Passport Card

S

serge16

Registered Users (C)
Yesterday I applied for US passport book, but clerk at the post office suggested that I also get Passport card (extra $20) because it is good to have proof of citizenship on you all the time.
Is that true that person have to have proof of citizenship all the time on him? And how this US Passport card physically looks? Is it plastic card that I will be able to put it in my wallet with my credit cards and DL? What size is it?
Sorry for somewhat naive questions.

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D/O : New York
03/03/2009 : N-400 Mailed to Lewisville, TX
03/09/2009 : Mail received
03/17/2009 : Notice Date.
03/17/2009 : NOA Received
03/20/2009 : FP Notice Received ( I-797C).
04/04/2009 : FP Done.
05/30/2009 : Interview Letter.
07/27/2009 : Interview Date. Garden City (Recommended for approval) PASSED!!!
08/05/2009 : Oath Date. Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn
08/06/2009 : Applied for Passport
00/00/2009 : Passport received
 
It is not required to carry citizenship documents otherwise all native born Americans around you should have [assport and birth certificate with them.

But it is nice to have this passport card for the following reasons
(1) You can use it to travel to Canada by land
(2) You have two and actually three citizenship documents (certificate, passport book, and passport card). This minimize the risk that
due to misplacement, you do not have any document left.
(3) It is not required but you indeed can carry the passport card
with you all the time. You can use it as ID, work permit for I-9,etc.
 
WBH said:
It is not required to carry citizenship documents otherwise all native born Americans around you should have [assport and birth certificate with them.

But it is nice to have this passport card for the following reasons
(1) You can use it to travel to Canada by land
(2) You have two and actually three citizenship documents (certificate, passport book, and passport card). This minimize the risk that
due to misplacement, you do not have any document left.
(3) It is not required but you indeed can carry the passport card
with you all the time. You can use it as ID, work permit for I-9,etc.
Click to expand...

Those are valid reasons. Can we apply for it later separately?
 
cpzinga said:
Those are valid reasons. Can we apply for it later separately?
Click to expand...

I take it for granted that you can. You may need to pay more
than $ 20 if you apply for it seperately. But I think it is worth it
to get it.
 
I dont think it is necessary to carry passport card either all the time and due to wear and tear it might damage the RFID chip. To keep a copy is good idea.

Passport card is good for land and sea travel but NOT for air.

Applying together would have saved you the execution fee of $25 but its still worth it to apply seperately
 
I applied for passport card and received it, few observations from reading everywhere

1. Passport Card can be applied separately after you receive passport book for same $20. There is no execution fee as you can do it over the mail (no need to visit passport agency in person .

2. Do NOT carry Passport card in person. Its RFID enabled, and less secure than passport book . Some may disagree, but I personally wouldnt set precedence in having to show proof of citizenship at all times. You are U.S.Citizen and exercise those rights. You should not be treated differently or asked to show proof of id when not required by law. Anyways, copy of passport card is not valid proof of citizenship. Even at the checkpoints inside US borders (close to border), they are not supposed to ask for proof. They just ask you verbally and you declare yourself verbally.

3. My only purpose for Passport card was to use as back up to obtain passport book incase something happens to passport book. Nothing more and nothing less.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
WBH said:
It is not required to carry citizenship documents otherwise all native born Americans around you should have [assport and birth certificate with them.

But it is nice to have this passport card for the following reasons
(1) You can use it to travel to Canada by land
(2) You have two and actually three citizenship documents (certificate, passport book, and passport card). This minimize the risk that
due to misplacement, you do not have any document left.
(3) It is not required but you indeed can carry the passport card
with you all the time. You can use it as ID, work permit for I-9,etc.
Click to expand...

I agree with WBH, that's a good summary. Other advantage is that you can use the passport book or card to renew the other document if it is lost (I mean if you lose either the passport book or card) so you don't need to send the naturalization certificate again.
 
cpzinga said:
Those are valid reasons. Can we apply for it later separately?
Click to expand...

Yes, I did it that way because passport cards didn't exist when I applied for my first passport after naturalization. Basically you apply as a passport renewal, you don't have to go to the post office, except to mail your envelope. You fill out the form put your passport book in the envelope with the application (forgot if you need to send pictures, most likely yes) and send it by mail. I would recommend naturalized citizens to have this extra proof of citizenship. It lasts 10 years and it is useful as ID, for employment and as backup in case you lose your passport book to use it to obtain a replacement passport book.

My 2 cents.
 
I would like to add that the passport card is fully REAL ID compliant, so one can use it to enter federal buildings and board domestic flights. The ordinary driving licences will not be sufficient for these tasks in a year or two.
 
Well, DHS is working with states to figure out a compromise on the Real ID requirements now, so in a couple of years, they will hopefully either relax the requirements slightly, or help states pay to become compliant. So, essentially, DLs will work. It would be ridiculous if only some states' DLs were accepted and not others.
 
cafeconleche said:
Well, DHS is working with states to figure out a compromise on the Real ID requirements now, so in a couple of years, they will hopefully either relax the requirements slightly, or help states pay to become compliant. So, essentially, DLs will work. It would be ridiculous if only some states' DLs were accepted and not others.
Click to expand...

No matter what having an extra ID like passport card is a gerat help. One can lose his DL due to many traffic violations etc. No one guarantee that even if you pass the good moral chracter test, you will not commit serious traffic violations
 
cafeconleche said:
It would be ridiculous if only some states' DLs were accepted and not others.
Click to expand...
Some states have more anti-federal feelings than the others, so I will not be surprised if some states will refuse to change the security features and data stored on their driving licences. As immigrants who had to deal with a lot of immigration documents and identifications, we don't mind getting another improved identification document ;) However, some native-born Americans have a strong feeling of rejection toward any kind of government form of ID ("Big Brother is watching you", etc.) It is especially evident in the conservative rural parts of the country.
 
Lets put it this way, if you are not completely broke, spend that extra $20 and get Passport Card :)))
 
I was only explaining the current state of the Real ID situation as I know it. I guess having more proof of citizenship helps, especially if it's only $20, but I guess I'm a bit relaxed about such things as I have to deal with much worse now having to apply for RTDs/RPs.
 
As an immigrant, I am quite familiar with having to comply with intrusive requirements, and in that way, I comply, but if I don't have to, I try not to give the government too much space, as they will end up sitting on top of me (as a proverb from my country goes). It's hard to imagine, though, that a situation will arise where some state DLs will be accepted as official proof, but not others.
 
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