If you owe child support payments and fall behind, it can lead to serious consequences. For example, you could face the loss of your passport.
It is important to review how child support arrears can affect your ability to travel internationally and what you can do to resolve the situation.
Child support arrears and passport revocation
Child support is money that a parent pays to help support their child when they don’t live together. If you do not make your child support payments on time or regularly, you accumulate child support arrears, which means you owe money. This can cause financial difficulties for the parent taking care of the child.
To encourage parents to meet their child support obligations, the government can take away or deny passports from those who owe a significant amount of child support. This prevents parents from leaving the country to avoid paying what they owe. To have your passport revoked, the Administration for Children and Families reports that you need to owe at least $2,500 in back child support.
Resolving child support arrears
If you owe child support and want to avoid losing your passport, there are steps you can take. You can work with your local child support agency or court to set up a payment plan, change the support order or ask for a temporary payment reduction if you are facing financial difficulties. By taking action and showing your commitment to meeting your obligations, you might be able to prevent passport loss.
Falling behind on child support payments can interfere with your plans to travel abroad. By fulfilling your financial responsibilities and seeking help when needed, you can ensure your child’s well-being and maintain your passport privileges.
