Poor Jermaine Jackson. He’s stuck in Burkina Faso with an expired passport. Well, actually, it’s difficult to pity the man-the only reason he can’t get it replaced is that he owes almost $100,000 in child support. From TMZ:
“Here’s what we know. In May 2008, Jermaine’s baby mama Alejandra got a child support order, requiring him to pay $3,000 a month. Jermaine went into arrears almost immediately and, as of last month, he owed $91,921.”
Apparently, in 2010 the California DMV repo’d his driver’s license due to the unpaid debts. But they didn’t take his passport, and since it was still valid, Mr. Jackson decided to jet off to sunny Burkina Faso. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t check the expiration date and it expired while he was there.
Now, since he owes more than $2,500 in child support for Jafaar and Jermajesty, his two boys, he’s become subject to the Passport Denial Program. That means that until he pays up, the State Department will decline to renew his passport.
If you’re on the passport denial list for overdue child support, you need to contact the child support agency in the state where the child support is owed. You can find the agency information here. Just click on your state to be taken to the appropriate agency’s web page.
Once you’ve contacted the agency and made the required payment, they should remove your name from the passport denial list. This may take two to three weeks. If you’ve already applied for your passport, at that point you can contact the National Passport Center at 1-877-487-2778 and request that they process your application. They will verify that your name is off the list and then hopefully send you the passport.
Now, kids, here’s the moral of today’s story: If it’s time to renew your passport and you owe child support, get caught up before you fly halfway across the world. Why? Because you’re smarter than Jermaine Jackson, that’s why!
And remember, once your child support is paid off, RushMyPassport is the quickest and easiest way to renew your passport!