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Travel overseas, I pay for expedited passport?

beatle

beatle

Diamond Member
I'm going to have to travel to Bahrain this November for a few weeks (2-3) for work. It will probably be over Thanksgiving to boot. I do not have a passport, and work wants me to pay for it and have it expedited so that I can have it faster. This is going to cost me $97 + $60 + overnight shipping costs. They told me that it might be able to be expensed out, but it's not guaranteed. I've never wanted to leave the country (too expensive on my own dime) so it will be worthless to me even if it's good for 10 years. Who do you think should pay for it? Also, why would it be necessary to have it expedited? My travel is almost 3 months away. The passport office's website recommends expedited processing if traveling in less than 8 weeks. I won't be leaving until mid-late November.
 
Boss,

As I am still starting out in life my budget is very tight and didnt allow for this expense so I cannot go on this trip unless you want to supply me with A) higher salary B) a free passport.

Best,

beatle
 
You should pay for it.

some companies will, but I can't see why they would be required to. They don't pay for your gas or your clothes, why should they pay for your passport? You want them to pay for your drivers license while they're at it?
 
I didn't pay for my security clearance either and that cost a lot more than this passport. My clearance is also good for 10 years and I can go work for another company if I like and "take it with me."
 
i had a job that required international travel in 1996, they let me expense my passport fees

i think they should pay since THEY are requiring you to leave the country
 
Honestly, the company should be paying for at least the cost of expedited processing.

It's pretty dumb if they don't pay for it altogether, as $150 is likely a trivial expense compared to the total cost of the trip.
 
Company pays for the whole shootin match. Their need is for you to go to Bahrain. Have fun over there. Worst 6 months of my life.
 
Indeed. They've agreed to paying for a business class ticket to Bahrain which is something like $4600. I won't even get into how much the project in its entirity is...
 
First of all, I'm not picking on you - and I don't mean you in particular, but people who as adults don't have passports:

How do you not have a passport? Literally I've had a passport since before I can remember (went to Poland to visit family as a baby). How do you get to adulthood without leaving the country... ever?

I don't mean that question in the rude way it seems; it's just such a (forgive the pun) foreign concept to me - like being Amish and not ever having electricity installed in your house. So, in advance, I apologize if the question sounds offensive on-face; I just wonder.
 
You have plenty of time. But process your passport info tomorrow! It normally takes about 30-40 days tops if their are no problems. My whole family travels a lot and if it took longer than 45 days, something is wrong. You can always pay for expedited service but the odds are you don't have to.
 
that should be enough time to get a passport to you. It does not take that long to get one. No need to get it expedited. You only do that if you do not have enough time.
 
AZGamer - Not everyone had a need / desire to leave the country. I don't have a passport. Closest I've come to leaving the country is traveling through Canada on my way to NY. I do want to travel later in my life but haven't yet.

To the OP I think the company should cover the $60 + overnight shipping costs. If they don't reimburse you for the costs maybe you can write it off on your taxes?
 
Aquaman is correct, as I need to get a visa for Bahrain. I forgot about that when I started the thread.

I'll just tell them I'm not going if they want to be pricks about it. Initially they were asking for volunteers, and I volunteered. This was before I knew part of the job was going to come out of my pocket, before I knew of the strict dress code in Bahrain (no shorts), before I knew about the humidity (I knew it was hot, but I didn't know it was humid as well), and before international travel got a lot worse in the last few weeks.

AZGamerI didn't travel much outside the state when I was kid. We had a few family vacations in the minivan to Kentucky, Tennesee, Alabama, DC, and New York. Before I took this job, the last time I'd flown on a plane was when I was 4, and that was to North Carolina. Overseas travel is absurdly expensive, IMO. It's nice to travel, but I don't have the pockets for it. I bet you didn't pay for your passport or your travel when you were a baby. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: AZGamer
How do you not have a passport? Literally I've had a passport since before I can remember (went to Poland to visit family as a baby). How do you get to adulthood without leaving the country... ever?
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to bet at least 50% of the U.S. population have never left the country (excluding Canada or Mexico). Heck, I knew someone in grad school who had barely ever left the state of Connecticut and had only been to Boston ONCE in her ~23 years. :Q

 
I think it's absurd that they would want you to pay a dime. If they want to take the position that you could still use it yourself for 10 years, offer to let them shred it when you get back from Bahrain. Actually, don't do that because it will probably upset someone.

But I'm very surprised they think you ought to pay for it.

AZGamer, I didn't have any need for a passport until my company wanted me to travel overseas. I had no desire and no money to do so, so I had no need for a passport.
 
Originally posted by: kranky
I think it's absurd that they would want you to pay a dime. If they want to take the position that you could still use it yourself for 10 years, offer to let them shred it when you get back from Bahrain. Actually, don't do that because it will probably upset someone.

But I'm very surprised they think you ought to pay for it.

AZGamer, I didn't have any need for a passport until my company wanted me to travel overseas. I had no desire and no money to do so, so I had no need for a passport.
Click to expand...

What?

You have no need for a federally issued ID? Here's a quick tip - if you don't have a passport, get one.

i for one find it appalling (sp?) that people would expect their company to pay for this basic life need. You aren't entitled, you're an adult now.
 
It's only a need for people who travel outside the US. Otherwise, it's a $100 piece of paper that the employer required the OP to get, and I think the employer ought to pay.

We have a manufacturing plant in Georgia. Sometimes we need to send a couple of the people there overseas to install equipment. They make about $11/hour. Unless they choose to have a passport for their own purposes, why is it fair to make them pay a day's wages for a passport if they don't already have one?
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: kranky
I think it's absurd that they would want you to pay a dime. If they want to take the position that you could still use it yourself for 10 years, offer to let them shred it when you get back from Bahrain. Actually, don't do that because it will probably upset someone.

But I'm very surprised they think you ought to pay for it.

AZGamer, I didn't have any need for a passport until my company wanted me to travel overseas. I had no desire and no money to do so, so I had no need for a passport.
Click to expand...

What?

You have no need for a federally issued ID? Here's a quick tip - if you don't have a passport, get one.

i for one find it appalling (sp?) that people would expect their company to pay for this basic life need. You aren't entitled, you're an adult now.
Click to expand...


Basic life need? Not for 99% of US citizens.
 
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