SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The U.S. Department of State will host a tour of the future site of the San Diego Passport Agency on August 10, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. PDT. Anticipated guests include U.S. Representative Susan Davis (D-CA-53rd), representatives from other district congressional offices, and the General Services Administration. The San Diego Passport Agency is scheduled to open to the public in the spring of 2011.
“I’m very excited about expanding our presence to the San Diego area,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services Brenda S. Sprague. “As passports are required for cross-border travel to Mexico, the new agency will help us better serve U.S. citizens in the region and create jobs and contribute to the local economy.”
Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the San Diego Passport Agency will be centrally located downtown in Columbia Center at 401 West A Street, making it easily accessible by public transportation. The new agency will be capable of issuing U.S. passport books and passport cards onsite for U.S. citizens who plan to travel within 14 days.
The San Diego Passport Agency’s proximity to San Diego International Airport and the U.S.-Mexico border will help facilitate the travel needs of local residents affected by the border-crossing requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which went into full effect June 2009.
Media members interested in covering the August 10 event are asked to contact Howard Josephs at the Los Angeles Passport Agency at 202-834-9865.
For general passport information, to schedule an appointment at one of our other passport agencies, or to the check the status of a passport application, please contact the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TTY at 1-888-874-7793. You may also visit our website at www.travel.state.gov.
