Frequently Asked Questions for Passports
Yes! You can smile, as long as it is a natural smile. If the Department of State feels it is overbearing, they may deny it. As for attire, try to stay away from all-white shirts, uniforms, or camouflage clothing. If you are local to The Woodlands, Texas, there is no appointment necessary for a photo at our office. Stop on by and we will be glad to assist you.
Yes, you need a check or money order. The Department of State fee cannot be paid with credit cards or cash. If you do not have checks, your bank, local supermarket, or gas station can help you with a money order. Do not write out your check or money order until instructed to do so by an acceptance agent.
PassportWorld's quickest turnaround time is same-day service. This service is only processed at our Woodlands TX Office and is only submitted to the Department of State at 7am with a pick up time of 4:30-5:00pm in our office. We also have six different processing speeds to choose from. Please call us if you have any questions.
Unfortunately, the statistics of obtaining a passport for your child to leave the US without the legal parents’ consent is 20%. Your options are using the DS-5525 Special Family Circumstance Form. This form will ask you for detailed information on how you have gone about trying to contact this person.
- By mail: list address, number of times mailed, approximate dates, and result
- By phone: list number, number of times called, approximate dates, and result
- By email: list email, number of times emailed, approximate dates, and result
- By social media: account you tried to reach, approximate dates, and result
- By friend or relative: name, how you've contacted them, dates, and result
- Last known address of the missing parent
The Department of State will then in turn research the above statements, and if they find the parent, they will deny your application and request you to obtain consent. We have had clients come in with parents outside of the US and the Department of State has still found them. If you simply do not want to reach them, your request will be denied. Please do not go about this route if you know where the person is. If they are in jail, obtain consent. The only other way to get around this is if you have a certified family court order stating you can order the passport for the children and take them out of the country.
Email us! We do check our emails after business hours. Please note, if your email is simply concerning status or you are just trying to schedule an appointment we will respond during business hours. If you have an emergency we will answer you. Send an email to Cynthia Shea or Tim Shea at the following email addresses: cynthia.shea@passportworld.com or tshea@passportworld.com.
You can renew your passport as long as you answer yes to the following questions:
- Has your passport been expired less than 5 years?
- Was your passport 10-year passport?
- Do you still have your most recent passport in your possession?
- Is your passport still in good condition?
If you answered yes to all 4 questions you qualify for renewal. Please follow our renewal instructions to complete your passport processing.
Yes, you can be denied a passport if you owe child support. Texas is a zero-balance state, meaning if you have any balance and you are on the arrears list for non-payment, you will be denied a passport. If you are making payments or have payment arrangements in place with HHS then you should be fine. If you would like to confirm if you are on the Arrears List with Health and Human Services, please call (512) 460-6680.
If you applied for a passport already and were denied, your application and government fees will stay on hold for a period of 90 days from the date of your IRL letter (denial letter emailed to you by the Department of State).
If the Department of Health and Human Services notifies the Department of State that you have made satisfactory payment arrangements and or your balance is brought down to $0.00, then you can re-submit your application by the deadline. Please allow 5-10 business days from the date of payment to give HHS enough time to notify Passport Services. If the HHS guidelines are not, met then your government fee will be lost and you will need to reapply again once payment has been made. Please note the Department of State or PassportWorld cannot change, override, or appeal this policy.
Short answer - Yes you could be denied. Why? Well in 2015, President Barack Obama signed into law the "Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act", also known as the "FAST Act". It requires the U.S. State Department to deny the issuance and the renewals of -- and even revoke -- the passports of individuals who the IRS identifies as having delinquent tax debts of $52,000 or more.