Travel and leisure

Although some people seem to think otherwise, infants engaging in international travel must have a valid U.S. passport. All U.S. citizens must have a valid passport for international travel. An <a href=”http://trcb.com/Travel/Travel-and-Leisure/An-Infant-Passport-Is-A-Matter-Of-National-Security-23283.htm” target=”_blank”>infant pass port</a> is very similar to normal passports, with a few exceptions.

For a parent to raise their arms and question the fact that they have to have an infant passport is not uncommon. However, many people forget that it is still about people leaving and coming back to a country. To allow random children to enter or leave the country without accountability could lead to some very serious issues.

Something else that not many people probably even think of is human trafficking. If the law about infant passports was not in place, people could easily transport illegal children across the borders for a variety of reasons. This goes for kids coming both in and out of the country.

Applying for an infant passport is rather similar to applying for an adult passport, save a few practical differences. Obviously and infant will not be able to fill out his or her own passport form. A parent will have to fill out the forms, and a parent will have to aid in the passport photo process.

Since the children will not be able to sign the <a href=”http://www.squidoo.com/infant-passport” target=”_blank”>infant pasport</a>, this must also be handled by the parents. This is like more of a co-signature in that the parent signs there name in place of the child. It will go next to the child on the passport and serve as their signature until the child can actually get a passport renewal and sign the passport on their own.

If a parent needs to sign a passport in place of a child, the parent must print the full name of the child, and then beside the child’s name, they must sign their own name and write their relationship to the child (mother, father, guardian, etc¦) in parenthesis next to their own signature. Ideally, the parent traveling with the infant should be the parent to sign the passport. However, this is not necessary, as other laws ensure both parents consent to child passports.

In order for a child younger than sixteen to obtain a passport, the child must receive written consent from both parents or guardians. This is part of new law passed in an attempt to prevent international custody disputes. A child under sixteen must apply for a passport in person, and both parents must sign form DS-11, in person, together, with the child. A child cannot receive a passport without both parents present.

It should now be pretty obvious why the <a href=”http://www.uspassportnow.com/services/ChildPassport” target=”_blank”>infant pass port</a> exists. It may sound a little silly when you first look at the law, but it actually there to protect children from various things. Therefore, getting these passport is a smart decision for any parent, regardless of how old their child is. If an emergency or surprise trip comes up, the baby or young child will be ready to go with you and there will be no challenges in getting in and out of the country.