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How to Get an Expedited Passport

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Say you've booked the perfect international getaway just to find that your passport has expired. Or, perhaps you didn't realize that your travel destination requires that your passport have at least six months of validity. Whatever your case may be, Americans have a few options for getting an expedited passport — whether you're renewing it or applying for a new one.

Here's what you need to know about your options for getting a passport on short notice.

» Learn more: The guide to different types of U.S. passports

How long does it take to get an expedited passport?

U.S. passport processing times vary depending on the current demand for new passports and passport renewals. The currently posted timelines for routine and expedited processing are as follows:

Routine processing: Six to eight weeks.

Expedited processing: Two to three weeks.

Keep in mind that these are just the processing time once your passport application is received. Make sure to factor in that it can take up to two weeks for the State Department to receive your mailed application and up to another two weeks for you to receive your completed passport. You can shorten this mailing time by sending your application by express mail and paying for faster return shipping.

It's worth noting that current passport processing times are far higher than in the past. For reference, in December 2019, routine passport requests only took six to eight weeks. Expediting your passport application slashed that processing time to just two to three weeks — or just eight days if you renewed at a passport agency.

While we wait for processing times to return to those levels, here are your options for expediting your U.S. passport application.

» Learn more: Need a passport for a trip? Give yourself a big time cushion

How to expedite a U.S. passport application

The best option to expedite your passport application will depend on how quickly you need your passport. The U.S. Department of State currently offers three types of expedited passport application options: Expedited, Urgent Travel, and Emergency.

Here's a breakdown of each option and how to take advantage of each one.

Expedited passport applications

Submit an expedited passport application request if you're traveling in a few months and the current up-to-11-week standard processing time would cut it too close. The process is otherwise identical to a routine application, simply requiring an additional $60 fee on top of standard passport fees.

New passport applicants can submit an expedited application at a passport acceptance facility. Travelers renewing a passport can submit an expedited renewal application by mail.

Note that the State Department has a money-back guarantee on expedited requests. You can apply for a refund of your $60 expedited fee if the agency doesn't process your application within:

35 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving an application submitted on Oct. 2, 2023 or later.

45 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving an application submitted on or before Oct. 1, 2023.

Remember to factor in mailing times when figuring whether or not an expedited application will get you your passport in time to travel. If you want to shorten the overall processing time, send your application to the State Department by express mail. You can also include an extra $19.53 with your application fees for expedited 1-2 day return shipping of your completed passport.

» Learn more: How much does a passport cost?

Urgent travel passport appointments

If an expedited passport application isn't fast enough, you'll need to apply for an in-person appointment at a passport agency. You can only schedule an urgent travel application if you haven't yet applied for a passport and you have international travel booked within 14 days.

You can also get an urgent travel appointment if you've applied for a passport but still haven't received it and your travel date is quickly approaching. In this case, you can only schedule an appointment within five calendar days of your international departure date.

To determine your eligibility, you must provide your travel dates and destinations when calling for an urgent travel appointment. Then, bring printed proof of your international travel to your passport appointment. If you don't provide proof of travel, the passport agency may not honor your appointment request.

The State Department operates around two dozen passport agencies across the U.S. If you don't live in a city with a passport agency, you'll need to travel to one of these locations to submit your urgent travel passport application request.

In addition to potential travel costs, you'll need to pay an additional $60 expedited fee to the passport agency at the time of your appointment.

If you qualify for an urgent travel appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 to see what appointments are available. We recommend calling for an appointment as soon as you're possibly eligible — 14 days before departure if you haven't applied yet or five days out if you've already applied — as spots are extremely limited.

» Learn more: 4 times when you should renew your passport

Emergency passport appointments

The U.S. State Department clearly realizes that some situations require special treatment. You can apply for a so-called "life-or-death emergency" appointment at a passport agency if you need to travel internationally within three business days because an immediate family located outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.

For the sake of this appointment type, the State Department considers an immediate family member as a:

Parent or legal guardian.

Grandparent.

Travel to visit other family members (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) in these situations or to travel to get medical services for yourself do not qualify for life-or-death emergency passport service.

To get a life-or-death passport appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time from Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours and on weekends and federal holidays, call 202-647-4000 instead.

» Learn more: How to get a passport in one day

If you need to expedite a U.S. passport…

Options for expediting a passport range from paying $60 more for an expedited application to applying in person at a passport agency in urgent situations.

If you're traveling in the next few months, don't count on getting your passport anytime soon. Routine passport processing takes weeks — and that doesn't include mailing times. Instead, apply as soon as possible and pay for expedited service.

To get your passport back quicker, pay extra for expedited shipping to and from the agency. Then, if you don't receive your passport as your travel date nears, make an appointment at a passport agency within five days of travel to make sure you have a passport in time to travel.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

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The Best Travel Visa Services

The 9 best travel visa services.

• Passport Visas Express
• Travel Visa Pro
• Rush My Travel Visa
• Handy Visas

What's the Easiest Way to Get a Travel Visa?

Online travel visa providers have revolutionized the way individuals apply for visas when planning their international trips. These services offer a wide range of benefits that simplify and expedite the travel visa application process, making it more convenient and accessible than ever before.

One of the most significant advantages of using online travel visa providers is the convenience they offer. Traditionally, getting a travel visa required multiple visits to embassies or consulates, which could be time-consuming and inconvenient. With online travel visa providers, you can complete the entire application process from the comfort of your own homes or office. This eliminates the need for in-person visits and long waiting times, saving you valuable time and effort.

Sunday, September 1st

2024 Travel Visa Service Reviews

• Can apply for multiple visa types (tourist, business, student)
• Works directly with embassies of 150+ countries
• Three tiers of service (Regular, Preparation, Concierge)
• Thousands of five-star reviews
• Customer service is easy to reach

Passport Visas Express has been providing expedited passports and express visa services for nearly two decades. They have received recognition from reputable sources like CNN, BudgetTravel, and The Washington Post as a reliable and affordable solution for obtaining travel visas online.

Works with embassies of most nations

Get started by selecting your travel destination: when you click on the button, it'll show you some of the most popular countries (China, Thailand, India) or you can select "view all countries" if where you're going isn't on that short list. Passport Visas Express works directly with the embassies of more than 150 countries, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding your location here.

You'll know if you need a visa

We were glad to see that this service makes it abundantly clear when travelers don't need a visa for travel to a particular destination. For example, at the time of this evaluation, Brazil had paused its requirements for tourist entry visas, and PVE stated that upfront at the top of the country-specific page. Helpfully, they also listed out other expedited visa types that were on offer, such as work, diplomatic, and non-US citizens.

You won't pay for something you don't need

Similarly, we were really impressed when we went to look up the Australian tourist visa , which is known as being both lengthy and expensive. What seemed like a downside - seeing that Passport Visas Express had it as "service currently unavailable" - turned out to be a huge mark in this company's favor. Why? When we reached out to their live chat agent (who responded promptly, by the way), they explained that at the moment, Australia was requiring all tourist visas to go through their embassy directly, with no third-party assistance allowed. Other companies were not so clear about that - and were perfectly willing to take our money for something we might not have needed (a different type of visa for those who didn't qualify for what the Australian government was offering to direct applicants).

Very transparent visa process

So, let's take a look at a country with a long list of visa requirements: China . How does Passport Visas Express do? In a word, excellent. From the very first moment you land on the China visa page, you'll be able to see exactly what to expect: pricing, process, and more. For example, on a basic tourist visa, you'll pay service fees starting at $449 (on top of the required consular fees, of course). You'll also need to enter your zip code to get the application requirements for the consulate nearest you. We love how PVE spells out each step needed, from the tourist visa application review to the flight confirmation and beyond.

DIY or concierge, you choose

Generally speaking, there are three levels of service available from Passport Visas Express. Regular lets you complete your travel visa application at your own pace, with their team on standby to answer any questions you might have, and then you send your application to them for processing. You can also opt for the Preparation service as an upgrade during checkout; this tier connects you with one of their experts over the phone, who will complete the application for you during the call and then send it to you to print, sign, and return for processing. Finally, if you prefer to skip online checkout completely, you can call for Personal Concierge service: the agent will create your order, ensure all needed services are included, fill out your application, and send it to you for your signature.

Thousands of 5-star ratings

PVE holds up really well when you consider its reputation too. Across nearly 6,000 reviews on Trustpilot, more than 95% of clients gave this travel visa service a 4- or 5-star rating, averaging an impressive 4.9 out of 5 stars. People describe their experience as being quick and easy, and many mention how pleased they were with the availability of the customer support team. While we wish that Passport Visas Express would put something on their site about how they handle rejected visa applications - is there a refund? Does it only apply in certain circumstances? - the overwhelmingly positive feedback from clients, especially those who have used this travel visa service on multiple occasions, leaves us feeling like that's a pretty minor concern overall.

#1 pick for travel visas

When it comes to applying for a travel visa, it doesn't get much better than Passport Visas Express. They deliver on their promises, returning your passport with a completed visa right on time and giving you all the help and reassurance you might need along the way. You should feel very comfortable entrusting this service with your documents. We're pleased to name Passport Visas Express as our new #1 pick for getting help with travel visas.

• Mostly offers tourist and business visas
• VIP and Executive Choice concierge service available
• Help available via phone, text, live chat, online form, or in person at one of 50+ USA office locations
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

If you want all of the features of a large agency with the one-on-one service of a boutique travel visa company, Travel Visa Pro is the right place for you. In business for over a decade, this service specializes in making travelers' lives easier with full-service in-person locations and simple online applications, support even on weekends and at night, and the kind of attention you'd expect from a world-class travel visa provider. You can also get passport services here, whether you need one for the first time or you're replacing a passport that's expired or stolen

Won't make you apply for something you don't need

Let's take a look at how Travel Visa Pro did with three countries we used for comparison across providers.

• With respect to Australia , who was requiring applicants to get tourist visas directly through a government website at the time of this evaluation, Travel Visa Pro didn't spell that out. But, in contrast with some rival visa platforms who let us go ahead and apply for... something... TVP said that we would need to reach out to them so that they could research our request, because the requirements weren't updated in their system. We would have liked to see a clear explanation of what was going on with Australian tourist visas, but this approach was good enough for us.
• Brazil was also a special case at the time of this evaluation: it wasn't requiring tourist visas for US passport holders, but those fees were scheduled to be reinstated in a few months. While Travel Visa Pro didn't have anything about the reinstatement date, it correctly indicated that we wouldn't need a visa for tourism of 90 days or less.

Excellent choice for Chinese travel visas

China was the third destination in our comparison, and we were pleased to see that TVP offered several travel visa types (employment, family visit, business, crew, tourist) - because the visa types for other countries here were more limited than some rival services. The information provided for travel to China was the most comprehensive we saw on any visa site, explaining everything from different visa types to document and photo requirements. Travel Visa Pro also gave us lots of options for processing time on our China visa: 16-30 days for a service fee of $499, 11-15 days for $999, and 5-10 days for $1,499. That's a big advantage over many rival services who were only offering 15-30 day processing at the time of this evaluation. We could also opt for concierge service for $199 (VIP) or $499 (Executive Choice): extras with those packages include overnight inbound and outbound delivery, photo printing, and so on. Those services are available as a la carte purchases if you prefer not to pay for a package, but the bundled services will always be a better deal.

Round-the-clock support

We appreciate that Travel Visa Pro makes it easy to get help, too. You can reach out via phone, email, text, or online form 24/7 - or you can even visit one of their in-person locations nationwide. That makes this an excellent choice for anyone who might want a little face-to-face reassurance that their travel visa application will be in good hands.

Travelers love this company

And yes, Travel Visa Pro really does live up to its promises. Everywhere you look, you'll find almost nothing but five-star reviews for this travel visa and passport service. Some of the phrases that jumped out at us include "TVP saved my trip and my sanity" , "reliable and extremely responsive" , and "I wish more companies were this good" . The Better Business Bureau agrees, giving Travel Visa Pro its accreditation and an "A+" rating.

Best for travelers who need extra support or quick processing

Travel Visa Pro comes in as a very close second to our #1 pick in the industry. TVP wasn't quite as clear on why certain countries weren't available for visa applications, and travelers who need visa types beyond tourism or business might not be able to apply here, depending on the destination. But, this company goes above and beyond most rival services with respect to customer service, especially with the ability to reach out to a rep 24/7. If you think you might need a little extra reassurance during your travel visa application process, or if you're in a tight situation time-wise, we strongly recommend that you get in touch with Travel Visa Pro.

• Many different travel visa types available (artist, athlete, courtesy, missionary, research, tourist)
• Website is very easy to use and informative
• Pricing is typically competitive
• Help available via phone and email

Since its establishment in 2003, VisaHQ has been a leading provider of online visa services and U.S. passport solutions. They offer a convenient and efficient way for travelers to apply for visas to nearly any country worldwide. With their advanced online platform, customers can easily complete a single electronic form for some destinations, eliminating the need for paper documentation. VisaHQ also assists US citizens with passport services, including obtaining, renewing, and replacing passports.

Could be a little clearer when requirements change

How did VisaHQ do when we looked at three countries for comparison (namely Australia, Brazil, and China)? At the date of this evaluation, Australia was requiring tourists needing their most basic tourist visa (subclass 601) to apply directly through their government website, and VisaHQ disappointed us by not explaining that. Instead, their site defaulted to the tourist e-visa (class 600) "if you cannot get subclass 601" . Confused? We would have been too, if we didn't already have the heads-up about what was going on at the time.

Lots of visa types available

On the other hand, we were very pleased with VisaHQ's results for a Brazilian tourist visa : they correctly identified it as not necessary (which was true at the time of our visit), as well as informing travelers of the exact date when that visa requirement for US citizens was scheduled to be required again. We also appreciated that many different visa types were available for this destination country, all visible with a handy scroll bar on VisaHQ's main Brazil visa page: artist/athlete, courtesy, missionary, official, scientific, and so on.

Visa requirements clearly explained

And China? VisaHQ did well there too, offering help with visa types ranging from tourist to journalist and many others. As you may know, the Chinese visa process is not simple, and this site does a great job of explaining absolutely everything a traveler will need to do and provide. You complete the application form online and print it off, then send it in along with your other documents (passport, proof of residency, the Where You Stay form).

Transparent pricing

For any country where you need a travel visa, VisaHQ clearly spells out what your total cost will be right on that country's page. For example, a Chinese tourist visa would incur a fee of $784: $185 for the embassy fee and $599 for VisaHQ's service fees. Is that a reasonable cost? That depends: on the China main page, it said those fees would cover a turnaround time of 7-9 business days, which is a steal compared with rival travel visa services. However, when we got into the application, the processing time was shown as 15-20 business days: honestly, that's the timeframe we were expecting in current conditions, and that puts VisaHQ as a little more costly than other services charging in the neighborhood of $499 for that processing speed.

Good reputation

Overall traveler feedback for VisaHQ is definitely positive. Out of 3300+ reviews, the company earned an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars. One of the most frequent compliments is on the processing speed for travel visas: many customers say that their applications were approved and passports returned well in advance of the promised timeframe. Other clients praise the customer service team, with one person saying that VisaHQ gave them "the most rapid response [they] have ever had in dealing with customer service by email" .

Not a favorite of the BBB

But, should you go out looking for VisaHQ reviews yourself, be prepared to find an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau ( we were surprised too ). That's for failing to respond to two complaints out of the five filed with the BBB over the last three years: not what we would call an egregious pattern of misbehavior, anyway. And, most of the complaints we spotted as we sifted through reviews elsewhere were responded to appropriately and quickly by VisaHQ representatives.

Excellent option for travel visas

VisaHQ is one of our preferred providers of travel visas. The site is one of the easiest to use that we've ever seen, making it fast and simple to choose the right visa for your trip and to understand what the requirements for approval will be. Less experienced travelers will benefit from having access to customer support reps via email and phone, and everyone can appreciate getting their visa paperwork processed and completed faster than promised. Give VisaHQ a look the next time you're planning on traveling internationally.

• Good for tourist visas
• In business for 10+ years
• Almost 35,000 five-star reviews

Decent refund policy

The company iVisa, founded in 2012 by two friends pursuing their MBAs at Harvard Business School, was born out of their own frustrations with the cumbersome visa application process. As avid travelers, they understood the hassle of dealing with government offices and extensive paperwork while trying to balance their growing families. They aimed to create a streamlined solution that would enable hassle-free travel without the need for time-consuming forms or visits to foreign embassies. Since its inception, iVisa has served over one million satisfied customers who appreciate the simplicity of their processes.

Helpful FAQ for newbies

If you're a first-time applicant for a travel visa, you may have questions regarding the necessity of a visa, the application process, and the expected timeframe for obtaining one. iVisa offers a helpful FAQ page to address such concerns and provide clarity. This page covers topics like eVisas, visa validity duration, application status tracking, typical visa processing times, and other essential information.

Isn't always clear with countries' requirements

Using the iVisa site is pretty straightforward. Select the country you're from and your intended destination, and you'll see what's required for that location, including details on government fees. But, here's what we didn't love. We checked out a country that, at the time of this review, wasn't requiring tourist visas for US citizens ( Brazil ). iVisa told us that - but at the same time, we were pushed to use the service to take care of our health declaration. When we tried to start that process, we were then told no, it wouldn't be necessary until a date in the future when the country was reinstating required tourist visas. It felt very confusing, and if we hadn't already been familiar with the travel visa requirements for that destination, iVisa certainly wouldn't have set our mind at ease.

Visa types limited to tourism

Another drawback we found when using iVisa was not being able to choose among different travel visa types. Not everyone needs a simple tourist visa: some travelers need options for business, missionary work, scientific research, and so on, and we didn't find that kind of help here (despite easily getting it through some of iVisa's rivals in the industry).

What will you pay for iVisa's help in getting your travel visa application processed? That depends on the location and the speed you prefer. For example, if you're traveling to Brazil, you'd pay $35 for standard processing, $65 for rush processing, and $100 for super rush processing - on top of any governmental fees the country requires at the time of your application.

iVisa's refund policy is good but a little convoluted. If you decide to cancel your visa application, you can get all of your money back if your status is "received" or "in progress" . Once it switches to "information needed" , your refund amount drops to "up to 90%" , and then down to zero if your visa application reaches "waiting on government" or "complete" status. What if your travel visa application is rejected? Your ability to get a refund from iVisa will depend on what type of service you purchased. Guided visa services - US B1/B2, Australia Visitor, UK Visitor, Canada Visitor, China, and Schengen visas - are all non-refundable if your application is denied, unfortunately. But, other travel visas here are covered by a full refund policy.

Mixed but generally positive client feedback

How about reputation? iVisa has nearly 35,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot, and most clients wind up happy with the service they receive. People usually describe it as fast and affordable, and they feel that the process of getting their travel visa was made much easier to understand with iVisa's help. But, if you scroll through some of the most recent reviews, not everyone is thrilled with the experience here. Although only 10% of iVisa clients would rate the service as three stars or lower, those less-than-glowing reviews often relate to some of the downsides we mentioned: taking travelers' money for services they might not really need, not offering refunds when clients expected them, or taking weeks (or months) to process visa applications that could be accomplished by applying directly with the destination government's embassy in a matter of days.

Good but not our favorite anymore

iVisa is still a reputable place to get your travel visa - at least, as long as you're traveling as a tourist and not needing a more specialized kind of permission to enter the country. We're encouraged by the fact that 90% of iVisa's clients still give the service a 4- or 5-star rating too. But, with respect to overall clarity on countries' requirements, iVisa has fallen behind some of its competitors and is no longer our highest-ranked option for travel visas. You may want to see what rival services have to offer before deciding on iVisa for your trip.

• Multiple visa types available (tourist, student, and more)
• Service mostly consists of filing your completed application: you do the work to get it filled out, and they take it to the embassy or consulate
• In business for over 30 years

For over 30 years, Travel Document Systems (TDS) has worked with corporate and individual international travelers, cruise lines, NGOs, travel agents, and tour operators to provide expedited visa and passport processing. With locations in DC, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, and LA, this company is just a short walk from most embassies, consulates, and the US Passport Agency itself.

Might give you a visa you don't actually need

How did TDS perform when we looked at three popular visa destinations (Australia, Brazil, China)? We had mixed feelings with the Australia results: at the time of this evaluation, Australia was requiring tourists staying less than 90 days (which, honestly, is most people) to apply for an ETA visa through their channels only and not with third-party help. TDS correctly identified that - but their Australia page defaulted to the Long Stay (90+ days) visa, something that many inexperienced travelers might not realize isn't the documentation they need.

Some countries have available visas beyond tourism

Brazil came up roughly the same way: TDS showed the tourist visa as not required for US passport holders (which was correct at the time of this review) but defaulted to a 10-year validity visa that might not be what the average tourist wants. Other visa types were also available for Brazil, such as student, technical, and work.

Okay for multiple visa types in China

Finally, China. It was noteworthy that there was a disclaimer about Chinese visas on every country page we saw, not just China's itself - explaining that processing times were much longer than what was posted on the site because of the volume of applications being processed at the Chinese embassies and consulates, even for clients paying for Express (2-3 business day) processing. But, TDS also encouraged prospective clients to email them if they have a tight departure, to verify whether or not they can help within the needed timeframe. We appreciate that! TDS offers help with many different types of visas in China, including business, tourist, student, and visiting family/friends. You'll pay $269 for Regular travel visa assistance here and $319 for Express, but again, TDS explained very clearly that the 5-7 business days or 2-3 business days given as timeframes weren't applicable at that time.

Be aware of what services are included in your initial fee

We would recommend going through the Document Requirements listed for each country's visa process. You'll find helpful information, both in general and specific to TDS' processes. For example, as we browsed the list for a Nepali tourist visa, that's where we spotted the fact that we'd have to pay an extra $50 for someone at TDS to review our documents for completeness and correctness ( we would have thought that was part of the service fee, but apparently not ). We also saw that travelers can pay an extra $12 to have TDS format a selfie and return it digitally for printing. In other words, when you pay the generic fee for a travel visa here, you're still doing most of the work yourself. That's fine if you know that all you're getting is someone to file your visa paperwork for you, unless you choose to pay more for additional services.

Watch that grade

And reputation? Interestingly, the TDS website proudly displays a badge from the Better Business Bureau to prove their accreditation there - but when you click on the link, the BBB listing for this company not only showed no accreditation but also a "D-" grade. Oops . Fortunately, though, that rating was for failing to respond to two complaints out of a total of three filed over the last three years - and there were no complaints filed with the BBB in the most recent 12-month period (so not exactly an avalanche of poor customer experiences).

Where's the recent feedback?

Feedback elsewhere was a little... mystifying. There were nearly 5,000 reviews on Trustpilot, averaging about 4.4 out of 5 stars... but none of them were newer than 2018. Similarly, on Shopper Approved, TDS stopped participating in their rating collection back in 2021 - and even the TDS website copyright ended in 2022. And, when we called the local number for the Washington DC headquarters during normal business hours, we got a recorded message saying all agents were busy and inviting us to send an inquiry via email. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice in Wonderland would say...

Below average for travel visa services

TDS might be a solid place to get a travel visa - but it's hard to feel overly confident about that, with customer feedback dropping off to almost nil over the last few years. We appreciate the accurate information on each country's visa requirements pages, but at the same time we were discouraged by not being able to reach someone during regular business hours. Our recommendation is to keep TDS in mind as an option, but only after you've checked out our higher-ranking providers of travel visa services first.

• Mostly tourist visas, though other types (work, student) available for some destinations
• Expedited service available for some destinations
• Refunds available within first 72 hours

Rush My Travel Visa tells you what you need to know right in the company name: they specialize in getting your visa application done quickly. This is a service of Expedited Travel, who also offers passport services, and the company is registered with many foreign consulates.

Might charge you for something you don't need

As a way to gauge the accuracy of various travel visa services, we usually looked at three countries: Australia, Brazil, and China. At the time of this evaluation, Australia was not allowing third-party help for travel visas, requiring visitors to go directly through the government website/app. And yet, Rush My Travel Visa was still offering its service at a price of $45 for their service plus $20 in embassy fees. That didn't leave us feeling super confident.

Not always clear on whether or not you'll need a visa

The travel visa page for Brazil wasn't any better. While it stated very clearly that " Brazilian travel visas are required for all US Citizens" , Rush My Travel Visa only offered work and student visas - probably because, at the time of our visit to the site, Brazil had temporarily suspended the tourist visa requirement. But, there was no mention of that on the country page here.

Cheaper - but slower - than most for Chinese travel visas

China travel visas were a little more robust, though. We were able to choose visas for tourists, business, work, students, or crew, and the pricing was spelled out clearly. For a standard multiple-entry tourist visa to China, Rush My Travel Visa charges a service fee of $334, in addition to an embassy fee of $140 and an extra $10 service fee for having RMTV pay those fees on your behalf. However, the only processing speed was 25-40 business days, with no options for expediting paperwork. That's ironic for a service that literally has the word "rush" in its name.

Very limited refund policy

How about refunds? If you cancel your travel visa order within 72 hours, you can get a full refund. Beyond that, though, Rush My Travel Visa will not return your money - even if your application is incomplete or inaccurate, or your visa application is rejected. We wish they would take responsibility for errors on their part - or at least spell it out if they already do that, instead of leaving it unstated.

You'll either love it...

Looking at reviews in places like Trustpilot, they were almost all positive. Customer gave praise for specific customer reps and their hands-on help during the application process, quick turnaround times, and being able to get visas done right when clients had made a mess of it on their own.

...or hate it

However, the company (under parent brand Expedited Travel) has only earned a "B" rating from the Better Business Bureau, with nearly 150 complaints filed there over the last three years. People complained about a lack of customer service, unclear requirements for submitting visa and passport applications, and documents that were so delayed that trips had to be canceled. Not exactly encouraging, despite the increase from a "C+" rating the last time we looked.

Do you feel lucky?

Obviously, Rush My Travel Visa is getting mixed client feedback. It's hard to reconcile such different experiences. We're left wondering if it's the luck of the draw when choosing Rush My Travel Visa.

Try a different service for travel visas

Despite the positive feedback, we can't give Rush My Travel Visa a high rating. With constantly-changing visa requirements, a service like this one needs to be 100%^ up to date at all times, and there's no excuse for taking money from nervous travelers who should go directly to the destination government to complete their paperwork instead. Beyond that, this service doesn't offer as much as its rivals do - for visa types or processing speed. We strongly recommend that you look at a higher-ranked travel visa provider instead of RMTV.

• Offers primarily tourist visas to about 100 countries
• Can add another traveler to initial application
• In business since 2019
• 100% refund if your visa application is denied

Handy Visas started in Spain in 2019, aiming to turn the travel visa application process into a more carefree, streamlined process for travelers on all five continents. Since inception, the company has sold more than a million services with a 99% approval rate on travel visas.

Not necessarily clear

To make a fair comparison across travel visa providers, we often went by the A-B-Cs of Australia, Brazil, and China: all countries that had at some point required US citizens to have a visa for entry. During this evaluation process, Australia was requiring applications to be made directly through their own website or app and not using a service like Handy Visas. On the Australia page, Handy Visas correctly identified that we would need a visa as a US passport-holder, but it wasn't until we went further into the "apply now" process that we were told that Handy Visas would be unable to process our request. Also, the site didn't explain that it was because of the Australian government's policy change: because we were directed to contact our nearest embassy or consulate, we would have been left thinking there was a problem on our side if we didn't already know about the direct-apply requirement.

Could be more specific

Handy Visas got it mostly right when it came to Brazil , telling prospective US travelers that a tourist visa wasn't required at the time and not even directing people to any kind of application. Well done! But, unlike some rival sites, Handy Visa failed to mention that the requirement was scheduled to be reinstated in the near future, which would have been helpful to know.

No help for US citizens needing a Chinese travel visa

And China ? Total fail for US passport holders trying to use Handy Visas. All we got was this: "Citizens of United States need to apply for a Visa for China. We recommend contacting the nearest embassy or consulate of China for more information." Or how about we go to a competitor travel visa service who will gladly help us apply for a Chinese travel visa?

More "no" than "yes" here

So, if you're keeping score, at this point Handy Visas had yet to come up with a destination country they could help us with. Let's try a few more. Nepal? Yes, we would need a visa - and Handy Visa's link took us to the Nepali government website to apply directly ( guess you don't want to help us with that one? ) Russian Federation? We were redirected to a .ru website that gave us a 502 Bad Gateway error.

Higher fees than rivals

Finally, we found one: India. We had to go deep into the application to find out that there were multiple travel visa types available here (like tourism, business, medical treatment). It was also a nice perk that we could add another traveler to our application once we finished entering our own details. However, it was only when we got to the payment page that we finally got to see how much we'd be paying for the service: $89 for standard 1-business-day processing time. That's quite a bit more than many competitor services, and much more than if you apply for it directly with the Indian Embassy online.

Support only offered via email/DM

One very important aspect of using Handy Visas is this: they offer 24/7 customer support... but only via email/online message, and they tell clients to expect a 72-hour turnaround time. That's okay if you're not on a tight deadline, but not ideal if you've got an extremely time-sensitive situation or if you're a less-experienced international traveler who wants an answer now and not three days from now.

Unexpectedly good acceptance guarantee

On the other hand, this company offers a guarantee that beats almost every other travel visa service out there: if your application is denied by your destination country, you'll get a full refund of the fees you've paid. That alone is reason to see if Handy Visas can help you with your needed travel documents.

Mostly positive ratings from travelers

Plus, client ratings of Handy Visas are surprisingly good, though most of them are coming from travelers outside of the US. On Trustpilot, 90% of users across 900+ ratings give this travel visa service a 4- or 5-star score, citing ease of use and prompt emails when issues need to be corrected in the paperwork. But, as you'd expect, for people in a pinch who need a rapid response, Handy Visa's 72-hour-via-email situation can be a source of complaints.

Not awful, but not the best for US travelers

We're so conflicted when it comes to ranking Handy Visas. On the one hand, we love the refund policy and we're encouraged to see hundreds of recent reviews from customers who had no problems getting their travel visas here. However, on the other hand, Handy Visas couldn't take care of our Chinese tourist visa at all, and we have huge reservations about working with a Spain-based company that only takes questions and concerns via email with a three-day turnaround. All of that combined puts Handy Visas as just below average in our rankings, particularly for anyone traveling on a US passport.

• Multiple visa types available (tourism, missionary/religious, artist/athlete, and more)
• In business for 30+ years
• Worked with more than 5 million travelers

Travisa has been providing immigration and visa services for over 30 years, catering to both corporations and individuals. With a team of over 1,600 skilled professionals, including immigration experts, lawyers, and migration consultants, spread across 60 offices in 27 countries, Travisa is the primary visa service provider for 75% of Fortune 500 companies. They offer a comprehensive range of services through their two primary brands: Newland Chase, a subsidiary specializing in global immigration strategy and advisory services for corporations, and Travisa, offering business and other travel visa services for corporate and individual clients.

Performs well with up-to-date visa requirement info

To see how Travisa measures up, we looked at visas for three different countries: Australia (who, at the time of this review, was requiring visa applications to go directly through the government and not through any third-party service), Brazil (who had paused requiring tourist visas), and China (who's known for having a lengthy, somewhat difficult travel visa process). We were glad to see that Travisa got it all right. Unlike some of its competitors, this service didn't start us down a path of some unrelated paperwork or anything we didn't absolutely need. We also appreciate that Travisa offers many different types of travel visas, including professional artists, missionaries, and business travelers, not just your standard tourist paperwork.

Detailed information if you dig for it

When you select your destination country and visa type, you'll get a long list of things to know before you go, including entry restrictions, processing times, and service fees. Looking at China as an example, Travisa says to expect to pay $140 in consular fees and $185 for their standard processing of 8 business days "or longer" . But, when you click on "see more details" , you'll also learn that there's also a 6.9% processing fee when Travisa pays your government agency fees.

BBB rating drop

That should clue you in to the fact that Travisa still ranks low here because of ongoing less-than-positive client feedback. For example, the Better Business Bureau gives this travel visa service a not-impressive "B-" rating for failing to respond to a couple of customer complaints there, a drop from its previous "A-" rating the last time we evaluated the service. That in itself wouldn't be a huge issue, but the complaints continue elsewhere.

Travelers complain about surprise fees

The most frequently mentioned problem? Lack of transparency in pricing. Time and again, clients say they paid one amount when they submitted their application, only to get further charges down the road - ones that they say were never spelled out in an invoice, during checkout, or anywhere easily discovered during the Travisa paperwork process. You'll see roughly the same results when you look up the reputation of Travisa's parent company, CIBT. While CIBT does better with the BBB ("A+" rating and accreditation), client feedback is equally bad: you'll see words like "scam" , "rip off" , and "never again" in many different reviews.

Not a good choice for individual consumers

It's no wonder that Travisa remains low in our rankings of travel visa companies. Although we were glad to see that their country-specific pages were up to date - after all, some of their rivals' sites weren't - that's not nearly enough to compensate for Travisa's lack of transparency in pricing and overall poor track record. You'll save yourself a lot of stress and money by going with a higher-ranked travel visa provider and avoiding Travisa.

• Based in Spain
• Limited refund policy
• Limited destination countries

Headquartered in Madrid, Visagov is on a mission to make it as easy as possible to travel abroad. However, because Visagov is based in Spain, it might not be the visa service of choice for US travelers. The only way to contact the company is via email: not the most reassuring situation if you have an urgent issue or your application is particularly time-sensitive. We're not sure how that lines up with the "24/7 visa and travel assistance" they so proudly advertise.

Very limited list of destinations

We also had a hard time finding all of our target destinations in Visagov's list of countries: neither Brazil nor China were included. Australia was there, but at the time of this review the country was requiring travelers to apply for a visa directly with their government and not through a third-party service like this one - but Visagov was still accepting applications. We had similar issues looking at other countries in Visagov's list. Mexico or Montserrat? "Application temporarily unavailable." ETIAS (to enter the Schengen area in Europe)? Nowhere to click to apply.

Website is difficult to use

When we finally found a country whose travel visa we were eligible to apply for - New Zealand - the process was mostly uncomplicated, winding up with a total charge of $64 USD. The only irritating part was trying to find "United States" in the various country dropdown lists (country of passport issuance, residency): it's not alphabetical, so you have to scroll through until you happen to spot it.

You may or may not qualify for a refund

Visagov has a refund policy, but it's not the most straightforward. If your visa application is denied by the destination government, you'll get a refund of those fees. But, the policy also says "you will never receive a payment corresponding to [their] handling and processing fees, any other refund request will be excluded" .

Some travelers actually like this service

With all of that, it was surprising to find quite a few 4- and 5-star reviews on Trustpilot. Some clients actually had a good experience using Visagov . On the other hand, complaints were as you'd expect: hard to reach customer service when they needed help, incorrect info on documents that couldn't be fixed in time to process the visa paperwork, and so on.

Worst travel visa service in our evaluation

That still doesn't change our mind: Visagov is our lowest-rated travel visa provider, particularly for US citizens. You might not find the country you're visiting in their list, and even if you do, the application might not be available. And who wants to work with a provider that can't even be reached on the phone or at least via live chat? We don't. Avoid wasting time (and money) by going directly to one of Visagov's higher-ranked competitors instead.

Continued from above... Continued from above... -->

Expert guidance is another valuable benefit provided by online travel visa providers. These services often employ professionals who are well-versed in travel visa regulations and requirements. They can review documents, provide advice, and ensure that applications are accurate and complete. By having experts oversee the process, you can have peace of mind, knowing that your application is being handled by knowledgeable individuals that also help reduce the chances of errors or omissions that could lead to visa rejection.

Another hidden benefit of online visa providers is that they can increase the chances of visa approval. Due to their extensive knowledge and experience with visa regulations, these services understand the specific requirements of destination countries. They can provide valuable insights and advice on gathering the correct supporting documents and preparing applications that comply with the embassy's guidelines. This attention to detail significantly enhances the likelihood of obtaining a travel visa successfully.

Of course, you need to understand what a visa is and why you might need it for an upcoming trip. A travel visa is an official paper that a country's government gives you to let you enter and stay in their country. Common visa types include tourist visas, business visas, student visas, and work visas. Countries have different visa rules, depending on factors like the purpose of your visit, how long you plan to stay, and where you're from.

There are additional services that some online travel visa providers offer, that can enhance your overall travel experience. For instance, some platforms provide visa tracking services, which allow you to monitor the progress of your application. Additionally, some providers offer visa expediting services for urgent travel needs, ensuring that you receive your travel visa within a shorter timeframe.

So, which service should you choose to make it fast and easy to get your next travel visa? There are lots to choose from, and many of them seem pretty similar at first glance. But, if you're trying to narrow down the possibilities a little, here are some factors that might tip the scale towards one or the other:

• Ease of navigation. Getting a travel visa (especially on short notice) can be nerve-wracking. The best services are simple to use from the get-go, showing you exactly which countries require visas and what you can expect from the application process.
• Timeframe. How long does the visa service say it will take to get your application approved and your passport back into your hands? Can you get it expedited if you're supposed to travel in the near future?
• Fees. Governmental fees will be the same no matter where you apply for your visa, but check out how much the service charges to take care of the application for you. Pay close attention to shipping/delivery fees.
• Reputation. What do other travelers say about the travel visa service? Did they get their paperwork done on time? Would these clients use this service again?

If you're traveling to a country that requires a travel visa for entry, you can simplify your life by using one of the top-rated services in our rankings here at Top Consumer Reviews. We've done the work to show you the best of the best - and the worst of the worst - so that you can rest assured that your travel visa paperwork is in good hands. Enjoy your trip!

Travel Visa Service FAQ

What is a travel visa, which countries require me to have a visa, how much do travel visas cost, what do i need to apply for a travel visa, do i have to go in person to apply for a travel visa, why should i use a travel visa service, how much do travel visa services cost, how long will it take to get my travel visa approved and my passport back in hand, compare travel visa services.

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Call the National Passport Information Center at  1-877-487-2778  ( 1-888-874-7793  TDD/TTY) to request expedited service for an extra $60. You may also add a 1-2 delivery service of your completed passport book for an extra $21.36. One-to-two day delivery is not available for passport cards. We only send cards via First Class Mail.

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Kirstie Allsopp reported to social services for allowing son, 15, to travel Europe solo

The Location, Location, Location presenter has been contacted by her local services amid allegations of "neglect" - but she has defended her decision to let the teen interrail across the continent.

Monday 26 August 2024 00:52, UK

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Kirstie Allsopp has been reported to social services for allowing her 15-year-old son to interrail around Europe with a friend - but she has doubled down on her decision.

The Location, Location, Location presenter said her son, Oscar, went travelling across Europe with a 16-year-old friend this summer. But after he returned, she was contacted by a social worker who informed her that a file had been opened because child protection concerns had been raised.

Allsopp issued a lengthy defence on her Instagram and said it never occurred to her that social services would get involved.

She said: "I knew that we were becoming a more risk-averse culture in the UK and the US. My time in Switzerland has taught me a lot. There, as in Japan, children walk to school alone and are encouraged to learn early to be self-sufficient, and trusted to make sensible choices."

While she knew some people may raise an eyebrow at her decision to let her young teen travel Europe without an adult, she said she hoped "the silver lining to this cloud is that everyone stops and thinks about the freedoms we had as children, and ask what harm could be done, not by the freedoms, but by the restrictions and fears we are imposing on our kids".

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kirstie Allsopp (@kirstiemallsopp)

She had previously told The Mail on Sunday the call from the council left her feeling "sick" and then "very, very cross".

On Monday Allsopp tweeted earlier that Oscar had returned from a nine-day train trip around Europe, writing on X she was "proud of him", adding: "If we're afraid our children will also be afraid, if we let go, they will fly."

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But while some have praised the move, she has come under fire for allowing the teen to travel independently.

My little boy has returned from 3 weeks inter-railing, he’ll be 16 on Wednesday so he went with a mate who’s already 16 due to hostel/travel restrictions, but they organised the whole thing; Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Marseille, Toulouse, Barcelona & Madrid 1/3 — Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) August 19, 2024

with our son, but I’m so proud of him & my loss is nothing compared to his gain & the encyclopaedic knowledge he now has of the differences between one McDonalds & another 😜, if we’re afraid our children will also be afraid, if we let go, they will fly @JonHaidt @FreeRangeKids — Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) August 19, 2024

Allsopp says the social worker "wanted to know what safeguards you put in place for your son's travel" but she became "incandescent" and informed the official it was none of her business and that she was ending the call.

The TV presenter said officials did not understand that she had been targeted by someone falsely alleging neglect. She has not been told how the referral had been made, or by whom.

A file was opened on Oscar and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), her local council, said it could be kept open "in case there was another referral and we needed to come to your house and look into this further".

She told the Mail: "For me, that was the sucker punch - the idea this file might continue existing.

"What (the official) said to me was, 'if in six months there was another referral and we needed to come to your house and look into this further, it would be important that we had kept a note of the first referral'.

"That was the Orwellian moment. The fact it was maliciously done wasn't coming home to her."

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A spokesperson for RBKC told the paper: "Safeguarding children is an absolute priority. We take any referral we receive very seriously and we have a statutory responsibility for children under 18 years of age."

They said it was "standard practice" for records to be retained until a child's 25th birthday.

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Is TSA Precheck worth it? The best ways to expedite security and customs at the airport

You’ve probably seen the signs for shorter lines and wait times through security and customs. While you can’t go through the first/business class lines without purchasing a ticket in one of those classes, you can pay a much smaller fee (or sometimes no fee at all!) to be expedited through security and customs regardless of what kind of ticket is in your hand. Some of the services have additional benefits that go beyond just getting through the line quickly.

This post is a follow up to my last blog post , where I provided tips and tricks for getting through airport security quickly and efficiently. I recommend reading that post before this one so you can see what sort of fun things you might get to avoid by purchasing a service that will expedite your way through security and customs.

It should be noted that these services generally only apply to US citizens flying within the US or returning home through US Customs. In addition, ALL members of your travel party will need to purchase the following services for you to be able to take advantage of them together on trips – otherwise you’ll have to wait for them on the other side! I’m going to provide a review of the following services in the coming paragraphs and let you know whether I think they’re worth the investment or not.

TSA Precheck

Global entry.

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Mobile Passport

Cost : $85 for a 5 year membership.

How it works : First, you apply online here . Then, you will need to travel to a TSA Precheck office for an approximately 10 minute in-person interview (locations can be found here ) and submit a variety of information and documents for a deep dive background check.

What you get : A dedicated security line with less intrusive screening procedures. TSA Claims that 93% of Precheck customers make it through security in under 5 minutes. As a comparison, the average wait time is 21 minutes in Atlanta, 25 minutes at Chicago O’Hare, at 40 minutes in Los Angeles (pro tip – you can always check TSA wait times in realtime using their app ). The reason the wait time is shorter is twofold. First, only those who have purchased TSA Precheck are allowed to go through the  Precheck lines (although occasionally TSA will send others through the Precheck lines), so there are fewer people trying to utilize limited screening resources. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the restrictions on clothing and baggage are much more relaxed for TSA Precheck passengers. Here is a short list of the things you won’t need to worry about if you purchase TSA Precheck:

• You don’t need to remove your shoes
• You can leave your laptop in your bag
• You can leave your liquids in your bag
• You can wear your belt and light jacket through the checkpoint

Recommendation : BUY – but only if you are not a frequent international traveler. I’ll explain why later. As a TSA Precheck customer myself, I can certainly say that it reduces my stress level a significant amount if I’m running late for a flight. Although sometimes the regular checkpoints don’t have much of a line anyways, knowing that I’ll ALWAYS get through security quickly and efficiently gives me significant piece of mind, especially when traveling as a family. In my opinion, simply not having to remove my shoes going through security is enough to warrant the $85 for a 5 year membership.

Cost:  $100 for a 5 year membership

How it works: First, you apply online here . Then, just like TSA Precheck, you’ll have to travel to a Global Entry office for an approximately 10 minute in-person interview (locations can be found here ) and submit a variety of information and documents for a deep dive background check.

What you get : Global Entry is a program that expedites travelers’ arrival into the United States across 53 of ports of entry into the United States (see a list of them here ). For the average traveler, the process for entering the United States usually involves stopping at a kiosk, filling out all of your information, getting your picture taken, printing out all that information you just entered, and then waiting in line to give that print out to a customs and border patrol agent. If that sounds like a time consuming process, thats because it is – especially if you arrive at a large airport with multiple international flights landing at the same time. Usually the longest part of that process is waiting in line to give your information to the agent and get your passport stamped. That is where Global Entry speeds things up – if you are a Global Entry member, all you need to do is go through a kiosk (which is separate from the kiosks everyone else is using and generally has no line), enter your information and that is it. One of the other cool features is that you are automatically registered for TSA Precheck when you are screened for Global Entry, so you get those two services for only $15 more than if you only got TSA Precheck.

Recommendation : BUY – Especially if you are a frequent international traveler. Added bonus that you get TSA Precheck if you frequently travel domestically as well!

Cost:  $15/month ($900 for a 5 year period)

How it works:  You’ll need to fill out an online form here and then visit a CLEAR pod in one of the 35 participating locations to complete your registration.

What you get:  CLEAR is a program run by a private company (All of the other programs reviewed here are coordinated by the US Department of Homeland Security) that uses biometrics including your eyes or fingerprint to expedite your way through security. The major benefit of this service is that it is  very  fast. That is partly because far fewer people have CLEAR than TSA Precheck and partly because CLEAR employs ambassadors at participating airports that physically escort you through security like a VIP. There are 35 airports and stadiums that use CLEAR, a full list can be found here.

Recommendation:  Don’t buy…unless money is no object for you. The benefit does not outweigh the cost in this instance.

NEXUS/SENTRI

Cost:  NEXUS – $50, SENTRI – $122.50, both for a 5 year membership

How it works:  First apply online here , then you’ll have to go in person to a location either on the US/Canada (For NEXUS) or US/Mexico border (For SENTRI).

What you get : NEXUS and SENTRI are programs specifically aimed at travelers crossing land borders between the US and Canada or Mexico. NEXUS is all about Canada, while SENTRI is all about Mexico. These two programs allow you to travel through special expedited pedestrian/vehicle entry between the US/Canada or US/Mexico. Added bonus, when you enroll in either of these programs you also have access to TSA Precheck lines AND you may also be able to access Global Entry lines when entering the US as well.

Recommendation:  BUY NEXUS, DON’T BUY SENTRI. At $50, NEXUS is a no brainer as you get the benefits of quick land access to and from Canada AND the benefits of TSA Precheck and Global Entry – the only catch is you have to apply in person at the US/Canada border. SENTRI is less appealing due to the $122.50 price tag, but if you travel between US and Mexico Frequently it still might be worth it for you.

Cost : Free!

How it works : Mobile passport is a mobile app available for Apple and Android devices, and is free to download here or through the App Store or Google Play.

What you get : With the mobile passport app, you basically do the ‘kiosk’ portion of US Customs and Border patrol on your phone at 3 cruise ports and 26 airports in the US (list available here ) – you enter your travel and passport information, take photos of yourself and your travel party, and your phone holds that information for you to provide to the agent upon arrival. This means you get to skip the kiosk and head straight for a special ‘Mobile Passport Only’ line for people smart enough to download and use the app. I’ve used this multiple times and can verify that it got me through much quicker than those who went through the traditional route.

Recommendation : If you’re traveling on a budget, this is the option for you. It won’t get you through airport security any quicker, but if you’re traveling internationally this app is a no-brainer.

Bonus Travel Hack

Some travel credit cards will pay for these services as part of your annual membership cost. Check out this site for a list of them, and while you’re at it, check out my guide to using travel cards to get miles and take free trips!

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Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More

She wants to protect the right to abortion nationally. Here’s what else to know about her positions.

• Share full article

By Maggie Astor

• Published July 21, 2024 Updated Aug. 24, 2024

With Vice President Kamala Harris having replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket, her stances on key issues will be scrutinized by both parties and the nation’s voters.

She has a long record in politics: as district attorney of San Francisco, as attorney general of California, as a senator, as a presidential candidate and as vice president.

Here is an overview of where she stands.

Ms. Harris supports legislation that would protect the right to abortion nationally, as Roe v. Wade did before it was overturned in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

After the Dobbs ruling, she became central to the Biden campaign’s efforts to keep the spotlight on abortion, given that Mr. Biden — with his personal discomfort with abortion and his support for restrictions earlier in his career — was a flawed messenger. In March, she made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a president or vice president.

She consistently supported abortion rights during her time in the Senate, including cosponsoring legislation that would have banned common state-level restrictions, like requiring doctors to perform specific tests or have hospital admitting privileges in order to provide abortions.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, she argued that states with a history of restricting abortion rights in violation of Roe should be subject to what is known as pre-clearance for new abortion laws — those laws would have to be federally approved before they could take effect. That proposal is not viable now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

Climate change

Ms. Harris has supported the Biden administration’s climate efforts , including legislation that provided hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits and rebates for renewable energy and electric vehicles.

“It is clear the clock is not just ticking, it is banging,” she said in a speech last year , referring to increasingly severe and frequent disasters spurred by climate change. “And that is why, one year ago, President Biden and I made the largest climate investment in America’s history.”

During her 2020 presidential campaign, she emphasized the need for environmental justice , a framework that calls for policies to address the adverse effects that climate change has on poor communities and people of color. She has emphasized that as vice president as well.

In 2019, Ms. Harris, then a senator, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, introduced legislation that would have evaluated environmental rules and laws by how they affected low-income communities. It would have also established an independent Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability and created a “senior adviser on climate justice” within several federal agencies. In 2020, Ms. Harris introduced a more sweeping version of the bill. None of the legislation was passed.

Ms. Harris was tasked with leading the Biden administration’s efforts to secure voting rights legislation, a job she asked for . The legislation — which went through several iterations but was ultimately blocked in the Senate — would have countered voting restrictions in Republican-led states, limited gerrymandering and regulated campaign finance more strictly.

This year, she met with voting rights advocates and described a strategy that included creating a task force on threats to election workers and challenging state voting restrictions in court.

She has condemned former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. In a speech in 2022 marking the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, she said that day had showed “what our nation would look like if the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy are successful.” She added, “What was at stake then, and now, is the right to have our future decided the way the Constitution prescribes it: by we the people, all the people.”

Economic policy

In campaign events this year, Ms. Harris has promoted the Biden administration’s economic policies, including the infrastructure bill that Mr. Biden signed, funding for small businesses, a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that capped the cost of insulin for people on Medicare and student debt forgiveness.

She indicated at an event in May that the administration’s policies to combat climate change would also bring economic benefits by creating jobs in the renewable energy industry. At another event , she promoted more than $100 million in Energy Department grants for auto parts manufacturers to pivot to electric vehicles, which she said would “help to keep our auto supply chains here in America.”

As a senator, she introduced legislation that would have provided a tax credit of up to $6,000 for middle- and low-income families, a proposal she emphasized during her presidential campaign as a way to address income inequality.

Immigration

One of Ms. Harris’s mandates as vice president has been to address the root causes of migration from Latin America, like poverty and violence in migrants’ home countries. Last year, she announced $950 million in pledges from private companies to support Central American communities. Similar commitments made previously totaled about $3 billion.

In 2021, she visited the U.S.-Mexico border and said : “This issue cannot be reduced to a political issue. We’re talking about children, we’re talking about families, we are talking about suffering.”

More recently, she backed a bipartisan border security deal that Mr. Biden endorsed but Mr. Trump, by urging Republican lawmakers to kill it , effectively torpedoed. The legislation would have closed the border if crossings reached a set threshold, and it would have funded thousands of new border security agents and asylum officers. “We are very clear, and I think most Americans are clear, that we have a broken immigration system and we need to fix it,” Ms. Harris said in March .

Israel and Gaza

Ms. Harris called in March for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza and described the situation there as a “humanitarian catastrophe.” She said that “the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated” but also that “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”

In an interview later that month , she emphasized her opposition to an Israeli invasion of Rafah, the city in southern Gaza to which more than a million people had fled. “I have studied the maps,” she said. “There’s nowhere for those folks to go, and we’re looking at about 1.5 million people in Rafah who are there because they were told to go there, most of them.”

She has said on multiple occasions that she supports a two-state solution.

Racial justice

Racial justice was a theme of Ms. Harris’s presidential campaign. In a memorable debate exchange in 2019 , she denounced Mr. Biden’s past work with segregationist senators and opposition to school busing mandates.

She has called for ending mandatory minimum sentences, cash bail and the death penalty, which disproportionately affect people of color.

Amid the protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, she was one of the senators who introduced the Justice in Policing Act, which would have made it easier to prosecute police officers, created a national registry of police misconduct and required officers to complete training on racial profiling. It was not passed.

Her record as a prosecutor also came into play during her presidential campaign. Critics noted that as attorney general of California, she had generally avoided stepping in to investigate police killings.

Maggie Astor covers politics for The New York Times, focusing on breaking news, policies, campaigns and how underrepresented or marginalized groups are affected by political systems. More about Maggie Astor

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GSA’s Login.gov expands services into states

Login.gov is a shared technology service within GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) that provides authentication and identity verification capabilities to government agencies. As the public’s “one account for government,” Login.gov gives the public the opportunity to use a single account to securely access services across participating government websites. 

Login.gov supports over 10 million monthly active users and 40 million monthly sign-ins across nearly 50 agencies and states. Most Login.gov accounts are created to receive federal benefits, but in 2022, Login.gov began offering state and local governments across the country the ability to use its services. Since then, the use of Login.gov has rapidly expanded across state government programs. Federal funding is not required for state and local governments to use Login.gov.

“Whether accessing state or federal government services, the public expects and deserves secure and easy ways to get what they need,” said Robin Carnahan, GSA Administrator. “Expanding adoption of Login.gov to more states is an opportunity to demonstrate that we can deliver on that expectation and is a priority for GSA and for the country.”

Here are just a few of Login.gov’s state-level success stories.

Partnering with California to modernize transit benefits

California was one of the first states to adopt Login.gov. Riders of Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) buses can use Login.gov to streamline access to discounted transit benefits for senior citizens and veterans through Cal-ITP Benefits , a web application designed to make bus and train transit simpler and more cost effective for California’s transit riders. 

The app’s integration with Login.gov enables transit riders to quickly and securely verify their eligibility online for discounted fare programs, including the Senior (age 65+) and Veteran Discount programs. Login.gov makes managing riders’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) simpler, as riders consent to sharing only the information they need to, and most riders verify their eligibility in five minutes or less.

Having proven its usefulness to riders of MST, the app is now available to riders of Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD). Cal-ITP is currently scoping implementing the service for 13 more transit operators in California (as well as others in South Carolina and Connecticut) to provide contactless payment and support reduced fares.

Gillian Gillett, chief of the Data and Digital Services Division of California’s Department of Transportation, said, “Cal-ITP is thrilled to partner with Login.gov on this project. Verification using Login.gov opens the door to delivering benefits digitally, making transit more accessible and welcoming to some of the people who need it most.” 

Jonathan Porat, California State CTO, also said, “I am proud of what we have already achieved with Login.gov, and for what’s ahead. We continue to lead the nation by using technology to simplify how we deliver services to Californians.”

Partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor to reduce fraud

Cash benefits, such as unemployment insurance, are particularly subject to identity fraud. To modernize and strengthen these systems against fraud, Login.gov partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance (UI) to provide identity verification services to states administering UI benefits. 

Arkansas was the first state to use Login.gov in its UI system, launching a pilot in 2022. The program was a success, leading to partnerships with other states: Hawaii, Utah, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and West Virginia. With the Department of Labor and Login.gov, these states were able to modernize their UI Systems to protect their programs against identity fraud while still ensuring access to Login.gov’s systems.

Providing an offline alternative through In-Person Proofing

Not every member of the public is able to verify their identity online, so Login.gov offers a unique alternative: In-Person Proofing (IPP) at a participating U.S. Postal Service (USPS) post office. Ninety-nine percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a participating USPS location. This allows Login.gov to make identity proofing as convenient as possible for as many people as possible. Thousands of USPS locations nationwide participate in Login.gov’s IPP program, making it one of the largest identity proofing programs of its kind.

How states and cities can use Login.gov

Login.gov aims to keep its services affordable while keeping them secure, and has just announced a new pricing model. Price scales are based on usage, making it easy to try Login for a limited use case or pilot. The authentication services are billed on a monthly-active user basis, and the identity verification pricing is based on a five-year “credential lifecycle” where the cost is effectively split across government agencies. 

State and city governments are eligible to partner with Login.gov through an Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (IGCA) agreement. If you’re unsure whether your project is eligible to use Login.gov or have any other questions about our services, contact our partnerships team at [email protected] .

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• Department for Transport

NTS 2023: Introduction and main findings

Published 28 August 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-travel-survey-2023/nts-2023-introduction-and-main-findings

About this release

The National Travel Survey ( NTS ) is a household survey of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain, from data collected via interviews and a 7-day travel diary, which enables analysis of patterns and trends. This release covers the main findings from these travel behaviours during 2023. During 2023, there were no longer any restrictions due to the pandemic, therefore these trends offer an insight into how personal travel compared to 2019.

NTS 2023 was the first year since 2019 to operate with a fully face-to-face data collection. The final response rate for NTS 2023 was 32%. This is an increase of one percentage point since NTS 2022 (31%). The number of households invited to take part in the NTS was increased in 2023. This means that the number of individuals responding was 74% higher than in 2022 (8,087 individuals), with 14,102 individuals participating in the survey in 2023. Please see our latest technical report for more details.

These are accredited official statistics and were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in September 2018. For more information, see the background information section.

Main findings

Average trips made by people living in england have increased by 6% in 2023 compared to 2022, however, trip rates remain lower than in 2019 (-4%) with 915 trips made on average in 2023..

There were increases in trip rates amongst private transport modes (such as car drivers, car passengers and motorcycles), and public transport modes (apart from buses in London which have remained similar to the previous year) in 2023. Trip rates for active transport modes such as walking and cycling have remained similar in 2023 compared to 2022. Trip rates for all transport modes were however still lower than 2019 (pre-pandemic) apart from walking and motorcycle trips.

Walking trips continued to show an increase of 5% compared to 2019 levels with 263 walking trips per person in 2023, similar to 2022 (267 trips per person). Where more than one transport mode is used within trips, 60% of these trips began with walking in 2023. Nearly all walks recorded in the NTS were under 5 miles in 2023 (99.8%). Most trips to and from school for trip length of under 1 mile were made by walking (80% for children aged 5 to 10 and 89% for children aged 11 to 16) in 2023. Average walking distance travelled was the highest on record since 2002 with 225 miles per person. In 2023, females of all ages made more walking trips on average and walked a greater distance than males, with the age group 30 to 39 making the most walking trips with 327 trips per person.

In 2023, average trips increased for both car drivers and passengers [footnote 1] to 363 trips per person and 185 trips per person respectively, however, these remained below pre-pandemic levels. Car driver was the most frequent mode to begin a trip, with 39% of trips. Females made more car trips than males, however, males made longer car journeys than females. Outside London, residents in England relied on cars for commuting, with 70% of commuting trips made by car by residents from urban areas outside London, and this increased to 81% by residents in rural areas (excluding London).

Half of public transport trips use a single mode of transport, the remaining half use more than one transport mode. Around 27% of multi-modal public transport trips in England involved more than one public transport mode. Average trips by buses outside London increased by 8% in 2023 compared to 2022 with 25 trips per person. This may have at least partially been impacted by the national £2 bus fare cap which came into effect on buses outside London from January 2023 under the previous government. Trip rates on London buses have remained similar in 2023 to 2022 with 14 trips per person. Trip rates on buses are however still lower than pre-pandemic levels. Secondary school children (aged 11 to 16) made 35% of trips to and from school which are 2 to under 5 miles in length by bus, and 47% of trips to and from school which are 5 miles and over in length by bus.

The most common trip purpose in 2023 was for shopping with 169 trips per person. Females aged 40 and over and males aged 60 and over made most of their trips for shopping in 2023. This was followed by commuting with 117 trips per person. Commuting accounted for the longest distance travelled with 1,055 miles per person.

COVID-19 and travel in 2023

The National Travel Survey has found that, broadly, personal travel increased in 2023 but had not returned to pre-pandemic trends. There were increases on many public transport modes such as buses outside London, London Underground and surface rail. Active transport modes (walking and cycling) remained fairly stable compared to 2022. This is consistent with Department for Transport’s COVID-19 transport use statistics which show that travel by various transport modes, whilst varying month-to-month, remained below the pre-pandemic reference point. Monthly domestic public transport use has grown during 2023, although it has remained below pre-pandemic levels.

Chart 1: Trends in trips taken, miles travelled, and hours spent travelling: Great Britain (1972 to 1988) and England (1989 to 2023) (NTS0101)

National Travel Survey mid-year estimates: year ending June 2023

A new statistical release showing mid-year estimates for the year ending June 2023 of travel behaviours by residents of England travelling within Great Britain have been published under the ‘official statistics in development’ label – formerly called experimental statistics. These mid-year estimates have been released in response to internal and external user demand and have focused on key indicators. Prior to the full annual statistics being published, these mid-year estimates show an early indication of trends within headline findings.

From the early 1970s to the early 2000s, the average distance people travelled per year increased, but the number of trips and time spent travelling stayed broadly the same. From then, miles travelled on average gradually declined, however the average number of trips per person and hours spent travelling remained broadly stable until 2019. In 2020 there was a sharp decline in average miles, trips and hours travelled compared to 2019, during a year when the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic resulted in restrictions on travel. In 2021, average miles travelled was the lowest on record and remained at a similar level to 2020. Since then, average miles travelled increased to 5,974 miles in 2023, but remained 8% lower than 2019. The average number of trips and time spent travelling also increased in 2023 compared to 2022.

Chart 2: Trends in trips taken, miles travelled and hours spent travelling: England, 2002 to 2023 (NTS0101)

People made 915 trips on average in 2023, or 18 trips a week. This was an increase of 6% compared to 2022 (862 trips on average), but was a decrease of 4% compared to 2019 (953 trips on average). People travelled on average 5,974 miles in 2023, a 11% increase compared to 2022 (5,373 miles on average) but a decrease of 8% compared to 2019 (6,500 miles on average). People spent 353 hours on average travelling in 2023, an increase of 9% compared to 2022 (324 hours on average) but a 5% decrease compared to 2019 (370 hours on average). This includes 22 minutes per cycling trip, 21 minutes per car driver trip and 18 minutes per walking trip, on average in 2023.

Background information

The 2023 National Travel Survey ( NTS ) is the latest in a series of household surveys of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain, from data collected via interviews and a 7-day travel diary. The NTS is part of a continuous survey that began in 1988, following ad-hoc surveys from the 1960s, which enables analysis of patterns and trends.

Some key uses of the data include describing patterns, for example how different groups of people travel, monitoring trends in travel, including sustainable modes; assessing the potential equality impacts of different groups; and contributing to the evaluation of policies.

We always welcome feedback to help ensure that the survey meets the needs of users, and any feedback provided will help inform the future design and development of the survey. If you have any feedback, please email [email protected] .

These official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in September 2018. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and are labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.

Further information is available, including:

data tables

notes and definitions

guidance and quality information

future developments

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All references to ‘car’ include a small number of vans.  ↩

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