F1 Visa Student with Expired Home Country Passport

[AzRdWarrior 0]

We are the guardians of a F1 Visa student that will be graduating from high school in May 2017.  The student is from China.  The student's Chinese passport expired in March 2017.  We have told the student a few times to renew her passport when she started her senior year as well as the end of her junior year (i.e. she could have done it during the summer of 2016).  A few days ago, we asked her about the renewal of her passport and she said that she doesn't have to renew her passport because she was told by the Chinese Consulate that the Chinese government will accept her old expired passport when she returns to China.  It is our understanding that you can't renew a Chinese via online or by mail...you can only renew in person at a Chinese Consulate...it is our guess that she doesn't want to spend the money to travel to the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles to renew. 

 

Regardless of her reason of not renewing her passport last summer or during this school year, our concern is the airline for her return flight to China...it doesn't matter if her country will accept her expired passport...normally, an airline will not accept an expired passport or an expired visa since they are on the hook on returning the passenger if the passenger is denied entry due to an expired passport or an expired visa.

 

Should we...more importantly should she...be concerned about the airline not accepting her expired passport? Or does it states in the 'system' that the airline uses to check for the passport and visa requirements that the Chinese government will accept an expired Chinese passport?  

 

Thank you in advance for your advice, suggestions, etc.

[Boiler 45,889]

I think you should be concerned.

[KierenHby 899]

Airline would not issue her a boarding pass with an expired passport. 

Edited April 2, 2017 by KierenHby

[Lemonslice 4,945]

19 minutes ago, KierenHby said:

Airline would not issue her a boarding pass with an expired passport. 

That is not true, many countries accept expired passports from their own citizens (and some other countries too, at times).  IATA database and a call to the airline will tell you if that is the case for this student. 

[KierenHby 899]

31 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

That is not true, many countries accept expired passports from their own citizens (and some other countries too, at times).  IATA database and a call to the airline will tell you if that is the case for this student. 

Country and airline two different entities. 

[Lemonslice 4,945]

... some airlines are more stringent than the countries requirements, but all refer to the IATA database. Again, it's not uncommon to see people fly with expired passports or without passports. Easiest is to say, you need a valid passport, since that will be the case in most situations, however that is not true for all.  

[milimelo 4,535]

Not sure how your guardianship works but can't you get in touch with parents so they can order their child to go get the passport renewed? I've read the Times story on dragon moms so the child's may just need to light a bit fire under his/her behind. Should work long distance too as Skype or FaceTime. 

 

How is the child staying compliant with school? I bet they want to know the kid will leave in May as scheduled. 

 

Can the passport application be mailed in for renewal - is that an option?