New, "More Secure" US NextGen Passport
#332
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#333
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: FRA
Posts: 229
A temporary travel document is basically just a letter saying "please let this person travel" in appropriate diplomat speak. It's only really intended to act in place of a passport long enough to get a passport manufactured. Not to be confused with alien passports and other similar travel authorisations issued to non-citizens - but that would be off topic.
#334
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 6
I have found the following information provided to the Congress by the director of GPO back in March. It says the following:
Sounds like they are done developing and testing the next generation passport and installing equipment to print them. But given they are a government agency, their dates may not be reliable.
This is the end of the year, I am surprised that they haven't published how the new design looks if it was done five years ago.
Following five years of development and testing in collaboration with the Department of State, we are now poised to begin production of the next generation U.S. passport. GPO’s contribution to this process has been to implement the technical processes that will be required to produce the new passport, an effort involving the investment of nearly $100 million in research and development, equipment acquisition, and facilities modifications. The new passport will feature significantly enhanced document security for American travelers abroad.
Continued installation of equipment and systems to begin production of the next generation U.S. passport later this year
This is the end of the year, I am surprised that they haven't published how the new design looks if it was done five years ago.
#335
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Thanks for the link. The report was dated early February so we are in the “later this year” mentioned. Hopefully there are no additional delays.
I renewed for a emergency limited validity passport last week and hoping to replace with regular passport without charge if they get this up and running by next November.
I renewed for a emergency limited validity passport last week and hoping to replace with regular passport without charge if they get this up and running by next November.
#336
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 6
Thanks for the link. The report was dated early February so we are in the “later this year” mentioned. Hopefully there are no additional delays.
I renewed for a emergency limited validity passport last week and hoping to replace with regular passport without charge if they get this up and running by next November.
I renewed for a emergency limited validity passport last week and hoping to replace with regular passport without charge if they get this up and running by next November.
#337
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AFAIK You need to be outside the US to get a limited validity emergency passport for the regular renew fee which allows for replacement for a regular passport within one year of issuance without additional fee.
#339
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA
Posts: 114
Ok, just got first US passport last week, but looks comparable to older US passports, so i guess they are still not printing new security feature passports ? What would be the easiest way to figure it out ? (without microscope... ? ;-)
#340
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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The 2016 model passport will contain a polycarbonate page in which your info chip is embedded and thus better protected, something many countries are doing, Sprague said. The coating helps if your book gets wet or you sit on it and bend it, she added.
#341
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If you had the new one, you would know immediately as the data page would be plastic instead paper.
#342
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: FRA
Posts: 229
The new one will be significantly different, with the polycarbonate page being one of the biggest tactile differences. It'd essentially be like a large passport-sized ID-card as the first page. The design would also have to be significantly different, I would think.
#343
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA
Posts: 114
Thanks. I know the polycarbonate from german passport, but those have the RFID chip in the cover AFAIK, not in the polycarbonated data page. Which may arguably be protecting it better because the cover on the DE passports is quite thick. Maybe there is a security benefit of having it in the data page. Ideally, the cover page could then have some RFID protection, that would make it more comfortable: With the german passport you want to put it into an RFID pouch and when an officer needs to scan it, you need to remove it from that pouch. If there was RFID protection in the cover and RFID chip in the data page, you wouldn't need an RFID pouch.
#344
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: FRA
Posts: 229
Well, the new German passport issued starting March of this year has an actual polycarbonate page, and is now finally smaller with a sort of soft cover, like the current US passport's cover probably. The versions before had a laminated photo page.
#345
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA
Posts: 114
Well, the new German passport issued starting March of this year has an actual polycarbonate page, and is now finally smaller with a sort of soft cover, like the current US passport's cover probably. The versions before had a laminated photo page.
With the polycarbonate i am getting worried if it would still be possible to get a passport within 24 hours like i just got my US passport because of immediately required travel. But the (polycarbonate) US passport card i ordered also takes longer because it can not be printed at a US passport agency but would be sent from some central federal printing service - 1..2 weeks i think they said at the passport agency. So if they would have to always print new US passports at the same location as the passport cards, fast passports will be a thing of the past.
In Germany, express passport was 4 days. Not sure if this gets even worse with the new passport. All centrally printed (Bundesdruckerei). But fast shipping in germany (small) within <=24 hours is not a big issue/cost.
So, I bet we're again trading customer benefits (fast passport) with security ?theater? benefits. Not really sure how much theater or real necessity the new security features are.