Be rest assured – your little blue book won’t change its color
Like every year, 2017 also brings lots of exciting travel news about new places inside and outside the country to explore. But to do so, you need a valid passport. And you should know how things would shake out for those little books.
Applications for passport are likely to rise
If you still don’t have a passport or have to renew it within next 6 months, apply right now. Mostly because of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that was put into effect in the year 2007 made it compulsory that Americans who are entering the country by air from Mexico, Bermuda and Canada must have a valid passport. In 2017, those documents are expiring and that indicates more passport applications. January 2018 implementation of the Real ID Act has also fueled up an increased number of passport applications from the travelers still unsure about if their driver’s license would be accepted as a valid ID for domestic travel. It is expected that almost 20 million passport renewal requests are likely to be received in 2017.
Passports will be safer and more secure
Though many people have a notion that U.S. passports are the safest and most secure one, they are a few steps behind in comparison to other countries in regards to biometric security. But it is likely to see small advancement in 2017. There will be an embedded data chip covered with a polycarbonate coating on the passport’s information page to ensure protection against being wet and bent. The chip is powerful enough to protect the passport from potential identity theft. The passport number will be laser cut as perforated holes through the pages. Besides, the passport will be equipped with watermark, optically variable inks and tactile features. Designs on the pages will be slightly raised and ink will appear to be different in colors depending on the angle of viewing.
There will be more pages
In 2017, passport pages will have numbers on them to help the travelers keep track of how many times they have been renewed. There are many countries that don’t allow passports with less than 4 pages remaining and so the government added extra pages in 2016 and an initiative like this to control those pages is really appreciable.
Application rules will be stricter
You might be aware that passport photos with glasses are not being allowed since November 1, 2016. And now the passport department is declining thousands of applications owing to bad photos. However, you’ll be still allowed to wear specs if you have a medical condition only if you can submit your doctor’s note while submitting the application. And State Department is giving applicants whose applications were declined due to submitting photo with glasses a chance to resubmit photos without paying any fees again.
Renewal might get simpler
The process of passport renewal might see a makeover. People can now renew their passports online though the process is still ‘in the works’. When it comes to passport application or passport renewal, discussed are some important and useful facts that you must be aware of.
