One thing before I go. Inside I've c/p'd a guy-I-grew-up-with 's Facebook post. Yeah maybe he should have renewed but I'm still a bit blown away
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"Ok, I have a little story here. So, as everyone may or may not know, I was born in Peru in 1966 to a US citizen father and Peruvian mother who were legally married before my conception. By US law that makes me a US citizen by birth. My parents successfully and legally claimed that citizenship on my behalf by obtaining my US passport when I was a small child and I have held several US passports since. Now here is where the story gets interesting....
In 2015, my latest passport expired. I thought, no big deal, I'll get it renewed when I need it. Then recently I misplaced my original social security card which I had managed to hold on to all these years since my parents obtained it in the same time period as my original passport. Lastly, my driver’s license here in California expires this September and silly me thought it would be a simple matter of going down with my current driver’s license and renewing it. Simple, right?
Nope
First let me state that an expired US passport has always been accepted legal proof of citizenship by law. This statement becomes important as we progress through the story.
As many may or may not know, all states are now required to issue what is called a Real ID for the purposes of identification for federal purposes (to do things like …. You know…. Flying or maybe possibly seeing your son graduate basic training on a Naval base). This ID becomes mandatory for federal purposes October 1, 2020, but here is the twist: If between now and then, you go to renew your license and do not have all of the required documents, your license renewed today will state “Federal Limits Apply”. Yes, you guessed it, not valid for federal purposes.
Keep in mind that I do not have a US birth certificate, nor a US certificate of Citizenship, nor a US Consular Report of Birth Abroad, nor a current valid, unexpired passport. One of these specific items is required to obtain a Real ID. So that is a no go on my driver’s license renewal for the immediate future.
Well, I thought, let’s at least go get some of this growing mess cleared up and at least get a social security card to replace the one I misplaced while I wait for my appointment to get my passport renewed. As I sat down in front of the representative at the Social Security office and showed her my current valid (about to expire) driver’s license, she informs me that the Social Security administration has RECENTLY determined that my citizenship status is undetermined and that they cannot issue me a social security card. So silly me whips out my latest expired passport and I say, “here’s my proof of citizenship.” Needless to say, my jaw dropped to the floor when she stated that an expired US passport was insufficient to change my status with them and that she could not help me.
Now I am truly shocked how things have gone so far and quite frankly apprehensive about what is going to happen when I submit my expired passport to have it renewed. That’s all that I have needed in the past. By law, that’s all I need now. But, by law, that’s all I needed at the Social Security office…..sigh….shrug.
My appointment for the passport is this coming Monday, which I had to plead for in lieu of the one they wanted to schedule for September (yes, that’s right, September). Oh, you didn’t know that passport renewals are by appointment only now?"
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