The U.S. State Department is set to begin canceling passports of Americans with substantial unpaid child support obligations as part of an expanded enforcement initiative carried out in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Officials said the first stage of the program will focus on passport holders who owe at least $100,000 in overdue child support. Federal data indicates that roughly 2,700 individuals fall into this category. The revocation process is scheduled to begin Friday.
Authorities also indicated that this initial rollout will be soon followed by a wider expansion. In the next phase, enforcement will extend to individuals who owe at least $2,500 in court-ordered child support, the threshold set under federal law enacted in 1996.
That law permits the government to deny or revoke passports for individuals who are delinquent on child support payments. Previously, enforcement efforts were primarily applied to applicants seeking to renew their passports. Under the updated approach, HHS will supply the State Department with records of qualifying cases, enabling officials to act on existing passport holders.
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In a statement, the State Department described the initiative as part of a broader effort to improve compliance with child support obligations and support families across the country. “The State Department is putting American families first through our passport process,” the agency stated.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar noted that the expanded enforcement effort has already prompted some parents to settle overdue child support debts. She said, “We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt.”
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Officials reported that since the program began in 1998, states have collected approximately $657 million in unpaid child support, including more than $156 million in lump-sum payments over the past five years.
Once revoked, passports cannot be used for international travel. Eligibility for reissuance will only be restored after full repayment and confirmation from HHS that the individual is no longer delinquent. Americans abroad at the time of revocation may be issued limited-validity travel documents to facilitate return to the United States.
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