Susan's Place Transgender Resources

This is a continuation of my two previous posts (and hopefully the last installment):

• Changing Name & Gender - Part 1 (name, birth certificate, letter, Soc Security) (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,182542.msg1618733.html#msg1618733)
• Changing Name & Gender - Part 2 (driver's license, bank accounts) (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,183788.msg1632115.html#msg1632115)

If you've read the above, you might think that getting my final identity document - a passport - would be a breeze. It was so not.

I think of myself as cautious, so I allowed 10 weeks for the process, after which I expected to travel to Spain for FFS with the Facial Team. I submitted a passport renewal request using the DS-82 file provided online, and included all of the necessary documents as described on the U.S. Dept. of State passport renewal page (http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/renew.html#step1):

• Most recent passport
• Passport photo (took it myself following their guidelines)
• New birth certificate with new name
• Photocopy of new license with new name
• Original, signed therapy letter, in the form specified on the Dept. of State site (my last copy)
• Certified copy of court ordered name change

I also paid the fee for expedited service. Talk about having a false sense of security.  :D

Week 1
No response. Expected.

Week 2
No response. Getting nervous.

Week 3
Response! But not good - it was a written request for another copy of the passport photo, and also a request for the court ordered name change, as if it had not been provided at all, and with no explanation why.

So I got the passport photo done at Kinkos, and thankfully already had another certified copy of the name change. Sent it all back and waited. This was not feeling very expedited, but I still had hope.

Week 4
No response. Bleh.

Week 5
Response! But this time, even worse - a written request for my therapy letter - again, as if it had not been provided at all. And I was to fill out the application all over again, using the longer DS-11 this time. And pay another fee. And submit another passport photo. WTF?  >:(

This seemed nuts to me, so I called the Dept. of State help line. After an hour, I was talking with a friendly but clueless person who took 20 minutes to fully understand my situation, and then said there was nothing to do but comply with the request, and that there was no way to talk with my case worker.

I asked for a supervisor, and after about 15 minutes I was connected with a polite but reserved woman, who basically said "just give the case worker whatever they ask for". She confirmed that there was no way I was ever going to communicate with the case worker directly, not even via email.

Then, right at the end she said, "you know, if you're within two weeks of travel, you can go to the local passport center instead." Hmm.

I asked my doctor for another therapy letter, and then I stewed about the situation.

Week 6
This was the 30-day point where I could still reschedule with Facial Team without penalty. Because I had completely lost faith in the process - who knew how long it would take, or what additional documents would be requested? - I just gave up and rescheduled Facial Team for January.  :-\  I held off on cancelling the airline tickets.

Week 7
I kept thinking about that two-week window where you could work with someone in person.

Week 8
Two weeks prior to scheduled departure, I called the Miami passport office and set an appointment. After that, things moved right along.

People were very nice, and the guard even let me in 5 minutes after the "official door locking event", which apparently was a big deal and performed with some fanfare. ;)

When I was called, a specialist was assigned to my case. She was friendly and efficient, although not familiar with doing a transgender name and sex change. She excused herself and talked with someone in another room, then came back and began scanning my documents in.

It turns out they were concerned with the therapy letter, which the doctor had printed on photocopied letterhead, and signed with a black pen. It really did look like a photocopy of the original. I was thinking, oh no, here we go again, but after I suggested they call my doctor to confirm (a local number), they were satisfied.

I was soon out the door with an appointment to pick up my new passport in a couple of days, which I later did without incident.

Yay!

So, after all that, here are my lessons learned:

Do

• Be prepared to submit multiple, certified copies of your other documents as requested
• Ask your doctor to print several therapy letters on real letterhead, and sign them in blue
• Remember the "two weeks before travel" clause if you're in a bind

Don't

• Make travel plans until you have the new passport in hand
• Take your own passport photo - get it done professionally, and get multiple copies

I hope this was an interesting read and maybe saves someone else some unnecessary frustration...

Wow... what a tale. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

But I can confirm that if you make an appointment and go to the passport office in person, it can all go very smoothly. I had a very long wait (almost three hours before my number was called), but once I made it to the window, I had no problems at all, and I received my passport in the mail three days later. It was well worth the expedite fee, and I was able to make my travel plans in good time.

Damn. You're awesome to have put up with all of that....I guess if you want something badly enough, you'll get it in the end some how, some way!^^

~Nixy~

Quote from: King Phoenix on November 14, 2015, 11:41:02 AM
I guess if you want something badly enough, you'll get it in the end some how, some way!^^

~Nixy~

Yeah, at this point I've learned to be pretty tenacious. Give me my dang passport!

Quote from: Eveline on November 14, 2015, 11:45:38 AM
Yeah, at this point I've learned to be pretty tenacious. Give me my dang passport!

Yeah, I know that's right! You go, girl! :D

"Tenacious." I like that word. Very appropriate here. I think we can all learn to always be tenacious in the face of challenging obstacles such as this.

~Nixy~

I'm battling the same problem.  I submitted my application in late Aug.  My departure date for Thailand is in mid Jan. so I didn't pay for the expedited service.  7 weeks later I get a letter from D of St. saying that my app. was submitted improperly.   Said that my photo was off spec.  (by 1/8 in.) too small.  I had the photo taken at Fed. Ex. where I thought they new what they were doing.  Also said I didn't send recent govt. issued ID showing my current appearance.  They had my unexpired passport to compare with, but that wasn't enough. Didn't like my Dr.'s letter because it wasn't the original. Re-submitted the requested docs. the next day via registered mail with receipt.  Then I get an email from them saying that they had received my application indicating it would take 4 to 6 wks. to process. What a f****kin mess our govt. is.

Thanks for the advice about the 2 wk. window.

Did you have to re-submit everything again when you went in person?  Did you have to pay again?

They have my unexpired passport, original Dr.'s letter and certified copy of my legal name change.  I do have an extra passport photo.

You are being discriminated against. Consider contacting your member of congress - sometimes they will intervene if you're experiencing egregious treatment (which you are). Also, the state department has an office of civil rights. Consider contacting them, as well.

Jeez Eveline. I've read a few passport threads now and it seems like I'm one of the few people that didn't get the run around. I'm sorry you're having to jump through all these hoops.

Like Tysilio, I went in person and applied. Had them review my documents on site, confirm with a supervisor, and submit. I didn't pay to have it expedited, and got it in the mail almost two months later. I did have to make a phone call to find out where it was, since it was taking so long. And it arrived two days after that.

I guess I understand why the letter seemed so suspicious, but the request for a new name change document is weird. And the photo--did the letter say that the picture was not in spec?

At least you managed to survive the process.

Like Max, I did not have any issues at all in getting my passport. I applied by mail (in 2010, I think) because I didn't want the hassle of going in person. The only bump came after my passport arrived; not all of my original documents were returned. I think that the only missing document was my doctor's letter; since I had sent in an original, I really wanted it back. But I requested it and received it in a timely fashion.

I don't know how many of us have had (seemingly) unreasonable obstacles and delays during the passport process. A poll would be nice. And I wonder whether FTMs have fewer problems than MTFs.

Maybe separate polls.

I have a UK passport and we are assigned a person to handle our situation once we apply for this change and do far they have been really helpful.  But I'm applying after surgery. If I tried to apply before then the UK is even more difficult.

Quote from: Joi on November 14, 2015, 01:40:57 PM
Did you have to re-submit everything again when you went in person?  Did you have to pay again?

Yes, I did have to resubmit all documents and pay again.  Grr. Your tax dollars at work...

Eveline:  Thanks for your reply

As they have my unexpired passport, original Dr.'s letter and certified copy of my legal name change, I'm wondering how I'll be able to accomplish this.

I know they're supposed to return my docs via a separate mailing, but the way they operate, I might not get that stuff back till next Christmas.

Sure hope it doesn't come down to the personal appearance thing.

Quote from: Eveline on November 14, 2015, 08:47:27 PM
Yes, I did have to resubmit all documents and pay again.  Grr. Your tax dollars at work...

Seriously??!!

Yes, for real.  I was being paranoid but it turns out that the original case worker didn't make my documents available electronically.  So I  would have needed to reschedule.  Thankfully I had new copies of everything with me...

It took longer than I expected too, because the person who handled passport processing at the Post office told me to submit form DS-82, then about 2 weeks after I submitted it, I was contacted by someone at the department of state requesting a new letter from my Physician with the required format, so, I sent it in, then 2 weeks later, another department of state representative contacted me, and told me that form Ds-82 was the wrong form, and that I would need to go to a passport processing facility and submit form Ds-11, because I was essentially applying for a passport as a new person. I received my new passport a few weeks after I submitted the Ds-11 form. 

I am bookmarking this thread. Thanks for the information.

Quote from: kittenpower on November 15, 2015, 01:46:49 PM
It took longer than I expected too, because the person who handled passport processing at the Post office told me to submit form DS-82, then about 2 weeks after I submitted it, I was contacted by someone at the department of state requesting a new letter from my Physician with the required format, so, I sent it in, then 2 weeks later, another department of state representative contacted me, and told me that form Ds-82 was the wrong form, and that I would need to go to a passport processing facility and submit form Ds-11, because I was essentially applying for a passport as a new person. I received my new passport a few weeks after I submitted the Ds-11 form.

This happened to me too last year when I changed mine. Fortunately I had looked it up online and had already had a DS-11 filled out brought a printout of the website. (This was at a US Passport Office, not just a post office.) Anyway, she said I was wrong and only needed DS-83 so I showed her the printout from the website on changing gender on a passport. She read it says: "OMG, your right, there was another woman here last week and I told her wrong. Can I keep this copy and put it on the wall here?" I told her sure and she checked everything (letter, picture, court order, old passport, etc) I paid the fees and no problems. 3 1/2 weeks later I received my new passport in the mail and a week after that my original documents with the old passport with the hole in it.

I guess its good I did not get my passport yet. So once I do start changing all my documents, name, gender and all of that, then I can get my passport a lot easier.
At least all of these posts and threads are here to help with what you go through to get all the documentation.

Kate <3