How do I get a passport if I've been denied because of child support?
by Hope / Walter
(Snellville, GA usa)
Question: I'm trying to travel in 10 days but just received notice that my passport was denied because of arrears. The court order when into effect December 10th of last year. I agreed to pay the arrears with my current support. Only paying $50 of my $489 payment a month. What are my chances of getting my passport approved before my departure on September 15? What steps do I need to take? It's a holiday weekend and I can't do anything until Tuesday.
Answer: The only way to get a passport if you are in arrears of child support is to make acceptable arrangements for payment of the arrears.
Following is the process that must be completed in order for you to obtain your U.S. Passport. It is based on Section 51.70 (a) (8) of Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
1. Before you submit the application for a United States passport, you should enter into contact with the state agency to which you owe child support and make arrangement to pay your arrears.
2. Then the State Child Support Enforcement Agency needs to report the fact that acceptable payment arrangements have been made to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
3. Following this, HHS has to remove your name from their list of those with unpaid arrears and send the updated list to the U.S. Department of State.
4. Finally, Passport Services has to receive the updates list from HHS and verify that your name has been removed before your
passport application can be processed.
Note, it may take 2-3 weeks after being notified that arrangements for payment have been made before Passport Services is permitted to process your application.
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Mailing delays are impacting passport processing. The Department of State's processing times begin when applications are received at a passport agency or center and not when you mail them or apply at a local acceptance facility.
Standard service may take between 8 and 11 weeks. This timeframe does not include delivery time. Mailing times vary across the country.
Expedited service takes from 5 to 7 weeks exluding mailing times on the front and back end. Mailing delays may be significant so requesting 1-2-day mailing may greatly help.
Regional passport agencies are offering extremely limited in-person services if you need to travel internationally in the next 5 business days. Those with qualified life-or-death emergencies are prioritized.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, and grandparent) that require you to travel outside the United States within 5 business days.
If you need to travel due to a qualified life-or-death emergency, please call the National Passport Information Center for an appointment:
Mondays through Fridays 8 AM to 5PM, call ET 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY:1-888-874-7793)
Outside of these hours, 202-647-4000
You can schedule your appointment up to 2 weeks before your international travel but the date of your appointment must be within 5 business days of your international travel. If you need a foreign visa, the date of your appointment must be within 10 business days of your international travel.
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