Saturday, January 7, 2012

How To Access Expedited U.S. Passport Renewal

By Ben Pate


It is a universal requirement that a traveler crossing borders into another country have valid travel documents. In the US, passport renewal is done for those who have one that they obtained at the age of 18 years and above. If it expired more than 5 years, a new one will have to be applied for. Sometimes, one may need to travel as a matter of emergency and they may not have the time to wait for their travel document to be renewed in the amount of time is usually takes. In such cases, expedited U S passport renewal services are necessary.

Expedition

There are three ways one can go about getting accelerated renewal. The first option is by mail and the second is sending an application at a regional office. The third and fastest one is using the services of a private expediting services provider. You can get expedited pass port renewal faster too.

Application

If the application is being made by mail, one needs to fill out a Form DS-82, the expired document, photos and the required fee. This is sent out in a padded envelope. The word expedite should be clearly marked on the envelope. To shorten the time it takes to get renewal done, this should be sent by overnight express to the national processing center. With a mail application, the process will usually take between two and three weeks. This is not certain however as sometimes the offices are very busy such as around major holidays when many people are traveling.

Location

The second alternative is to make an application for expedition to a regional agency. This option is advisable if the document is needed in two weeks, which is the time it takes to get the renewed document if an application is made this way. The first step is to call the national information center and request an appointment.

Local Office

The service is automated and is therefore on every day of the week for 24 hours. During peak travel seasons like around holidays, it can be difficult to get through. Once one is given an appointment, one goes with a Form DS-82 that has been duly completed, passport to be renewed, photos and the required fee. The renewed one will usually be ready in two weeks. The locations, contacts and requirements can all be found on online directories.

DS-82

The calls are picked by a system so one can call any day of the week and at any time. It can take time to get through though during peak travel periods such as major holidays. On getting an appointment, one needs to go the agency with a Form DS-82 that has been filled, the fee, passport and photos. The new passport will then be processed within 2 weeks. There is an online directory of the locations and contacts of regional offices.

Private Company

With this expedition option, the process can be accelerated so that the document is available in a few days or even the next day. The shorter the processing time one requests, the higher the fee. It is however worth the extra cost in emergencies.




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