Presidents, vice presidents and high-profile celebrities are just like us – they forget to renew their passports and visas, too.
David Alwadish, CEO and president of ItsEasy.com, a digital passport service that expedites proof of citizenship and identity to obtain travel approvals outside the U.S., told FOX Business during a phone interview that Hollywood elites and former lawmakers connect for private delivery of their documents.
"I can't mention names," he said. "That's a policy that I have."
Alwadish said former vice presidents, attorneys general, Fortune 500 CEOs, celebrities and family members of high-ranking officials, among others, hired him to capture travel documentation quickly.
WORLD'S BEST AIRLINES IN 2024 RANKED
"I'm recommended to them and in one particular case, there was a family member of an ex-president that needed a new passport," he said. "They don’t wait in the regular room. They go in the back and sit in the director's office and the passport is taken care of."
He added, "When I get it, everything is very, very safe and secure and I always put their passports in my safe at all times."
Alwadish and only one other colleague handle VIP passport and visa documentation, which they accord with "very, very special attention."
"At the end of the day, their passports expire," he said.
Most commonly, assistants, handlers and Secret Service personnel deliver information to Alwadish concerning elite bosses. Though, he said sometimes, much to the surprise of his employees, celebrities strut through the front doors of his New York City office themselves.
"I think they get more excited if I bring a movie star’s passport," he said of his staff.
Regarding the need for expedited passports or visas, Alwadish said most often, high-profile clients misread the expiration date on their passports or lack qualifications for the six-month U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule.
ONLINE PASSPORT RENEWAL IS BACK – HERE'S HOW TO DO IT
Additionally, destination weddings, last-minute getaways, professional or personal emergencies, including a death in the family, send superstars his way.
"I feel very bad when that happens," he said.
While a host of A-list clientele appears in Alwadish’s Rolodex, the company caters to the average American, too.
ItsEasy.com, and similar companies, possess the golden ticket for daily appointments at various passport processing agencies in cities and states across the U.S. He said his employees drop off passports for travelers in dire need of documentation, and they operate a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days per year live call center.
"You’ll never have to leave the office or your home," Alwadish said.
ItsEasy.com offers in-app or online expedited services to consumers in which government forms are signed, and professional passport photographs are obtained virtually. Alwadish advises the passport renewal process can take within 2-2.5 weeks.
THESE ARE THE TOP-RATED AIRLINES FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
The U.S. Department of State also advises a two-week processing period on their website.
For renewal services, customers are required to pen government forms, including proof of a passport and travel, a letter of authorization and a photograph.
"Passport photos in my business are always complementary," Alwadish said. "They don’t feel like I’m trying to sell them photos because I don’t charge them for mine."
Alwadish added that the number one reason passports are rejected is due to the poor quality or nature of photos.
For individuals looking to obtain a passport for the first time, proof of citizenship, a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, a government form of identification, including a driver’s license or state ID, and an itinerary, among other documents, are required.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Alwadish said he reminds clients a year in advance to renew their passports.
"In part, I am trying to move away from the urgency," he said.
He added, "I also prepare people who are not in a rush for the Post Office," which he does to ensure customers avoid passport or visa rejection by government agencies.
