quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
We just came home last night from overseas. Passport Control just used facial recognition. We didn't have to even show our passports and the agent knew our names...

All you need to know about Global Entry facial recognition kiosks

by Caroline Tanner
June 22, 2023

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

If you’ve visited a Global Entry kiosk in the past two years, you may have gone through U.S. Customs and Border Protection's new facial recognition process. It allows you to pass through Global Entry without scanning your passport or fingerprints.

CBP has been rolling out this technology since 2021 to facilitate an even quicker experience for Global Entry users when passing through U.S. customs. Unlike the original kiosks, these use a facial scan to confirm your identity when you arrive at a customs hall kiosk; they also eliminate paper receipts that travelers previously used to show agents.

A trusted traveler program run by the U.S. government, Global Entry allows preapproved, low-risk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival to the U.S. from abroad through automated kiosks at nearly 80 airports...


Complete article:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/...-facial-recognition/

Just sent in my renewal application today. Website says expedited should take 7-9 weeks.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
We just came home last night from overseas. Passport Control just used facial recognition. We didn't have to even show our passports and the agent knew our names...

All you need to know about Global Entry facial recognition kiosks

by Caroline Tanner
June 22, 2023

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

If you’ve visited a Global Entry kiosk in the past two years, you may have gone through U.S. Customs and Border Protection's new facial recognition process. It allows you to pass through Global Entry without scanning your passport or fingerprints.

CBP has been rolling out this technology since 2021 to facilitate an even quicker experience for Global Entry users when passing through U.S. customs. Unlike the original kiosks, these use a facial scan to confirm your identity when you arrive at a customs hall kiosk; they also eliminate paper receipts that travelers previously used to show agents.

A trusted traveler program run by the U.S. government, Global Entry allows preapproved, low-risk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival to the U.S. from abroad through automated kiosks at nearly 80 airports...


Complete article:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/...-facial-recognition/

We weren't using and are not enrolled in global entry.

When we departed the country there was a facial recognition camera in use to board the aircraft by the airline. It, too, already knew who we were.

I am guessing it is from having to scan in our passports to check in for an international flight. Or maybe from previous entries into the country when the agent scanned our passports and maybe there was a camera that grabbed our facial biometrics.

Also, there's no way to travel by air in the USA without the fedgov having the details in their database. There is no such thing as privacy these days.

We had our fingerprints and applications processed for TSA PreCheck on June 22 (Thursday) and got our KTNs this morning. Surprised it was that quick.

This article talks about expedited passport renewals. You can do it yourself (which we did) for a fistful of dollars, or you can pay a company for a few dollars more.

If you need a passport quickly, this service may be for you

Caroline Tanner
Oct 4, 2023

If you need a U.S. passport quickly, the U.S. State Department's passport processing wait times might not work for you, prompting you to consider alternatives to traditional passport services.

If you are in urgent need of a passport for an upcoming international trip and are willing to shell out some serious cash, CIBTvisas is one option for travelers.

Here's how that company's service compares to passport services from the U.S. government.

What is CIBTvisas?

A private company that works with the State Department, CIBTvisas handles the logistical legwork of renewing or applying for a U.S. passport by submitting materials on customers' behalf through direct communication to the agency...

Complete article:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/...as-passport-service/

I have a customer who works in the dept. that processes passport apps (they only hire disabled people, BTW). She told me about 95% of the apps that take a long time are because they are incorrectly filled out or submitted and get kicked back. She said if I follow the instructions to the letter, request expedited service and pay the proper amount, it should take about seven weeks and that's exactly how long it took for my most recent renewal.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
... follow the instructions to the letter, request expedited service and pay the proper amount, it should take about seven weeks...

Our expedited service took 6.5 weeks earlier this year.

Mrs Sigmund's passport had not expired, but she ran out of blank pages. Her new one is the model with additional blank pages.

I went through the renewal process earlier this year.

About 7 weeks before my trip I noticed mine was expired. I paid the expedite fees, overnighted my forms and checked the status daily. At that time I was reading that some were taking 10 weeks or more to process. With less than a week to go and the status hadn't changed from received I was getting pretty worried.

In the end I contacted my congressional representative's office (filled out forms online), they replied within a couple hours asking a couple more questions then got me an in-person appointment for the day before I was scheduled to travel. Printed on site that day.

My wife's friend, Cindy, was going to Rome, meeting her friend, Diane, who was enroute to Tampa, from New Mexico. A last minute check of her stuff before meeting Diane at the airport revealed her Passport was expired. Rut Roh!

Diane went on to Rome as scheduled and Cindy started working to get the Passport renewed. She got it in two days, but said it cost her a lot-LOT-of money to do that.

But they met up in Rome and had a great vacation.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
I have a customer who works in the dept. that processes passport apps (they only hire disabled people, BTW). She told me about 95% of the apps that take a long time are because they are incorrectly filled out or submitted and get kicked back. She said if I follow the instructions to the letter, request expedited service and pay the proper amount, it should take about seven weeks and that's exactly how long it took for my most recent renewal.

I believe that to a point. Other factors like poor internal systems, poor planning of necessary supplies (paper, ink, lamination, seals), aged infrastructure (printing machines) and understaffing are likely equal culprits to the delays.

A part that most people underestimate and never consider, the US has a VERY large population...now it's not China or, India huge but, it ranks #3 in the world in population size. Look at the top-10 countries by population, the US is the only Westernized country in that group, meaning there's a level of transparency and accountability that those other countries don't come close to. Not saying this as an excuse just some perspective on how we're able to get a lot done, where those other similarly sized countries would just struggle or, encourage corruption.