Passport applications and Passport Renewal

[shwarmabob]

I mailed in passport for renewal without any expedite fee. New one arrived in about 5 weeks.

[AsherO]

I paid the 400 to the guy to get the appointment. Appointment went smoothly. Trip went smoothly. Good for 10 years. I guess now I gotta get one of those real IDs too so I don't have to bring the passport with me when I fly domestic.

Should have done the passport card together, see if you qualify to do it online.

[chff]

Should have done the passport card together, see if you qualify to do it online.

Or get a REAL ID driver's license

Or GE card

[Dan]

Everywhere is a "little" upscale from Mermelstein's

FTFY

[Dan]

I paid the 400 to the guy to get the appointment. Appointment went smoothly. Trip went smoothly. Good for 10 years. I guess now I gotta get one of those real IDs too so I don't have to bring the passport with me when I fly domestic.

Wow, brutal. What happened witht he feds trying to close down the brokers?
They've been talking about Real ID deadlines for decades, wake me up when it happens. Though I did upgrade when I renewed my DL last year, but happy I waited for renewal.

[Jack out of the box]

Not sure if this was extended.
https://il.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passport-services/u-s-passport-citizenship-faqs/pandemic-and-consular-services/#:~:text=Can%20I%20travel%20to%20the,connecting%20flight%20in%20another%20country.

Can I travel to the United States on an expired U.S. passport?
Yes, you can, under certain circumstances. Your passport must have expired on or after January 1, 2020, and you must travel directly to the United States, or only have a brief connecting flight in another country. Your expired passport must have been valid for 10 years, or, if you were 15 years old or younger when it was issued, it must have been valid for 5 years. Also, the expired passport needs to be undamaged, unaltered, and in your possession. This exemption will be in effect through December 31, 2021.

https://amudim.org/traveltousa/

It was extended through June 2022 but as you've probably noticed, that's behind us.
Practically speaking, I wonder what happens when a US citizen shows up in the US with an expired US passport. Does he get deported?

[chff]

Wow, brutal. What happened witht he feds trying to close down the brokers?
They've been talking about Real ID deadlines for decades, wake me up when it happens. Though I did upgrade when I renewed my DL last year, but happy I waited for renewal.

Cutting down on the online portal made it easier to book an appointment 2 weeks out the day the schedule opens

[chff]

I paid the 400 to the guy to get the appointment. Appointment went smoothly. Trip went smoothly. Good for 10 years. I guess now I gotta get one of those real IDs too so I don't have to bring the passport with me when I fly domestic.

Still waiting to hear if he was a satmar guy

[chff]

It was extended through June 2022 but as you've probably noticed, that's behind us.
Practically speaking, I wonder what happens when a US citizen shows up in the US with an expired US passport. Does he get deported?

You won't get deported, but obviously you need to arrive to the border..... So by land you will be allowed entry, but by air the airlines won't allow you to board

A shame as before the published waiver it was an "un-official" waiver, but good luck trying it now as the "published" waiver was ended

[Freddie]

Wow, brutal. What happened witht he feds trying to close down the brokers?
They've been talking about Real ID deadlines for decades, wake me up when it happens. Though I did upgrade when I renewed my DL last year, but happy I waited for renewal.

It's such a racket, these guys. Really sleazy. They create a scarcity and then charge a premium for it. I wonder how many of the people in that office that day also had to go through brokers.

[Freddie]

Still waiting to hear if he was a satmar guy

I never met him in person. Maybe he wasn't Satmar. Does it make a huge difference? He was a "heimisher" guy.
To be melamed zchus on a Yid, can someone give me a sensible argument that what he is doing is an actual service and not a racket?

[yelped]

I never met him in person. Maybe he wasn't Satmar. Does it make a huge difference? He was a "heimisher" guy.
To be melamed zchus on a Yid, can someone give me a sensible argument that what he is doing is an actual service and not a racket?

Because he's making it available by saving it for you from a different broker. But, yeah, not exactly an honorable business.

[chff]

I never met him in person. Maybe he wasn't Satmar. Does it make a huge difference? He was a "heimisher" guy.
To be melamed zchus on a Yid, can someone give me a sensible argument that what he is doing is an actual service and not a racket?

if you don't know he is "Satmar" just curious why you used that term.

You didn't have luck calling in the morning to book yourself an appointment?

[AsherO]

It's such a racket, these guys. Really sleazy. They create a scarcity and then charge a premium for it. I wonder how many of the people in that office that day also had to go through brokers.

The issue is that if you don't call at 8:00am exactly you wait hours on hold, so they're charging you for the "convenience of avoiding that"...

If they're only selling to the frum market or wealthy non-Jewish people who don't have a secretary who will call for them, then not too many.

[yakov116]

The issue is that if you don't call at 8:00am exactly you wait hours on hold, so they're charging you for the "convenience of avoiding that"...

Called at 8:12 and had no issue getting through and got an appointment

[Naftuli19]

Called at 8:12 and had no issue getting through and got an appointment

I tried didnt work so i paid...

[yakov116]

I tried didnt work so i paid...

This was on this past Friday

[Yehuda57]

It's such a racket, these guys. Really sleazy. They create a scarcity and then charge a premium for it. I wonder how many of the people in that office that day also had to go through brokers.

Do you really believe there would be no scarcity without them? I don't disagree that it is sleazy, but they are taking advantage of a broken system, they aren't the ones breaking the system.

[chff]

Do you really believe there would be no scarcity without them? I don't disagree that it is sleazy, but they are taking advantage of a broken system, they aren't the ones breaking the system.

לאו עכברא גנב אלא חורא גנב

[ari3]

It's such a racket, these guys. Really sleazy. They create a scarcity and then charge a premium for it. I wonder how many of the people in that office that day also had to go through brokers.

Still waiting to hear if he was a satmar guy

people assume only the frum guy is doing this. This issue is an issue across the country with brokers gobbling up all the appointments. If the heimishe guy won't do it someone else will, so don't blame him for the problems. That being said I wouldn't call it an אומנות נקיה וקלה