Passport system causing visa applicants, travel agents headaches

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Passport system causing visa applicants, travel agents headaches

By Rainier Allan Ronda

Friday, May 2, 2008

(Phil. Star)

The new but allegedly deficient “machine readable” passports (MRPs) being issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are reportedly causing more difficulties for the thousands of Filipinos seeking visa to the United States.

Travel industry sources told The STAR that the absence of certain security and anti-fraudulent passport features in the MRPs has caused the US embassy to add a documentary requirement in the already exacting visa application process that has to be undergone by Filipinos wanting to travel to the US.

The source said the US embassy is now looking for the filled up application form submitted by Filipino citizens when they secured their passports.

“They look for a certified true copy of your passport application form,” the source said.

The additional requirement means that the one seeking US visa will have to go back to the DFA just to get the certified true copy of the passport. A P100 charge is reportedly being collected to get the certified copy, the source said.

US visa applicants who have no money to pay for travel agents do not have a choice but to get the form themselves, according to the source. The source said that the US embassy had added the requirement to have an access to a visa applicant’s thumbprints and specimen signatures that are all present in the Philippine passport application form.

These information, the source said, are absent in the new MRPs.It will be recalled that the machine readable passports being issued by the DFA since last year have been alleged to carry poor security features that make them vulnerable to “complete reproduction” by unscrupulous groups engaging in human trafficking and therefore non-compliant with security standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Aside from the poor security of the MRPs, there is also reportedly a lack of computer interconnectivity between the DFA and the Bureau of Immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that could make possible a real-time authentication of the machine-readable passports

*Source: http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080501128&type=2

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I think those with the old passports and which will not be expiring soon (within 6 mos. of actual expiration) are better off with them rather than with the new one.

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Specializes in Nursing Informatics.

Thanks for that news.

That machine readable passport almost got me into trouble when I sat for the NCLEX-RN at Pearsonvue Makati since the new passport does not have any provisions for signature unlike the green passport. Good thing I have my signed PRC License ID card when I presented my ATT, passport for the registration for the exam.

Oh well, need to get that certified copy one of these days at the DFA. :banghead:

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Specializes in Med-Surg,OPD ER,School/Clinic,Teaching.

This should be made known to the TV reporters too so that all would know...It should reach the office of the president and other local government agencies.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Orthopedics.

What they did is more harm than good. Yes, its machine readable passports but lacks security features. Things like shouldn't have been made at all. The main purpose is the security and that's the very thing it lacked. Poor decision making.

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No new requirement for US visas – embassy

Saturday, May 3, 2008

(Phil. Star)

The US Embassy denied yesterday reports of additional requirement to Filipinos seeking visa to the United States.

It has been reported that the embassy is allegedly now looking for the filled up application form submitted by Filipino citizens when they secure their passports as a result of the absence of certain security and anti-fraudulent passport features in the new but deficient “machine-readable passports” being issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“That simply isn’t true. We have no new requirements. All we require is a valid Republic of the Philippines passport,” Rebecca Thompson, First Secretary and Press Attaché of the US Embassy, told The STAR.

The certified true copy of the passport application forms contain the visa applicant’s thumbprints and specimen signatures which the embassy allegedly wants to access but Thompson said there is no truth to this.

*Source: http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080502104

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Seems like some people are getting something from those P100 per certified true copy that seems to be just another part of a rumor mill.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

You know how its goes here lawrence especially the government.....

Some people are not that considerate as long as they're making money out of it!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg,OPD ER,School/Clinic,Teaching.
No new requirement for US visas - embassy

Saturday, May 3, 2008

(Phil. Star)

The US Embassy denied yesterday reports of additional requirement to Filipinos seeking visa to the United States.

It has been reported that the embassy is allegedly now looking for the filled up application form submitted by Filipino citizens when they secure their passports as a result of the absence of certain security and anti-fraudulent passport features in the new but deficient "machine-readable passports" being issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"That simply isn't true. We have no new requirements. All we require is a valid Republic of the Philippines passport," Rebecca Thompson, First Secretary and Press Attaché of the US Embassy, told The STAR.

The certified true copy of the passport application forms contain the visa applicant's thumbprints and specimen signatures which the embassy allegedly wants to access but Thompson said there is no truth to this.

*Source: http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080502104

Thanks for updating sir lawrence01! It must be an erratum, hehe...

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A statement on the DFA Web site (www.dfa.gov.ph) said the department received an award from the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (Nalecc) for its new passport program.

"In the citation signed by PNP Chief Avelino Razon as Chairman of Nalecc and Finance Undersecretary Gaudencio Mendoza, Chairman of the Committee on Awards, the Office of Consular Affairs was cited for its implementation of the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) which will effectively address illegal activities and prevent the proliferation of fake and tampered passports, assumed identity and identity theft, due to its added security and technological features," it said.

"The MRP has greatly benefited Filipino travelers since the passport can now be swiped at border controls, to show the holders personal data. This has facilitated greater mobility and convenience to Filipino travelers," the DFA said. source:GMANews.TV

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An one award given by one agency to another government agency.

Some things never change.

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That wasn't all about the award. I meant to point out that the new MRP here is supposedly more secure than the old green passports. Tampering it will be like producing counterfeit money.

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