The Women’s Travel Group helps with advice on avoiding long airport lines. We all know what a passport is. Do you know what a mobile passport is? For eons, passports have been paper, then booklets of paper, then booklets of paper wrapped in firmer material.
A US Passport is only issued by the Department of State. By law, a valid unexpired U.S. passport (or passport card) is conclusive proof of U.S. citizenship.
The Trump Administration cut State Dept personnel more than 10% four years. The policy, combined with the pandemic, slowed all passport activity including renewals. It also slowed the Trusted Traveler Program which is operated the Homeland Security.
Trusted Traveler is the program which allows US citizens to enter the US, but on a shorter immigration line. There are several options in the program; most of us would be applying for Global Entry which includes the TSA program. Official websites say renewal of Global Entry ($100 for 5 years) can take 6 months. Our experience is it takes longer.
If you did not renew Global Entry, you might still avoid long lines. You might be able to use the Mobile Passport App. The basic app is free, works in about 27 major airports, and a few seaports. You still need to show your passport; but there is no background check or pre-approval as with Global Priority.
My travel companion did not renew his Global Priority, and faced a 45 minute line at JFK. He downloaded the mobile passport app. He then entered all passport information along with his passport photo. (You can enter passport information ahead of time). He answered a few questions about the trip; nothing extraordinary: the kind of information on the normal customs declaration.
Once completed, he was directed to a short line next to Global Entry.
To do this if you are not electronically savvy:
1 Download the app at home.
2. Then take a good photo of your passport photo page and of your actual photo. Store it in the photo area of your phone. (You should always keep a copy of your photo page in your phone anyway).
3. When you arrive at the US airport/seaport, complete the rest of the form. You will get a receipt which shows your photo and a QR code. Keep that handy or do a screenshot.
4. Now ask immigration agents where the shorter Mobile Passport Holders line is.
Here is the official video for a Mobile Passport.
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