Swift Passport Services Blog

1. Email Swift Passport Services a scan of the information page of your passport, a completed application form, and an orderform indicating how quickly you need the visa 
2. Swift Passport Services will apply for your visa using the items above, and email you an approval letter. 
3. Upon arrival in Vietnam, present your passport, the approval letter, and 2 passport type photos to the visa agent.  You will be charged $25 for a single entry visa, or $50 for a multiple entry visa upon arrival. 

Rio Carnival 2012 is just around the corner: Do I need a Brazil Tourist Visa?

The short answer is yes.

Rio Carnival is considered to be the largest festival in the world with over 2 million celebrants packing the streets for each of the five nights events. The party begins February 17^th with an opening ceremony where the Carnival King (Momo) is crowned buy the Mayor.  Once the King is crowned, a non-stop schedule of events, including the infamous Samba Parade and the Magic Ball, carry on through February 21^st when the festival concludes with the Gay Costume Ball in Rio Scala.

Its been said that everyone should visit Rio’s Carnival at least once in their lifetime.  If this is the year you will be attending, its not too late to make sure you don’t have any trouble acquiring the necessary visa documentation. Even though you are just visiting for Carnival, US citizens are required to obtain a Brazil Visa to enter the country.  

According to the International Trade Administration, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, travel to Brazil is up almost 30% from last year at this time.  This means that the wait time for obtaining a visa on your own is likely increasing.  If Rio is where you want to be this February, then let a third party visa service like Swift Passport Services help you obtain a visa so you don’t miss a moment of the party.  

Below are the basic Requirements for obtaining a Brazil Tourist Visa through Swift Passport Services expedited Brazil Visa processing service.

• Valid Passport

Submit your passport containing two blank facing visa pages. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from date of entry. If you do not have blank visa pages in your passport, Swift Passport can help you obtain extra visa pages or help you renew your passport; contact us for more information.  Please note that the last 2 pages in your passport ARE NOT counted as visa pages, those are amendment pages.

• Completed Brazil Tourist Visa Request Form

Click on the following link https://scedv.serpro.gov.br/frscedv/index.jsp to fill out the online request form.

• One Passport type Photo

Photo Requirements: Photos for your Brazil tourist visa must have been taken in the last 6 months, be 2 inches by 2 inches in size, and have white background. Please face forward in your photo.

• Proof of Residence

A copy of your driver's license or state ID. If you do not have ID, a utility bill with your name and address can be used. Cable and cell phone bills are not accepted.

• Proof of Travel

Copy of your round trip ticket to Brazil, or itinerary from an air carrier or travel agent showing flight information and dates of departure to and from Brazil.

For more information on Rio Carnival 2012, visit www.rio-carnival.net, but be sure to Swift Passport Services to make arrangements to obtain your Brazil Tourist Visa.

FESTA!

By Elizabeth Walder, Esq., Immigration Law Associates, P.C.

 The U.S. Congress created the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery program as a way of broadening the U.S. immigrant population by granting permanent residence to aliens of countries with a low rate of immigration to the U.S.  Unfortunately, those in high-immigration countries must pursue visas through other channels.   

The annual lottery process begins in early October, at the start of the State Department’s fiscal year, and ends the following September.  For fiscal year 2013, entries must be filed between noon on Tuesday October 4, 2011 and noon on Saturday November 5, 2011.  A total of 50,000 diversity visas will be available for qualified and successful applicants.  The DV program is open to some individuals currently in the U.S. as well as those living overseas.  Persons with approved immigrant petitions who are currently waiting for their priority dates to become current may wish to enter the lottery, since this application does not conflict with a pending case and may be processed more quickly.  

After submitting their lottery entries, applicants may check their status online.  An entrant whose number is selected for visa processing must complete the visa application, submit required documents and forms, pay necessary fees, complete a medical examination, and be interviewed by a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate.  Applicants in the U.S. may be interviewed by a USCIS officer after applying for adjustment of status to permanent resident.  Successful DV entrants must be eligible to receive an immigrant visa or adjustment of status by qualifying based on education, work, and other requirements.  The regulations require every DV entrant to have a high school education or its equivalent, or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years’ training or experience.

Many applicants are unaware that one error on their lottery entry form can lead to disqualification. The digital photograph specifications are very exacting and applications with inacceptable photos will be automatically ejected.  Recently, there has been a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to DV applicants. The scammers typically pose as the U.S. government, telling applicants that they have been selected for a diversity visa and that payment is now required for visa processing.  These fraudulent communications – which appear entirely genuine – are an attempt to extract payment from unsuspecting DV applicants.

Each year, Immigration Law Associates provides the expert assistance applicants need to enter the DV program. For a small fee, they offer an initial consultation with an experienced immigration attorney who provides a complete DV assessment, including:

•  Eligibility and other considerations for DV applicants, and how the DV aligns with an individual’s overall immigration strategy;
• Preparation and submission of one DV Lottery application, including digital photographs;
• Follow-up consultation for lottery winners and non-winners.
  

For those who are not personally eligible for the lottery, Immigration Law Associates can prepare and file an entry on behalf of a relative or friend abroad.

More questions?  Click here for Diversity Visa FAQs.  Visit Immigration Law Associates at http://immig-chicago.com, or call Elizabeth Walder at 847-763-8500 for more details.

Laurie Lee, Founder and President, Swift Passport Services

By far, the best part of my job is getting people what they need to travel abroad to do amazing things.  It’s great when we get to help someone make a trip that they would have otherwise missed, and we really enjoy the corporate clients who we talk with every week or every day.  Every once in a while though we get a client like OneSight.  These jobs are particularly fun because with our help, people are getting to go all over the world to do something that benefits others and betters the world.  Please read on to learn more about this incredible organization and what they are doing.  We at Swift Passport Services are so impressed with OneSight and are thrilled to be working with them.

Onesight, a Luxottica Foundation (Luxottica= Arnette, Oakley, Ray-Ban, and the list goes on), is a family of charitable vision care programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research and education. Since 1988, these charitable efforts have provided free vision care and eyewear to more than seven million people in need around the world and have granted millions of dollars towards optical research and education.

“More than 314 million adults and children worldwide suffer from poor vision because they do not have access to basic vision care and eyewear. To help give the gift of sight to all those in need, OneSight uses the support of its main sponsor Luxottica, one of the world’s largest eyewear manufacturer, designer and distributors, to harness their vast ophthalmic global business structure and expertise to give back to communities worldwide, providing free vision care and eyewear to those who cannot otherwise afford it.”

The Vision of OneSight is a world where primary vision care is a reality for everyone.  OneSight’s trained volunteers from 130 countries worldwide strive to achieve this vision through four program areas: Global Eye Care, Regional Eye Care, Community Eye Care and Preventative Eye Care. 

• Global Eye Care – OneSight volunteers travel to developing countries to hand-deliver much needed, free eye care and eyewear through temporary Optical Clinics.  Swift Passport Services helps OneSight volunteers obtain passports and visas for these trips
  
• Regional Eye Care – OneSight volunteers provide free eye care and new eyewear to those in need in our regions through temporary Optical Clinics and Vision Vans.
  
• Community Eye Care – OneSight volunteers help recipients in our local communities through in-store and outreach programs.
  
• Research & Education – OneSight funds research to address global eye health issues and invests in the next generation of optometric professionals through scholarships and education.

In 2011, OneSight volunteers will give the gift of sight during 15 Global Clinics in seven developing countries including a first time visit to The Gambia.  We would like to thank OneSight for the opportunity to help with their mission and look forward to a prosperous relationship.

Want to help OneSight? Donate your old glasses!  Swift Passport will be having a drive from September 19- October  1.  Send any women’s, children’s, or men’s glasses or sunglasses to Swift Passport Services and we will get them to OneSight for you. 
Ship to: 
Swift Passport Services
1 South Dearborn St. Suite 2100
Chicago, IL 60603

We greatly appreciate your participation and contribution!

Getting Naturalized and Getting Home

By Laurie Lee, Swift Passport Services

Congratulations to the newly naturalized American citizen!

You received your naturalization papers, survived fingerprinting and a multitude of fees, passed FBI clearance, passed your naturalization interview, turned in your green card, and took the Oath of Allegiance.   You are now an American with Naturalization papers ready to visit your country of origin for the first time in maybe a really long time.  What next? 

Step 1.    Sign Your Certificate of Naturalization

If you previously signed the photograph that is mounted to your Certificate of Naturalization, then sign your certificate using the exact same signature you used to sign your photograph, even if that signature does not match the full name shown on your certificate. This is your new legal signature, so make sure you are prepared to use this signature forever.  The Department of State recommends that you adopt a signature without abbreviations and sign your name the exact way your name appears on your naturalization papers.

Step 2.   Copy and Store your Naturalization Certificate

We recommend that you make at least one backup copy of your Certificate of Naturalization and store it in a secure and different place than your original. The bottom left hand corner of your Certificate of Naturalization reads, "IT IS PUNISHABLE BY U.S. LAW TO COPY, PRINT, OR PHOTOGRAPH THIS CERTIFICATE, WITHOUT LAWFUL AUTHORITY." You have lawful authority to make backup copies of your certificate in case it is lost, damaged, or stolen. Since you turn in your green card at the naturalization ceremony, your Certificate of Naturalization is all you have to prove your right to live and work in America. It is very expensive to replace the original.  Store it somewhere very safe! 

Step 3.   Get a US Passport

The next important step is to get a U.S. passport. Here are compelling reasons to obtain a passport sooner rather than later

1. It is an alternate form of legal proof of US citizenship.   Ideally, you will want to store your Naturalization certificate and use the passport as your primary form of proof of U.S. citizenship.  Every time you remove your certificate from your safe deposit box or home safe you run the risk of damaging or losing your only proof of US citizenship and your right to live in this country.  Do not put yourself in this vulnerable position!
2. Passports are an alternative form of picture ID.  You can travel domestically and internationally with a passport.
3. You cannot fly internationally at all right now until you get a passport.  If you still have family abroad, how will you leave the USA to see them in the event of an emergency?  It can take 4-6 weeks to obtain a passport.  Get one now so that you are prepared to leave in the event of an emergency.  The U.S Department of State recommends that all U.S. citizens with family living abroad have a valid passport so that they can leave and return to the U.S. in the event of an emergency.

How to Obtain a Passport

1.     To Obtain a passport in 4-6 weeks, visit your local post office, county clerk, or city clerk for forms and instructions or visit travel.state.gov for complete instructions

2.     To obtain your passport in less than 4-6 weeks, use a passport expediting service such as Swift Passport Services.  They can expedite your passport in as little as 1 business day for an expedited fee.  Visit Swift Passport at www.swiftpassportservices.com, or call 877.917.9438 for details.

As a US citizen, you are now entitled to the same rights, obligations, and opportunities as all other Americans!  Congratulations to you!

Use this passport checklist if you're applying for a new U.S. passport

Applying for an expedited new passport through a U.S. passport agency can be a confusing and challenging task, especially if you need your passport in as little as a day. Swift Passport Services New Passport Checklist will ensure you have gathered all the necessary information to obtain your new passport hassle free, so we can deliver it directly to you in as little as one day.

Use this U.S. New Passport Checklist if you meet the following criteria for expedited new passport service:

• You are applying for your first U.S. passport -or-
• Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16 -or-
• Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago -or-
• Your previous passport was valid fro 5 years only

Not the right passport checklist? Check out the other passport services we offer

New Passport Checklist

• Contact Swift Passport to guarantee your expedited new passport
• DS-11 Application
• Proof of Departure
  Travel Itinerary, airline ticket, or "company letter of expedite".
• Two Identical Passport Photos
  Photo Requirements: Photos must have been taken in the last 6 months, be 2 inches by 2 inches in size, and have white background with no patterns or background objects visible. Photo must be in color and be free of glare. Ears should be visible, and you must be facing forward. Dark glasses, headbands, and spaghetti straps are not permitted. Feel free to smile.
• Swift Passports Authorization Letter (click link to print two copies)
  Complete and sign two identical Letters of Authorization. One copy will be sealed in an envelope by the Passport Acceptance Agent, and the other copy will be placed outside the sealed envelope.
• Proof of Identification
  Copy both sides of your valid driver's license or state ID
• Proof of Citizenship (Original Birth Certificate)
  Provide a state issued original or certified copy of your birth certificate, certificate of naturalization or citizenship. This original will be sealed in an envelope at the Passport Acceptance Agency. (This will be returned with your passport).
• Government Fee Payment
  A check or money order made payable to the "US Department of State", in the amount of $170. (Note: Be sure to spell out the check amount in the proper format "One hundred seventy and 00/100.)
• Bring all your documents to a Passport Acceptance Agent

* Shipping rates for your expedited renewal passport are offered by Swift Passport Services starting at $15 for inbound and outbound shipments upon request.

Need help with the passport checklist? Contact us for assistance.