Whether you lose your job or you find yourself facing financial difficulties due to an unexpected health crisis, there are all sorts of reasons why paying child support on time could become a challenge. However, it is essential to do everything in your power to pay what you owe on time. Falling behind on child support could lead to the loss of your passport privileges, in addition to other penalties (license suspension, the threat of arrest, etc.).
Whether you want to visit family members overseas or you have an important business meeting in another country, losing your passport privileges could derail your plans.
Unpaid child support and passport privileges
The Office of Child Support Enforcement covers the Passport Denial Program, which prevents parents who owe $2,500 or more in unpaid child support from enjoying passport privileges. This program prevents the approval of your passport application if you owe too much back child support, and you could also have your current passport revoked if you hand it over to change your name or add pages.
In order to restore your passport privileges, you need to make suitable payment arrangements with the child support agency in your state.
Addressing unpaid child support
Depending on your circumstances, you could benefit from establishing a payment plan. Or, perhaps modifying your child support order could make your payments more reasonable and help you stay current, and you should look into modification if you have experienced significant financial changes. If you worry about losing your passport or the inability to apply for a passport as a result of unpaid child support, you need to carefully go over your options.