In order to get a passport, the applicant used to have to find the local passport office and then stand in line to stand in line a couple of times before they could finally get to the window only to find out that they didn’t have the information filled out correctly. Today, that whole process has gotten much easier thanks to the ability of ordering a passport online.
Some people are destined to pick the wrong line. No matter where they go and what line they get in, it is the one that takes the longest to move. Because of the Internet, the passport agency line is one line that can be removed from picture. While a first timer will still have to head to the local passports office for verification, they can still take advantage of the speed of ordering a passport online.
Anyone that can do some basic research will have no problems getting their passport online. If they do run into problems, most sites will either have chat option or a toll free number that can be used to help guide the applicant through the process. In all honesty, if a site does not have these features in place, it is probably best to look elsewhere for services.
The forms can be downloaded right off the government sites and are pretty easy to fill out. Any questions can be answered via the FAQ that is located right on the site itself. If the applicant is going to use one of the expedited online services, they may actually fill out the forms for them. This makes the process even easier.
After filling out all of the forms, they will have to be printed. Make sure there is plain, letter sized paper in the printer and that that it does not have any kind of coating. That glossy baby blue paper that your daughter likes to use for her homemade cards won’t cut it. Anything but plain paper will be refused by the passport agency.
Pictures are also going to have to be done and are pretty easy to get, it is just important to make sure that they are the right kind. Passport photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches and should be in color. Most photo shops will have the ability to take these, or there is of course the quick Internet search to find the spot closest that can handle this task for you.
Once the forms are filled out and the photos taken, all the materials must be sent to the service provider. This is normally done by using some type of traceable mail service or private carrier. FedEx and UPS are the two that are preferred by many of the providers that will be found online. This gives them a means to keep track of the documents both when they are being sent to them along with the return trip.
It may not seem like this is a time saving process, but the actual time saved comes in the overall turnaround of the actual U.S. passports. By ordering a passport online, the passport can be received in less than a week. Head over to the local office or use standard government services, and the mailbox will not have a passport in it for at least a month and a half.
