ALMARS

R 100139Z JUL 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 365/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/NEW PASSPORT AND VISA GUIDANCE//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/OSD WASHINGTON DC DAM/01APR1997//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/DEPSECDEF WASHINGTON DC DAM/20OCT2009//
REF/C/MSGID:DOC/DA FORT BELVOIR VA/07MAY2012//
NARR/REF A IS DOD REGULATION 1000.21-R, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PASSPORT AND PASSPORT AGENT SERVICES REGULATION.  REF B IS DOD DIRECTIVE 1000.21E, DOD PASSPORT AND PASSPORT AGENT SERVICES.  REF C IS DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY MEMO AAHS-ZA, IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PROCEDURES FOR PASSPORT APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE FACILITIES WORLDWIDE.//
POC/MRS. TERRY WALTERS/CIV/UNIT:HQMC ARS/-/TEL:(571) 256-8639//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THIS MARADMIN PROVIDES UPDATED INFORMATION FOR MARINE CORPS ACTIVITIES AND PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN PROCESSING OFFICIAL NO-FEE PASSPORTS AND VISA APPLICATIONS, AND OUTLINES NEW PASSPORT AREA DESIGNATIONS.
2.  REFERENCE (A) PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF PASSPORT AND PASSPORT AGENT SERVICES, AND FOR THE PREPARATION OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR THE ACQUISITION AND CONTROL OF NO-FEE PASSPORT AND/OR VISAS NECESSARY FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL.  MILITARY PASSPORT AGENTS USE THOSE FORMS TO FULFILL DEPARTMENT OF STATE (DOS) REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION NEEDED TO PROCESS PASSPORT AND VISA APPLICATIONS.  REFERENCE (B) DESIGNATES THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY AS THE EXECUTIVE AGENT (EA) FOR PASSPORT AND PASSPORT AGENT SERVICES.  THE EA, IN COORDINATION WITH THE DOS, HAS ASSIGNED OFFICE OF PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY (OPR) DESIGNATIONS FOR SPECIFIC MARINE CORPS COMMANDS THAT PROVIDE PASSPORT AND VISA SERVICES.  THE OPR MUST ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNING PASSPORT AND VISA REGULATIONS AND DIRECTIVES, ISSUANCE OF IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONS, AND MANAGEMENT OF PASSPORT SERVICES WITHIN EACH COMMAND.  REFERENCE (C) REQUIRES EACH COMMAND INVOLVED IN THE ISSUANCE OF PASSPORTS TO BE DESIGNATED AS PASSPORT APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE FACILITIES (PAAFS).  THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) AND DOS WILL DESIGNATE PAAFS BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT.
3.  ACTION.  EFFECTIVE 1 AUGUST 2012, COMMAND PAAFS WILL SUBMIT ALL PASSPORT APPLICATIONS TO THE ISSUANCE AGENCY INDICATED BELOW.  THIS INCLUDES SUBORDINATE COMMANDS WITHIN THE U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES (MARFOR) STRUCTURE.
A.  COMMAND PAAFS FOR HEADQUARTERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS (HQMC) PENTAGON PASSPORT OFFICE; MARINE HELICOPTER SQUADRON 1 (HMX-1); MARINE CORPS EMBASSY SECURITY GROUP (MCESG); MARFOR EUROPE (MARFOREUR); MARFOR AFRICA (MARFORAF), MARFOR CYBER COMMAND (MARFORCYBER) AND MARFOR KOREA (MARFORK) WILL SUBMIT PASSPORT APPLICATIONS DIRECTLY TO:  SPECIAL ISSUANCE AGENCY, PASSPORT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 1111 19TH STREET NW SUITE 200, WASHINGTON, DC 20036; (202) 955-0414.
B.  COMMAND PAAFS FOR MARFOR COMMAND (MARFORCOM); MARFOR PACIFIC (MARFORPAC); MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS PACIFIC (MCI-PAC); MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS WEST (MCI-WEST); MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS EAST (MCI-EAST); MARFOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (MARSOC); MARFOR RESERVE (MARFORRES); MARFOR NORTH (MARFORNORTH); MARFOR SOUTH (MARFORSOUTH); MARFOR STRATEGIC COMMAND (MARFORSTRAT) AND MARFOR CENTRAL COMMAND (MARCENT) WILL SUBMIT PASSPORT APPLICATIONS DIRECTLY TO:  CHARLESTON PASSPORT CENTER, MILITARY SUPPORT UNIT, 1269 HOLLAND STREET, BUILDING D, CHARLESTON, SC 29405; (843) 746-1681.
C.  THIS STREAM-LINED PROCESS WILL AVOID UNNECESSARY DELAYS BY ELIMINATING HQMC AS A SCREENING AND CLEARING HOUSE FOR PASSPORT APPLICATIONS.  AS SUCH, IT IS IMPERATIVE ALL FIELD PASSPORT AGENTS PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE PROCESSING OF PASSPORT APPLICATIONS PER REFERENCES (A) AND (B).
D.  PER REFERENCE (C), PAAFS LOCATED IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES WILL NOT ACCEPT FEE PASSPORTS UNLESS AUTHORIZED IN WRITING BY BOTH DOD AND DOS.  ADDITIONALLY, ALL PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENTS MUST BE ABLE TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN A SECRET CLEARANCE.  COMMANDS MUST NOTIFY THE SPECIAL ISSUANCE AGENCY, THROUGH THE DOD EA (HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY), THAT A DOD PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENT HAS RESIGNED, RETIRED, COMPLETED A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION, OR BEEN TERMINATED.  DOS WILL ISSUE EACH PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENT A UNIQUE PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENT NUMBER.  REFERENCE (C) ALSO IMPLEMENTS AN OVERSIGHT AND INSPECTION PROCESS FOR ALL PAAFS.  DOS HAS INCORPORATED THE EXISTING DATABASE OF DOD PAAFS AND PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENTS INTO THE DOS INTEGRATED ACCEPTANCE FACILITY OVERSIGHT DATABASE TO ENHANCE DOS OVERSIGHT OF THE DOD PASSPORT APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE PROGRAM.  DOS WILL BEGIN INSPECTING DOD PAAFS WORLDWIDE ONCE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IS SIGNED BETWEEN DOS AND DOD.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE WILL BE PUBLISHED UNDER SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.
E.  SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN WHEN REQUESTING EXPEDITED SERVICE.  ALL REQUESTS FOR EXPEDITED PASSPORT SERVICES MUST BE IN WRITING AND INCLUDE A DETAILED JUSTIFICATION.  THE REQUEST MUST BE SIGNED BY A GENERAL OFFICER (GO) OR A SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE (SES) EQUIVALENT.  IN THE ABSENCE OF A GO OR SES MEMBER, THE ORGANIZATION COMMANDER IS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN THE LETTER OF EXPEDITE.  REQUESTS FOR EXPEDITED SERVICES MUST INCLUDE VALIDATION (COPY OF TRAVEL ORDERS AND FLIGHT ITINERARY) THAT THE TRAVELER HAS ACTUAL PLANS TO TRAVEL TO A COUNTRY REQUIRING THE USE OF AN OFFICIAL OR DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOD FOREIGN AREA CLEARANCE GUIDE.
F.  THESE PROCEDURES APPLY TO PASSPORT APPLICATIONS ONLY; NOT TO VISA APPLICATIONS.  ALL VISA APPLICATIONS MUST STILL BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE HQMC PENTAGON PASSPORT OFFICE.  NOTE THAT THE PASSPORT MUST BE SIGNED BY THE APPLICANT BEFORE THE VISA REQUEST CAN BE PROCESSED.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD THE PASSPORT AGENT SUBMIT A VISA REQUEST DIRECTLY TO THE SPECIAL ISSUING AGENCY OR THE REGIONAL PASSPORT AGENCY IN CHARLESTON, SC.  DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROCESSED THROUGH THE SPECIAL ISSUANCE AGENCY.
G.  REFERENCE (C) DIRECTS THAT DOD CONTRACTORS WORKING AS PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENTS MUST BE REMOVED FROM PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE DUTIES NOT LATER THAN 30 SEPTEMBER 2012.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A CONTRACTOR BE ASSIGNED AS A PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENT.  22 CFR 51.22(C) LISTS QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THE DOS TO DESIGNATE A PERSON TO SERVE AS A PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENT.
H.  ALL CURRENT PASSPORT AGENTS ARE REQUESTED TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING POINT OF CONTACT (POC) INFORMATION:  COMMAND IDENTIFICATION, AGENT CODE, AGENT NAME, OFFICE MAILING ADDRESS, BUILDING NUMBER, CITY/STATE/ZIP PHONE AND FAX NUMBER, AND THE DATE PASSPORT TRAINING WAS RECEIVED.  SUBMIT VIA E-MAIL TO THE HQMC PENTAGON PASSPORT ORGANIZATIONAL MAILBOX AT SMBHQMCPASSPORTS(AT)USMC.MIL NOT LATER THAN 1 AUGUST 2012.  THIS WILL ASSIST IN ENSURING AGENTS RECEIVE THE LATEST PASSPORT AND VISA INFORMATION AND SO THEY CAN BE CONTACTED IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS DURING PASSPORT/VISA APPLICATION PROCESSING.
4.  INFORMATION
A.  ON 7 MAY 2012, THE EA PUBLISHED GUIDANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW PROCEDURES FOR PAAFS WORLDWIDE.  THIS INFORMATON CAN BE FOUND ON THE DOD PASSPORT MATTERS WEBSITE AT SECUREAPP2.HQDA.PENTAGON.MIL/PASSPORTMATTERS/.
B.  BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY VOLUME OF PASSPORT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, PROCESSING TIME AT THE SPECIAL ISSUING AGENCY AND AT CHARLESTON IS NOW SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS FROM THE TIME A RECORD IS CREATED TO PASSPORT ISSUANCE.  DUE TO THE VOLUME OF STATUS INQUIRIES, EMAIL CHECKS WILL TAKE A MINIMUM OF THREE DAYS BEFORE A RESPONSE IS PROVIDED.  PACKAGE TRACKING ASSISTANCE IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE DOD PASSPORT MATTERS WEBSITE.  INFORMATION FOR ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTED BY THE HQMC PENTAGON PASSPORT OFFICE MAY BE OBTAINED BY E-MAILING THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL MAILBOX AT SMBHQMCPASSPORTS(AT)USMC.MIL.
5.  ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE POC LISTED ABOVE.
6.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE AND THOSE ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE PASSPORT SERVICES AT THE PENTAGON.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LIEUTENANT GENERAL W. J. WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR, MARINE CORPS STAFF.//