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Travel Documents and Papers of the United States: Passports and Visas


Category: Documents & papers

Whether you are going abroad for travel, business, studies or even settlement, travel documents and papers are the foremost things you should prepare.
In order to make your travel easy and comfortable, we offers you a general picture of two major travel documents and papers of the United States-passport and visa.

1. Introduction

Required for leaving and entering most of the foreign countries, passport is an important travel document to verify a person's nationality and identity. Passports are granted by a certain department of a country. In the United States, it is the U.S. Department of State which grants and verifies the passports.

A visa is needed when you enter a foreign country. However, it is just an indication that you are eligible to enter a country but not the permission. A consular officer in an American embassy or consulate has reviewed your visa application and allows you to travel to the port of entry, and then it is the immigration officers that exercises their authority and give you the permission to enter.

2. Application

To avoid probable delays, denials or ineligibilities and to smooth your application process, it is necessary to apply either passports or visas a few months before your departure.

When applying a passport, you should bring your application, photographs, proof of citizenship and other required documents to one of the acceptance offices, including federal and state courts, county and municipal offices, and post offices. Passport agencies can also handle this procedure. Usually you can apply for a passport by mail but for the following situations, you have to apply for it in person: apply for your first passport; your previous passport has been altered, damaged or lost; your passport has been in expiration and it was issued over 15 years ago or when you were under 16 years old. During the applying process, you can check your application status on line.

When applying visas, you can get information, requirements, forms and fees of your visa application from the embassy or consulate of the country which you will travel to and that is where you apply for your visas. In addition, many travel agencies provide visa services as well. Please remember that each country has their specific procedures and process in visa application and you need to get to know them clearly in advance. However, all your documents submitted may not be enough to prove your eligibility and your access to a visa, and you might have to offer additional information required by the embassy or consulate and sometimes even that can not guarantee your eligibility for a visa.

3. Types
Passports
Given different purposes and situations, there are four major types in the United States: diplomatic passport, official passport, tourist/regular passport and emergency passport.

Diplomatic passport is for American diplomats working in foreign countries or officials traveling overseas dealing with diplomatic work. Official passport is for federal government officials working overseas or congress members on official business. Tourist passport is for citizens traveling abroad and recently there is a variation of it called No-Fee passport. The last type is issued at a U.S. embassy or consulate for the travelers who lost their passports.

Visas

Generally there are two types of visas: nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay and immigrant visa for permanent stay. However, in some cases, visa is not needed during travel and it also varies in different countries. Here we take the United States as an example.

Nonimmigrant visa refers to the visa used by a citizen of a foreign country who will stay temporarily in America for the purpose of travel, business, study or work. Applicants should offer the evidence of no intention to immigrant to the U.S. and supply required documents for their different individual condition to the consular offices.

Immigrant visa refers to the visa used by a citizen of a foreign country who intends to reside permanently in the U.S. Immigrant petition will go through two processes: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the National Visa Center (NVC) and depending on different situation, immigrant visas will be applied by applicants themselves or the employer or relative of the applicants.

Without visas, traveling in the United States can take place if the citizens come from certain countries and meet the following identities: people in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), Canadian NAFTA Professional Workers, citizens of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands and citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda.

4. Some tips

A. Check the expiration date of your passport and make sure your passport remains valid for at least six months upon your return to the United States.

B. Make copies of your passport and other travel documents and write down the passport issuing number, date and place.
Leave the passport in a safe place. Bring another photo-identification with you.

C. Make an immediate contact with embassy or consulate if your passport is lost and ask for their advice and help.
Passports and visas are essential documents for every people traveling abroad, thus it is necessary for you to acquaint yourself with the applying procedures, understand various types and keep some tips in mind.

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