Passport

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Your Name Change

How the Government Shut Down Affects Married Name Change

The MissNowMrs phones have been ringing with questions regarding the government shut down and how it could affect the married name change process. We’ve compiled everything you need to know regarding the government shut down and how it affects name change forms filed with Social Security, the IRS, the State Department, and your state driver’s license bureau.

Social Security

Social Security cards will still be issued during the government shut down. However, due to a decrease in Social Security Administration personnel it may take longer than the customary 2 weeks for your SS-5 form to be processed and your new Social Security card issued. During the government shutdown in 2013 there were delays in the issuance of new Social Security Cards. If you’d like to talk with someone at the Social Security Administration, please call their customer support line at 800.772.1213.

The IRS

The IRS is still accepting and processing the IRS-8822 form that notifies their office of your new name and new address (if applicable.) Again, there may be delays due to fewer personnel in the IRS office but as they do not send you any paperwork after processing your form, don’t stress about it!

The State Department
There’s conflicting information floating around about how the government shut down may affect the issuance of new passports. ABC News reported that passport processing employees will be sent home during the shutdown. This could cause delays in the 200,000 passport applications currently pending. In a conflicting statement, the State Department has stated that the office will press on and process passport and foreign visas. They’ll do this as long as the fees paid for the applications will pay for the processing of paperwork and staff. We’re all for mitigating risk, so if at all possible, book your upcoming travel in your maiden name. Then, wait to apply for your new passport in your new married name until after the government reopens.

State Driver’s License
The offices that issue driver’s licenses are run by the state government, not the federal government. So, there will not be any delays or issues. That being said, it’s wise to visit mid-week and mid-day to avoid long office lines.

Now you have the full scoop on how the government shutdown will affect your name change. So, you can move forward eyes wide open. If you have any questions please feel free to give our name change experts a call!

Help Me Change My Name

Passport Name Change: Filing Secrets

Pssst we have passport name change filing secrets for you. Ready to change to your married name on your U.S. passport? After you complete your DS-82, DS-5504 or DS-11 form, have your new photos taken (hopefully they turn out lovely) and collect all of the supporting documents you need to file with, it’s time to mail the whole kit n caboodle to the State Department. Feeling a little nervous about mailing in your current passport? That’s completely natural.

Here’s the secret to problem free passport filing: send your envelope via USPS Priority Mail. FedEx and UPS will not deliver to a PO address, and that is exactly what the State Department address is. If you use one of those companies to ship your passport envelope, it will be returned to you as undeliverable.

This is bad for a few reasons. One, you’ve delayed the processing of your passport several days. Two, you’re out the money you spent to ship your envelope and must now go to the post office and pay their shipping fee. Finally, your passport envelope may be left on your front porch or out in the open where someone could walk away with it…scary!

Once you’ve mailed your envelope via USPS, you can rest assured that it will be delivered to the State Department and your new passport with your new married name will be created and mailed back to you within 5 weeks. Now you can start planning a fantastic trip to christen your new passport! Let us know where you’re headed now that you have our passport name change filing secrets.

5 Reasons to Feel Good about the Raise in Passport Agency Fees

The Passport Agency fees to apply for a new U.S. Passport Book or U.S. Passport Card as well as the fees to renew your current U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card are going up as of Tuesday July 13, 2010. We know what you’re thinking, not another raise in fees! Unfortunately, yes that is exactly what is happening with the U.S. Passport Agency, but with good reason. Here’s a breakdown of the new fees along with some reasons not to sweat the extra money!

First time Adult U.S. Passport Book: $110 (payable to Department of State) + $25 (payable to Acceptance Facility)
First time Adult U.S. Passport Card: $30 (payable to Department of State) + $25 (payable to Acceptance Facility)
Renewal of Adult U.S. Passport Book (DS82 Form): $110 (payable to Department of State)
Renewal of Adult U.S. Passport Card (DS82 Form): $30 (payable to Department of State)
Expedite Processing Fee (added to the above mentioned fees if you need your Passport in a rush): $60

1. Fees cover more than the cost of your new Passport Book or Passport Card:
Believe it or not the fees are also used to cover the costs of providing emergency services for American citizens who have been the victims of crime (or a crisis; such as an earthquake) while traveling or living abroad as well as providing support to the families of American citizens who have died overseas.

2. Application fees allow us to keep up with the latest technology in fraud prevention:
You don’t want just anyone to be able to obtain a U.S. Passport, do you? The Passport Agency has received great praise from document security specialists all over the world and views the prevention of Passport fraud as a key ongoing priority.

3. Fees help fund passport infrastructure and service.
Offering more timely service to the traveling public is always a number one priority at the Passport Agency Office, but it is equally as important to maintain high standards for adjudication in accordance with US citizenship laws.

4. Millions of Passports are requested each year.
The demand for passports has increased to an average of 15 million per year in recent years. For example, in FY 2005, the Passport Agency issued 10.1 million passports, 18.4 million in FY 2007; and they predict to issue over 15 million in FY 2010. The new fees will help them to increase their presence in underserved areas such as communities affected by the land border-crossing requirements associated with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. They expect to have 23
agencies providing emergency passport services to the general public, three high-volume application processing centers, and two large-scale document print centers by the end of FY 2010.

5. Passports are no longer used just for travel.
The U.S. Passport Book and U.S. Passport Card serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and identity for important purposes such as: work authorization and eligibility for many Federal benefits. Keep in mind that Adult U.S. Passport Books and U.S. Passport Cards are valid for 10 years, so paying these fees once every 10 years with all of the benefits listed above sounds not too shabby to us!

* Information for this post on Passport Agency Fees was obtained via the State Department website. For more details, please visit www.state.gov. If you need to change to your married name on your U.S. Passport, check out MissNowMrs.com/Passport-Name-Change.aspx for the inside scoop!