U.S. Department of State [archived]

Chad and his colleagues in the Diplomatic Security Service work together to ensure that the U.S. Department of State can carry out its foreign policy missions safely and securely. In the United States, Diplomatic Security personnel protect State Department facilities as well as the Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the country. Diplomatic Security also plays a vital role in protecting U.S. diplomatic missions and their personnel overseas, securing critical information systems, investigating passport and visa fraud, and fighting terrorism. #AmericanHeroesWeek

U.S. Passport Card Online Application Now Available

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

January 23, 2012

On January 24, the Department of State’s Office of Passport Services will launch a 90-day pilot program allowing adult U.S. citizens living in the United States and Canada to apply for a passport card online. By applying online, customers will not be required to mail in their current passport book and necessary forms, saving them time and money.

To participate in this program, applicants must currently possess a valid 10-year U.S. passport book, upload an acceptable digital photograph and make an online payment in U.S. dollars via Pay.gov. Applications accepted through the program will be subject to the same strict adjudication standards as in-person or mail-in applications.

This pilot program is the Department’s signature initiative under Presidential Executive Order 13571 to simplify customer service interactions and streamline related processes, making them more efficient.

The Department of State began producing the passport card in 2008 in response to travel document requirements imposed by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Since then, more than 4.5 million cards have been issued. The wallet-sized passport card is a low-cost alternative to the passport book. The U.S. passport card costs $30 for current passport book holders, and is valid for land and sea travel to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It is not valid for international air travel.

To apply for the passport card using the online application, visit travel.state.gov.

(Source: state.gov)

USA.gov: Going Abroad? Get Your Passport on Passport Day →

usagov:

By Navdeep Aujla, U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs
Winter travelers, spring break planners, day trippers to Toronto, and even those planning on attending the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, crack open your passport book for the third annual “Passport Day in the USA” on…

(Source: usagov-blog)

New Passport Agency Opens in Atlanta

Man submits document to the Atlanta Passport Center in Georgia, May 16, 2011. [Public Domain]

About the Author: Gale McCoy is the director of the Atlanta Passport Agency. She most recently served as the Director of the Special Issuance Agency, which processes diplomatic, official, and military dependent passport applications.

I consider it a privilege to lead the Atlanta Passport Agency, as we provide a vital service to U.S. citizens with urgent travel needs. Our service to Atlanta area residents and citizens passing through its mammoth airport is illustrated with every application we receive. Just last week, a young man came to us from the airport, where his planned trip to Paris nearly came to an abrupt stop when he noticed his passport had expired. In the past, the young man would have had to have driven more than eight hours to the New Orleans, Miami, or Washington, DC passport agencies to obtain a new passport on such short notice. With the opening of the Atlanta Passport Agency, however,…more »

Posts tagged with ‘passports’

U.S. Passport Card Online Application Now Available

USA.gov: Going Abroad? Get Your Passport on Passport Day →

New Passport Agency Opens in Atlanta