U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the new U.S. passport card may be used as a valid “List A” document to complete Form I-9 during the employment eligibility verification process. Here’s how employees can get the card.
Some facts about the card:
- The U.S. Department of State began producing passport cards on July 14, 2008, and has already received more than 350,000 applications.
- The passport card carries the same rights and privileges of the U.S. passport book and legally attests to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the holder, but the card cannot be used to travel by air. It can be used to enter the U.S. at all land and seaports when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
- The passport card is a significantly cheaper, faster and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book.
First-time applicants can apply for a passport card at any Passport Application Acceptance Facility throughout the country. To find the one nearest you go to http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/.
The cost for a card is $45 for adults and $35 for children under 16. Adults with fully valid passport books issued within the last 15 years can apply for the card by mail using Form DS-82, at a cost of only $20. Get additional passport card information on the U.S. Department of State Web site at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.
