New, "More Secure" US NextGen Passport
#481
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 288
It's needed. I never get to use a passport through to expiry because the pages fill up first. Some countries require as many as 3 blank consecutive pages or they will not issue a visa.
#482
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: FRA
Posts: 229
Uh, it's needed for you. I don't need or want it, neither for myself nor my kids who also have an EU passport that we carry with us when we travel (so they already have double the pages by default). I don't travel that much to countries that require tons of passport space, and I'm happy to renew if and when it becomes necessary, even years before it expires. It's a risk I'm willing to take
#483
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Uh, it's needed for you. I don't need or want it, neither for myself nor my kids who also have an EU passport that we carry with us when we travel (so they already have double the pages by default). I don't travel that much to countries that require tons of passport space, and I'm happy to renew if and when it becomes necessary, even years before it expires. It's a risk I'm willing to take
If you get the chance, you could apply for US passports while in the US to avoid the "big book" version.
#484
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 288
I would say that renewing outside of the US is generally at least a bit of an inconvenience for most parents with young minors. And the less often it is required to go into the embassy/consulate for ACS or anywhere lese for those passports, the more convenient it is.
If you get the chance, you could apply for US passports while in the US to avoid the "big book" version.
If you get the chance, you could apply for US passports while in the US to avoid the "big book" version.
#485
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Originally Posted by state.gov
What size passport book will I get when I apply outside the United States?
All applicants outside the United States automatically receive the large, non-standard 52 page passport book.
Applicants in the United States can choose a standard passport book of 28 pages or the large, non-standard passport book of 52 pages. Both cost the same amount.
All applicants outside the United States automatically receive the large, non-standard 52 page passport book.
Applicants in the United States can choose a standard passport book of 28 pages or the large, non-standard passport book of 52 pages. Both cost the same amount.
#486
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 288
Hmm..well they didn't do that for me last time I renewed - I wanted the big book and got the standard. When I complained, they pulled up my signed application and showed me I had submitted it with the "standard" option selected which was the default (I didn't submit a paper form, they had computer terminals at the consulate where you completed the application on-line, and I guess I just didn't notice the check box). In any event, because I complained, they agreed to insert two additional page inserts free of charge (used to always be free, but this was after they introduced the 83 dollar fee for extra pages, and now of course they won't do it at all)
#487
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 20,639
Moderator's Note - Topic Drift
This is the Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate forum. The subject of this thread is the upcoming more secure version of the US passport, a topic which is relevant to border security. The size of the passport book when applying to renew a passport while outside the United States has nothing to do with border security and is off-topic for this forum and thread (FT Rule 5). If you wish to continue discussing UP passport book sizes, please do so in the USA forum, where non-security related US passport topics are generally discussed.
Thank you for understanding,
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Thank you for understanding,
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
#488
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Passports issued last week in the US are from the same passport blank stock as that used last year too.
That report does publicly indicate that State has not yet ordered (from GPO) the next generation passport blanks for common use.
I expect to see passport costs to be hiked up as a result of the next generation passport, whether at the same time as the change or some time after that.
That report does publicly indicate that State has not yet ordered (from GPO) the next generation passport blanks for common use.
I expect to see passport costs to be hiked up as a result of the next generation passport, whether at the same time as the change or some time after that.
For anybody that is still following this:
https://govtribe.com/award/federal-c...-saqmma17f4828
This order was supposed to be completed the end of January 2020. This has been extended to January 2021. For sure no issuance this year. Earliest will be end of 2021. Bear in mind this was supposed to be issued in 2016 and is based on technology from that period. Fast forward 5 years and about a generation or two of technology has passed and our incompetent Department of State cannot get this simple task done. For anybody still on the fence, forget any update. It likely is YEARS away at this point. Update your passport and forget about any next gen updates. Oh btw, when they do eventually roll out this misbegotten program, passport fees are probably going to go up quite a bit:
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/upl...-CBJ-Final.pdf
Go to page 21 of the document. The next gen passports books are going to be 22.5% more expensive to make! And they will certainly pass on all of this added costs to consumers. It might even be advisable to renew in advance of the darned program if the cost increase in commensurate.
https://govtribe.com/award/federal-c...-saqmma17f4828
This order was supposed to be completed the end of January 2020. This has been extended to January 2021. For sure no issuance this year. Earliest will be end of 2021. Bear in mind this was supposed to be issued in 2016 and is based on technology from that period. Fast forward 5 years and about a generation or two of technology has passed and our incompetent Department of State cannot get this simple task done. For anybody still on the fence, forget any update. It likely is YEARS away at this point. Update your passport and forget about any next gen updates. Oh btw, when they do eventually roll out this misbegotten program, passport fees are probably going to go up quite a bit:
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/upl...-CBJ-Final.pdf
Go to page 21 of the document. The next gen passports books are going to be 22.5% more expensive to make! And they will certainly pass on all of this added costs to consumers. It might even be advisable to renew in advance of the darned program if the cost increase in commensurate.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...2021-06263.pdf
Improved printing technology (known as ‘‘NextGen’’), which provides state-ofthe-art anti-counterfeiting improvements, added an additional $3.45 per unit
As a result of this recommendation, the overall passport book application fee for a first-time, adult applicant (using a DS– 11), as well for adults seeking renewals (DS–82), will increase from $110 to $130. The passport security surcharge increase will also result in an increase to the overall passport book application fee for minors (DS–11) from $80 to $100.
#489
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Originally Posted by From the above-linked PDF
Increases in security-related costs are largely due to increased compensation costs for passport adjudicators and enhanced printing technology costs for the Next Generation (NextGen) passport book.
Passport adjudicators are primarily State employees who on average (IIRC) make about $70k/year in salary and work at the passport agencies around the country. Additional security elements involved in the processing increase not only the time it takes them to process the passport application and issue the passport but it also increases the costs that arise from the mistakes that take place in using the blanks to make passports.
People really should ask what additional bang for their buck are they getting for the fee increase that comes with this. Will say a c. $400 million/year increase in fees paid for by US citizens to get the next generation passports provide a c. $400 million increase in "security" value (over the current state) to those very citizens issued the next generation US passport? Probably not, IMO.
Last edited by GUWonder; Apr 2, 2021 at 3:00 am
#490
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FWIW, The PDF shows a forecast that this increase will bring in an additional $318 million for FY22 and the "the NextGen printer system replaces end-of-life equipment that uses outdated technology, and improves passport security features in line with current international standards for identity documents while enhancing border security."
Not sure how much it cost to replace current technology.
Not sure how much it cost to replace current technology.
#491
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FWIW, The PDF shows a forecast that this increase will bring in an additional $318 million for FY22 and the "the NextGen printer system replaces end-of-life equipment that uses outdated technology, and improves passport security features in line with current international standards for identity documents while enhancing border security."
Not sure how much it cost to replace current technology.
Not sure how much it cost to replace current technology.
The cost to replace the current technology is almost certainly higher than the cost to maintain the current technology in more widespread use for several more years. It's not common to see a multi-site government technology transition where having two kinds of system pieces in place for even a handful of months is cheaper in the short and medium term than not having any transition; that is unless the legacy system is non-functional or plagued with highly frequent, mass level critical failures. This is why the "returns" from government projects in this area usually rely upon other things to try to justify the expenditures to perform a technology change. But toss in the word "security" and money just flows despite the questionable returns on the expenditure.
The legacy printing system for current generation passport issuing is not plagued with highly frequent, mass level critical failures. [Hint: Get on the trail of where the phased-out system equipment ends up still in use in 2023 and beyond.]
If the increased fee comes into place for the government's 2022 fiscal year, then how much in additional fees it brings in during October 2021- September 2022 is going to be in large part tied to how many people apply for US passports in that period. It seems that whomever that report relied upon for that estimated $318 million figure has a different idea of what to expect in numbers than some others. With the estimated additional $318 million dollars for October 2021-September 2022, will US citizens be getting $318 million additional dollars of security for it? I doubt it.
What's interesting is how much more expensive the next generation US passports will cost holders than foreign passports with comparable security features in other countries cost their holders. In Sweden -- a high-labor cost country and one without the benefit of the economies of scale that the US can get -- "the next generation" type passport fee for its citizens is about $40 (although only valid for 5 years at most) per passport. The US wants what? $100-$130 per passport. I'd rather have a lower fee and the current generation passport than the next generation passport. Unfortunately, US citizens aren't given the option to get more value for the money paid in fees by being able to select to stick with what already works.
The notion of "these are just user fees covering the cost of use" and "we are giving you better security" has negative consequences on value for money that the seekers of US passport service get.
Last edited by GUWonder; Apr 3, 2021 at 7:40 am
#492
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: PR Premier Elite
Posts: 1,950
FWIW, the EU maintains a website cataloging the features of passports and a variety of other documents from many nations, to assist in authentication of documents when necessary. They have added the "new" US Passport to their database here. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/prad...001/index.html
#493
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 91
FWIW, the EU maintains a website cataloging the features of passports and a variety of other documents from many nations, to assist in authentication of documents when necessary. They have added the "new" US Passport to their database here. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/prad...001/index.html
interesting. Design leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t expect this to be announced until 2022 and begin widespread and regular circulation until 2023, at the earliest. The contract for this is still being performed and has been extended multiple times. Currently the last major order runs until about March or April 2022. It *MAY* get announced after that. It will also take at least a full year before it is the solely produced passport version.
link to contract: https://www.google.com/amp/s/govtrib...mma17d0163/amp
This one may be a ways away from official announcement and issuance.
very embarrassing that it is taking them almost a decade to get this out. Also embarrassing that the reveal is coming from a European site, rather from the US Dept of State.
Last edited by Valerian; Apr 7, 2021 at 4:31 pm
#494
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 91
From the GPO website here: https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-sou...nce-report.pdf
for FY2022 the goal is, “ Continue to strengthen the quality assurance programs, process and equipment improvement projects, and customer focused initiatives needed to reach steady state production, quality packaging, and distribution systems for a long term NextGen Passport production program.”
this is seeming like 2022 announcement at the earliest. Maybe even 2023. Very very odd that a European site would get the jump on the announcement a year or more before the issuing agency.
for FY2022 the goal is, “ Continue to strengthen the quality assurance programs, process and equipment improvement projects, and customer focused initiatives needed to reach steady state production, quality packaging, and distribution systems for a long term NextGen Passport production program.”
this is seeming like 2022 announcement at the earliest. Maybe even 2023. Very very odd that a European site would get the jump on the announcement a year or more before the issuing agency.