It is vital to understand the different challenges that you could encounter if you fail to pay child support on time. Some parents lose their driver’s license or tax refund as a result of unpaid child support, and this can even lead to time behind bars. Other consequences can arise as well. For example, you could face the denial of your passport application due to falling behind on support.
Whether you do not want to miss out on an important family event or you have scheduled a business trip, passport denial could deal a devastating blow.
Understanding when child support affects your passport
According to the Office of Child Support Enforcement, the government rejects passport applications from parents who have over $2,500 worth of unpaid child support. In addition, the government also revokes passports belonging to parents who have more than $2,500 in back child support if they try to add pages, change their name or hand it over to an embassy representative or passport agent for some other reason.
Paying support and restoring your passport privileges
Whether the government rejected your passport application or revoked your passport, you can restore your privileges by paying back support. Depending on the state you live in, you could have the opportunity to set up a payment plan or make partial payments with your child support agency, or you might have to pay the full amount of back child support that you owe.
In addition to addressing unpaid child support, you could benefit from reviewing modification if major changes have affected your finances. Make sure you swiftly address child support issues in order to avoid passport denial and other consequences.