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Mercer County Clerk
Paula Sollami Covello
209 South Broad St., PO Box 8068
Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 | (609) 989-6465
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/1/2023
Mercer County Clerk Issues Warning to Passport Applicants
TRENTON -- Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello is issuing warnings to constituents that could cause a waste of precious time and money.
Passport Fees Required at all Passport Facilities
The U.S. Department of State advises all passport applicants that there are no free passports nor fee waivers, and that a fee is required for all passport applications. Payment is required at all Passport Acceptance Facilities, including the Mercer County Connection in Hamilton Township and the Mercer County Clerk's Office in Trenton.
Recent social media videos circulating on the internet, which advise customers that passports can be free by submitting form I-912, are false, misleading and incorrect. The form they are referring to is for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and not for Passport Services. The form is NOT a Department of State form and it is not honored by them.
Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello explained that videos on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are not being produced by government officials, and have created confusion among constituents who believe them to be accurate.
For further information on the Form I-192 and the individuals eligible, please visit https://www.uscis.gov/i-192 for clear instructions and additional information.
It is recommended for those who are planning international travel to begin submitting their paperwork well in advance of any travel dates, to allow for any unforeseen delays. The current wait times for passport services are 7-9 weeks for expedited services and up to 14 weeks from the time of submission for a regular application. Please note, these times are estimates; if the workload is significantly heavy or light, that number can change.
For detailed information on documentation required for a passport, or office hours at the Mercer County Clerk's Office, please visit https://www.mercercounty.org/government/county-clerk-/office-services/passports and for detailed information on services at the Mercer County Connection in Hamilton, please visit https://www.mercercounty.org/departments/county-connection/passport-application-information.
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