Do I need a visa to enter Australia?

Yes, all US citizens are required to have a valid Australian visa in order to be granted access to the country.  For most, the easiest way to apply is through the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) system.

How long can I stay in Australia?

The Australian visa is good for 12 months with a maximum of a three month stay per visit.

Can I leave Australia and return with the same visa?

A single Australian travel visa is good for multiple entries so long as it’s used within the first 12 months of being granted.

What if you overstay your visa?

According to the US Department of State, “if you overstay your ETA or any other visa, even for short periods, you may be subject to exclusion, detention, and removal by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship.”

How long will it take to obtain an Australian travel visa?

According to the Australian embassy, current processing times vary between one day and one month depending upon your unique situation.

If you want to avoid the guess-work and streamline the process – give us a call.  We can usually turn your visa around within 24-hours!

Do I need a passport to travel to the Bahamas? While you won’t need a passport to get into the Bahamas, you will need a passport to get home.    The US Department of State explains that “all U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport in order to enter or re-enter the Untied States when traveling by air.”

Can I use a passport card? A passport card may be used when returning to the U.S. by sea.

Do I need a visa to visit the Bahamas? No travel visa is required for short trips to the Bahamas for business or tourist purposes. If you’re traveling for diplomatic purposes (or other non-traditional reasons) a visa may be required.  Check with Embassy of the Bahamas for the latest updates.

Are there any strange travel requirements? On some occasions, travelers planning on extended stays in the Bahamas have been asked to present proof of financial solvency before being allowed into the country.

Any additional questions you’d like answered?  Let us know!  We’re here to help.

But where do you turn for quick answers?

Now you can turn to us!  Passportsandvisas.com is launching a free visa and passport forum located right here on our blog!  Now anytime you have any questions just post them here and we’ll get back to you with our expert answers!

For today’s question we’ll address one of your most common concerns:

How long does it take to get a passport?

How long it takes to get your passport depends on the way you apply for it.  For a new passport, the US Department of State is currently quoting processing times of 4 – 6 weeks.  For expedited service you can expect door to door service in approximately 2 -3 weeks.  And if you’re really in rush, or don’t want to deal with the complications of applying for your passport solo – just get in touch with us here.  We’ll take care of everything – and the best part?  We can usually get you a passport within 24 hours!

Have your own questions about passport or visas!  Submit them here!  Our team of experts will get back to you with answers a.s.a.p.!

According to statements by officials, the new facility was built to provide improved visa and passport services to American nationals, Emiratis, as well as other UAE residents.  Improved security was also cited as an  benefit.   As Jen Rasamimanana, the acting consulate general told reporters, the new facility “has a number of features that keep it as safe as possible for the folks working here and for the folks visiting here.  Those are the kind of things that weren’t possible to do in the World Trade Centre, which is an inherently public building and a skyscraper.

Travelers take note, the consulate general warns that “in preparation for the move, visa interviews in Dubai will be suspended from July 31^st through August 4^th.  In addition, routine services for American citizens will be suspended from August 2^nd to August 4^th.  American citizens in need of routine services during this period can make arrangements at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi.  All services will resume on Sunday, August 7^th at the new Consulate General in Dubai.  Emergency services for American citizens will not be affected during the move.”

The new facility will be located at the corner of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road and Al Seef Road. For direction please consult the Map and Directions to the new US Consulate General.

Current passport processing times are being quoted at 4 – 6 weeks for standard applications, and 2 – 3 weeks for expedited passports.

Avoid passport & visa processing delays by getting your applications in soon!

Need your travel documents sooner?  Just let us know!  We can usually turn your passport application around within 24 hours!

First off you’ve got your regional passport centers.  There are 24 in total, and they’re all located near major cities, so unfortunately, if you don’t happy to live near one of them, your options are extremely limited.  For those of you that do, here are the steps:

1. Make an appointment. Do this as soon as you possibly can.  Appointments pile up fast and often times it can be days until there’s an open spot.
2. If you can’t get an appointment, just show up. If you’re going to do this, get to the passport center as early as you possibly can (read right when they open).  There not supposed to see you, but if you bring documents demonstrating your need for a next day passport, and you ask politely, you may just get lucky.
3. Fill out all the necessary forms and pay. Remember to check the US Department of State’s website to ensure your bringing all the necessary documentation including a passport photo, and a primary proof of citizenship and identity.  A birth certificate is your best bet.  If you’ve held a passport previously, they can look you up in their system, but be prepared to shell out extra money for their trouble.

Unfortunately, these centers are often booked up well in advance making it difficult to show up the day before and get your travel documents.

If you’re looking for reliability, you’re always better off going with a qualified passport expeditor.  Here’s why.  We’re not federal employees who are more interested than taking our lunch break than we are in servicing customers – you are always our first priority. We won’t send you running back and forth looking for documents or push back appointments because its closing time.

We’ll walk you through the process step-by-step to make sure you get your passport when you need it.

Here’s what to expect with if you get your next day passport through a passport expeditor:

• You’ll speak with one of our qualified representatives who’ll walk you step-by-step through the process.  We’ll make sure all your I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.
• You’ll provide us with the necessary documents and paperwork.
• Sit back and wait for your next day passport to arrive.

Pretty simple huh?

And don’t worry about fee’s, the cost if virtually the same as working with regional passport centers.

Have any questions or need any additional advice on getting your next day passport?  Just let us know!  We’re happy to help.

• Full name of the applicant
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal of issuing authority
• Registrar’s signature
• The date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office (must be within one year)

Why the change?

The update has been issued to bolster efforts to verify the citizenship of all passport applicants.  The new information helps the US Department of State to track the lineage of applicants.

My birth certificate doesn’t have this information?  What can I do?

Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, yes you read that right) here.  For those of you who can’t obtain an acceptable birth certificate to be used as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship, secondary evidence of citizenship maybe used.  Acceptable forms of secondary evidence of citizenship include:

• Early Public Records
• Delayed Birth Certificate
• Letter of No Record
• DS-10 Birth Affidavit
• Foreign Birth Documents + Parent(s) Citizenship Evidence

But I’ve already sent in my application, will the update affect me?

The new requirement won’t be enforced if your passport was sent in for processing before the April 1 deadline.  For any applications sent in after this date, your birth certificate must contain the above information or it won’t be honored as primary evidence of U.S. Citizenship.

Any questions on the new requirement?  Don’t hesitate to ask!

Reportedly, the Department of State conducted a study between 2007 and June 2009 and determined that their Agency is not sufficiently recovering the costs to perform various consular services for the public, which the issuance of a US Passport is a major portion of activity.

The proposed fees include a $35 increase in the fee for a new passport or passport renewal and the new fee will be a total of $110 to acquire your passport.  Among other changes, a child’s passport would increase $20 to a total fee of $80.  Finally, the relatively newly introduced passport card will see an increase in fees as well.

No specific date is noted for implementation of the increase; however, we’d expect it to occur sometime this year.

So, how does this affect you?  Naturally, we’d suggest that you plan ahead and apply for a new US passport soon!