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U.S. Passport Changes Are Coming: Here’s What You Need to know

If you are holding a U.S. passport which is about to expire in few years then there is an important news for you and you must be aware that there are changes going to take place. Although it looks easy to renew a passport but it is not going to be easy for authorities as there are a number of files which are already pending or are in process. And now there will be some changes in passports as well. Due to this, you can expect some delays in the process.

In 2007, after 9/11, when authorities made it mandatory to carry a passport for all individuals while travelling to neighbouring countries like Canada and Mexico or you are travelling to Caribbean, many people got their passports at that time with the validity of ten years. Now that validity will expire in coming days, the number of applications for passport renewal will be high again.

Now if you are concerned about the process time then your concern is right. As of now, it takes around six weeks to renew a passport, and now delay time could be much longer. So it will be a good decision if you apply for your renewal of passport now.

A new law will be enforced soon which is REAL ID ACT, which will store all your information will be updated in passports and those people who do not have this chip might not be able to travel. From January 2018, if a person does not show his updated ID he will not be allowed to travel. There are some states which are already in process of updating individual’s ids. By the year 2020, all states should have completed this task and every individual should have an updated id.

To curb forgery in passports authorities are now adding new security features to passports as well. Now all U.S. passports will get a chip, which is storing all your information and that can be read upon scanning of your passport. There are also reports that new passports will have less number of pages as a comparison to its earlier 52 pages booklet.

If you are planning to travel with your kids who are minors do check their passports as a passport of a minor is valid for five years only and you might get it renew now. To renew a passport you can apply online or in person with State Department. Complete all necessity requirements and follow the guidelines and you will get your passport renewed.