Passport system causing visa applicants, travel agents headaches

[ammike 0]

The new but allegedly deficient "machine readable" passports (MRPs) being issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are reportedly causing more difficulties for the thousands of Filipinos seeking visa to the United States.

Travel industry sources told The STAR that the absence of certain security and anti-fraudulent passport features in the MRPs has caused the US embassy to add a documentary requirement in the already exacting visa application process that has to be undergone by Filipinos wanting to travel to the US.

The source said the US embassy is now looking for the filled up application form submitted by Filipino citizens when they secured their passports.

"They look for a certified true copy of your passport application form," the source said.

The additional requirement means that the one seeking US visa will have to go back to the DFA just to get the certified true copy of the passport.

A P100 charge is reportedly being collected to get the certified copy, the source said.

US visa applicants who have no money to pay for travel agents do not have a choice but to get the form themselves, according to the source.

The source said that the US embassy had added the requirement to have an access to a visa applicant's thumbprints and specimen signatures that are all present in the Philippine passport application form.

These information, the source said, are absent in the new MRPs.

It will be recalled that the machine readable passports being issued by the DFA since last year have been alleged to carry poor security features that make them vulnerable to "complete reproduction" by unscrupulous groups engaging in human trafficking and therefore non-compliant with security standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Aside from the poor security of the MRPs, there is also reportedly a lack of computer interconnectivity between the DFA and the Bureau of Immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that could make possible a real-time authentication of the machine-readable passports.

[RyaNRiza 1]

When is this effective?

[ammike 0]

i DONT KNOW YET ATE RIZ!! pero pag malaman ko post ko kagad here. .

When is this effective?

[RyaNRiza 1]

i DONT KNOW YET ATE RIZ!! pero pag malaman ko post ko kagad here. .

Ano ba 'yan. Sana matagal pa, napaka hassle kumuha sa DFA.

[AllRightsReserved 0]

They should of told the effectivity of this requirement. Let's hope it only covers those new applicants for passport since they are just to implement it. Added expense again,siigghhh.

[noel_jas 0]

No new requirement for US visas – embassy

Saturday, May 3, 2008

(Phil. Star)

The US Embassy denied yesterday reports of additional requirement to Filipinos seeking visa to the United States.

It has been reported that the embassy is allegedly now looking for the filled up application form submitted by Filipino citizens when they secure their passports as a result of the absence of certain security and anti-fraudulent passport features in the new but deficient “machine-readable passports” being issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“That simply isn’t true. We have no new requirements. All we require is a valid Republic of the Philippines passport,” Rebecca Thompson, First Secretary and Press Attaché of the US Embassy, told The STAR.

The certified true copy of the passport application forms contain the visa applicant’s thumbprints and specimen signatures which the embassy allegedly wants to access but Thompson said there is no truth to this.

[ammike 0]

ohh wow!!! YEHEY!!!

No new requirement for US visas – embassy

Saturday, May 3, 2008

(Phil. Star)

The US Embassy denied yesterday reports of additional requirement to Filipinos seeking visa to the United States.

It has been reported that the embassy is allegedly now looking for the filled up application form submitted by Filipino citizens when they secure their passports as a result of the absence of certain security and anti-fraudulent passport features in the new but deficient "machine-readable passports" being issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"That simply isn't true. We have no new requirements. All we require is a valid Republic of the Philippines passport," Rebecca Thompson, First Secretary and Press Attaché of the US Embassy, told The STAR.

The certified true copy of the passport application forms contain the visa applicant's thumbprints and specimen signatures which the embassy allegedly wants to access but Thompson said there is no truth to this.

[envy_me 18]

tang! inumin nila pag nagadd na naman ng hassle..

[hyper609 0]

Along the same line....philippine passport. The new passport issued, where is the passport holder supposed to sign?. I'm really sorry, but I can't find a page available for the passport holder to affix their signature. Anybody else have the same concern, or is there no issue/nothing to worry about? Thanks in advance.

[dbears 1]

On the contrary, the new machine readable passport is supposedly more secure than the old green passport. There would be no need to get a copy of the passport application just to get copy of our fingerprints since under ultraviolet lights one can see the passport holder's fingerprints already and a hologram and other images which has been embedded in the passport cover and which can't be seen under normal light.

the maroon-colored passport with a magnetic strip that contains security features as well as pertinent information about the holder.

the machine-readable passport already meets the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which has set an April 2010 deadline for compliance.

Unlike the old passport, in which the name and the personal information of the holder are written down, the new passport has all this information in a luminous strip stuck to the first page of the document.

Under an ultraviolet light, this information page reveals the security features that include the seal of the Republic of the Philippines. The picture itself contains the name of the holder and a so-called ghost picture.

On the inner pages of the 44-page passport, images associated with the Philippines, such as the sampaguita flower, the Rizal monument, Mayon volcano, among others, will also be seen under UV light.

Also included is a digital image of the holder's fingerprint.

"We now capture digitally the applicant's fingerprint so personal appearance is required for all applicants, even those applying to renew their passports," said Lucenario. - The Sun, HK

Sa totoo lang mas sosyalan na ang dating ng new maroon machine readable passport kaysa old green passport na mas madali itamper kasi nakadikit lang, madali palitan ang image and handwritten pa ang data. High tech na high tech na ang dating ng new MRP na may mga nakatagong imahe... the only way to produce fake MRP is to produce one the way they produce fake money.

source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/53399/Machine-...or-Pinoys-in-HK

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/brea...rticle_id=77409

[dbears 1]

Another thing, US embassy actually favors machine readable passports and have required among countries which do not need visas to visit the US.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhr376.html

[AllRightsReserved 0]

Another thing, US embassy actually favors machine readable passports and have required among countries which do not need visas to visit the US.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhr376.html

Just to make it clear and keep myself calm, do they still honor the green colored passport? 'coz that's what me and my kids have.

Thank you Gay...Praying for you.

Edited May 5, 2008 by AllRightsReserved

[sj5 4]

Good news...

[dbears 1]

Just to make it clear and keep myself calm, do they still honor the green colored passport? 'coz that's what me and my kids have.

Thank you Gay...Praying for you.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs started issuing new Philippine Passports beginning 18 July 2007. The new Philippine Passports are now machine readable and are designed with new security features to prevent tampering and enhance its integrity. The new Regular Machine Readable Passport is maroon in color and incorporates security features such as microtexts, invisible printing, optical variable device and holographic features on the laminate.

The new Philippine passports are being issued by the DFA and its Regional Consular Offices. Philippine embassies and consulates will issue the new passports at a later time.

Non-machine readable passports issued before the full implementation will remain valid until their expiration.

source: <a href="http://www.philippineconsulate-sf.org/news07_110.htm" target="_blank">http://www.philippineconsulate-sf.org/news07_110.htm</a>

So NO WORRIES, green passports will still be be honored and before this machine readable passport will be fully implemented, you and your kids will probably be outta here.

But I believe DFA will also allow green passport holders to change to the new machine readable passport if they want to even if the green one is still valid for a couple of years.

Edited May 5, 2008 by dbears

[dbears 1]

A statement on the DFA Web site (www.dfa.gov.ph) said the department received an award from the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (Nalecc) for its new passport program.

“In the citation signed by PNP Chief Avelino Razon as Chairman of Nalecc and Finance Undersecretary Gaudencio Mendoza, Chairman of the Committee on Awards, the Office of Consular Affairs was cited for its implementation of the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) which will effectively address illegal activities and prevent the proliferation of fake and tampered passports, assumed identity and identity theft, due to its added security and technological features," it said.

“The MRP has greatly benefited Filipino travelers since the passport can now be swiped at border controls, to show the holders personal data. This has facilitated greater mobility and convenience to Filipino travelers," the DFA said.

source: GMANews.TV