This Option Could Help You Bypass Long Waits for Passport Renewals

By Ashley Kosciolek

Earlier this year, I hit a milestone: For the first time, I filled up an entire passport with stamps. It felt like an accomplishment until Irealizedthat,despitehavingthreeyearsleftuntil the document expired, I had to renew it at a time when people were complaining of monthslong waits.

I have at least one trip per month scheduled through October. I didn’t see how I was going to be able to send my passport in for renewal and receive the new one before I left for my next assignment. It’s also nearly impossible to get throughtoapassportagencyoverthephoneright now — believe me, I tried — so scheduling an appointment for a same-day passport wasn’t an option.

“Whydon’tyoujustapplyforasecondpassport?” my boss asked when I gave him a heads-up that I’d likely have to cancel my next couple of work trips. Stunned, I told him I didn’t know that was even a thing. But he was right — it’s possible for Americans who meet certain conditions to be granted a secondary passport book.

Withjustamonthandafewdaysbeforemynext scheduled trip, I applied. It might have saved me sometimeversusapplyingforastandardrenewal of my original passport. Here’s how I navigated the process and why it might help you, too, if you qualify.

The criteria

To beapproved for asecondU.S.passport, you have to meet at least one of three conditions:

• You have stamps in your passport that could result in denied entry to another country (i.e., an Israeli stamp in some countries).

• You have more than one international trip coming up, and you need to get visas, meaning your current passport will be out of your possession for some time.

• You can prove your job requires you to travel frequently. Flight attendants, pilots and journalists covering foreign news, for example, likely qualify for a second passport.

Because I’m a travel journalist, I qualified under thelastoneandsettoworkonfiguringouthowto procure my backup passport.

The particulars

There are two ways you can apply, depending on your situation. I couldn’t part with my passport inordertosenditin,whichwasthewholereasonI couldn’tdothestandardrenewalinthefirstplace.

So, I skipped the DS-82 form, which is used for standardrenewalsandsecondpassportrequests, where applicants send in their primary passports. Instead, I filled out the DS-11 form — the same form usedwhenapplyingforyourfirstpassportor for a new passport if you’ve been without one for 15 years or more.

While filling out the DS-11, I learned that I’d have to submit my application in person at an acceptance facility — in most cases, including mine, a post office — since I’d have to use my original birth certificate instead of my passport as proof of citizenship.

I also learned I could choose to have my secondary passport fitted with a larger number of pages for free, as is possible when you obtain a primary passport. My primary passport had a smaller number of pages. Having learned my lesson, I opted for the more sizable book.

Finally, I found out that a secondary passport comeswithfour-yearvalidity.Thatdiffersfromthe 10-yearshelflifeofastandardpassport.Asecond U.S. passport is also ineligible for renewal.

The application

To submit your application in person at a designed acceptance facility, you have to make an appointment. I started by using the U.S. Department of State’s acceptance facility finder, whichallows you to findthefacilityclosesttoyou. After that, I made an appointment directly on the United States Postal Service’s website.

On the day of myApril appointment, I gathered my printed application form, two passport photos thatIhadtakenatCVSafewdaysprior,mydriver’s license for identity verification, my checkbook for the application fee ($130, plus $60 for expedited processing and an additional $19.53 for one-totwo-day shipping) and my credit card for the post office’s $35 acceptance fee.

Additionally, I wrote a letter stating why I was applying and outlining all of my upcoming trips, along with proof of booking and a letter from my employer. I also took my current passport, just in case, but itwasn’t needed.

I arrived on time for my appointment, and the woman at the counter checked my application to make sure it was properly filled out. You’re supposedtoleavethesignatureareablank,which Idid.Shehadmesignitinfrontofhertocompare againstthe signature onmy ID, of whichshe then made a photocopy. She took my birth certificate and my check for the application fee, packaged them all up, and sent them off for me.

I paid the $35 acceptance fee to the post office, and I was on my way — but not before I was informed that even expedited processing was takingseventonineweeks.Fromthere,allIcould do was hold my breath, even though the odds didn’t look good.

The wait

Fast forward to May, and the day of my next assignment — a trip to Greece for the launch of a new cruise ship — was nigh. I decided to go ahead as scheduled and hope that the customs and border protection officers in Athens would be OK with stamping my passport on one of the “notes” pages. (I already had a couple of stamps there, thanks to other agents who previously hadn’t paid attention to where they were putting thevisas.)Ifiguredthat,worstcase,theywouldn’t let me in, they’d put me on the next flight back home, and I’d have a story either way.

As luck would have it, neither of those scenarios materialized.Instead, somethingtotally unexpected happened. Five minutes after I left to drive to the airport, my mom called.

“You’renotgoing tobelieve this,” she said. “The mailjustcame,andIthinkyougotyourpassport.”

I turned around, drove back home and grabbed it, marveling at the timing. From there, the trip went off without a hitch.

Bottom line

Ihadtodosomehomeworkinordertofigureout theapplicationprocessforasecondpassport,but it was worth it. I received it exactly a month and two days after submitting myapplication. My birth certificate even arrived in the same envelope. (Often, proof of citizenship is returned separately via untracked postage — a concept that always makes me nervous.) https://thepointsguy.com/guide/trick-bypasspassport-renewal-wait/ Image credit: thecoli.com

There’s no telling whether using this process instead of a standard renewal is what helped me toreceivethenew passportfaster.Acoupleofmy TPG colleagues applied for renewals around the same time, and the results varied. One received hers within three weeks, while another waited three months and narrowly missed having to cancel a vacation to Paris.

ObtainingasecondU.S.passportisn’tanoption for everyone, but in my case, it provided me with a usable passport in enough time that I was able toseamlesslyembark on my scheduledtravels. It just might work for you, too, if you meet at least one of the criteria.

Looking for a Trip Way off the Beaten Path? Here Are Five Extremely Remote & Wild Places to Visit. TA Highlights Ethiopia

From Moss and Fog

World class destinations abound on our beautiful planet. But are you tired of the same old beach resorts and crowded tourist hotspots? Looking for a travel experience that’s truly out of the ordinary? You came to the right spot. We’ll be taking you on a journey to some of the most exotic travel destinations on earth, and giving you the lowdown on why they’re worth the effort to visit.

1. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

At over 10,000 square kilometers, the Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. Located in southwestern Bolivia, this otherworldly landscape is made up of a blindingly white expanse of salt crust that stretches as far as the eye can see. During the rainy season, the flat floods and becomes a giant reflective mirror, creating a stunning optical illusion of the sky and the ground merging into one.

You’ll have so much more to explore as well, with Bolivia’s rich history and culture, exploring this part of SouthAmerica.

2. Socotra Island,Yemen

TuckedawayintheArabianSea,SocotraIsland isabiodiversityhotspotunlikeanyother.Hometo over 700 species of plants and animals that are foundnowhereelseonearth,thisremoteislandis often referred to as the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”. From the dragon’s blood tree to the desert rose, the flora and fauna of Socotra Island are truly unique. Aside from that, Socotra has mind blowing beaches, which are usually entirely empty of visitors.

3. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

The inspiration for the floating Hallelujah MountainsinthemovieAvatar,ZhangjiajieNational

Forest Park is a natural wonder that will leave you in awe. The park is known for its towering sandstone pillars, some of which rise over 1,000 meters above the ground. Visitors can take a cable car ride to the top of Tianmen Mountain and walk along the breathtaking glass skywalk that extends out over the valley below.

4. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

LocatedinthenortheastofEthiopia,the Danakil Depression is one of the hottest and most inhospitable places on earth. It’s also one of the most visually stunning. The depression is home to a kaleidoscope of colorful mineral formations, including sulfur fields, salt pans, and acid lakes. The area is also home to the Afar people, who have adapted to the harsh environment and are known for their unique culture and way of life.

5.Antarctica

The ultimate travel destination for adventureseekers, Antarctica is the world’s southernmost continent and the coldest, driest, and windiest place on earth. Despite its extreme conditions, Antarctica is home to an abundance of wildlife, includingpenguins,seals,andwhales.Visitorscan take part in activities like kayaking, camping, and even swimming in the icy waters. It challenging andexpensivetogetthere,butAntarcticaisaforsure bucket list trip.

So there you have it, some of the most exotic travel destinations on earth. From the world’s largest salt flat to the coldest continent, these places are truly out of this world.

Whether you’re a nature lover, an adventure seeker, or just looking for a change of scenery, thesedestinationsaresuretoleaveahugelasting impression.

View the whole article here: https://mossandfog.com/looking-for-a-trip-wayoff-the-beaten-path-here-are-five-extremelyremote-and-wild-places-to-visit/