Brigette

Hi guys,

Quick update before my question. I did my swearing in ceremony for citizenship on Feb 28. Everything went smoothly. I was hoping there would be a table to do passports but the only table there was for voter registration.

I'm about to apply for a US passport. When turning in documentation do I have turn in the original citizenship certification or can I use a color copy made at Kinkos?

I'm about to make an appointment with my local post office to get everything done and sent off and just wanted to know. Also if I need the original, will the post office make a copy or are they required to send the original document?

Thanks so much

lansbury

You need your original naturalization certificate. It goes with your application to the passport office and will be returned to you from there. Make a copy of it for your own records before you apply for the passport.

Brigette

Ok thanks ( I hate sending original documents but we do what we must ). I'm going to assume that my British passport is not needed right?

lansbury

No I didn't send my UK passport. I didn't use the post office but used a similar service at the County offices. They will check everything before it gets sent off and make sure it is correct. Mine went to the Seattle passport office and took 2 weeks.

Brigette

Ok thanks. Hopefully mine will take a short time as well. I will definitely ask them which passport office they are sending it to.

paul32x

I had to send my original certificate, which came back pretty quickly, no UK passport needed. All in all it only took a couple of weeks for my pretty new US passport to arrive!

scrubbedexpat091

You can check processing times here if you haven't already, and once you submit the application, about a week later, you can start checking the status of your application as well.

http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...ing-times.html

MarylandNed

You have to go to a US passport acceptance facility. You can search here:

http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

You have to submit the original.

They will take the original from you and submit it with your application. Note that the citizenship cert can double up as photo ID in your case and you're supposed to submit a photocopy of whatever photo ID was used. So you could also take a photocopy of the citizenship cert with you as well as the original. Alternatively you can use a driving license as photo ID and submit a photocopy of that instead. But you can't get around the fact that the original citizenship cert will be submitted with your first-time application for a US passport. Passport renewals work differently.

MarylandNed

Correct - your British passport is not needed.

SultanOfSwing

Processing times (according to the state department) are about 4-6 weeks, 2-3 for expedited service, at the moment.

I applied for mine on the 28th, It'll be interesting to see if it takes that long, or if it comes in quicker.

Pulaski

Mine took only about two weeks a year ago, as did Mrs P and little Miss P's passports at the end of last December even though the prediction was 4-6 weeks.

SultanOfSwing

When we got the kids' passports done at the weekend, the bloke at the post office said theirs should only take 3 weeks and we didn't get the expedited service.

The Dept of State has cashed my check, though. Didn't take three weeks for them to do that ...

Nutek

Couple of weeks for mine.

SultanOfSwing

Well, we have fifteen weeks until we need them so I'm sure all will be well

Nutek

Not now that you've said it out loud.