<p>My daughter has been trying to get a passport for a college graduation trip to Jamaica for the last two months. The first hurdle was she was in NC, and she was born in L.A., and the birth certificate I had did not have the raised seal, and it was in N. Cal. So she ordered a new birth certificate through vital something, and they sent an email saying it was mailed via USPS, but more than a month passes, and it had not arrived. </p>
<p>So we tried the back up plan, which was me sending the other forms a proof to her in N. Cal, including the birth certificate I had, her baptismal certificate, some records of post natal care, and a notarized statement from me saying how I know she was born in the US.</p>
<p>She takes that to the NC post office,, pays hundreds of dollars to overnight it both ways and have it rushed. She graduated last weekend, moved back to N. Cal, and yesterday got a letter here saying they need a birth certificate with a raised seal, and mom and dads name. </p>
<p>We are scheduled to leave in 10 days. What can we do?</p>
<p>Have you already called the National Passport Information Center? The telephone number is 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Representatives are available from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, excluding federal holidays. Passport information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.</p>
<p>Can you and she go in person to the records office of the county of her birth to order the birth certificate?</p>
<p>[First</a> Time Applicants](<a href=“U.S. Passports”>U.S. Passports) lists the types of primary evidence of US citizenship.</p>
<p>[Secondary</a> Evidence of U.S. Citizenship](<a href=“U.S. Passports”>U.S. Passports) lists the types of secondary evidence of US citizenship that may be used if primary evidence of US citizenship is not available. However, multiple types of secondary evidence may have to be provided.</p>
<p>Contact your Congressman. I had to do that five years ago when passports for my son and me were delayed. Got a call from one of his aides who tracked down all my information and got it sent overnight to us. Perhaps they can also help with this matter.</p>
<p>Your are in ncal, there is a passport office on San Francisco and if you are traveling in less than two weeks they will help you get passport. You can go to city hall and get copy of birth certificate Ith seal.</p>
<p>This is why evey kid gong to college should get a passport before they leave.</p>
<p>^^I got S (in NC) a birth certificate with raised seal from county offices. It only cost $10 so I got two of them just to be safe. He used it on a trip to Mexico.</p>
<p>She was born in Los Angeles, so getting there from here is like going from NYC to N. Carolina…but if that would solve it, that’s what we would do. That would solve the Birth Certificate problem if we could get it the same day. Looks like you can. Then she would have to fly from LA to San Francisco to get the passport, then home before the flight. It could happen. </p>
<p>Haven’t called passport agency yet. Letter came after 5 eastern on Friday. </p>
<p>UCB, we sent all the secondary evidence via the NC post office. They still have it. some, but not all, was copied before it was sent. Yes, I told her to copy everything. </p>
<p>We could lose the $15,000 we paid for the trip, but we could not reschedule. We got insurance, but I don’t think this will be covered, at least not for the rest of the family. This was a once in our lifetime thing. We have never left the continent, and almost never gone on a vacation where one of us is not also doing continuing education. </p>
<p>This seems like some sort of bad omen. D thinks the rest of us will go, and die in a fiery plane crash without her.</p>
<p>We have used the “vitalsomething” website twice with no problem including getting my husbands birth certificate 40 yrs after leaving NYC! Have you called them to see if they can get it again quickly and overnight it to you? Since they sent it out, I should think they could do this pronto.</p>
<p>Another somewhat related snafu local families went through last year was related to younger siblings who were hosting exchange students. Understandably, all adults residing in the home were required to undergo a CORI (Criminal Offense Record Investigation.) This included college students who would be home for winter break during the exchange. </p>
<p>In order to be CORI’d, the college students had to physically present themselves at the police station to drop off the application. This caused a bit of a snafu, but thanks to the students coming home during Thanksgiving break, it worked out. </p>
<p>Sorry - didn’t mean to hijack.</p>
<p>I agree that calling your state rep’s office may be helpful. I wish you luck.</p>
<p>Last month, one week before my son was scheduled to leave for a trip to Costa Rica for school lab, I found out that you can’t enter Costa Rica if your passport will expire within 6 months of your exit date. His was scheduled to expire in July … I about had a heart attack. I researched passport expediters, but then I found out that there is a Passport Agency in Detroit. I called the automated appointment line and got an appointment for the next afternoon. He had to bring proof of travel within the next two weeks, which was not easy as it was a school trip & we did not have the tickets. His prof wrote a letter on school letterhead & included copies of the itinerary and travel plans. S stopped at a Rite Aid on the way to his appointment to get passport photos. He took the info to the agency & was able to pick up his new passport from the agency during will-call hours at the end of the day. He said the staff at the agency was terrific.</p>
<p>Hopefully, all will work out for your D. Life sure does throw us curve balls sometimes.</p>
<p>The other reason for getting a passport before going to college is to be able to show it as proof of legal ability to work at a job in the US (including summer jobs, co-op jobs, on-campus jobs, etc.). A combination of other documents can be used, but they may be less convenient.</p>
<p>Once you have the BC you can go to one of the regional passport centers and if you are leaving the country within a certain period of time they will issue you a passport before then, so long as you can show them travel plans. It will cost extra, but it can be done.</p>
<p>The passport office has a 24 hour number to call to make an appointment.La has one an office as well. Most offices are near county offices to get of birth certificates. </p>
<p>Looks like she will need to go to county where she was born to get certificae this quickly was she born in San Francisco county? If so she can very likely walk from one office to the other and get done in one day.</p>
<p>She will need proof of travel like ticket confirmation</p>
<p>I would get on the phone now and set appointment not wait til Monday you can always cancel. </p>
<p>I would not trust paying, a drive to the bay area or even bus is better to do in person</p>
<p>Okay, read it and weep…
If she was born in LA County then you will have to drive her down and appear
in-Person
Los Angeles County Vital Records Office:
313 North Figueroa Street, Room Lobby-1
Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 240-7812
Open Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
You will need to get there early and queue up and wait.
The neighborhood is sketchy so be careful.
Bring cash and check in case they do not take credit cards.
You will get a official with raised birth certificate with the proper id and travel documentation of your impending trip.
[L.A</a>. COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH - Data Collection & Analysis](<a href=“http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/dca/dcabirth.htm]L.A”>http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/dca/dcabirth.htm)</p>
<p>With your newly minted birth certificate-
Drive to San Francisco Regional Passport Office for your appointment (you can book it online) to get your daughter’s passport in person.
Bring cash, check in case they do not take credit card.
[Schedule</a> an Appointment at the San Francisco Passport Agency](<a href=“U.S. Passports”>U.S. Passports)</p>
<p>You will need paper documents of your plane tickets, hotel booking so they know it is in less than 2 weeks and international.
Take a look at the links and ask any questions.</p>
<p>This is the sure fire way to get all the documents in hand for your trip.</p>
<p>This reminds me of the dances that son had to do to get a part-time job in another state. We got it done but it seems that it was much more work than it had to be.</p>
<p>One thing about birth certificates - in his birth city, he can go to the City Hall and they will make them for him on the spot.</p>
<p>Her 19 year old brother, who goes to school in LA, and has driven it several times, has offered to drive her.BTW, the PCH is scenic, the 5, not so much, but it’s faster. She is 22. Could they handle it?</p>
<p>I hope this doesn’t sound terrible, but it would be a logistical nightmare to close my practice to do all that, and then leave again for a week, a few days later. That is one of the reasons i don’t usually travel.</p>
<p>I think I will consider these the back up plans, and see if the passport folks will acknowledge and honor the secondary proof we’ve already sent.</p>