (like the taxi ride back to the airport when you're leaving).

Overstaying Your 30 Day Thai Visa Waiver

To enter Thailand (legally, of course), you can get in without getting an actual visa if you have the right passport (US and Israel work along with 46 other countries). You'd be covered under Thailand's Visa Waiver Program (i.e., you don't need a visa) and can stay in the country for up to 30 days.

Background
We arrived on February 5, 2013.  By my math, 30 days later would be March 7, 2013 (the date of our departure flight out of Thailand).  Except... they counted February 5 as Day 1. So therefore, Day 30 was March 6.

My father asked the immigration officer as soon as he stamped the March 6 deadline into his passport, but he said it was fine and nodded his head in agreement, even shooing us along. Either he thought we'd be fine or the language barrier came into play and he thought my father was asking about getting rub & tugs in Bangkok's red light district.

So for the past month, we've been ignoring this issue and enjoying the Thai hospitality and sunshine all over their country. But now as it was time to leave Thailand, my father started to wonder exactly what would happen at the airport immigration checkpoint since he would have an overstay by 1 day. So he did what any parent does when his kid is sick. No, not ask an official expert. He looked it up online.

By the letter of the law, every day you stay beyond your visa waiver deadline incurs a fee of 500 THB ($17 USD) per person per day. It also potentially puts you on the black list for future entries. But everyone online said they really only cared about the big (20-30+ day violators) and that overstaying by only 1 day is overlooked (no penalty fee). Despite all the informal assurances by "experts" on FlyerTalk and ThaiVisa.com message boards, we weren't so lucky.

Krabi Airport - March 7th

We got to airport extra early (at 1PM) for our 4:50PM flight to Bangkok because the Sheraton Krabi didn't give us the requested late checkout. But that was OK, because there was a Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge for business class / Star Alliance Gold members. So after checking our bags, we went over to the lounge which was on the outside of Security/Immigration.

Side note: We could go through Immigration at the Krabi Airport on a domestic flight to Bangkok because we were connecting to an international departure (so we didn't have to exit the airport in Bangkok and go through security/Immigration again over there). This point is important because now we had to go through Departure Immigration in Krabi.

So around 4PM, we decided to head to security which didn't have any line. Getting through the metal detector and x-ray machine were a breeze since they allowed me to stay seated in my stroller instead of having to put my wheels through the x-ray. But then around the corner, there were 2 long lines waiting for Immigration checks.

It was getting close to boarding time (4:25PM) and we were still about 6 people back. A Thai Airways employee identified our purple boarding passes and asked all Thai Airways passengers on the 4:50PM flight to come to the front of the line and cut in front of everyone. Sure, why not?

Bad Online Advice #1.  When my mother handed the Immigration agent her passport, he flipped through it and said "Overstay!" like he had caught an international drug dealer. We tried to say it was only 1 day, but he didn't care. Then he started punching away at his computer and walked back to a small table with paper documents on it. He repeated this about 4 or 5 times as the rest of the line started to roll their eyes and shake their heads in disgust at us/him.

Well, it was taking a quite a while. My father knew this Immigration agent was going to be a stickler for the rules, and he was prepared to pay the 1 day penalty for my mother and him (young children don't have to pay). But my father didn't have any Thai Bhat left. (He read online about a trick to use all your leftover foreign currency to pay down your hotel bill and then the credit card to pay the remaining balance, Bad Online Advice #2).

And the third and final fatal online advice he got: they said that as of December 2012, you could use a credit card to pay the overstay penalty fee. But that was probably for Bangkok Airport. In Krabi, cash was king. The Thai Airways flight attendent almost threw a fit when my father said he only had credit cards. With no ATM in sight, my mother was getting nervous that we'd miss our flight.

But luckily, my father he had some US dollars in his wallet and threw out two crisp Jefferson's ($40USD = 1,200 THB). The Immigration officer said "OK" and put the money into his pocket (shady!).

He then made my parents sign some forms written in Thai (probably relinquishing all rights to their only child), and we were finally on their way to Bangkok.

Nov 2011 - Baby Passports

They say that most Americans don't have a passport, and thus, are not able to see the rest of the world.  But after watching the people on the show Honey Boo Boo, I'm sure the International Community isn't all that upset about missing out on Americans abroad.

As you probably guessed, my parents are all about the Passport.

I was born in late 2011.  That night in the hospital, while I was in the NICU getting my Apgar score (I aced it, by the way), my obsessive father was busy ordering extra copies of my Long Form Birth Certificate (reason explained below).  The Birth Certificates arrived to our apartment 14 days later.  Later that same week, I was abducted from the comfort of my crib (just after I pimped it out with cartoon ducks and turtles) and taken to the local Post Office for mugshots for my passport application.  And yes, I made my discomfort known to anyone within screaming distance.

But thanks to my crazy dad, within 30 days of my birth, I already had my US Passport and was planning my first international trip to see my grandparents in Israel.  For those parents out there who are also thinking of taking their child to far away lands (besides Epcot Center in Orlando), here's the outline my parents followed.

Infant/Child Passports (from the US Department of State website)

• All minors (including newborns and infants) must have their own passport when traveling internationally by air.
• Minors under age 16 must apply in person.
• Both parents should come in person.  If one is unable to come, you can fill out some Form DS-3053 Statement of Consent for the hungover missing parent.  If both are unable, then just send the infant by herself with 2 Form DS-3053's attached to her diaper.

Applying for Passport

To apply for an infant's passport is pretty easy and mostly the same as for an adult passport.  You only need a handful of documents to apply but note that the original documents will be mailed out with the application and will be returned to you later (so get extra original copies).

1. Form DS-11 Application for a US Passport
2. Evidence of US Citizenship (certified birth certificate works best)
3. Evidence of Relationship (something showing that you are the child's parents; you can use the same birth certificate)
4. Parent ID & Copy.  Mother and Father need to show their ID's (State Driver's license or Passports) as well as submit a paper photocopy for each ID along with the application.
5. Passport Fees.  It was about $105 when I got mine done.  
6. Passport Photographs.  This is probably the most difficult item to get.  Depending on the Post Office, they may have someone available there to take baby passport photos, but good luck trying to get the baby to look forward with their eyes open.  It took my parents about 5 tries in between random episodes of crying totaling 40 minutes, but give me a break, I was only 3 weeks old.  Luckily, the Post Office people are familiar with this and will not charge you 5x for the photos.

They say it can take up to 6-8 weeks to process but I got mine back within 10 calendar days because they thought my passport photo was so adorable.  My father says they just tell you that it will take longer to scare the last minute lazy people who watch Honey Boo Boo into paying an extra $60 to expedite it.