Even before the US government proposed last week to
required U.S. citizens to have passports, instead of driver's
licenses, for re-entry into the country from their travels in Canada,
Mexico and the Caribbean, more and more people were deciding to apply
for a passport.Within the next few
months, we should see the debut of the new electronic passport,
designed to help prevent passport theft and fraud. These will contain
an electronic chip with the same information you see printed on the
inside of the passport booklet. The passports will also feature
protection for the chip so that it cannot be altered. If you currently
have a valid passport, you will not need to replace it with an
electronic one until the scheduled expiration date.
Here is a little bit of additional information
you may want to keep in your mind or pass along to your friends:
- NOT
to wait until the last month prior to travel to apply for your
passport. A good rule of thumb would be to apply no less than
two or three months prior to travel. Keep in mind that just as we
have our busy season, so do the passport centers. Their busy seasons
generally start around April and continue through the summer.
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- Read
the instructions carefully and supply ALL required supporting
document. For example, if the passport instructions ask for
an original birth certificate, naturalization certificate, etc.,
those are the documents that must be supplied. If not, I can promise
you that you will receive a letter from the passport center
requesting those documents before they will process your
application.
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Enclose good quality passport photos with your applications.
Just because you go to a facility that takes passport photos does
not mean you will get a photo that will be acceptable. Some things
to keep in mind are:
- A white background is needed. Do not
wear white clothes for this picture - who wants to see a
floating face?
- Make sure your eyes are visible if you
wear eyeglasses.
- Do not cove your head. If you must
cover your head for religious reasons, provide a statement
stating these reasons and send it along with your application.
- Do not wear a uniform.
- Logos should not be visible on
clothing.
- Make sure photos are free of spots.
- When the passport acceptance agent is
ready to staple the photo to the application, ask that they
staple on the very outer areas of the photo so the photo
is not overly damaged.
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An applicant also needs to sign the application
and make sure the acceptance agent has signed it as well.
Currently total cost of passports is as follows:
- DS-11, age 16 years and above (initial
passport application) -- $72;
- DS-82, renewal by mail --- $67;
- To expedite passport -- $60.
For more information, visit
www.state.gov/travel or
http://travel.state.gov.
(408) 262-2304