PICA Encourages Jamaicans in the Diaspora to Apply for Their e-Passport

The Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) is encouraging Jamaicans in the diaspora to apply for their e-passport.

An e-passport is issued to citizens applying for a new passport, renewal of a previously issued passport and replacement of a current passport.

Director, Passport Services at PICA, Stephanie Gordon, explained that the e-passport is still a physical passport.

“The e-passport is really one that is much more secure. It contains a microchip which carries your passport information. So, what you have in your passport data page, that is the page you see with your name, date of birth, and all of that, is also contained on a microchip,” Ms. Gordon stated.

“People may ask, why do I need to get this passport? It adds a layer of security to your passport, so if someone gets a hold of your passport as sometimes things happen and we lose our passport travelling or sometimes we misplace it, you have an added layer of security, so persons can’t easily alter your passport and change your information,” she added.

Ms. Gordon was speaking during a luncheon Plenary at the 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, being held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James, on Tuesday (June 18).

She noted that “the chip contains your information, once it is personalised, so it is an added layer of security and makes your passport less susceptible to fraud”.

Ms. Gordon further stated that the use of e-passports makes it easier for persons to clear immigration at the airports.

“There are still a number of our Jamaicans who live overseas who are still holding on to the old manual passport, that’s the fancy blue one that some of us love. So, the e-passport facilitates the use of the kiosks and our e-gates. So, for those who are here, we are still open for you to come and have your passport renewed and even after you leave, if you were not prepared to do it here, you can still send your application through our overseas Mission,” she noted.

On March 31, 2023, PICA went live with a new high-security electronic or e-passport document to the public.

The Agency has been taking steps over the years to secure Jamaica’s passport as part of its efforts to safeguard the identity of Jamaicans and the Jamaican travel document, and the e-passport is the latest initiative in that regard.