• Us Passport Book Vs Card
• How Long Is A Passport Card Good For
• United States Passport Book Vs Card

If you don’t know the difference between a passport book and a card, it’s actually very simple: The passport book can be utilized when traveling by air, water and land. The passport card can be used for only land and water travel.

The U.S. Passport Card is an identity card and a limited travel document issued by the federal government of the United States in the size of a credit card. It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel.^[2] Like a U.S. passport book, the passport card is only issued to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals exclusively by the U.S. Department of State and is compliant to the standards for identity documents set by the REAL ID Act and can be used as proof of U.S. nationality.^[3][4] The passport card allows cardholders to travel by domestic air flights within the United States and to enter and exit the United States via land and sea between member states of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).^[5] However, the passport card cannot be used for international air travel.

The passport card (previously known as the People Access Security Service Card, or PASS Card) was created as a result of the WHTI which imposed more stringent documentary requirements on travelers. Applications have been accepted since February 1, 2008; production of the cards began July 14, 2008. By the end of 2016, more than 12 million Passport Cards had been issued to U.S. citizens.^[6] The card is manufactured by L-1 Identity Solutions.^[7]

National identity cards with similar utility are common inside the European Union countries for both national and international use, with the difference that such cards are often mandatory to carry in several of these countries. In contrast, there are only some states in the U.S. which have 'stop and identify statutes', and in these states, a driver license will always suffice. Although a U.S. state-issued Driver's License or Non-Driving ID Card is treated by most people as the de facto ID card for U.S. Nationals, the de jure identification card of the U.S. is remains the U.S. Passport Card.

• 2Use
  • 2.2As personal identification
• 4Card layout

History[edit]

As a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States began implementing a range of measures to increase the security of its borders and its identity documents. One result of this was WHTI, which mandates as of 2007 that a smaller, more secure number of documents verifying both identity and citizenship be used to facilitate identification and international border crossing. Previous to WHTI, many different types of documents were acceptable to cross the border, including birth certificates issued by thousands of different authorities within the United States and Canada. As a result of WHTI, American citizens traveling to Canada would have been required to obtain a passport booklet in order to cross the border. In order to offer a less expensive and more portable alternative to border communities and frequent travelers, the passport card was developed.

Us Passport Book Vs Card

In an effort to improve efficiency at land crossings, the passport card also includes a vicinity-read radio frequency identification chip with a unique identifying number tied to government databases. Unlike the passport book, the RFID chip in the passport card is designed to be readable at a greater distance, allowing border agents to access traveler information before they pull up to the inspection station. While a biometric passport contains a chip containing all of the traveler's information in electronic format, the RFID chip in a passport card does not contain any personal information beyond the identifying number, which is used to locate records in secure government databases. To prevent the RFID chip from being read when the card is not being used, the passport card comes with a sleeve designed to block RFID while inside.^[8]

Use[edit]

As an international travel document[edit]

The passport card is a limited travel document, valid only for land and sea travel within North America (encompassing Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda). It cannot be used for international air travel. The Department of State stated this is because 'designing a card format passport for wide use, including by air travelers, would inadvertently undercut the broad based international effort to strengthen civil aviation security and travel document specifications to address the post 9/11 threat environment'.^[9]

U.S. Passport Cards can be used only at land border-crossings or sea ports-of-entry to member states and territories of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, currently:

• Canada
• Mexico (only for travel within an approximately 62-mile (100 km) border zone)
• Bermuda
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• the Bahamas
• British Virgin Islands
• Caribbean Netherlands (of Bonaire; Sint Eustatius and Saba; Curaçao; Sint Maarten)
• Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Jamaica (except for business travel)
• Montserrat
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Turks and Caicos Islands

The U.S. Passport card is accepted for land travel by the immigration authorities of Canada and Mexico.^[10][11][12] The U.S. Passport Card is not valid for international air travel.^[5][13]

Since they are not participating in the WHTI, the U.S. Passport Card cannot be used when entering the U.S. from the following countries and territories, even though they are considered part of the Caribbean:

• Barbados
• Trinidad and Tobago (opted out)
• Haiti (considered too unstable)
• Cuba (embargoed)
• French West Indies, composed of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin (under French sovereignty)^[12]

As personal identification[edit]

Aside from being unable to be used for international air travel, the passport card is treated as a passport for all other purposes. A United States passport card can be used as primary evidence of United States citizenship, just like a passport booklet,^[14] and can be used as a valid proof of citizenship and proof of identity both inside and outside the United States.^[15]

Within the United States[edit]

Under the REAL ID Act, the passport card is accepted for federal purposes (such as domestic air travel or entering federal buildings), which may make it an attractive option for people whose driver's licenses and ID cards are not REAL ID–compliant when those requirements go into effect. TSA regulations list the passport card as an acceptable identity document at airport security checkpoints.^[16]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indicated that the U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 process.^[17] The passport card is considered a 'List A' document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status.^[18] 'List A' documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9.^[19]

How Long Is A Passport Card Good For

Passport cards are much less popular than driver licenses, a commonly used form of identification. As previously stated, in 2016 there were more than 12 million passport cards issued. In contrast, in 2009 there were 210 million licensed drivers.^[20]

Outside the United States[edit]

In some countries, laws require foreign visitors and/or all adults to carry official personal identification at all times. Carrying a passport card may meet the demands of local law enforcement without the risks associated with carrying the full passport booklet.^[21]

Compared with state driver’s licenses and non-driver ID cards, the passport card is designed to be more universal. It is formatted to United Nations ICAOmachine readable document standards, which are used on IDs around the world.^[22] Also, unlike state driver’s licenses, which may not even list the country on them, the passport card contains the words United States of America in its header. It also contains national symbols such as an American flag in the background, as opposed to the state symbols found on driver’s licenses. Since people abroad may not be familiar with every US State, the passport card's emphasis on being from America makes it more understood in this regard.

Validity and fees[edit]

The passport card shares the same validity period as the passport book: 10 years for persons 16 and over, 5 years for children under 16. As of April 9, 2018, the passport card renewal fee for eligible applicants (adults only, by mail) is $30; first-time applicants and those applying in person must also pay a $35 processing fee, for a total fee of $65. Passport cards for children must be applied for in person; the total fee is $50, including the $35 processing fee.

Adults who already have a fully valid passport book may pay a fee of $30 to apply for the card using the passport renewal form, regardless of when the passport book expires.

A citizen or national is allowed to hold both a passport card and a passport book. Both may be applied for simultaneously by paying the respective fees for each passport, plus a single $35 processing fee for first-time and other in-person applicants.

Card layout[edit]

The passport card is formatted according to specifications for credit card (ID-1) sized travel documents, as described in ICAO Document 9303, Part 3, Volume 1. The card contains both human-readable and machine-readable information; the latter is printed in the machine-readable zone on the rear of the card as OCR-readable text in a similar format as on the identity page of the passport book. The zone starts with the letters IP (designated by ICAO for passport card^[23]), followed by the issuing country code USA and then the Passport Card's serial number (which is prefixed with a 'C' and differs from the individual's passport book number, even if issued together). The general layout of the Passport Card is virtually identical to the layout of the Border Crossing Card issued to Mexican citizens with primarily the background imagery and entitlements varying between the two cards.^{[citation needed]}

Anti-counterfeiting features[edit]

In addition to the embedded RFID chip, the front of the card features a complex multi-layer hologram consisting of an American bald eagle surrounded by the words 'United States of America Department of State' in a small clearly readable font, further surrounded by the same words repeatedly in microprint. The card's background consists of interweaving smooth curves rich in variable color and microprint. All of the personal information on the card is created by laser engraving, with some key information produced in raised tactile engraving, including the date of birth, vertical letters 'USA', the passport card number, and an alphanumeric sequence underneath the photograph. A second, smaller 'ghost' photograph of the bearer is included on the right side of the card; when closely inspected this ghost image is actually an approximation of the shading in the original photo composed of various letters from the card holder's name. There is an embossed seal in the upper left hand corner of the card (partially overlapping the photograph) depicting the obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. When viewed under UV lighting, a reddish-orange bald eagle in flight appears. The eagle carries thirteen arrows in one talon and an olive branch with thirteen leaves and thirteen olives on the branch. The eagle's image is 3-dimensional, with the flying figure poised above the shield from the Great Seal. In its beak, the eagle clutches a scroll with the motto E pluribus unum ('Out of Many, One').^{[citation needed]}On the rear of the card, the 'PASSsystem' mark appears in Optically variable ink, and the number, 'C########', is a raised tactile engraving.

References[edit]

1. ^'Passport Fees'.
2. ^'Passport Card'. travel.state.gov. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
3. ^Passport Application Form DS-11 (Accessed December 2, 2013)
4. ^'Passport Card'. Travel.State.Gov. U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
5. ^ ^ab'U.S. Passport Card'. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Archived from the original on June 4, 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
6. ^'Passport Statistics'. travel.state.gov. United States Department of State. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
7. ^Passport Card & Border Crossing Card SolutionsArchived 2013-03-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 May 2011
8. ^U.S. Passport Card. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
9. ^US Government Printing Office (2006-10-17). Federal Register, Volume 71 Issue 200. US Government Printing Office, 17 October 2006. Retrieved on 2010-08-04 from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2006-10-17/html/E6-17237.htm.
10. ^'Caribbean Region'. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
11. ^'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative'. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013.
12. ^ ^abJared Paventi, Demand Media. 'Which Caribbean Countries Require a Passport?'. Travel Tips - USA Today.
13. ^'Frequently Asked Questions'. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
14. ^'42 CFR 435.407 - Types of acceptable documentary evidence of citizenship'. LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
15. ^Passport Card
16. ^Driver's License or Passports Preferred ID at Checkpoints, retrieved May 30, 2008.
17. ^'USCIS Informs The Public That New Passport Card Is Acceptable For Employment Eligibility Verification'. USCIS.
18. ^'List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization'. USCIS. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
19. ^'Form I-9 Acceptable Documents'. USCIS. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
20. ^cite web url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/pubs/hf/pl11028/chapter4.cfm author1 = Office of Highway Policy Information publisher = US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration title = Our Nations Highways: 2011 date = 2011}}
21. ^Good Neighbor Insurance (2017-03-29), Why you should get a U.S. Passport Card when you travel, retrieved 2019-03-31
22. ^'What is a Machine-Readable Passport? (Updated 2018) – info.viselio.com'. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
23. ^see page V-11 of ICAO9303 part 3

Further reading[edit]

• Advisory and technical committee for communications and transit. Replies of the governments to the enquiry on the application of the resolutions relating to passports, customs formalities and through tickets. Geneva: League of Nations. 1922. OCLC46235968.
• Holder IV, Floyd William (Fall 2009). An Empirical Analysis of the State’s Monopolization of the Legitimate Means of Movement: Evaluating the Effects of Required Passport use on International Travel (M. P. A. thesis). San Marcos: Texas State University. OCLC503473693. Docket Applied Research Projects, Paper 308.
• Lloyd, Martin (2008) [2003]. The Passport: The History of Man's Most Travelled Document (2nd ed.). Canterbury: Queen Anne's Fan. ISBN978-0-9547150-3-8. OCLC220013999.
• Salter, Mark B. (2003). Rights of Passage: The Passport in International Relations. Boulder, Co: Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN978-1-58826-145-8. OCLC51518371.
• Torpey, John C. (2000). The Invention of the Passport: Surveillance, Citizenship and the State. Cambridge studies in law and society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-63249-8. OCLC59408523.
• United States; Hunt, Gaillard (1898). The American Passport; Its History and a Digest of Laws, Rulings and Regulations Governing Its Issuance by the Department of State. Washington: Govt. print. off. OCLC3836079.

External links[edit]

• Fact Sheet: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Passport Card Technology Choice: Vicinity RFID Release Date: October 17, 2006
• Fact Sheet: US Passport Card Release Date: January 8, 2008

United States Passport Book Vs Card

The US passport card is a credit card-sized identification document. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the US and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean by land or sea. The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. The chip links your passport card to records stored in government databases. It does not contain any of your personal information.

Where Can I Travel With My Passport Card?

You can use your passport card for travel by land or sea to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. You cannot use the passport card for international air travel, nor can you use it for travel to other international destinations. If you plan to travel by air or wish to visit a country other than Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or one of the other Caribbean island nations, you should apply for a passport book instead.

How Much Does a Passport Card Cost?

A passport card is less expensive than a traditional passport book. Your first passport card will cost $65 ($50 for children under 16) and will be valid for ten years (five years for children). Renewals cost $30. A traditional passport book costs $145; renewals cost $110.

Can I Carry Both Types of Passports?

Yes. Even better, if you already hold a valid US passport that was issued after you turned 16, you can apply for a passport card as a mail-in renewal and pay only the $30 renewal fee, saving yourself $25.

How Do I Apply for My Passport Card?

First-time passport card applicants who do not have a passport book (traditional passport) must go in person to a passport application facility, such as a post office or courthouse, and submit a completed passport application form, proof of US citizenship, one passport photo and the required fee.

You may need to make an appointment to apply for your passport card. Contact your chosen passport acceptance facility for location-specific information and appointment availability. When you apply for your passport cards, you will need to give the passport official the documents you submit as proof of citizenship, but they will be returned to you separately by mail after your passport has been issued.

You can have passport photos taken at many 'big box' stores, pharmacies, AAA offices and photo studios. Some post offices also offer this service. Do not wear your glasses when posing for your passport photo. If you normally wear a hat or head covering for medical or religious purposes, you may do so for your passport photo, but you must submit a statement with your passport card application detailing the reasons for wearing it. The statement must be signed by you if you wear a hat or head covering for religious reasons.

Your doctor must sign the statement if you wear a hat or head covering for medical reasons.

You may also take your own passport photo. The requirements for passport photos are quite specific. You can find a list of passport photo requirements, tips for taking your own passport photo and a photo sizing tool on the State Department's 'Photo Requirements' web page.

If you choose not to provide your Social Security number on your application and you live outside the US, the IRS can fine you $500.

Can I Track My Passport Card Application Status?

Yes! The State Department now offers online passport application tracking. You will need to provide your last name, birth date, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

When Will I Receive My Passport Card?

You will receive your passport card in six to eight weeks, not counting mailing time. Try to apply for your card at least ten weeks before your scheduled departure date to allow for unexpected delays in processing.

You may apply for expedited processing if you are willing to pay an additional $60 for that service. Typically, expedited passport applications are processed in two to three weeks. Overnight delivery is not available for passport cards. You will receive your passport card via first class mail.

Travelers who need passport cards in less than two weeks must make an appointment at one of the 13 Regional Passport Agency offices to submit their applications and payment in person. Call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778 or use NPIC's online passport appointment system to schedule your appointment.