United States passports are given to citizens and non-citizen nationals of the United States of America. Passports are only issued by the United States Department of State. They allow a person to be able to travel anywhere in the World. Within the State Department, the job of passport issuance is given to the Passport Services Unit. This division is part of the Bureau of Consular Affairs. All passport issues, such as passport replacement or passport renewal, can be done on the internet.
Early American Passports
During the War of Independence passports were issued to select citizens of the thirteen states by American consular officials. These early passports were simple sheets of paper that contained a description of the holder, and were only valid for three to six months. Benjamin Franklin, who was then the minister to France, based the initial design of American passports on that of French passports.
The State Department
The Department of Foreign Affairs was responsible for issuing passports until 1789. It was then that the name of the branch was altered to the Department of State. They were in tasked with handling all foreign relations, and until the mid-nineteenth century, had numerous domestic duties as well. After World War I registering for a passport became a law that was enacted by an executive order. However, there was no way to enforce the policy and the law was eventually repealed.
Passport Laws
Between 1921 and 1941 there was no specific requirement for a passport under United States law. It was World War II (1939-1945) that led to the Travel Control Act. This act made it illegal to enter or leave the United States without an issued passport. This came about at a time when international travel was becoming much more common.
Passport Design
The physical arrangement and contents of American passports have altered a couple times over the decades. In 1926 passports possessed a stiff red cover. Then in 1941 they transformed to green covers. In order to revel in the US bicentennial in 1976 passports were outfitted with blue covers. In 1981, America again updated their passports to have machine-readable passports. Today, all United States passports have digital photos included in them as well.
Processing Time
Normally, to obtain a United States Passport takes four to six weeks. However, there are a few ways to expedite the process of getting one. There are companies able to offer expedition after being registered with the Department of State’s National Hand Courier Program. These companies are held to a stringent code of conduct. All of their employees who handle passport applications are required to have full background screenings. In addition, these companies must stick to guidelines to keep a passport applicant’s personal information safe.
The United States is also a country that allows dual nationality. This means it is acceptable, under the law, to have and use a foreign passport in addition to a United States passport. To apply for a passport you can visit a local post office, public libraries or clerks of court. However, it is most easily taken care of online. You can even obtain a children’s pasport on the Department of State’s website, and a U.S. passport renewal can be obtained the same way.
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