New U.S. Passport Requirement?

[Ralph W3GL]

    YOU TELL'M, JOHN

[k4kyv]

...you do NOT need to share your travel plans when applying for a passport.  It really is amazing how misinformation and rumors spread.  It would seem to me that rather than trying to get information from some third party the best place to find info on passport apps is the State Dept itself.

Because they have a blank on the official DOS form that asks for that information.  There should be a disclaimer, or if there is one, it should be more conspicuous.  It is easy to see how someone, particularly if they have never held a passport before, might infer that you must have specific travel plans in order to take out one.

This is exacerbated by those private passport renewal agencies that say you must provide the information with documentation on the application, with no further explanation.  My wife was thoroughly convinced that she was not going to be able to renew hers this time because she has no immediate travel plans, and it made me wonder, too, when she showed me what she had brought up on the web page.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Because they have a blank on the official DOS form that asks for that information.  There should be a disclaimer, or if there is one, it should be more conspicuous.  It is easy to see how someone, particularly if they have never held a passport before, might infer that you must have specific travel plans in order to take out one.

This is exacerbated by those private passport renewal agencies that say you must provide the information with documentation on the application, with no further explanation.  My wife was thoroughly convinced that she was not going to be able to renew hers this time because she has no immediate travel plans, and it made me wonder, too, when she showed me what she had brought up on the web page.

As I said in an earlier post, if you want to put something in this blank, put "None".

[WB2RJR]

  Not true


The Privacy Act prevents the Department of State from disclosing this information.

And you do NOT need to share your travel plans when applying for a passport.  It really is amazing how misinformation and rumors spread.  It would seem to me that rather than trying to get information from some third party the best place to find info on passport apps is the State Dept itself.

JN,
Is it amazing how rumors spread? Not really. All you need is a bunch of people who grow grass in their backyard and smoke it. They will then swear it had no effect on them. Of course if you point out their paranoia (–noun 1. Psychiatry. a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission.
2. baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others.) they will tell you you are probably some sheep who listens to Fox News, while they listen to "unbiased" NPR (LOL).

In the last 60 years I haven't seen the gov't do anything to me except steal my money to pay for the losers in this society. Although I dissagree with this they have been upfront about it.

I recently renewed my passport and didn't see anything "strange" about it that wasn't asked in the last 40 years.

73

Marty WB2RJR

[Bill, KD0HG]

Is it amazing how rumors spread? Not really. All you need is a bunch of people who grow grass in their backyard and smoke it. They will then swear it had no effect on them. Of course if you point out their paranoia (–noun 1. Psychiatry. a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission.
2. baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others.) they will tell you you are probably some sheep who listens to Fox News, while they listen to "unbiased" NPR (LOL).

Marty, you ought to keep one thing in mind, regardless of the truth of this topic.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."

bk

[w3jn]

Don, U R Rite, it isn't apparent anywhere.  I looked at the form just now and it used to be that the form said "optional" beside the "travel plans" box, but not anymore, and it doesn't mention it on the website.

[w3jn]

Don, I followed up with Consular Affairs on this today, suggesting that they (a) better explain that the data is optional and (b) explain what they do with that info. 

In cases of war or natural disasters overseas, the Department of State makes every effort to contact US citizens and ensure their safety as well as offer assistance.  That's the reason for having this.   

[WD8BIL]

As was mentioned, take a li'l trek to the local P.O. and pickup the application.
Did mine and got the book in 15 days.