Five Nations Passport Group

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Five Nations Passport Group
Five Nations.png
Five Nations shown in dark blue
Members

The Five Nations Passport Group is an international forum for the passport-issuing authorities of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States to share best practices in the issuance, development, and management of passports. [1] [2] The annual Five Nations Passport Conference is a largely informal in-person meeting between officials of the participating agencies, with some additional invited guests such as the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2011. It has taken place since at least as far back as 2004. [3]

Contents

The member states' issuing authorities are comparable to each other: their passport issuance systems are mostly centralised and their service channels are similar to each other. [4] None of the Five Nations countries has a compulsory identity management system, which means that citizens' personal information is not available in a central citizenship database or registry. [4]

Participating issuing authorities

The agency that participates in the Five Nations Passport Group for each state is their relevant passport-issuing authority:

Passport specifications

Unlike EU passports, which follow a common format, Five Nations passports develop through the sharing of best practices and information relating to the development of passports. However, all Five Nations passports are biometric and machine-readable, and B7 sized (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3, 88 mm × 125 mm).[ citation needed ]

Generally, Five Nations passport holders have access to each other's automated border control systems. Currently, all Five Nations passport holders have access to Australia and New Zealand's SmartGate system [5] and the UK's ePassport gates. [6] Similarly, British passport holders [lower-alpha 1] have access to the US's Global Entry programme, while Canadians have access to the NEXUS programme. [7] Australia is also planning to participate in Global Entry. [8]

Passport circulation

The numbers of Five Nations passports in circulation are:

See also

Notes

  1. Restricted to citizens of the United Kingdom only
  2. Includes United States passport cards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passport</span> Documents for international travel issued by national governments.

A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid and protection, and obtain consular assistance from their government. In addition to facilitating travel, passports are a key mechanism for border security and regulating migration; they may also serve as official identification for various domestic purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border control</span> Measures taken to regulate the movement of goods and people across borders

Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it also encompasses controls imposed on internal borders within a single state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travel visa</span> Authority to enter, stay in, or exit a territory

A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.

Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such legal status is known as a permanent resident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement</span> Arrangement between Australia and New Zealand

The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement (TTTA) is an arrangement between Australia and New Zealand which allows for the free movement of citizens of one of these countries to the other. The arrangement came into effect in 1973, and allows citizens of each country to reside and work in the other country indefinitely, with some restrictions. Other details of the arrangement have varied over time. From 1 July 1981, all people entering Australia have been required to carry a passport. Since 1 September 1994, Australia has had a universal visa requirement, and to specifically cater for the continued free movement of New Zealanders to Australia the Special Category Visa was introduced for New Zealanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Certificate of identity</span> Travel document issued by a country to non-citizens

A certificate of identity, sometimes called an alien's passport, is a travel document issued by a country to non-citizens residing within their borders who are stateless persons or otherwise unable to obtain a passport from their state of nationality. Some states also issue certificates of identity to their own citizens as a form of emergency passport or otherwise in lieu of a passport. The visa requirements of certificates of identity may be different from those of regular passports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport</span> Passport issued to permanent residents of Hong Kong who are Chinese citizens

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. In accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, since the handover in 1997, the passport has been issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong under the authorisation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. As the official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, the passport is printed bilingually in both Chinese and English. In addition, unlike Chinese passport which can be issued by Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, the Immigration Department of Hong Kong is the only issuing authority for HKSAR passports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States passport</span> Passports issued to U.S. nationals

United States passports are passports issued to citizens and non-citizen nationals of the United States of America. They are issued exclusively by the U.S. Department of State. Besides passports, limited-use passport cards are issued subject to the same requirements. It is unlawful for US citizens and nationals to enter or exit the country without a valid US passport or passport-replacement document compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, though there are many exceptions; waivers are generally granted for U.S. citizens returning without a passport, and the exit requirement is not enforced. As of June 2024, a United States passport allows visa-free travel to 189 countries and territories, being ranked as the seventh most powerful in the world in terms of travel freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian passport</span> Passport issued to citizens of Canada

A Canadian passport is the passport issued to citizens of Canada. It enables the bearer to enter or re-enter Canada freely; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Australia</span> Policy on permits required to enter Australia and its external territories

The visa policy of Australia deals with the requirements that a foreign national wishing to enter Australia must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the United States</span> Policy on permits required to enter the United States and its unincorporated territories

Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travel document</span> Identity document issued by a government or international entity

A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the bearer may return to the issuing country, and are often issued in booklet form to allow other governments to place visas as well as entry and exit stamps into them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand passport</span> Passport

New Zealand passports are issued to New Zealand citizens for the purpose of international travel by the Department of Internal Affairs. New Zealand has a passport possession rate of around 70% of the population and there are around 2.9 million New Zealand passports in circulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">APEC Business Travel Card</span> Travel document

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is a travel document issued to business travellers who are citizens of APEC participating economies. Valid for five years, the card eliminates the need for its holder to possess a visa when visiting other APEC participating economies as long as pre-clearance has been obtained during the application process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa requirements for Pakistani citizens</span> Entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Pakistan

Visa requirements for Pakistani citizens are the requirements by other countries to obtain a visa before entry on an ordinary Pakistani Passport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British National (Overseas) passport</span> British passport for persons with BN(O) status

The British National (Overseas) passport, commonly referred to as the BN(O) passport, is a British passport for people with British National (Overseas) status. BN(O) status was created in 1987 after the enactment of Hong Kong Act 1985, whose holders are permanent residents of Hong Kong who were British Overseas Territories citizens until 30 June 1997 and had registered as BN(O)s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the United Kingdom</span> Policy on permits required to enter the United Kingdom and the Crown dependencies

The visa policy of the United Kingdom is the policy by which His Majesty's Government determines visa requirements for visitors to the United Kingdom, and the Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man and those seeking to work, study or reside there.

Biometrics refers to the automated recognition of individuals based on their biological and behavioral characteristics, not to be confused with statistical biometrics; which is used to analyse data in the biological sciences. Biometrics for the purposes of identification may involve DNA matching, facial recognition, fingerprints, retina and iris scanning, voice analysis, handwriting, gait, and even body odor.

The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries' ordinary passports for their citizens. It was launched in 2005 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index and was updated to Henley Passport Index in January 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated border control system</span> Type of automated self-service barrier

Automated border control systems (ABC) or eGates are automated self-service barriers which use data stored in a chip in biometric passports along with a photo or fingerprint taken at the time of entering the eGates to verify the passport holder's identity. Travellers undergo biometric verification using facial or iris recognition, fingerprints, or a combination of modalities. After the identification process is complete and the passport holder's identity is verified, a physical barrier such as a gate or turnstile opens to permit passage. If the passport holder's identification is not verified or if the system malfunctions, then the gate or turnstile does not open and an immigration officer will meet the person. E-gates came about in the early 2000s as an automated method of reading the then-newly ICAO mandated e-passports.

References

  1. Passport Canada: International comparison of passport-issuing authorities Archived September 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Accountant profile – Adeel". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  3. "Five Nations Passport Group meetings - a Freedom of Information request to HM Passport Office". 26 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 "International Comparison of Passport-Issuing Authorities" (PDF). Canada.ca. March 2012. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  5. "Smartgates". www.abf.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  6. "ePassport gates to ease travel for passengers from more countries". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  7. "Eligibility for Global Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection". www.cbp.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  8. "US Global Entry trial for Australian citizens to start in 2019". Executive Traveller. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  9. Office, Australian Passport (2018-03-02). "2019-20 Passport Facts". Australian Passport Office. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  10. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2020-02-04). "Passport Program Annual Report for 2017 to 2018". aem. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  11. Observatory of Public Sector Innovation: "Online Passport Renewal Service (ORS)". OECD. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  12. "FOICR 57241 Luke Lo final response" (PDF). 11 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  13. Passport Statistics. U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 6 March 2021.