So, my passport is in the mail, and I have some extremely informal advice for other trans folks in passport limbo: What worked for me was claiming to have scheduled travel. I got a cheap hotel reservation in Montreal, but they didn't even ask for proof; dunno if that's standard. (cont'd) - ThreadSky

edidin.bsky.social • 2 days ago

So, my passport is in the mail, and I have some extremely informal advice for other trans folks in passport limbo:

What worked for me was claiming to have scheduled travel. I got a cheap hotel reservation in Montreal, but they didn't even ask for proof; dunno if that's standard. (cont'd)

Comments

crosis101.bsky.social•1 day ago

We said we had travel scheduled. We stayed with friends. It wasn’t bullshit, but they didn’t verify either.

wuffles.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is good to hear. Maybe I should just YOLO and do the same. I contacted my senators but nada at the moment. :(

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

The advice I was informally given by someone at the passport office is that they'll only actually kickstart stalled processes if there's scheduled travel. It doesn't have to be *real* scheduled travel, and you don't actually have to go.

wuffles.bsky.social•2 days ago

Gotcha. I paid for expedited for this reason back in mid January but still haven't got mine. I got a pretty gross letter asking for me to identify my biological sex at birth

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

Oh, shit, that's a lousy twist.

Were you changing your gender marker on this one, or did they just take the initiative to be gratuitously awful?

wuffles.bsky.social•1 day ago

First ever passport. Naturalized citizen so no immediate proof of sex assign at birth. :/

wuffles.bsky.social•1 day ago

edidin.bsky.social•1 day ago

I would probably try to talk to an immigration lawyer, because that's absolutely bonkers. I'm so sorry that you're dealing with it.

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

I got the cheapest hotel reservation I could find for a saturday night in a city I knew was in fairly easy driving distance so I could feasibly say it was a weekend trip if they needed some kind of proof, but they didn't ask to see anything.

adamreck.bsky.social•2 days ago

Glad to hear it, Jay

albertan-yeg.bsky.social•1 day ago

I’m leaving for the airport in 30 minutes and reading this post reminded me that I haven’t gotten out my passports. So thank you!

bowjamesbow.ca•1 day ago

And paying a quick visit to Montreal is no big punishment... :-)

edidin.bsky.social•1 day ago

I wish I had time to actually go!

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

This was after SIX WEEKS of calling and failing to get any movement or solid information on an expedited renewal application with no name or gender-marker changes.

We'll see what gender marker the new passport shows up with, but at least it's on the way.

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

I should note that during this process I also reached out to my representative's (Grace Meng) office for help, and they told me they would only assist if I had already scheduled travel; so that appears to be the golden key on pretty much every level.

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

It seems absolutely bizarre to me that they expect people to schedule international travel *before they have a valid passport*, but apparently that's what works?

Thanks, I hate it.

asimov-fangirl.bsky.social•1 day ago

I wonder if this an american thing. Years ago when renewing my American Visa, besides doing a baffling survey, si had to specify when and where I was going to travel to the US. Luckily it didn’t ask me to attach an hotel reservation, but apparently one can’t ask for a visa “just in case”

scifantasy.bsky.social•22 hours ago

AIUI it's more of an expectation that people booked, then realized their passport was out of date or whatever, so are now in a panic bind...

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

ADDENDUM: Given the choice between fast or accurate for a passport right now, I would choose fast. Being able to get out of the country fast means surviving long enough to get the name and gender marker sorted later if you need to.

bribleck.bsky.social•1 day ago

I am so sorry you are facing this

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

(I'm also saying this from a position of relative privilege WRT what gender I read as. I have a beard and a receding hairline; if my passport comes back with an F on it it's very obviously going to read to anyone reviewing it as government fuckery.)

edidin.bsky.social•2 days ago

finally: Big ol' NOT A LAWYER disclaimer

dabaum.bsky.social•2 days ago

are you guys looking at other countries? I can't decide which ones would be safe

awesomename7.bsky.social•1 day ago

Oh shit that was easy as hell. They told me "Hmm it looks like its printed, they just haven't shipped it off... for some reason. I'll let the agency know you have plans." Thank you!

awesomename7.bsky.social•1 day ago

Obviously I did this approximately 3 minutes ago so we'll see if it works, but that was easy damn.

wylder.bsky.social•1 day ago

We still haven't had funds or a chance to try and get them... 😰

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply