Passport Card Application Online as of Jan. 24th

Effective January 24th, 2012, the State Department will conduct a 90 day trial that allows U.S. citizens with a valid passport book the ability to order online a passport card. The U.S. government made the passport card available for citizens crossing the U.S. border by land into Canada or Mexico. The card is less expensive than the passport book and can be conveniently carried in a person’s wallet.

The U.S. has issued more than 4.5 million passport cards to date.

U.S. citizens when using the services of NAPVS member to renew or obtain a new passport book can also at that same time order a passport card through the member. Separate fees and forms will apply, so check with the passport service before hand.

Saturday, September 17th, New Passport Day in the USA

U.S. citizens throughout the country may apply on Saturday, September 17, 2011, for a passport book or passport card at all 26 U. S. regional passport agencies and participating passport application acceptance facilities, including post offices and clerks of court.

This new date for Passport Day in the USA is the result of the previously scheduled April 9th date being cancelled due to uncertainty on whether the U.S. government would shut down because Congress would be unable to pass a budget resolution in time.

U.S. citizens may apply directly at passport agencies and participating acceptance facilities without making an appointment. Both routine and expedited processing service may be requested.

First time applicants and applicants who lost their passport or whose passport was damaged, issued more than 15 years ago or issued prior to a 16th birthday need to first go to one of the thousands of the acceptance facilities that will be open on Saturday, the 17th.

After an acceptance agent reviews and approves applicants documents and payments, travelers who need an expedited passport and not conveniently located to one of the 26 open Passport Services locations can consider using one of NAPVS expeditor member companies listed at this web site – see get a passport and visa. Only NAPVS members abide by a Code of Conduct.

Acceptance agents place applicant’s documents and payment in a sealed envelope and given back to the applicant to deliver these documents directly to their expeditor service who in turn will hand deliver the envelope to a Passport office and then pick up the completed passport for their customer.

State Department locator provides facility address and times open on Saturday. To find the nearest acceptance agent, please go to http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_5535.html.

New U.S. Passport Rule for Valid Birth Certificate Effective April 1, 2011

As of April 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of State requires the full names of the applicant’s parent(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship for all passport applicants, regardless of age. Certified birth certificates missing this information are no longer acceptable as evidence of citizenship.

So what if both parents are not known such as a single mom who did not name the father on a birth certificate or an adopted child whose birth parents wish to remain anonymous?

A USA Today Travel Article posted April 6th provides an official answer from a State Department spokeswoman who e-mailed:

“The Department recognizes that some passport applicants will not have two parents registered on their birth certificates due to circumstances such as an unknown father or a single-parent adoption case. In these cases, a passport applicant may submit a certified copy of a birth certificate listing the complete name of the registering parent. Regarding two parents adopting a child, the parents may amend the birth certificate of their child to reflect both of their complete names. Though requirements differ slightly across the country, states generally make it easy to amend a birth certificate to list adoptive parents. In adoption cases, the Department will also accept the certified copy of the child’s original birth certificate as long as it is submitted with the certified copy of the adoption decree indicating the name of the child and his or her adoptive parents.”

A birth certificate is required for a first time passport applicant, for anyone who has lost their passport and anyone under 16 years old. Full application procedures can be found on the U.S. State Department web site.

NAPVS member companies provide the latest information on U.S. passport and foreign visa rules. As a result, vacation travelers and employees of Fortune 1000 companies, federal and state government agencies, and international nonprofit organizations use NAPVS members’ services to obtain their passports and visas as quickly as 24 hours or within a few days.

Association Applauds Saturday, April 9th, Opening of Passport Offices

The National Association of Passport and Visa Services (NAPVS) commends the U.S. Passport Service for opening to the public all 24 regional passport offices and participating passport acceptance facilities on Saturday, April 9th. “Passport Day in the USA” provides any U.S. citizen in need of a passport book or card with the Saturday convenience of walking into any of these 24 offices without an appointment. A list of these office locations and hours can be found at the State Department web site http://travel.state.gov/passportday.

With summer only a few months away, now is a good time for American citizens planning to travel abroad to make sure they have a valid passport by taking advantage of this once a year opportunity to submit a passport application on a Saturday.

Only NAPVS members abide by a Code of Conduct that lays out strict procedures for protecting a customer’s personal identifiable information. The Code requires member companies to conduct annual background checks on all employees. For more on the NAPVS Code go to http://napvs.org/code.

U.S. Passport & Visa Fees Increase July 13, 2010

On June 28, 2010, 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 13, 2010.

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.

U.S. Proposes Passport Fee Increases

The State Department issued a notice on February 9, 2010 proposing to increase fees for U.S. issued passports and visas in order to fully recover its costs.

These new fees are being set to enable the Department to recover its processing
costs. Here is a quick summary of the new fees.

First Time Passport Book for Adult – Increasing from $100 to $135.
Renewal Passport Book for Adult – Increasing from $75 to $110
Passport Book for Minors – Increases from $60 to $105.
Additional Passport Visa Pages – From no charge to $82.
Passport Card for Adult – From $20 to $30
Passport Card for Minors – From $10 to $15

In its notice, the State Department explained that passport card fees were less than the full costs to issue in order to make the cards more affordable for citizens living in the border states and who need to make regular land border crossings. The new fees for the passport book for minors are also less because this book is valid for only 5 years, instead of the 10 years for the adult book.

The notice stated the extra fee for adult passport books is designed to make up for the lower fee of the minors book. Further, the notice said the lower card fees, in relation to the actual cost of $77.59, reflects the goal of keeping the card low cost for the convenience of citizens living near the border.

NAPVS submitted comments on this fee proposal and supported the State Department’s goal of fully recovering its costs in issuing passports. However, NAPVS made a few suggestions to help keep costs down for frequent travelers.

First, because now for the first time there is a fee for adding extra pages to a passport, and a hefty one at $82, NAPVS requested that the State Department web site prominently inform visitors at the time of renewal or first time application that a jumbo passport book with extra pages already added can be purchased instead of the regular passport book.

Second, that some frequent travelers and pilots have the need for possessing a second passport book in order to be able to travel abroad while getting visas for an upcoming trip. Since such a passport only has a 2 year life, NAPVS suggests fees should be less than the ten-year book.

The State Department intends to implement these new fees as soon as practicable within the administrative requirements for finalizing its proposal. NAPVS did suggest that the new fees not go into affect no less than 30 days from the date these new fees become official to give travel companies and its customers sufficient time to smoothly adopt the new fee structure.

New fees are likely sometime this Spring. NAPVS and its members will have the latest information on these new fees, so check back at this web site for up to date U.S. passport fee information.

Passport Required For Land & Sea Crossings Starting June 1, 2009

Effective June 1, 2009, all U.S. citizens entering the U.S. by land or sea must present a passport book or card. This requirement is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that was developed after Congress passed legislation that required all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the United States.

Thus starting June 1, 2009 American citizens traveling by car into and from Canada or Mexico to the U.S. must present a passport book or car. Some border states are providing an enhanced driver’s license that will verify U.S. citizenship as well when crossing the border by land.

However, any American citizen traveling overseas by air must present a passport book to show proof of identity and citizenship.

U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 are able to present the original or copy of their birth certificate, or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card.

Groups of U.S. citizen children ages 16 through 18, when traveling with a school or religious group, social organization, or sports team, will be able to enter under adult supervision with originals or copies of their birth certificates or other proof of citizenship.

NAPVS members can assist citizens in obtaining a passport card at the same time they are renewing or obtaining a new passport book. Citizens are finding the passport card a convenient and authoritative identity document to have with them at all times.

For more details on travel documents required for traveling abroad, go to the State Department web site at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html.

To get an expedited passport book and card from an NAPVS member, go to Get A U.S. Passport and Visa.

USA Today on New Land/Sea Rules in 2009

By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY (March 31, 2009)

WASHINGTON — Federal officials hope a new education campaign will eliminate confusion at U.S. borders this summer when Americans will be required for the first time to show a passport or a special ID card to drive home from Canada or Mexico.

Travelers will no longer be able to use ordinary driver’s licenses or birth certificates to get back into the U.S.

Go to the following address for full story:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-30-passports_N.htm

New Passport Fees for 2008

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.

Congress Changes New Passport Deadlines for WHTI (October 1, 2006)

Over the weekend before Congress left for its election recess, it extended the WHTI passport and pass card deadlines for traveling across the U.S. border by sea and land until no later than June 1, 2009. The extension was part of the 2007 fiscal year Homeland Security Appropriations Bill approved by the House and Senate. The January 8, 2007 deadline requiring passports for traveling by air were left unchanged. The State Department could shorten the June 1, 2009 sea and land deadline if Passport Services can meet specific technology, administrative and personnel training requirements specified in the legislation before that date.

In a colloquy on the Senate floor, Senator Gregg, Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, states, “I wish to emphasize that the Departments of Homeland Security and State can move forward with the full implementation of WHTI before June I, 2009–but to do so they must comply with all legislated criteria. These legislated criteria are designed to ensure that the PASS Card protects the privacy of our citizens, that readers have been installed at all ports of entry, that all employees have been properly trained–in short, that the system works, before it is used by millions of citizens. And I emphasize that implementation, meaning putting the system into operation can occur at any time but no later than June 1, 2009.”

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