On
January 24, the Department of State’s Office of Passport Services will
launch a 90-day pilot program allowing adult U.S. citizens living in the
United States and Canada to apply for a passport card online. By
applying online, customers will not be required to mail in their current
passport book and necessary forms, saving them time and money.
To participate in this program, applicants must currently possess a valid 10-year U.S. passport book, upload an
acceptable digital photograph and make an online payment in U.S. dollars via
Pay.gov.
Applications accepted through the program will be subject to the same
strict adjudication standards as in-person or mail-in applications.
This
pilot program is the Department’s signature initiative under
Presidential Executive Order 13571 to simplify customer service
interactions and streamline related processes, making them more
efficient.
The Department of State began producing the passport card in 2008 in response to travel document requirements imposed by the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Since then, more than 4.5 million cards have been issued. The
wallet-sized passport card is a low-cost alternative to the passport
book. The U.S. passport card costs $30 for current passport book
holders, and is valid for land and sea travel to and from Canada,
Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It is not valid for international
air travel.
To apply for the passport card using the online application, visit
travel.state.gov.
U.S. Department of State Launches Turkish-Language Twitter Account, @ABDTurk
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 23, 2012
The U.S. Department of announced today the launch of its Turkish-language Twitter account
@ABDTurk, joining the Department’s 10 official feeds in
Arabic,
Chinese,
English,
Farsi,
French,
Hindi,
Portuguese,
Russian,
Spanish, and
Urdu.
These social media accounts serve as a conduit for the U.S. Department
of State to inform and engage publics around the world on foreign policy
issues.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. said, “The addition of
@ABDTurk
to our digital diplomacy at U.S. Mission Turkey underscores the high
priority that we place on our relationship with Turkey. We are always
seeking to expand the ways in which we can inform and engage with the
people of Turkey.”
@ABDTurk complements U.S. Mission Turkey’s existing outreach on
Facebook,
Twitter, and
YouTube and represents another step in the United States’ commitment to building a strong 21
st century partnership with the government and people of Turkey.
To kick-off
@ABDTurk,
Ambassador Ricciardone will lead an hour long “Twitterview” on January
31, 2012, at 16:00 hrs local (0900 EST) on U.S.-Turkey relations. U.S.
Mission Turkey will begin accepting questions today on
@ABDTurk or at
http://twitter.com/USEmbassyTurkey.
The launch of
@ABDTurk coincides with the Department’s celebration of 21
st
Century Statecraft month. Twenty-first Century Statecraft complements
traditional foreign policy by harnessing the digital networks and
technologies of an interconnected world. Throughout January 2012, U.S.
officials in Washington, D.C. and at U.S. Missions abroad are hosting
digital engagements across multiple social media platforms.
