How US passports are made (Educational)

[OldUser 9,200]

I thought this video was very educational and informative.

 

 

 

[Edward and Jaycel 1,607]

I just watched this video a couple of days ago when it popped up in my feed... You and I must have a similar YT algorithm  

[Sukie 1,497]

"Stored in a secure Government Database..."  Kinda scary these days....

 

Sukie in NY

[OldUser 9,200]

6 minutes ago, Edward and Jaycel said:

I just watched this video a couple of days ago when it popped up in my feed... You and I must have a similar YT algorithm  

Oh I'm sure we have similar recommendations 😃 Ever get those folks trying to sell Carribean citizenships? 😃

 

[Edward and Jaycel 1,607]

HAHAHAHAHA Yep  

[J.M. 296]

All that security is great, but when I renewed mine, it got "lost" in the mail.  I put it in quotes because it never showed any production steps, just a tracking number.  My stupid assumption was that the tracking number was automatically generated for return of supporting documents.  Since I applied online, I didn't need to send any supporting documents, so when nothing arrived, I was not surprised.  Mind you, my passport did not show it had been produced.  Fast forward a month or two later, I remembered I never got my passport, so I gave them a call.  They told me it was produced a long time ago and mailed using the tracking number I already had.  Since it had been over 90 days, the tracking number was no longer valid.  USPS reuses their 400-digit tracking numbers for some reason.  Anyway, the end result is I had to cancel my never-received passport and apply again from scratch, including paying for everything again.  And the kicker is, since it was "lost" I could no longer apply on-line.

[Edward and Jaycel 1,607]

6 minutes ago, J.M. said:

All that security is great, but when I renewed mine, it got "lost" in the mail.

Ugh.... If it's one thing this immigration process has taught me, it's to expect the worst possible outcome from anything the government is in charge of 🤨

[J.M. 296]

Another anomaly with applying online is the photo requirement.  A properly taken passport photo does not pass muster, even though it matches the US passport requirements.  On the online renewal photo instructions, it demands about half of the upper body be included in the photo, not just the face and shoulders.  Amazing that they have two different "official" websites that show completely different requirements.  Fortunately, I didn't have any travel plans.  I was just renewing due to expiration.  They had absolutely no sympathy, despite the tracking number showing it had either never left their facility or was not scanned when it was picked up (I did track that original number when I first got it).  I'm not sure how either of those possibilities are MY fault.  I was very annoyed with the whole process.  Just talking about it annoys me lol.

[TBoneTX 47,091]

I've been pretty lucky with all my renewals and those of my family.  Have never been free from being nervous, however.

[Rekyrts 133]

On 5/10/2025 at 3:24 PM, OldUser said:

I thought this video was very educational and informative.

 

 

 

 

I am weird. I watched it twice! Thanks for sharing.

[mam521 2,440]

Its interesting that the video quotes statistics from early Q2 2024.  Many of the images shown are old passport technology.  As of 2021, the US has moved alongside many other countries to having the solid, enhanced biometric page as I'm sure many newly minted US citizens have received, myself included.  

 

Additionally, a number of other airports have gone to facial recognition biometrics; Dubai isn't unique, at least not for that reason 🤭.  In 2023, it was all e-gates at LHR.  It's definitely trending this way.  

 

My NEXUS membership required an iris scan in addition to "standard" biometric data and that was over a decade ago; the GE kiosks didn't use the iris scan.  

 

It's all feeling a bit Matrix like these days!

[Edward and Jaycel 1,607]

8 minutes ago, mam521 said:

Additionally, a number of other airports have gone to facial recognition biometrics

 

When I went through passport control at DFW on my return from the Philippines in Sept. 2023, I never talked to a CBP officer. Just facial scan at the US Citizen section as you walked past the booths with the CBP officers inside.

[TBoneTX 47,091]

At least one of the Texas-Mexico land ports uses facial scans during reentry on foot.