PASSPORT SERVICES

Ever since the US Government passed new laws requiring passports for all travel out of the country, passport applications have been at an all-time high. This Is especially true for those travellers visiting Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The US passport agency is severely backlogged; what used to take 4-6 weeks to process, now can take 3 months or longer. And making use of the government's "rush" service provides no guarantee of getting your passport for weeks.

Passport expediting services exist to fill this gap. By paying a service fee (that varies, according to when you need your passport), you can receive your new or renewed passport in as little as 24 hours. This is an invaluable service for those people who have a vacation or trip planned in the near future, and can't afford to take a chance that their passport will be processed in time.

Of course, not all passport expediting services are created equal. There are a number of features to consider when looking for a passport expediting service. Some of these include:

•  Turnaround time.  You want to make sure the passport service can deliver your passport in time for your trip.

•  Cost.  There is a wide variety of costs depending on when you need your passport. Make sure you don't overpay for faster service than you really need.

•  Customer Service.  Is the staff knowledgeable? Do they offer helpful information to explain the passport application process?

We hope you find this information valuable in addressing your passport needs!

 

 

PASSPORT VISAS EXPRESS

 

 

Cost:

$69 - $199 depending on service needed

 

Passports and Visas offers an easy application process with step-by-step instructions. They are a nationally recognized US passport and visa service and have even been ranked #1 by the Washington Post, New York Times, and USA Today.

Passports and Visas offers applications for new US passports, passport renewals, children's passports, lost/stolen passports, name change on passports, and add pages to your existing passport. Simply click on the link for the type of application you need. Service level plans are as follows:

•  Standard service - costs $69 and delivers your passport in 10 business days.

•  Rush service - costs $129 and delivers your passport in 5-7 business days.

•  Emergency service - costs $169 and delivers your passport in 3-4 business days

•  "Same Day" service - costs $199 and delivers your passport in 1-2 business days

Passports and Visas offers a learning center on the website which can assist you with frequently asked questions about passports or visas. They also offer a passport information page, which is helpful as it lists contact numbers for the National Passport Info Center as well as other information that could be pertinent to your passport needs.

The website is professional, easy to navigate and simple to walk through the application process. Passport and Visas earns very high marks.

 

 

 

VisaHQ offers passport services to help clients obtain new passports, passport renewals, add passport pages, lost or stolen passports, passport name change, and second passports. You can navigate easily to the passport application process, and proceed to complete the application online or via the traditional paper form.

VisaHQ excels at providing excellent step-by-step procedures on how to complete their process, and they clearly list all required documentation. For the sake of saving time and money, this is a very important aspect.

VisaHQ provides four levels of passport services at a fair price:

•  Level 1 - Costs $44.95, and requires 11-14 business days to process the new passport request

•  Level 2 - Costs $99.95, and requires 7-10 business days to process

•  Level 3 - Costs $149.95, and requires 4-6 business days to process

•  Level 4 - Costs $199.95 for 1 to 3 business days processing

VisaHQ offers live help and a call center during normal business hours, as well as email assistance for any questions you may have. The customer service team at VisaHQ is both friendly and knowledgeable.

We like that VisaHQ offers an online, real time status update that allows you to track the progress of your application. They also provide tracking updates via email if you prefer. Both of these are great features to reduce stress when you are approaching an important travel date or are short on time.

VisHQ is a full-service expedited passport provider with a well-functioning application process, friendly customer service reps, and fair prices. We recommend you check out VisaHQ before choosing a passport provider.

 

 

 

ABriggs offers US Passport and Visa services available online, over the phone, or in person. They have been in business since 1987 and offer passport services for new US passports, renewal US passports, children's passports, replacing lost or stolen passports, passport name changes, and more.

ABriggs offers a variety of service plans based upon your departure needs.

•  Level 1 - Costs $65 and takes 8-14 business days to process

•  Level 2 - Costs $135 and takes 5-7 business days to process

•  Level 3 - Costs $185 and takes 3-4 business days to process

•  Level 4 - Costs $245 and takes 1-2 business days to process

Please note, the ABriggs processing times are in business days, not calendar days. You need to keep this in mind when selecting one of their plans.

Another important point to keep in mind is that ABriggs fills their orders based on departure date. For example, someone leaving in 10 days that selects the 3-4 day service may not receive their passport for up to 6 days. We found this to be somewhat misleading, or at best, confusing. You need to be sure to understand the service level that you need, before placing your order.

ABriggs offers an online status check to track the processing of your passport application, testimonials from prior customers, and even online chat support. They also offer the ability to contact any one of their office locations with questions, comments, or complaints about the service.

ABriggs offers a simple passport application process and provides helpful information. While their website may not be as easy to use as some of the others, they still receive good marks for their service.

 

 

 

Travel Visa Pro offers quick turnaround on visa and passport services. The offer a variety of passport services, including new passport, passport renewal, additional passport pages, lost or stolen passports, passport name changes, second passports, and passports for children.

Travel Visa Pro offers three service levels for your passport expediting needs, based upon your travel needs:

•  Budget level - Costs $39, and you can expect delivery of your passport in 2-3 weeks.

•  Rush level - Costs $79, and you can expect delivery of your passport in about 4 days.

•  Urgent level - Costs $169, and you can expect delivery of your passport in 2 days.

•  Emergency level - Costs $299, and you can expect delivery of your passport in just 8 hours.

Travel Visa Pro offers a unique service guarantee stating that if you are not satisfied they will return all services fees. This is a good option to provide, although we don't think it necessarily justifies the increase in costs as compared to the other services reviewed. They do offer help via the US Passport information line, where you can call with questions.

Travel Visa Pro is easy enough to navigate but we were not overly impressed with the website. While the service is legitimate, the site is just not as professional as others we have visited. They do offer some customer testimonials and have seven years of experience in this line of work.

Although Travel Visa Pro offers a unique and consumer-friendly service level guarantee, we judged the tradeoff in costs as not necessarily worth the added expense. We recommend trying one of our top-rated services before committing to Travel Visa Pro.

 

 

 

Travisa has been helping individuals expedite their passport needs since 1981. They support a wide range of passport application and renewal needs, and like our top-rated services, they work directly with the US Department of State Passport Agencies to expedite passport requests.

The process for obtaining passport services through Travisa is fairly simple. Identify the service that you need provided, click on the appropriate link, and follow the application instructions. For a new passport you have to wade through a series of steps, but all are explained in detail.

Travisa offers three types of service fees to their clients for passport processing:

•  Standard service - Costs $99, and requires 3-10 business days to process the new passport request

•  Rush service - Costs $179, and requires 48 hours to process

•  Emergency service - Costs $199, with same day/next day processing

Travisa offers a small number of client testimonials as well as a frequently asked questions page to help potential clients make an educated decision. Once you have applied through Travisa, you can check the status of your passport application online.

Although Travisa offers a sound expediting service, their delivery options give you less flexibility than other agencies, and cost comparatively more. Moreover, we found the website to be outdated and challenging to navigate. When the buttons and hot keys worked they often sent us to bad links and unavailable web pages. For more inexpensive options tailored to your needs, as well as a well-functioning website, we recommend one of our top-rated services.