Passports and Visas

In the past few weeks there are many of you wondering if it is safe to travel during this outbreak of Coronavirus disease.  This is a time of great uncertainty where a typically mundane activity such as shopping for groceries or going outside for exercise has turned into a complex affair.  There are other folks tasked with more agonizing choices like having to decide between staying home or traveling across the world to visit an ill family member or attend to an important business matter. 

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2022) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

Atlanta area residents who need to change the name on their U.S. passport have several options to prepare for their next international trip.

Whether you’re recently married, recently divorced, had your name changed through court proceedings, or the name on your current passport is simply incorrect, the process for changing the name on your passport is the same.  However, there are variations depending on how old your passport is and whether it is still valid.

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2023) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

The procedures to replace a lost passport are similar to the process you followed to obtain your original passport.  However, you first need to notify the U.S. Passport Agency that your passport is missing so they can cancel it.  An American passport is a highly secure document that is difficult to forge, however, it is still important to move quickly to replace your missing or stolen passport.

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2023) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

Atlanta area residents who travel overseas frequently may benefit from obtaining a secondary U.S. passport.  Not everyone is eligible to obtain a second passport, but you may be able to obtain one if you meet specific criteria. 

Normally, U.S. citizens are only allowed to have one valid passport from the State Department.  However, the government may make an exception for business executives, airline employees, travelers visiting certain countries and others facing unique circumstances who might need to obtain a secondary passport.  Specific criteria are outlined on the Visa Supply website at https://www.visasupply.com/us-passport-secondary.html.

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2022) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

More Atlanta families are obtaining U.S. passports for their children as international travel continues to grow in popularity.  However, the process for obtaining a passport for minors differs significantly from that for adults – including variations based on the age of the child.

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2023) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

More Atlanta residents are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows in popularity across Georgia, increasing the importance of understanding how to obtain a passport locally.

The strong economy and expanding population combined to fuel higher demand for new passports in recent years.  Metro Atlanta was the fourth-fastest growing region in the United States in the late 2010s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  Of Georgia’s 10.6 million residents in 2019, some 4.6 million lived in the Metro Atlanta region -- 72,500 more people than in 2018, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.  From 2013 to 2019, the number of Georgia passports issued by the U.S. State Department annually grew by more than 150% to reach 487,000.

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2023) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

Atlanta area residents who need to renew their U.S. passports have several options to maintain their ability to travel overseas.

Hundreds of thousands of Georgians renew their passports each year for business or leisure travel abroad, and demand for U.S. passports is increasing as the economic expansion continues.  The Metro Atlanta area is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, with more jobs and higher pay increases than the national averages.  The U.S. State Department reported more than 487,000 passports were issued in Georgia during fiscal 2019 – which is 1 ½ times more than the 311,000 passports issued in 2013.

Liberia, the first and oldest republic in Africa, has attracted a growing number of tourists, missionaries and other visitors the past few years.

The country has maintained strong ties to the United States since its founding in 1832 and maintains English as its official language. The country (originally known as Monrovia, a tribute to U.S. President James Monroe) began as a settlement established by the American Colonization Society for freed American slaves. Over the next 40 years, some 12,000 former slaves and free-born African-Americans voluntarily moved to the colony on the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa. In 1847, the country declared itself the Free and Independent Republic of Liberia with the city of Monrovia as its capital. The country modeled its government on the U.S. Constitution.

Ghana is located on the Atlantic coast in West Africa. The region was home to several empires for centuries (led by the Kingdom of Ashanti) before foreign powers began battling for dominance during the era of European colonization. Ghana was one of the few African states that actively resisted colonization during the 1700s and 1800s, fighting for more than a century against Great Britain’s effort to control the country. Finally, after decades as a British colony, Ghana became the first country in Africa to gain full political and economic independence in 1957.