Stateless persons rush to apply for US passports

The U.S. Passport Office staff had an unusually busy day yesterday, as the so-called “stateless” persons rushed to apply for the travel document.

Passport officer Ann Doris Babauta said stateless persons started coming in at as early as 8:30am, mostly to get information about requirements and the application procedure. Many of them returned in the afternoon with the complete requirements.

As of 2pm, about 20 stateless have already filed applications for U.S. passports.

Nazario Omar P. Ajoste, 17, was one of the stateless children who submitted an application, after hearing about Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s call for government agencies to recognize persons born in the CNMI between Jan. 9, 1978 and Nov. 3, 1986 as U.S. citizens from now on.

“I’m relieved and glad. I’ve waited for this for a long time,” Ajoste said.

Born on Oct. 21, 1986, to Filipino parents, Ajoste has not traveled outside the CNMI because he does not have any passport. He said he is excited about being able to see other places. He is also looking forward to being eligible for scholarship grants from the U.S. and CNMI governments.

Nineteen-year-old Emerson Bautista, also a stateless person, was accompanied by his mother when he filed his application yesterday.

Bautista’s mother, Merly Coronel, said she is happy that her son will now be able to stay for long in the CNMI. Bautista had to remain in the Philippines for a while because of problems with his citizenship status, the mother said.

The U.S. Passport Office’s Babauta said the series of inquiries and filings has kept her and the two other personnel at the Passport Office busy all day.

The office, located in one of the offices of the Department of Labor at the second floor of Afetnas Building in San Antonio, has only three personnel. They are Babauta, deputy officer Sylvia Pe, and administrative assistant Frances Benavente.

The U.S. State Department’s Passport Agency in Honolulu has advised the local passport office to accept applications from stateless persons, Babauta said.

She refused to give a time frame for the approval and issuance of the passports, saying that the local office’s functions are limited to accepting and facilitating applications. The decision on whether or not to grant passports lies with the Honolulu office.

“Applications from stateless persons will be treated in the same manner as regular applications. We will be sending them to Honolulu as soon as we receive them. Applications filed today will be mailed off tomorrow,” Babauta said.

The Passport Office charges an $85 fee for each application.