US Immigration

How Form DS-86 Can Help Prevent Identity Theft

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How Form DS-86 Can Help Prevent Identity Theft

What is Form DS-86
When a qualifying United States citizen applies for the U.S. passport, the applicant will receive the document by mail once its processing is complete. This is the process for the majority of applicants. However, in a smaller number of cases, applicants who are qualified to apply do not end up receiving their password in the mail. In these kinds of situation, the applicant may face serious negative consequences, such has an identity theft. The applicant's next step should be to file a DS-86 form. This is known as the Statement of Non-receipt of Passport. This form allows immigration officials to notice the problem and secure a fast response. There are a number of crucial reasons for one to file a DS-86 form when the anticipated passport does not arrive in the mail.

Reasons to File a DS-86 Form
  1. For U.S. citizens who have applied and received approval for a U.S. passport, it is crucial to file the DS-86 form. If the applicant does not receive the document, he or she may not file a new passport request. Because of this, applicants who wish to travel in the short run will encounter complications and unwanted travel delays. Not having a passport will restrict an individual from entering or exiting the country. Thus, to untangle oneself from the complications, the best and most recommended step is to file the DS-86 form.
  2. In some cases, stolen passports and identity theft occur. Those who fail to receive their approved passports after a long period of time may have encountered the serious identity theft crime. In this situation, the Form DS-86 can help prevent identity theft. In cases of identity theft, criminals steal passports and identification documents to enable illegal foreign nationals to enter the United States. This is also a form of illegal immigration. If the person stealing one's identity commits crimes and is caught, the owner of the identity will suffer from undesirable complications with the government. This may lead to an innocent person's arrest or contamination of one's legal record. To clear these kinds of situations, one may need to spend an exorbitant sum of money and a large amount of time. Furthermore, criminals may utilize stolen identities to apply for credit and leave large sums of bills. Not only will this ruin one's credit rating, one will be confronted with enormous debt. Therefore, it is vital to file a DS-86 form when situations like this occur. The DS-86 form will establish that one has become a victim of identity theft and ultimately lead to one's name clearing.
Lastly, if one does not receive the passport on time, there may have been errors on one's application. Although this is a rare case, some applications contain mistakes or complications that disable one from receiving a passport. It is very important for one to find out what is wrong with the application and correct any errors. Again, one should file the DS-85 form in this situation instead of having the risk of not being allowed to enter or exit the United States.