US citizen struggling to get passport?!

[Barbara J 115]

he hasn't filed anything before. he's born and lived here all his life and never been out of the country (possibly mexico when you could travel there without a passport)

now he is going on holiday with his gf and needs a passport and having the above issue.

Sean

That's really weird as my husband was born at home too and all he has is a birth card. He used that to file for passport and also our 129f. He has a passport and his birth card was enough and it is all he has ever used in the Army as well.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Barbara J

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

This all sounds crazy to me. Surely if his parents are citizens then regardless of whether he was even born here or anywhere else, he is entitled to a passport?

Nope. There is no such thing as an entitlement to a passport. It's in the discretion of the Department of State as the federal agency in charge to grant a passport to a U.S. citizen or not. They are the ones who decide which documents they accept and which they do not deem sufficient.

I have a question as well. How did he register for Selective Service? How did he provide proof of lawful presence when applying for a SSN? How did he get a state-issued driver's license? If he lived in the U.S. all of his life, then there should be a paper trail as long as the Rio Grande . . .

[seanyb719 1]

Nope. There is no such thing as an entitlement to a passport. It's in the discretion of the Department of State as the federal agency in charge to grant a passport to a U.S. citizen or not. They are the ones who decide which documents they accept and which they do not deem sufficient.

I have a question as well. How did he register for Selective Service? How did he provide proof of lawful presence when applying for a SSN? How did he get a state-issued driver's license? If he lived in the U.S. all of his life, then there should be a paper trail as long as the Rio Grande . . .

I stand corrected :-) But I think you knew where I was going with it. And i'm not sure I understand why a US citizen would not be entitled to travel to different countries - he would always be allowed back into the US since he is a citizen whether they like it or not. I mean - where else would he go?

Well this is exactly what I thought. I'm not sure what registering for the selective service is exactly. They seem to have everything that they are asking for when having a delayed birth certificate. I've posted all that I know in my friends responses above. Sounds to me like they have someone on a real power trip. I have no issue with someone being thorough - but this is ridiculous.

[bigdog 377]

Get secondary evidence and maybe an attorney.

[seanyb719 1]

Get secondary evidence and maybe an attorney.

Well from what I am being told they have presented several forms of secondary evidence. I'm thinking they are just going to need to do the latter.

Thanks for all your responses - I'm not sure there is much more that can be resolved on here.

[nwctzn 55]

Well from what I am being told they have presented several forms of secondary evidence. I'm thinking they are just going to need to do the latter.

Thanks for all your responses - I'm not sure there is much more that can be resolved on here.

This is really a very interesting case. Please keep us posted how it goes. Hope this is resolved quickly.

[JudyKCski 12]

I for one would not dare to make a trip across the border until things were sorted out. Not quite sure it would be worth the chance of not being able to come back over. Maybe the girlfriends family should make the trip across for the holidays to your friends place would solve things for the short term anyway as it looks like your friend has a long uphill battle ahead of him.

[seanyb719 1]

I for one would not dare to make a trip across the border until things were sorted out. Not quite sure it would be worth the chance of not being able to come back over. Maybe the girlfriends family should make the trip across for the holidays to your friends place would solve things for the short term anyway as it looks like your friend has a long uphill battle ahead of him.

I will certainly keep you all updated.

Just so this is clear - Both sets of families are 100% American. They are simply planning to go on a holiday (vacation) together and he did not have a passport. Nor I guess did he think he would have an issue with this.

There are certain places in the UK where I can have actually have gotten my passport on the same day!

[nwctzn 55]

I will certainly keep you all updated.

Just so this is clear - Both sets of families are 100% American. They are simply planning to go on a holiday (vacation) together and he did not have a passport. Nor I guess did he think he would have an issue with this.

There are certain places in the UK where I can have actually have gotten my passport on the same day!

In fact, if you have immediate travel plans, you can get a same day passport in the US as well at several passport processing centers.

Edited October 28, 2011 by nwctzn

[KittyPollitt 284]

I will certainly keep you all updated.

Just so this is clear - Both sets of families are 100% American. They are simply planning to go on a holiday (vacation) together and he did not have a passport. Nor I guess did he think he would have an issue with this.

There are certain places in the UK where I can have actually have gotten my passport on the same day!

I concur with the advice a previous poster gave. Have him go to the nearest passport agency (previous poster gave a link to the list- depending on where he lives, he may have to drive some distance to get to it). Have him take all the evidence he has. The workers at the passport agencies are much better qualified to solve his problem than anyone at a local post office. If his papers are in order, they have the ability to give him his passport same day, or overnight mail it (expedite charge applies).

[sib 7]

I found this about the Delayed Birth Certificate

Delayed Birth Certificate

If you were born in the United States and cannot present primary evidence of U.S. citizenship because your U.S. Birth Certificate was not filed within the first year of your birth, you may submit a Delayed U.S. Birth Certificate. A Delayed U.S. Birth Certificate filed more than one year after your birth may be acceptable if:

It lists the documentation used to create it (preferably early public records) and

It is signed by the birth attendant or lists an affidavit signed by the parents

If your Delayed U.S. Birth Certificate does not include these items, it should be submitted together with Early Public Records.

Let him check for the contents.

It always asks for the parents. You only state about the mother. What about the father?

Maybe it is also helpful to bring a birth certificate of the mother showing she is US citizen?

And I would go to a passport agency and have them handle it.

Sib

[seanyb719 1]

I found this about the Delayed Birth Certificate

Delayed Birth Certificate

If you were born in the United States and cannot present primary evidence of U.S. citizenship because your U.S. Birth Certificate was not filed within the first year of your birth, you may submit a Delayed U.S. Birth Certificate. A Delayed U.S. Birth Certificate filed more than one year after your birth may be acceptable if:

It lists the documentation used to create it (preferably early public records) and

It is signed by the birth attendant or lists an affidavit signed by the parents

If your Delayed U.S. Birth Certificate does not include these items, it should be submitted together with Early Public Records.

Let him check for the contents.

It always asks for the parents. You only state about the mother. What about the father?

Maybe it is also helpful to bring a birth certificate of the mother showing she is US citizen?

And I would go to a passport agency and have them handle it.

Sib

They have actually been to the passport agency in Seattle 4 times. This is where the issue is coming from. I'll be honest - I don't know the situation with the father. I do know he was terminally ill a few months back.

I think maybe the issues they have is that they can only get the items that was listed in my first post. i.e. they are struggling to prove he was born in the US.

I will forward on your suggestions. Thanks you.