Rubio says Americans will be able to apply for passports online next year through new portal

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that a new government portal will make it easier for Americans to apply for their first passport online and the new feature is expected to roll out next year. The new method will be part of America.gov, a new government chatbot powered by artificial intelligence, which will allow the public to research federal services and make it easier to navigate the government. 
The launch was part of a day-long event featuring Cabinet members and tech executives, including Rubio, who derided the previous process for applying and obtaining a passport.
“I think you would agree that American citizens deserve better than this, and that’s why the State Department is partnering with America.gov to rebuild the entire thing from the ground up, and it begins with something pretty remarkable,” Rubio said during his presentation, according to The Hill. “Starting next year, Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online.”
Rubio said an applicant will be able to type “How do I apply for my first passport?” into the search bar of the America.gov website. From there, people can take their own passport photo, see an example of how it will look on the document and pay for it.
Americans currently have to fill out a form online and print it, provide evidence of U.S. citizenship, provide a photo ID and provide one photo of themselves and bring it to a passport acceptance facility for approval, according to the State Department.
Joe Gebbia, the chief design officer of the United States and architect of the new website, described the website to Fox News on Monday as a “concierge to navigate government.” 
“Don’t think of it as a website, it’s more of a conversation that you start with the government to try to get access to the answers you need,” Gebbia said. 
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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