US To Allow Online Applications For 1st-Time Passports: Rubio

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

Beginning next year, U.S. citizens can apply for their first passport fully online, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“By the end of 2027, our goal is for the vast majority of Americans to be able to apply for a passport or a passport card on America.gov,” Rubio said during a Sept. 29 remark at an event launching the America.gov platform.

The online application makes the process “more accessible and easier for Americans,” he said.

“So, whether you live in the middle of a major city or you live in a rural town, you’ll be able to apply from anywhere,” Rubio said.

Currently, American adults seeking a first passport must apply in person at an authorized acceptance facility and fill out forms with their personal identification information and other related details.

According to Rubio, a major benefit of the online application system is that users can find existing personal details after signing in to the platform through their login.gov account and do not have to “type the same thing over and over and over again” during the application process.

The new system also makes the photo submission process easier.

Currently, people must submit one passport photo. It must meet certain conditions, such as being in color, being taken in the past six months, and using a plain white or off-white background free of objects or shadows.

But in the online application process, people would take a photo of themselves through their phones and upload it.

“No printing forms, no drugstore hostage photo, no appointment, no line, no middleman that you’re paying to do something that should be available to you,” Rubio said.

“You tell America.gov what you’re trying to do, and it walks you through every single step and tells you exactly what comes next.”

He said there was an entire industry built around cashing in on every stage of the passport application process, with some businesses even charging for forms and appointments that are free.

Rubio also said there was a risk of services keeping or misusing applicants’ personal details.

The America.gov platform was launched by President Donald Trump on Sept. 29.

Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to integrate their services with the platform.

The new web portal is aimed at making it easier for people to find government-related information, enabling people to ask questions and get guidance on how to procure various services.

The portal serves as a landing page that consolidates almost 30,000 federal government websites into one chatbot.

“The federal government no longer stands in your way, and it stands only at your service,” Trump said. “We’re simplifying it. … We’re making it what it should be.”

Answers to questions about government services come directly from official government websites with links to sources, according to the platform.

Next year, the site is scheduled to offer assistance in finding Medicare coverage and enrollment.

The site will also make it easier for Americans to find a job in the federal government.

Citizens will submit their resumes, and the platform will match them with positions fitting their experience.