by Lufthansa Flyer | Nov 2, 2017 | Featured, Industry News, Security |
The US State Department has announced that individuals who have a US passport and have a conviction of a sex offense against a minor will have their passport revoked and reissued with one that contains a disclosure citing their criminal conviction.
The passport will contain language printed on the inside back cover stating that “The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor, and is a covered sex offender pursuant to (specific regulation cited).”
The State Department has asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide them with a list of registered offenders so that they can begin contacting current passport holders who qualify for the ‘sex offender’ passport. The DHS is responsible for maintaining a federal database of all child sex offenders in the country.
According to the State Department, this ‘enhancement’ is part of ‘Megan’s Law’ that was passed last year to increase penalities for sex offenders of minors.
Hopefully none of you reading this need to worry about it.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Jun 2, 2017 | Featured, Passenger Experience, State Department, Visa |
The US State Department has issued a supplemental form for those who need a Visa to enter the USA. Though it is not breaking news since the State Department said previously that they were heading in this direction, it is now part of the process to gain entry to the states.
Not everyone applying for a Visa will be required to submit this supplement. According to the Federal Register, it is expected that this supplement may affect 65,000 Visa applicants.
The form itself is quite clear in terms of what information is needed:
- Personal history, including passport info and countries visited over the last 15 years.
- Information on siblings and spouses.
- All of your email addresses over the past 5 years, including personal, work, and educational addresses.
- All of your social media handles and aliases over the past 5 years.
- Employment history over the past 15 years.
In looking at the fine print, it appears that this form is set to expire in November 2017. The State Department offers no information as to whether or not this enhanced screening will continue beyond the expiry of this form. Normally forms like this are approved by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are valid for 3 years.
With this form only being valid until November, I can’t help but think it’s a temporary measure put in place by the White House on heels of their strategy to temporarily increase scrutiny on those wishing to enter the country.
