Or perhaps DoS already issued a number of nextgen diplomatic passport as a pilot program thus foreign agency need to know what to look for.

Unlikely. They don’t have an update profile for the diplomatic and official passports. Just the tourist version. This is just another embarrassing misstep for DoS.

I am trying to find out if US DHS or State or maybe even GPO was the liaison for putting out a digital sample or physical sample that made its way to some EU counterparts, not that I expect to hear much of anything on this. [You can't even rule out GAO or CRS from at times resulting in some kind of things popping up online from overseas government sources before they come out from USG sites.] It's not unusual for some part of the USG or another to give plenty of advance lead to foreign contacts or even publishers to prepare for an upcoming circulation of US passports with different features than have been previously and recently encountered by border control types. I touched upon this thing in one of the USA forum threads.

I expect my next couple of submitted passport applications in 2021 -- and probably some in 2022 too -- to still come back with passports that are not that "more secure" next generation version of US passports.

Probably all for 2022. Looks like they won’t announce it until 2022, with widespread availability in 2023.

If you look at the contract I linked to above, many of the high dollar orders aren’t slated to be completed until between September 2021 and March 2022. That assumes they don’t extend them again (these orders have been extended multiple times so far). So based on this, I would expect the updated passport to be announced Q3 or Q4 of 2022 at the earliest. That would mean it wouldn’t enter widespread circulation until 2023. Again, at the earliest.

So this is interesting (from the “Important Notices”):

04/01/2021PASSPORT UPDATES: 01 Apr 2021

New View, New Feel, New Upgrades

Please continue to distribute the Next Generation passport as normal.


SUBJECT: Special Issuance Reimbursement and Next Generation Passports

• Special issuance passport (SIP):
A special issuance passport is defined as a diplomatic, official, service, or no-fee regular passport which is issued to an individual traveling abroad to carry out duties on behalf of the U.S. government. This can also apply to that individual’s eligible family member.

• Reimbursement charge is the same for all special issuance passport applications:
A reimbursement will be assessed for each special issuance passport application submitted for DoD sponsor and eligible family members accompanying employees abroad. DoD Agent must continue to validate the bona fide need and requirement for a special issuance passport.

• Next Generation Passport Program (NGP):
The NGP stands for the Next Generation Passport, launched in Oct 2020, starting at the Special Issuance Agency (SIA) in Washington, D.C. PSD Fort Belvoir began seeing the new passport 29 Mar 2021. Differences between the NGP and the ePassport book are the visible change a polycarbonate data, visa pages have also been updated and showcase new imagery of United States architecture, history and traditions. New books will also receive an alphanumeric passport number in place of the previous numeric passport number.

• Enhanced security features included in the NGP:
Perforated passport number through the entire passport, enhanced security, improved stitching. Equipment upgrade able to produce more books in a shorter amount of time producing over 100 to 500 books base on model.

https://passportmatters.army.mil/

This lines up with the EU site that next gen passport was released in October 2020. I suspect it is in a “pilot” of some sort.

I have some buddies from US DOD who are starting out as US diplomats with fixed attachments at some of the US embassies this year. I will be curious to see what they come in with in terms of passports in the coming months because all their diplomatic passports will have been issued this quarter or later.

Definitely. They have functional units out in the wild. Are they going to announce early next year, or even late this year?

I have yet to see see any functional units out in the wild.

Likely some kind of pilot program. I don’t think we will see any widespread public issue until maybe next year or 2023. I do think it is ridiculous that the Department of State doesn’t publicly announce it and give the public some information on when to expect this passport to begin circulation. By this point, I have to imagine they know.

“2021 is widely understood to be the year in which the United States will move from paper to polycarbonate passports”


https://www.abiresearch.com/press/po...ment-security/

Oh really? I suggest to the group that it is almost 100% certain it won’t even be announced in 2021, much less begin the transition to circulation.

“Introducing the U.S. Next Generation Passport”

The redesign of the U.S. Passport began in 2011, with the goal of incorporating the best technologies and modern industry strategies for document security. By 2020, the Next Generation Passport was complete, and the U.S. Department of State started issuing the new-and-improved travel document to applicants.Stated Source:

U.S. Department of State

https://platform.keesingtechnologies.com/introducing-the-u-s-next-generation-passport/

I wonder when we will get an official announcement? This is the worst kept secret at this point.

Nine+ years to redesign a passport??? No less, an 'ordinary' passport... SMH....

What’s amazing to me is that a European agency unveiled the new passport a month ago and there has been no communications from the Department of State. This is massive incompetence