Renewing Passports Is Even Easier With The Passport Card Option
Anyone that holds and uses a passport
knows that it entails having the pages stamped as each border is
crossed in both directions. The standard passport has a life of 10
years for adults and 5 years for holders 16 and younger and renewing
passports becomes an integral part of any holder’s experiences. The
passport card can be received in lieu of or along with a standard
passport.
Premiering in 2008, the passport card quickly became a great
alternative to those travelers that frequently crossed the border into
Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean. This is a wallet-sized card
that has no pages to stamp and is good for the same period of time a
standard passport is. Current passport holders can receive the card as
a renewal option for the low fee of $20.00.
Passport cards are not just for current passport holders, any U.S.
citizen in eligible to apply for one the same as a standard passport.
Current and past holders of a valid passport book can receive the card
via mail and will need to complete and send in the proper renewal form.
Those who are applying for the passport card for the first time must do
so in person.
Whether it is the book or the card that is being applied for, they both
take approximately the same amount of time to process and send. There
is a 4 to 6 week wait time on the card or book for the standard service
and if expedited is requested, this may be accomplished in 2 to 3
weeks. The expedited service, however, does carry an extra fee. While
an individual can submit their application via overnight mail, the card
itself will only be returned by first class mail through the Post
Office.
Each card contains a radio frequency ID chip and these can only be
scanned locally by a special reader. These chips do not actually
contain any personal information from the cardholder but rather link
the card to a central database. The Border Patrol agents can scan the
card from a close distance then access all of the pertinent information
about the cardholder such as the picture and physical data.
The card is designed to be as secure as physically possible by
using state of the art laser engraving along with anti-counterfeit
measures such as special colorings. The blocking sleeve that comes with
each card prevents the card from being scanned or accessed when it is
not in use. It is actually amazing the state-of-the-art security that
is in place on this tiny card.
The low cost of the card in addition to the passport book when
getting a renewal can make this a great secondary form of travel
identification. The card is not only for adults as minors are also
eligible to apply for this when affecting their renewal process. There
are, however, very strict guidelines that the minors must adhere to in
order to receive one of these cards.
People in the process of renewing
passports should seriously consider the addition of the card to the
order. With over one million of these cards currently in circulation,
this has quickly become a preferred means of quick identification for
crossing close borders. While this is not meant to replace the passport book, for those that cross to Mexico or Canada frequently for business
or shopping, it will be a much more convenient method.
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