Passport Agencies closed December 25 & 26 and January 1
Just a reminder that passport agencies will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Friday December 26 for Christmas, and on Thursday, January 1, 2009 for New Year’s Day. Passport agents have also informed us that they will most likely be closing early on Wednesday, Decemebr 24 (Christmas Eve), although no official closing time has been confirmed. Regular hours resume Monday, December 29, and again on January 2, 2009.
Chicago Tribune: “Beat the 2009 Passport Rush”
This great article by Kristin Jackson at the Chicago Tribune reminds travelers that the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (which requires a passport for all travel between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda) goes into full effect in June 2009.
Last year, passport agencies experienced a huge surge in passport applications in anticipation of the first phase of the WHTI, which required passports for air travel between WHTI countries for the first time. Passport processing times as long as three months were reportedl by applicants. June, 2009 will be the first time passports will be required for land and sea travel as well. As Ms. Jackson writes: beat the rush!
The full text of the article - which also gives a helpful summary of the pros and cons of passport books versus the new passport cards - follows (retrieved 12/3/08).
Beat the 2009 passport rush
By Kristin Jackson Beat the rush and apply for your U.S. passport now if you plan to travel out of the country in the next year.
There could be a surge of passport applicants in winter and spring, thanks to a new U.S. law.
As of June 1, 2009, all travelers returning to the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda—including those who go by land or sea—must have a passport or other federally approved ID. (A passport already is required for all international air travel.)
Unlike now, the new law means adult Americans won’t be able to use just a driver’s license and birth certificate as ID when driving across the U.S.-Canadian border.
From now until the end of the year traditionally is when the fewest Americans apply for passports, said Trip Atkins, assistant regional director of the Seattle Passport Agency, adding that it should take only a few weeks at this time of year. (Urgent requests can be dealt with by appointment at passport offices.) [It’s Easy note: Click here for information about the expediting process.)
With the tougher identification requirement for land/sea travel now approaching, here’s a look at ID options:
Passport
What: A passport, formally called a “passport book,” is the gold standard for crossing borders, proving both U.S. citizenship and identification.
The good: A passport is internationally recognized for travel worldwide by air, land and sea.
The bad: Passport fees can add up. A first-time passport is $100 for an adult, $85 for a child under 16. An adult passport is valid for 10 years, a child’s for five years. For renewals, the fee is $75 for adults. Children under 16 can’t use the same renewal process as adults, so the fee remains $85.
How to apply: Get details and forms at www.travel.state.gov/passport or phone 877-487-2778. First-time applicants and children under 16 must apply in person at a passport-acceptance facility; there are 9,000 across the country, including at post offices, libraries and local government offices. Find them by ZIP code at iafdb.travel.state.gov.
Passport card
What: The U.S. passport card is a cheaper, limited alternative to a traditional passport, valid for land and sea travel only between Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative countries (the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda).
The good: A passport card is cheaper than a passport, $45 for an adult (valid for 10 years) and $35 for a child under 16 (valid for five years). It’s also portable, resembling a driver’s license. Travelers who want the convenience of both a passport and a passport card can get one for just $20 when applying for a passport.
The bad: A passport card cannot be used for international air travel and isn’t valid beyond Western Hemisphere Initiative countries.
How to apply: Like the passport, the passport card is issued by the State Department: www.travel.state.gov/passport or 877-487-2778.
As for children
Children under 16 will be able to continue crossing land/sea borders using just a U.S. birth certificate (or naturalization certificate) after the new law takes effect in June. Either the original birth certificate or a copy can be used.
Groups of teens age 16 to 18, when traveling as part of a school, sports, religious or other group under adult supervision, also can use just birth certificates or naturalization certificates as ID at land/sea border crossings. However, all children must have passports for international air travel.
Passport Agencies closed for Thanksgiving
All US passport agencies will be closed for Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 27, 2008. Regular hours will resume on Friday, November 28. Applications already submitted can be expected to take one extra day to process.
U.S. Passport Cards
The Basics
The Department of State has been issuing credit-card sized US Passport Cards since July 2008. These passport cards were developed with border community residents (who may need to cross borders by car regularly) in mind after the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative began implementation in 2007. As of June 2009, travelers crossing by land or sea in North America will have to present a document proving both identity and citizenship - separate documents will no longer be accepted. The passport card is a solution: it is more affordable and more convenient to carry than the regular passport booklet, and can be used like a passport book for land and sea travel within North America. It cannot be used for air travel.
Another advantage of the US passport card: it qualifies as a “Real-ID” document, which can be used for to board domestic flights and access federal facilities and nuclear power plants if your state does not provide Real-ID compliant identification (such as drivers’ licenses). Not sure if your state license is compliant? Don’t worry: states have until at least December 2009 to become Real-ID compliant, and current forms of ID will remain acceptable until that time.
The Details
1. How Do I Apply?
Besides its restriction to North American land and sea travel, the passport card is almost exactly like a traditional passport booklet in most respects. The same application forms and processes are used, and it has the same validity as a regular passport (10 years for adults, 5 years for children under 16). Click here if you need a passport card and do not hold a valid passport. An applicant holding a valid US passport can apply for a passport card using the “renewal” process and either document can be used to “renew” the other when it expires. Click here for It’s Easy’s Passport Renewal page. You can, of course, hold both a valid passport booklet and passport card at the same time, since the passport card has such limited uses. You can also apply for both documents with the same application.
Passport card renewals for adults cost only $20 (by mail); there is an additional $25 processing fee for first-time applicants and those who appear in person instead of sending the application in (total cost is $45). Children applying for passport cards must appear in person; the total charge for children is $35.
2. Can I expedite my passport card application?
Currently, the $60 expediting fee only applies to the passport book. If you apply for both an expedited passport book and passport card, only the passport book will be expedited. The passport card will arrive later. The Department of State has indicated that it does intend to make expedited service available for passport cards in the near future as well. At that time, the $60 expediting fee will apply for both the passport book and passport card. As always, expediting firms like It’s Easy can assist you with expediting your passport.
3. The electronic RFID chip
According to the Department of State: “To facilitate the frequent travel of U.S. citizens living in border communities and to meet DHS’s operational needs at land borders, the passport card contains a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. This chip points to a stored record in secure government databases. There is no personal information written to the RFID chip itself.”
The passport card also comes with a protective sleeve that blocks the RFID signal, to prevent the chip from being read when the card is in the sleeve.
Passport Agency’s current standard processing times
According to the U.S. State Department’s U.S. Passport webpage, the Passport Agency is currently processing passport applications in approximatel 3 weeks from the date of submission. Their “expedited” services are taking two weeks. For status tracking, the Passport Agency takes 5-7 days to track applications online, or less time for expedited applications.
For faster service, consider using an expediting agency like It’s Easy. See It’s Easy’s expedited U.S. passport information, or contact us with any questions.
Passport Security Breach: US Dept. of State responds
In a recent U.S. Department of State Daily Briefing (10/31/08), Spokesman Sean McCormack responded to questions regarding an internal passport security breach that affected 383 people. Click here for the full transcript and details. Below, find a summary of the question and answer from the Office of the Spokesman, posted on Facebook.
“Question: Will the Department reimburse applicants’ for expenses incurred as the result of identity theft due to a breach in State Department security?
Answer: The State Department has offered to provide free credit monitoring for a year to potentially affected applicants. That credit monitoring package includes insurance that will reimburse applicants for certain out-of-pocket expenses and lost wages resulting from identity theft.
In addition, the Department has flagged the passport records of potentially affected applicants; the Department’s database will issue an alert if another application is made.
Question: What is the status of the employee who is accused of accessing passport records? Is he still employed by the Department?
Answer: The Department of State employee has been terminated.”
U.S. Department of State on Facebook and YouTube
In its effort to connect with the public through new media, the U.S. Department of State has created its own Facebook profile, YouTube channel, and blog. The Department invites and answers questions about foreign policy as well as passport issues through these channels. Look for regular “Briefing 2.0″ sessions, and look here at It’s Easy’s Passport Blog for updates relevant to US passports.
Welcome to It’s Easy’s new US passport blog
We get alot of questions about US passports here at It’s Easy. And while most questions can be answered by visiting our passport webpage, there are occasionally changes in the US passport process. That is why It’s Easy created this new passport blog: to provide the most up-to-date information about obtaining expedited US passport services. If we notice any changes at the Passport Agency or in the travel industry that threaten to delay your passport processing, you can read it here first. If it’s business as usual, we’ll let you know that too, all so you know what to expect when need a US passport in a hurry.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or on our website, please contact us at It’s Easy. We will post FAQ’s here as they come up. Bookmark us, tell your friends and travel coordinators. And thanks for visiting!
U.S. Passport Services Back to Standard Processing Time
From the U.S. Department of State (2007):
“The Department has restored passport service to the standard six to eight week processing time for routine passport applications, and no more than three weeks for expedited service.
To date, we have issued over 16 million passports in fiscal year 2007, which ends on September 30, compared to 12.1 million issued in fiscal year 2006. Throughout the summer, dedicated Department staff in Washington and at the nation’s 18 passport agencies have worked tirelessly to eliminate the delays in processing that had developed earlier in the year.
The Department plans to expand passport facilities and continue to hire more passport specialists in order to increase production capacity and meet rising passport demand expected in coming years, as passport requirements are extended to land and sea borders. By January 2008, we will have hired hundreds of new employees, and production capacity at the National Passport Center in New Hampshire, the largest passport facility, will have doubled. Longer-term expansion plans include new passport facilities strategically located to enhance customer service around the country.”