I know that if you owe Uncle Sam any funds at any level (student loans, child support, taxes, etc) that they will not issue a passport until the debt is paid.
If you owe anything to the government you can’t leave the country. IRS, VA, student loans, anything.
To clarify, I think you are referring to “past due” debt — i.e. you defaulted on a student loan, or you never paid the child support that you were supposed to.
I obtained a passport without any problems, yet I am still making payments on my student loans.
This really sucked because I wanted this friend to be able to visit me and my husband while we were in the Domincan Republic last year.
Sorry about your friend, but if your friend can afford a trip to the Dominican Republic, then he/she can afford to pay off some of their debt. Also if he/she is well enough to travel, maybe they are well enough to start working again — even if it is only a part time job answering a phone or something….