Background: We are sailing on the 3-9 Magic. My 8 year old daughter, my 81 year old grandmother and myself. My GM has lived in the US since 1921. She was naturalized in 1961. She has only left the US one time and that was at one point in the 70's to return to Europe with her mother (she doesn't remember the exact year). We live in two different states, about 2,000 miles apart. When I booked this trip in July I asked her to begin looking for her Naturalization Certificate or her old passport. She does have a very old Xerox copy (the kind that melts with age)of her certificate.
The Ordeal: Come October and she still can't find either of the original documents.
In Novemebr she came to visit me and I took her to INS in my city. They wouldn't take her application for a dulplicate certificate. They barely even spoke to us! We talked with several people and they just kept telling us they couldn't handle anything for her because INS in San Francisco had jurisdiction over her Naturalization. Fine, I called the INS 1-800 #, was told she could apply for a duplicate by mail. I asked how long it would take and they said six weeks to SIX MONTHS! OKaaaaaaay...so I had her fill out the form, I got the $135 cashier's check (they don't take cash or personal checks) and sent the form off, certified mail, return receipt. Meanwhile I told my GM to keep looking.
I never got the return receipt!
I had learned from the Passport Office folks (in a Post Office) that a passport could be issued if you had a copy of your duplcate certificate application and the counter receipt from INS.
In mid-December I begin to panic since we hadn't heard one word from INS. I decided desperate times required desperate measures so I convinced my 81 year old GM that she had to go into SF, put in ANOTHER application so she could get an over-the-counter receipt. The poor thing had to take BART over (light rail public transporatation) and the only one who could go with her was her 78 year old brother who INS wouldn't let in the buidling because he didn't bring ID with him! She waited in line for 4 hours but finally got her receipt.
Now its the end of January. She gets something in the mail from INS. A lovely letter with a ribbon and seal which tells her that because her records are so old they can't be located, it acknowledges she is a Naturalized citizen but specifically states that the letter is not sufficient documentation for passport application. I think, "Great, we can use this" but just in case it isn't sufficient I had her go down to the passport office and tell her to apply for a passport with the INS receipt and the copy of the application. I specifically tell her to NOT give the passport people the fancy letter. What does she do? Gives the passport people the letter (because they were sooo nice). And they KEEP IT! A week later she gets a letter from the Passport Agency saying that they can't issue a passport. They again ask for the INS receipt and a statement as to why she cannot produce her Naturalization Certificate.
It is now the towards the end of February. I have my GM send a letter (which I typed) to her Senator who has a staff person whose job it is to deal with the INS and Passport Agency on behalf of constituents. Meanwhile, we are plotting to just show up at the terminal and cry a lot.
But TA DA! On the last day of the month an interim passport appears in her mail. We are saved! The crowds go wild!!!!!!
Lessons learned: 1) if you are a Naturalized citizen guard your Certificate like gold, they are expensive to replace.
2) The INS Office in the city where you were Naturalized has jurisdiction over your documents for life and if you are old enough, they have probably lost the actual documents even though you are in the computer listed as a citizen.
3) the passport people really will take that little grocery store receipt from INS and a copy of the completed application as sufficient evidence of your citizenship status and issue you a passport. That's the fastest way to go.
See all you 3-9 Magic folks next week!
The Ordeal: Come October and she still can't find either of the original documents.
In Novemebr she came to visit me and I took her to INS in my city. They wouldn't take her application for a dulplicate certificate. They barely even spoke to us! We talked with several people and they just kept telling us they couldn't handle anything for her because INS in San Francisco had jurisdiction over her Naturalization. Fine, I called the INS 1-800 #, was told she could apply for a duplicate by mail. I asked how long it would take and they said six weeks to SIX MONTHS! OKaaaaaaay...so I had her fill out the form, I got the $135 cashier's check (they don't take cash or personal checks) and sent the form off, certified mail, return receipt. Meanwhile I told my GM to keep looking.
I never got the return receipt!
I had learned from the Passport Office folks (in a Post Office) that a passport could be issued if you had a copy of your duplcate certificate application and the counter receipt from INS.
In mid-December I begin to panic since we hadn't heard one word from INS. I decided desperate times required desperate measures so I convinced my 81 year old GM that she had to go into SF, put in ANOTHER application so she could get an over-the-counter receipt. The poor thing had to take BART over (light rail public transporatation) and the only one who could go with her was her 78 year old brother who INS wouldn't let in the buidling because he didn't bring ID with him! She waited in line for 4 hours but finally got her receipt.
Now its the end of January. She gets something in the mail from INS. A lovely letter with a ribbon and seal which tells her that because her records are so old they can't be located, it acknowledges she is a Naturalized citizen but specifically states that the letter is not sufficient documentation for passport application. I think, "Great, we can use this" but just in case it isn't sufficient I had her go down to the passport office and tell her to apply for a passport with the INS receipt and the copy of the application. I specifically tell her to NOT give the passport people the fancy letter. What does she do? Gives the passport people the letter (because they were sooo nice). And they KEEP IT! A week later she gets a letter from the Passport Agency saying that they can't issue a passport. They again ask for the INS receipt and a statement as to why she cannot produce her Naturalization Certificate.
It is now the towards the end of February. I have my GM send a letter (which I typed) to her Senator who has a staff person whose job it is to deal with the INS and Passport Agency on behalf of constituents. Meanwhile, we are plotting to just show up at the terminal and cry a lot.
But TA DA! On the last day of the month an interim passport appears in her mail. We are saved! The crowds go wild!!!!!!
Lessons learned: 1) if you are a Naturalized citizen guard your Certificate like gold, they are expensive to replace.
2) The INS Office in the city where you were Naturalized has jurisdiction over your documents for life and if you are old enough, they have probably lost the actual documents even though you are in the computer listed as a citizen.
3) the passport people really will take that little grocery store receipt from INS and a copy of the completed application as sufficient evidence of your citizenship status and issue you a passport. That's the fastest way to go.
See all you 3-9 Magic folks next week!
