The US State Department’s (DOS) Center for National Passport Information has told that the US embassies and consulates in abroad will not issue extra passport pages to its citizens from 1st January 2016.
Mainly used by the frequent business travellers and the rotational universal employees, the extra pages will lengthens life of the passport when all its visa pages are filled.
The announced implementation date lines up with the introduction of the new Next Generation US passport which would be featuring some important changes in the design and also upgrading the security of the passport. During the time which leads to the deadline, the US embassies and Consulates abroad would slowly start to remove the availability of the extra pages with 31st December 2015 as the final closing date of the service.
The extra pages will be available to the applicants who are filing by mail (Form DS-4085) from inside Canada and the US.
The US DOS has cited four reasons behind the change like security concern, usage of the passport and the cost of the passport.
The citizens of the US will not get the extra passport pages, rather they should require to undergo renewal of the passport if they ran out of the passport pages.
The passport information center has strongly recommended that the frequent foreign travellers shall get the passport of 52 pages so as to keep away from any difficulties with regards to immigration while abroad.
The applicants can choose the 52 page booklet alternative for no extra cost when they apply for the fresh passport and the citizens of the US who renew their passports abroad would automatically granted the larger passport. These passports are still granted with the ten year validity period.
From 1st January 2016, the citizen shall require to keep account of various immigration considerations like the citizens who are residing abroad who renew their passports and holding a business, work or residence visa may need to complete the formalities related to immigration for maintain the validity of the visa or permit.
The process include carrying both new and old passports together, letting the local authorities details of the new passport and apply for having the visa or permit to be transferred to the new passport.
As many nations need that the overseas nationals shall keep two blank passport pages for the stamping of visa or permit as well as the exit or entry stamps.
US citizens are advised to apply for the 52 page booklet of passport as soon as they see that there is lack of some blank pages in their passports. As there is no extra cost for obtaining the 52 page booklet.
