Archive for the ‘Passport Articles’ Category

U.S. Passport & Visa Fees Increase July 13th
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

On June 28th, the U.S. Department of State issued its interim final rule for increasing fees for U.S. passports and fees. These increases are scheduled to take effect on July 13th.

Passport fee increases are as follows:
— Passport book for adult, increases from $75 to $110.
— Passport book for a minor (under 16) , increases from $60 to $80.
— Passport card, only used for crossing the U.S. border over land, for an adult, increases from $20 to $30.
— Passport card for a minor, increases from $10 to $15.

A new fee of $82 for adding more visa pages to a valid passport book is being imposed. Currently there has been no fee. Such pages are added by frequent travelers who obtain the standard 28-page passport book and need additional pages added to their valid passport for future trips requiring visas. However, when renewing or getting a new passport, applicants can request the larger book with 52 pages at no extra cost.

People with passport books expected to expire soon can renew at the lower rates by submitting their application by July 12th. NAPVS members are available to help citizens submit their renewal or new passport applications before the new fee increases take effect.

While the new fees will go into effect July 13th, the State Department has issued an interim final rule that allows for further comments to be submitted on or before August 27th.

Full details on all fee increases can be found at http://www.travel.state.gov/news/news_5078.html.

Click on our site’s Get a Passport & Visa for a list of companies who can help secure an expedited passport.

New Passport Fees for 2008
Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Beginning February 1, 2008, the Department of State will institute a new fee schedule for passport services. At this time applicants will also have the option of pre-ordering a new Passport Card, a low cost, limited use (land and sea only) alternative to the Passport Book designed for those living along the border. In addition, the age for which both parents must appear and sign a passport application on behalf of a child will increase from 14 to 16 years old.

Fees are being adjusted to cover the cost of providing efficient and secure passport services including infrastructure, technology and staff. The Passport Execution fee collected by passport acceptance centers and U.S. consular sections abroad is being reduced from $30 to $25. Go to the State Department web site for more details.

NY Times Explains Impact of WHTI on Traveling Abroad (October 1, 2006)
Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Published a week later than originally expected, the Practical Traveler column in the Sunday New York Times Travel Section (10/1/06) had the headline, “New Passport Rules May Mean Delays.” The column discusses how obtaining a passport through normal Passport Services procedures may take longer than usual.

NAPVS firms are listed as an option for obtaining passport services in an expedited fashion. Specifically, the article states,
“There are also private rush services that specialize in speeding customers through the bureaucracy. For varying fees, these companies can often get passports approved in as little as 24 hours. (A list of expediting services is at www.napvs.org.) But in recent years, some passport agencies have been reducing the number of daily submissions such rush companies are allowed. The New York regional passport agency used to allow them to submit applications in unlimited numbers; in February it limited each company to 20 or fewer a day.”

For the complete article go to
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/travel/01prac.html?_r=1&ref=travel&oref=slogin You may need to register with nytimes.com before you can access the article.