In addition, a "no-fee" stamp is placed at the bottom of page 1 of the passport. Fee passports without any special limitation are issued to seamen for personal travel. Peace Corps Volunteers and Dependents Peace Corps volunteers, who, by law, include volunteers and volunteer leaders, are considered employees of the United States for the purpose of exemption from passport fees.19 These individuals and their dependents use applications specially prepared by the Peace Corps which contain the following statement: This is an applicant for the Peace Corps. Section 5(h) of the Peace Corps Act, as amended, permits passports to be issued for Peace Corps Volunteers without payment of the $10 issuance fee. Only State officials may charge an execution fee. When executed, the application should be forwarded in accordance with existing instructions concerning regular passports. (signed) Chief, Transportation Peace Corps volunteer personnel and their dependents are issued no-fee regular passports limited to 3 years from the date of issue with a “no-fee" stamp at the bottom of page one. Department of Defense Invitational Orders A policy of the Passport Office since World War II (1941-1945) has been to issue limited no-fee regular passports with special endorsement of individuals traveling abroad for the specific purpose of entertaining and aiding the morale of U.S. servicemen. To qualify for this no-fee regular passport, professional entertainers must submit with their application a form letter of authorization (AGMZ FL 115) from the Office of the Adjutant General, Department of the Army. During World War II, the Army issued a "Certificate of Identity of Noncombatant" to individuals entertaining troops abroad. (Exhibit 65) Clergymen, sports clinic personnel, and military athletes must submit with their applications a copy of DD Form 1056 showing status and travel plans. A letter from the proper official giving the same information as the form is also acceptable. 19 22 USC 2504(h). There are also other categories of persons entitled to no-fee regular passports: employees of Department of Defense nonappropriated fund instrumentalities and their dependents; persons traveling on invitational orders to participate in a courtmartial; next-of-kin of servicemen wounded or ill abroad; traveling on invitational orders and employees of the United Seamen's Service. Courier Passports The Department of State formerly issued travel documents known as "courier passports" to employees traveling abroad with official dispatches for the U.S. Government. (Exhibits 66 and 67) This practice was discontinued in 1918. Today Department of State couriers are issued diplomatic passports. All other official couriers and military couriers of the United States receive official passports with an endorsement indicating that they have in their possession official government material. |