My sons passport problems UPDATE

So I went to the American embassy on Friday with all my documents for my sons. Everyone was very nice and I had all my divorce papers stating i had permission from the ex-husbeast to bring the boys to the UK. I even filled out the form 5053 explaining why I couldnt get the fathers signature. I explained my intentions of bringing the boys to see their father in the USA for xmas. Everything went great! I was then called to desk 5 to speak to the consulate. She told me everything was just fine EXCEPT my ex husbeast had a tag put on the boys passports forbidding them to get new ones! Can you believe this! I am trying to bring them back to the US for HIS visitation and he is stopping me. Nobody could understand his stupid reasoning. I was told they would fax a letter of explanation to Washington and Washington will be phoning the beast to find out exactly why he wont allow the boys to get US passports. They told me they have seen it many times the other way around where the father doesnt want the children taken out of the USA but never a case where the father doesnt want the kids to RETURN to the USA. This guy is a mental case. I am taking him to court now and getting everything I can from him including my half of his military pension which by Fed law I am entitled to. Also more child support and he will have to pay all court costs. When it goes to trial which it will because he WONT agree to anything then whats he going to tell the judge when my attny asks him in front of the judge why he wont let the boys have passports, whats he gonna say? Such a jerk! Its in my best interest really that the boys dont have passports(so I dont have to bring them to see him) although I cant even bring them back to the USA to visit my family. The saddest thing is the boys are starting to understand and they are asking me "Doesnt our dad want do see us?" I try to explain that it has nothing to do with them and their dad is just mad at me. They dont understand why that is either. How could I have been married to this SOB for 10 years???
Anyway just to let you guys know
Pebbles

I'm hooked. How can an ex deny the boys, American citizens, their right to return?

Because he doesnt care about the boys. He is just being vendictive and hurting the boys in the process. He want to have complete control and he doesnt. What he did was the only thing he could do to have some control over me and the kids. Its just the type of beast he is. Nobody can understand his reasoning.

Sorry, I was curious about the legality of it, not his motivation. How can a guardian legally deny a minor their identifying documents?

Since March of this year there has been a US law in effect stating that BOTH parents my be present when applying for a US passport. Also the children must be present when applying. Gone are the days of applying by mail for minors. If only one parent can be present then the other parent must sign a consent form along with a photo copy of ID. I can understand this because of all the child abduction cases however in my case I have permission from the childrens father in my divorce papers for them to live here in the UK with me. That would have been good enough but he still had their passports "tagged" forbidding the passports to be processed. When Washington calls him and explains I have tried to obtain passports for the boys he better have a good explanation why he is denying his sons a passport. If his reason isnt good enough (What can he say, afterall?) then they will override his objection and the passports will be processed.

I decided to apply for dual nationality for myself and the boys however they still cannot enter the USA without a valid US passport but at least we will be able to travel elsewhere.

I decided to apply for dual nationality for myself and the boys

You may run into the same problem when you apply for naturalisation for yourself and registration for your boys.

Minor children

11. Minor children (under 18) cannot be included in certificates of naturalisation that are granted to their parents. However, they may be considered for registration as British citizens. A person applying for naturalisation should include the names and details of all his or her minor children who are not British citizens and whom he or she wants to have registered. We normally need permission from both parents.


cited from:  http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/applying/british_nationality/advice_about_nationality/bn7_-_naturalisation.html

I would be quite interested to know what they define as 'normally'.

Thanks for the update!  Go get'em girl!  Really, I have never seen anything more assanine in my life than what your ex has done.  It makes absolutely ZERO sense.  Here's to hoping things go your way soon!

Well I got an email from the US embassy today. They contacted my rat bast**d ex and he refused to even talk about it. He said they are NOT to have passports and he will not discuss it any further. So now i have to get a court order to get them without him or I have to apply for UK citizenship.
 Garry help me!!!
Pebbles

Pebbles,

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry that you and your boys are being dragged through this nightmare by your ex. You sometimes hear stories about this type of behavior but you always hope that no person on earth could be as mean, petty or cruel as this. Would your getting a court order put him in front of a judge to explain himself? Maybe getting laughed at by a judge in a court room for being this juvenille is just what is needed (it may not help but it could make you feel better). Good luck to you.

Tanisha

Well I got an email from the US embassy today.

 

PM sent...

Your poor boys!
I hope that your ex will think about his sons and how he is going to miss Christmas with them because of his actions.
Seems as if the only action you have is a court order so that you can fulfill your responsibilities in the divorce decree.

Well I got an email from the US embassy today. They contacted my rat bast**d ex and he refused to even talk about it. He said they are NOT to have passports and he will not discuss it any further. So now i have to get a court order to get them without him or I have to apply for UK citizenship.
 Garry help me!!!
Pebbles

That man has some very serious emotional problems....VERY serious.  It really is unfathomable what he is doing (or rather not doing).  What's even more disturbing is someone like this is amongst one of many who probably are just as bad in our military. 

That man has some very serious emotional problems....VERY serious. It really is unfathomable what he is doing (or rather not doing). What's even more disturbing is someone like this is amongst one of many who probably are just as bad in our military.

You got that right, Chick! Everyday I turn on the news and expect to see his face on TV for abuse of Iraqi prisoners. He spent 9 month in the gulf during the first Desert Storm. The stories he told me were unbelievable.

Hi Pebs,

I'm sorry that you're having such a difficult time with this situation.  It's so selfish for your ex to act this way and to not put the interest of his boys first and foremost.  I can only imagine how emotionally draining all of this must be for you.

Good luck to you; it's a shame that the next step that you have to take is court.  I'm thinking of you.