Prepare to be SHOCKED
The federal government...yes, the federal government of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, true to it's word (via "Boris" at the Social Security Administration (see my post entitled "Fun with the Feds") delivered TWO social security cards to my home, one for me with my ACTUAL MARRIED NAME on it, and one for Lana with her new American name on it.
Yesterday, we were able to apply for her US Passport (and Gabe's US passport, for that matter, although there was (obviously) nothing holding us up in applying for that except that we were waiting on Lana's social security number so we could apply for both passports together.)
I will b**ch for a moment that the government makes BOTH parents of any minor applying for a passport show up IN PERSON at the post office (or other government office) to make the application, and yet, at least in the this part of the country, will only accept passport applications between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on a weekday. NO SATURDAYS. So, if both parents work, both parents have to take a day off work (or at least a few hours) off work, AND bring the child with them, in order to apply for the passport.
Don't get me wrong - as a divorce attorney, I strongly support the fact that both parents have to apply for the passport (having once been embroiled in an ugly custody dispute wherein the father tried to leave the country with the children.) However, in my own personal life, it would have been SO MUCH EASIER if Husband, a teacher, could have handled this transaction on his own. Or if we could have taken care of it on a Saturday, together.
But, it's taken care of now, and it is almost the very last piece of paperwork we will ever have to deal with in terms of Lana's adoption. (We still have our six-month post placement home visit coming up, and we will still have to send 10 photos and a report of Lana's progress to the government of Vietnam every November for the next 14 years...but, in terms of final hurdles, it feels pretty significant.)
Soon, there will be nothing to stop the four of us from jetting off to Paris for the weekend, if we are so inclined. (Yeah, right!)
LM
posted by LawMommy at 3:50 PM
9 Comments:
Actually, you can bring a noterized note from the second parent too. That will be placed in the documentation for the Passport application,
Not that I've ever had to do this before!
Yep, we both had to be present to get Ava's passport as well.
Congrats on getting this final step finished!! It's such a relief to be done, isn't it?
Yes, we both had to be present for Nolan's passport too and ALSO Nolan! Didn't know this and we had to go back home and get him. He had been napping so we left him with Max while we went to apply.
Anyway, it's a great feeling to get those things behind you. We just got Nolan's social security card right before we traveled to get Bronte. I "had" to get it completed before we had her paperwork to deal with. Thank goodness she is our last! No more paperwork for us!
~Michelle
Yup, still waiting on those birth certificates to start the desaster that is our same named children. We have socials in their same name, how fun is that!!!
We are putting off passports as long as we can so we don't have to visit the in-laws in canada!
Congrats though, it feels soo good to have something finished.
Are you going to change her citizenship cert?
Just wondering, from a legal standpoint (not your branch of it, but seeing if you know.) Is it necessary to get a new Cert. of Citizenship. I am thinking it isn't necessary, as we have the original, the documentation for name change, state issued birth certs., and are hoping to do passports soon.
Great. See you guys in Paris!
I still need to get the SS card name change for Addy, I'm such a slacker. THe rest has been done since the month we got home.
Yeah you can take in a notarized copy granting permission for the passport, next time. Otherwise in cases where the parents are divorced but living states away (or even out of the country), it would be impossible to have both parents present.
Just did Annslee's on Saturday...really made me nervous having to send her ORIGINAL Cert of Cit but I know I will get it back. They tried to tell me I had to send her Chinese passport but I knew better. Glad we can do it on a Sat...
We did the notary thing too. Notarization is a pain, of course, but easier than waiting two hours in the post office. *rolls* Nothing is ever easy.
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