Effective January 1, 2016, the Department will eliminate the consular service of supplemental 24-page Visa Page Inserts (VPIs) for passports as Consular Affairs fully converts to issuing the Next Generation Passport. VPIs will only be available for current passports until December 31, 2015.
Visa page inserts pose vulnerabilities to both the security of the ePassport and the internal controls of the issuance process. The ePassport integrates the latest concepts in electronic document protection. One of these measures preventing unauthorized reading of ePassports is adding RF blocking material to the ePassport cover. Adding visa page inserts diminishes the effect of this blocking material.
The determination to eliminate the visa page insert service was made to enhance the security of the passport and to abide by international passport standards.
The Next Generation Passport will be produced in two book sizes, 26 pages and 50 pages, in order to meet the travel needs of American citizens.
50-page passport books will be issued to all applicants applying at overseas embassies and consulates, taking into consideration the burden that may be placed on frequent travelers who need more pages and those customers who may need to update residence permits or foreign entry/exit visas to comply with foreign country immigration practices.
