I wonder if it could be used in lieu of a REAL ID compliant driver's license. I thought about getting one, considering it is only $20, but if it is only useful to cross the border by land and nothing else I doubt I'll have much use for it. I have crossed the northern border and the southern border by car about three or four times since I came to the U.S. I also have a U.S. passport so, the only interresting thing would be if it could be used as ID in special cases for which a driver's license could be insufficient. Anyway, I still don't see much use for it
I had an impression one could have only one of the two. a passport obsoletes the passport card, but i guess one can have both. passport card seem to have RFID range in 10-15 meters, whereas the chip in passport booklet few inches. Did you guys consider privacy concerns while getting passport cards? I know it is quite serious or the cards? Maybe carry passport cards in tinfoil wrappers?
I have a feeling I am going to end up getting one of those passport cards. At the very least if I ever lose my passport and need to reapply it might be better to send the passport card than the naturalization certificate (lower cost of replacement if lost). I haven't checked the application but I think in case of losing the passport one needs to show proof of citizenship again, am I right?
Thanks thrix for the post. I had stumbled on the passport card information by accident on Feb 1st when someone was asking about A# on the application and realized that there was a new application that doesn't list the A# anymore.
I am probably going to leave some time until the people at the mail office understand the passport card requirements. I don't think the demand for these cards is going to be high in San Jose, which is quite far from the Mexican border.
I am still not clear whether one needs to send the U.S. passport alongside the application. I say it because it says that one needs to send a renewal application when applying for a passport card when one already has a passport, and I think the instructions for that form are to send the old passport along. That's what I mean when I say the people at the post office need to iron out the requirements.
I wonder if it could be used in lieu of a REAL ID compliant driver's license. I thought about getting one, considering it is only $20, but if it is only useful to cross the border by land and nothing else I doubt I'll have much use for it. I have crossed the northern border and the southern border by car about three or four times since I came to the U.S. I also have a U.S. passport so, the only interresting thing would be if it could be used as ID in special cases for which a driver's license could be insufficient. Anyway, I still don't see much use for it
Today I was at the USPS and I saw applications for that card. There is also news about it on the travel.state.gov
I know it's valid only for crossing border to Mexico and Canada, but it's great proof of citizenship you can carry in the wallet.
I'll apply.
I guess thrix didn't see your question. Allow me to answer it. Time now is unknown as they are taking applications but the cards won't start being produced until late spring if my memory serves me well. It's unclear what the initial demand will be.
I guess thrix didn't see your question. Allow me to answer it. Time now is unknown as they are taking applications but the cards won't start being produced until late spring if my memory serves me well. It's unclear what the initial demand will be.
Respectfully disagree:
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/15125041.html
"State Department officials say the cards will start to be issued in late spring."
I also hope the cards look better physically, on the pictures I see online they look so-so on the design side. I wonder how the text is going to look against that background. Anyway, I am sure we'll still have to wait quite a bit longer to get our hands on these cards.
Thanks for getting back Huracan. Yes when I called the post office the other day, they told me it could be April or even May before we start receiving these new id cards in the mail. I think I'll wait another month or so. I don't feel comfortable sending my original citizenship certificate for that long.