dutyfree

I am trying to find out whether it is true that you can obtain a second USA passport(so that you can travel while the first is being held by another country for a visa)? My daughter needs her passport in December for work/pleasure travel but she needs to turn in her USA passport to the Italian consulate for her visa to study in Sicily in January. I know that the holidays will add more time but several people have said that you can obtain a second one so you can travel. Anyone know anything? I went to the post office and got both the original and renewal forms but there is no info on situation and no one seems to know. Thanks!

Underhill

Have you tried the State Dept. web site?

Marc_David_Miller

The problem of having a Consulate holding a passport comes up occasionally for us (especially if someone is visiting two countries which require visas in advance; i.e., Russia and Belarus). The only instance that I know of when an American can carry two valid passports is for a diplomat (or other Official passport holder), who also uses his regular passport for un-official travel.

The Italian Consulate (New York) has processing times of 7-15 days listed on their web site:

http://www.italconsulnyc.org/Frame_inglese.htm

My experience is that of all the Schengen countries, Italy has the most onerous visa requirements. You should call the Italian Consulate in your daughter's jurisdiction and confirm the processing time as well as any temporary restrictions (in August 2004, for instance, the NY Consulate was only issuing 30 visas per day-the lines started at 4 AM and usually filled by 5:30 AM). At least the NY Consulate requires applicants to appear in person (even a handicapped friend had to line up).

Marc_David_Miller

Form DS-82 states

"A United States citizen may not normally bear more than one valid or potentially valid U.S. passport at a time. It
therefore is necessary to submit a statement with an application for a new U.S. passport when a previous valid or
potentially valid U.S. passport cannot be presented with an application for a new passport. Your statement must
detail why the previous U.S. passport cannot be presented."

flanneruk

Unless sopmething has changed in the past few years, you CANNOT do this.

In a major multinational corporation, we had a recurrent "mine's bigger than yours" contest over who could get most passports for this kind of reason. One British colleague (whose patch included both Israel and apartheid South Africa) had four: anyone with only one was generally regarded as an untravelled wimp.

The Americans all ducked the contest. To show they'd at least tried, the rules of our jolly jape required them to get a formal letter from the State Dept telling them that no: James Q Popplefeather's constant travelling for Global Megacorp PLC did NOT permit him a second passport so he could have a dirty weekend in Paris while Azania was taking a month to process his visa.

Back in those more innocent days, there were rumours (not guilty, m'lord. Honest) of multi-passported Brits actually lending their US friends spare British passports for Christmas booze shopping.

ira

Hi df,

Is your daughter going to be studying in Sicily for less than 90 days?

If so, she doesn't need a student visa.

Voyager2006

I agree with Mr. Miller: ASK the Italian consulate how LONG processing the visa might take before making any other arrangements.

AAFrequentFlyer

I personally do have 2 US passports. A US citizen may have and carry 2 US passports at the same time.

<i>May I Hold Both a No-Fee and Regular Fee Tourist Passport?
You may have both a valid regular fee passport and a valid no-fee tourist passport at the same time. You may want to take both types of passports with you, especially if you plan to take personal travel while overseas. Please be sure that you have the appropriate visas in both your no-fee and tourist passports prior to your departure.</i>

MaureenB

We have been jumping through the hoops to get a Schengen visa, too. Actually, in my research, Italy has been one of the least difficult, compared to Spain especially. Spain requires up to 60 work days, while Italy says up to 20.
Can your daughter's university help you? Some of them put the students' passports through, via special agreeement with the consulates. It might take less time that way. And maybe the school has run into your problem in needing the passport while applying for a visa.
None of this student visa process is simple. It's almost like they don't want the students to come over!

Marc_David_Miller

It is unlikely that dutyfree's daughter would be eligible for such No-Fee (or official) American passport; even if she is she needs her regular passport for the travels in December (and would also need this passport held by the Italian Consulate).

janisj

AA's response isn't terribly relevant to dutyfree's problem. Sure, one CAN have a diplomatic or official passport in addition to a regular passport.

My ex used to have diplomatic and regular. But that wasn't an option for me. A college student can't just get a no-fee passport for her own convenience.

MaureenB has given you good advice - try to get either the US or Italian school might be able to help get the visa faster. But even that might not work. There is a chance though, she might get her passport/visa back in time.

Could she postpone the leisure/business trip?

designergigi

Do I remember correctly that one may go to the Italian embassy here in the states to get a visa?

As I recall, when I needed one for China, I could have gone to the office in Chicago and waited for it to be processed.

MaureenB

designergigi, you are correct, except it's the Italian consulate you need, not the embassy. There are a few of them, and you have to search for which one serves your state of residence (or in some cases, the state where the student attends school). You have to appear in person, which is a huge hurdle, as some people actually have to fly to a city in order to do it. That's what I mean about the hassle of getting a student visa. Fortunately, the Italian system has more consulates than many other countries, even with an office in Denver which we can use.

socaltraveler

Our daughter's passport is in &quot;the hopper&quot; so to speak, being processed for her visa to study in Siena in January. We're just assuming she can't leave the country until it is returned and hope it gets back in time for her flight on January 9th.

MaureenB

socialtraveler, good luck. Sounds like you have plenty of time within their 60 days, if her paperwork is already in the mill.
Best wishes for her study abroad! My daughter will be in Florence or Seville next semester. I was very relieved to find out her school will obtain the Italian visa for her.
You might post about her travel experiences while abroad. I'll try to do the same. It will be exciting, non?

Cicerone

I also hold two US passports. I got my second one by having my employer write a letter indicating that I often needed a second passport as the first would be at a consulate getting a visa. Almost everyone in my office has two passports. The passport is only good for 2 years. (I don't know what a &quot;no-fee&quot; passport is, mine looks identical to my first passport except it is only good for 2 years.)

Perhaps your daughter's employer can write a similar letter and she can obtain a second passport. Take a look at the info at the US embassy in Switzerland on this, I don’t know if the US passport office will issue second passports in a similar way, but it is worth asking. Go to http://bern.usembassy.gov/second_passport.html

siena_us

The turn arond time is very fast for student visas. I had mine in 3 days.

If your daughter will be in Siena and if she needs any help, you can have her contact me through my website www.expatsinitaly.com

I came over as a student 11 years ago and never left.

Oh and for Ira, if someone is attending the Uni for foreigners here in Siena for example, they must have a visa, it is a requirement ofthe school. Some other schools require it as well.

socaltraveler

Siena_us,i
Thanks very much for your offer; I will pass along the website to my Siena bound daughter.
Actually, you have already helped us with information about where to stay in Siena on another site. We are hoping to visit our daughter in April and I hope to visit your charming town.

dutyfree

Thanks for all of the suggestions-I just got back from London two hours ago so am sorry that I did not respond sooner. Ira-my daughter will be over there longer than 90 days and Italy is VERY rigid about having papers to prove the courses,parents salaries,etc. for their student visas.The Italian consulate in Chicago is actually one of the faster places to get a VISA but they are ONLY open from 9-12 each day?I quess that we will mail in the renewal with a letter of explanation and see what happens. I appreciate your help!

highledge

From the US passport office:
Current regulations prohibit the possession of more than one valid, or potentially valid, passport at any one time unless under circumstances specifically authorized by the Secretary of State. The only justification considered for issuance of a second, valid passport is an urgent need for international travel while the bearer's full validity passport is unavailable due to visa processing at other embassies.

Note: You are required to present your valid ten- or five-year passport to apply for a second passport. If you are unable to do this because your passport is already being processed for a visa at another office, you may not apply for a second passport. If you need to travel before your passport will be returned to you, please contact this office.