State Department’s new rules on kids’
passports aim to reduce abductions
By Mark Oliva, Okinawa
bureau
Changes in U.S. law just made it harder for minors to get passports.
The State Department recently announced that signatures from both
natural parents are necessary for minors obtaining passports. The law goes into effect
July 2.
The new law reduces the possibility of international parental
abduction, said Philip T. Reeder, deputy spokesman for the State Department.
“Under this new law,” he said, “a person applying for
a U.S. passport for a child under 14 must demonstrate that both parents consent to the
issuance of a passport to the child or that the applying parent has sole authority to
obtain the passport.” The law immediately affects children from previous marriages.
U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide will hold applications for
any child under 14 with only one parent’s signature until evidence of the second
parent’s consent is submitted. Geographically separate natural parents can submit a
letter to show consent for issuing a passport.
Valda Vickmanis Keller, Vice Consul for the U.S. Consulate in Naha,
said the letters don’t need a notary seal.
The law is not without exception. Parents with sole custody are
permitted to apply for passports with only one signature, provided they have proper
documentation of child custody settlements.
Families with special circumstances can apply with only one
parent’s signature.
“Consular officers have the authority to waive dual-parent
signature requirements,” Vickmanis Keller said.
Such scenarios are for emergencies when one parent is temporarily
deployed and the other parent needs to get the child back to the States quickly. For
normal travel passports, she said, it is recommended the parent wait until the second
parent can appear to sign the passport application.
The law also puts safeguards in place for parents concerned about the
safety of children over age 14. Under the new law, 14-year-olds can sign their own
passport applications, but the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program allows
parents to completely block the issuance of a passport to a minor up to age 18.
Those parents are required to demonstrate they have sole or joint
custody of that child, or a court order prohibiting or restricting a child’s travel.
Parents can enroll in the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert
Program by calling (202) 663-2641 in the United States.
The new law doesn’t necessarily protect children who are
eligible to obtain passports from other countries, though. The State Department said each
country decides on its own who is eligible for passports and what the submission criteria
entails.
The law affects only applications for new passports or re-issuances
of lost or expired passports. All previously issued passports to children under 14 remain
valid.
For more information, call the U.S. Consulate at DSN 645-7323.
Questions also can be answered by visiting the State Department Web site at: www.travel.state.gov/two-parent.html.
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