Feels so unreal, what a journey… but dark blue has always been my favorite color.
Filing for my first US passport in New York City at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Step I → Passport photos
February 24th, 2020
- →1 Color photo is required
- →Must be taken less than 6 months prior
- →Neutral face expression
- →No selfie, but if you follow the instructions you can take it yourself (No glasses, plain white background, no Instagram filters, no photoshop, no masks etc.)
- →2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
Step II → Preparing to Mail Evidence
Along the official form, you need to include evidence of your citizenship.
For a first passport after naturalization you need to include the original certificate of naturalization as well as the original court document of a name change if you had one.
Step III → Filing the Application
March 9th, 2020
Filing date for my passport application.
I went to the United States Postal Service Post office on 90 Church St. near One World Trade Center on March 8th, 2020.
Because they didn’t take credit cards and my check didn’t include my home address for some reason, they didn’t accept it. I returned the next day and they were able to file it right away.
Step IV → Wait
In their email I got from state.gov they let me know that it takes 6-8 weeks. My passport was ready to be shipped on June 11th, 2020.
Step V → Check your Mailbox
June 18th, 2020
My passport was delivered. The originals of the certificate of naturalization arrived a couple days later.
Given the circumstances, it wasn’t too bad of a wait.
It felt a bit blurry during this particular timeframe. On February 24th, I remember heading to Brooklyn during my lunch break to get passport pictures, and everything after filing was a bit hectic, as New York City started to panic about the spread of Covid-19.
First, one of my team members got approval to work from home. Then, few days later most departments of my company were sent to work from home. I am glad I could get this done before the city-wide quarantine.
If you live in Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan, I highly recommend Photoreal. These guys have this little shared space on the 1st floor, and have a very nice setup for passport photos.
Avoid CVS and Walgreens at all cost, they don’t know what they are doing, the price is insane for what it is. After-all these photos will be on your passport for years!
Try to go to a real place because they will be up to date in terms of the most current requirements
Henley Passport Index
Mobility Score United States vs. France vs. Russian Federation
According to Henley & Partners
Acquiring Dual or Multiple Citizenship
Dual citizenship is the result of the interaction of the laws of two countries. People can become dual citizens automatically (normally by birth or marriage), or after successfully applying for the citizenship of another country.
When it comes to dual or multiple citizenship, the world is divided: there are countries whose laws allow their own citizens to acquire another citizenship without losing their present one. In contrast, other countries do not allow the acquisition or holding of another citizenship and the acquisition of another citizenship may lead to the loss of the present citizenship.
Therefore, the acquisition of a second citizenship is only legally possible for citizens of those countries which allow dual citizenship.
The following is an overview of citizenship laws in selected countries with regard to dual citizenship. The information is based on Henley & Partners’ interpretation of citizenship legislation in the relevant countries.
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