Child Support Enforcement ENFORCEMENT

PASSPORT DENIAL/REINSTATEMENT

GENERAL INFORMATION

This topic contains information on the following subjects:

1. The passport denial policy;
2. The passport denial process;
3. Contesting a passport denial determination;
4. Passport reinstatement policy;
5. Passport reinstatement process;
6. Passport reinstatement for members of the military;
7. Energency passport reinstatement policy;
8. Emergency passport reinstatement process.

PASSPORT DENIAL POLICY

In accordance with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and Federal Regulation 22CFR51.60(a)(1), the U.S. Department of State is required to refuse to issue a passport, except a passport for direct return to the United States, to any noncustodial parent (NCP) who has been certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as owing a child support arrearage amount that is greater than $2500.00.

State child support agencies must provide the NCP with notice of the amount of the arrearage, the consequences of this arrearage amount, and the opportunity to contest the arrearage amount. NC CSE includes this information in the tax intercept (offset) Pre-Offset Notice (DSS-4495).



PASSPORT DENIAL PROCESS

• The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) extracts the names of NCPs who owe more than $2500.00 in child support arrearages from the Federal tax intercept files that are submitted by each state.
• OCSE submits a file to the U.S. Department of State containing the name, Social Security number, place of birth, date of birth, and gender of each qualifying NCP. Once submitted, an NCP's name remains on the passport denial list until OCSE submits a subsequent file that shows that NCP's arrearage balance as zero ($0.00) or until a state CSE agency notifies OCSE that the NCP either has paid all arrearages or has met the criteria for emergency passport reinstatement.
• These files are matched against every applicant for a passport.
• If a match is found, the applicant/NCP receives a letter from the U.S. Department of State, advising that the application for s passport is denied. This letter includes instruction to contact the state child support agency to resolve the matter. If the matter is resolved and reported to the passport agency within ninety (90) days, the application can be approved.
• Neither state nor local CSE agencies are sent a letter or other notice of the passport denial.

CONTESTING A PASSPORT DENIAL DETERMINATION

If the NCP asserts that the calculation of arrearages used in the certification for passport denial is in error, CSE caseworkers must examine the order and payment records to determine their accuracy. If this examination indicates that an error was made, caseworkers must take corrective action to update the case record and document the results of the examination of the case record and inform the NCP of the corrected information.

If the examination indicates that the arrearage and certification were correct, CSE caseworkers must document the results of the examination of the case record and inform the NCP of the results and of the right to request additional review by CSE program management.

If the NCP requests a review, responsible CSE caseworkers must document this request in the case record, including the reason for the request, and immediately notify the appropriate CSE management reviewer of the request.

For DSS-operated county CSE offices, the appropriate reviewer is the County DSS Director or that director's designee. For non-DSS-operated county offices or contracted CSE offices, the appropriate reviewer is the CSE Regional Representative or that representative’s designee.

Management reviews must be completed within thirty (30) days of the NCP's request, taking into consideration any urgency of need for the passport. Reviewers schedule the meeting, notify all parties, and conduct the review.

Reviewers receive and evaluate evidence and statements about the amount of the arrearage that are presented by the NCP and the CSE agency. Then they make a recommendation on whether the arrearage and certification are correct to NC CSE.

Following the review, reviewers must submit a "Passport Denial Review Results" form with supporting documentation, including the CSE payment record, payment verification from the NCP, notes that describe the review, and any other appropriate materials by FAX to the Tax Intercept Unit Supervisor and retain copies of these materials in the case record.

The Tax Intercept Unit Supervisor reviews the management reviewer's recommendation, makes the final determination on whether the passport denial is removed or remains in effect, and notifies the Tax Intercept Unit, the NCP, the reviewer, and the responsible CSE caseworker of the decision.

If the certification was made in error, Tax Intercept Unit workers document local CSE's request that the NCP's name be removed from the passport denial file and then they request that OCSE remove the NCP's name from the passport denial file. OCSE notifies the Department of State when the restriction has been lifted.

If the arrearage was correctly certified, CSE takes no further action. Any further challenge to the determination of amount of the arrearage must be made to the District Court.



PASSPORT REINSTATEMENT POLICY

Passport privileges can be reinstated when:

• An NCP whose arrearage balance fis reduced to zero ($0.00) makes a request for reinstatement; or
• An NCP presents proper verification of a need for a passport that meets the criteria for emergency reinstatement.
• An NCP, who does not owe more than $2500.00 in child support arrearages, or other individual was submitted in error.

PASSPORT REINSTATEMENT PROCESS

When the NCP makes a request for reinstatement of passport privileges to local CSE, responsible caseworkers must determine whether that NCP meets the criteria for reinstatement.

If reinstatement is appropriate, caseworkers should:

1. Provide the NCP with a copy of the "Passport Reinstatement Information/Instructions" document.
2. Explain the reinstatement process to the NCP:
• NC CSE sends a request to the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) to remove the NCP's name from the passport denial file.
• OCSE notifies the U.S. Department of State in the next weekly file update. It can take up to ten to fifteen (10-15) business days from the date of the state's deletion request for the passport to be issued.
• Once the NC CSE has notified OCSE to lift the restriction, the NCP can expedite the process by contacting the National Passport Agency at the telephone number shown on the passport denial letter and requesting that the passport status be updated and the application processed.
3. Obtain the following information from the NCP to assist in processing the request and for statistical purposes:
• The NCP's name (as it appears on the birth certificate;
• The NCP's place of birth (city and state);
• The NCP's current address;
• The NCP's home and work telephone numbers;
• The name of the passport agency that appears on the passport denial letter that the NCP received;
• The reason for reinstatement (EX: payment of arrearages, emergency, submitted in error) and the reason for the planned travel (EX: employment, vacation, military deployment, etc.)
4. Send a request to the Tax Intercept Unit, asking them to process the request for removal of the passport denial and providing the information that was obtained from the NCP in Step #3.

Tax Intercept Unit workers must do the following:

1. Verify that the NCP's arrearage balance has been reduced to zero ($0.00).
2. Document local CSE’s request that the NCP’s name be removed from the passport denial file, including the reason for reinstatement.
3. Request that OCSE remove the NCP's name from the passport denial file. OCSE notifies the Department of State when the restriction has been lifted.

PASSPORT REINSTATEMENT – MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS

Military service members who are deployed outside the United States are issued military passports. CSE does not revoke or deny military passports. Military service members also could need a civilian passport for certain military functions or for personal travel while on leave. Military member/NCPs who are denied a civilian passport due to a child support arrearage are required to pay the full amount of the debt before the passport denial is removed.

If the NCP needs the passport due to deployment, CSE must:

• Verify that the total arrearage amount has been paid;
• Obtain a copy of the NCP's deployment orders. Keep the copy in the case file;
• Follow the standard passport reinstatement procedures.

If the NCP needs the passport for personal use, follow the standard passport reinstatement procedures. Obtaining a copy of the deployment orders is not necessary.



EMERGENCY PASSPORT REINSTATEMENT POLICY

Special reinstatement policies apply when the NCP needs a passport to travel for certain emergency situations. When an NCP requests reinstatement due to a situation that meets one of the definitions that follow, passport denial can be lifted without the requirement for payment of the arrearage amount. However, CSE workers should advise the NCP that the existing arrearage must be reduced to avoid future denials. Emergency situations are defined as:

• The imminent death, funeral, or serious illness of (or a dangerous medical operation being performed on) an immediate family member of the NCP that causes the NCP to need a passport for travel; or
• The denial of a passport to a person who has never owed child support and who was submitted in error.

For the purposes of emergency passport reinstatement, an "immediate family member of the NCP" is defined as:

• Spouse;
• Child (natural or adopted);
• Parent/guardian or step-parent;
• Sibling or step-sibling;
• Grandparent; and/or
• Aunt/uncle.

EMERGENCY PASSPORT REINSTATEMENT PROCESS

When an NCP declares an emergency need for a passport, the responsible CSE caseworker must do the following:

1. Determine that the request meets all aspects of an emergency situation.
2. Obtain a copy of the death certificate, a letter from an attending physician, or Red Cross verification (as proof of the emergency).
3. Prepare and fax an Emergency Passport Reinstatement Request form to the Tax Intercept Unit at the CSE Central Office.
4. Give the NCP a copy of the "Passport Reinstatement Information/ Instructions" document to use when contacting the passport agency.

Tax Intercept Unit workers review the request and supporting information. They notify the submitting CSE caseworker immediately of any discrepancies in the request.

If the request is accepted, the Tax Intercept Unit supervisor advises OCSE to remove the NCP's name from the passport denial file. OCSE notifies the Department of State (DOS) that the restriction has been lifted. DOS should release the hold on the passport within twenty-four (24) hours.