TRENTON — Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello is again issuing warnings to constituents in order to prevent them from wasting their precious time and money.
Residents should know the following:
Passport fees are required at all passport facilities
The U.S. Department of State advises all passport applicants that there are no free passports, nor fee waivers. Instead, it is true 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.
There are recent social media videos circulating on the internet, which advise customers that passports can be free by submitting form I-912, but these 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 they (the videos) are 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/passportsand for detailed information on services at the Mercer County Connection in Hamilton, please visit https://www.mercercounty.org/departments/county-connection/passport-application-information