Brian GeekPresently, there are 114,820 Australian ex-pats living in the United States of America. A large fraction of Australian ex-pats live in New York, Seattle, California, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, South Florida, Hawaii, and Houston. It has been established that a lot of Australians migrate to the USA for greater career opportunities, a well-deserved retirement, or the opportunity to access world-class tertiary education.
Whatever your reason may be for migrating to the United States of America, an Australia Passport renewal upon expiry is certain. You would agree with me that Australian citizens living overseas are permitted to own Australian passports that will require renewal upon expiry. It would interest you to know that you can process your Australian passport renewal in the United States by submitting your passport renewal application form at the Australian consulates or embassies in America.
Can I Renew My Australian Passport In The United States of America?
Yes, you can renew your Australian passport in the United States of America. The Australian Passport Office no longer accept passport renewal application via mail. It is required that every Australian passport renewal applicant must submit their applications physically at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC or any of the Australian consulates nearest to them in the United States of America.
Australian consulates in the United States of America are located in New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. You would be required to book an appointment to apply for a passport renewal in the various Australian consulates in the United States of America. However, the Australian Embassy in Washington DC and the Australian consulate in San Francisco accept passport renewal applications without a prior appointment.
How To Renew Your Australian Passport In The United States of America
It is important to be informed that you are only eligible to complete a passport renewal application form if your present passport has not expired for more than 3 years. However, if your Australian passport has expired for more than 3 years, you will be required to apply for the issuing of a new passport altogether.
To begin the process of your Australian Passport Renewal in the United States of America, you will be required to create an AusPassport account at https://online.passports.gov.au/. Next, you will be required to complete your passport renewal application form online and print it out afterward. Please note that you may be required to modify your printer settings to ensure that the top and bottom of the application form pages are printed out without being cut off.
Afterward, you will be required to append your signature to all the sections of the passport renewal application form that requires your signature. You must also date your passport renewal application form in the Australian date format which is DD/MM/YYYY. Then, you will be required to attach two of your passport photographs that satisfy the passport photograph requirements of the Australian Passport Office to your passport renewal application form.
Next, you will be required to gather all the other necessary documents required to process your passport renewal application with your passport renewal application form and prepare for your booked appointment at the consulate. If you are applying for your Australian passport renewal at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC or the Australian consulate in San Francisco, you can walk in to apply for your passport renewal with your application form and the necessary documents.
An adult passport renewal application must be applied for physically at an Australian Embassy or consulate in the United States of America. There are some measures that you must ensure that are in place to avoid rejection of your application for a passport renewal. You must ensure that no changes are made to your signature and date on your passport renewal application form. Additionally, you must ensure that your signature does not go beyond the white box designated for signature on your passport renewal application form.
Please ensure that your passport photograph is at least 35mm in width and 45mm in height. Additionally, you must maintain a neutral facial expression in your passport photograph and your name must be printed on the back of one of the passport photographs. Finally, you must cross-check the expiration date placed on the top of your passport renewal application form to ensure that it is still valid.
Required Documents To Renew Your Australian Passport In The United States
The Australian Passport Office in the United States of America requires certain documents to process your Australian passport renewal application. Failure to provide one or some of these required documents will result in a delay in processing time or an outright rejection of your passport renewal application. The required documents to renew your Australian passport in the United States of America comprise:
- An appropriately completed and duly signed passport renewal application form.
- Two passport photographs that satisfy the passport photograph requirements of the Australian Passport Office.
- Your current passport.
- Credit card for payment.
Cost of Renewing Your Australian Passport In The United States of America
The Australian passport office in the United States of America modifies the cost of passport renewal at the commencement of a new month. So it will be advised that you check the passport fees on the official website of the Australian passport office in the United States at https://usa.embassy.gov.au/passpot-fees.
However, as of the time of this piece, the renewal of the Adult 10-year validity passport costs $336. The renewal of a senior passport with a 5-year validity for adults that are aged 75 years and above costs $221 in the United States of America. An Australian emergency passport for adults and children costs $145 in the United States.
Furthermore, the replacement of a damaged or occupied Australian passport costs $145. The Australian Passport office does not accept cash and cheques for payment however, MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards are accepted. Additionally, some Australian passport offices in Honolulu, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Houston accept Discover credit and debit cards. Furthermore, Australian passport offices in Houston and San Francisco accept American Express credit and debit cards.
How Long Does It Take To Get An Australian Passport Renewed in the United States of America?
Presently, the processing time for an Australian Passport Renewal in the United States of America is about 6 weeks. However, if you require an emergency passport you can visit any of the Australian Passport Offices nearest to you to know if you are eligible to apply. It is important to note that owning to the COVID-19 pandemic most Australian passport offices in the US are incapable of providing you the option of picking up your passport physically.
However, as an alternative, you will be required to pay $15 to receive your passport via FedEx once your new passport is ready for pick-up. You can use this one-time FedEx fee to receive up to 3 passports at the same address. You can also opt to submit a prepaid letter-sized envelope along with your passport renewal application form to the courier company that you prefer. Though you must use a courier service that necessitates a signature on delivery.
The Australia Passport Office will not send your passport through a courier company that does not provide a signature on delivery service. It is important to note that the Australian passport office does not send passports through the United States Postal Service. Additionally, the Australian passport office in Washington DC does not receive UPS courier envelopes presently.
Closing
The processes involved in an Australian passport renewal in the United States of America are simple. You are required to apply for a passport renewal in person at any of the Australian Embassy or consulates nearest to you. The Australian Passport office in the United States does not accept passport renewal via mail or post.
Please be informed that only the Australian Passport offices in Washington DC and San Francisco will allow you to walk into their offices to apply for a passport without prior notice. Other Australian Passport Office locations require you to book an appointment before coming into their offices to apply for a passport renewal.
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