State Dept. proposes “Biographical Questionnaire” for passport applicants - Incredibly Intrusive

[Oilwellian]

The U.S. Department of State is proposing a new Biographical Questionnaire for passport applicants. The proposed new Form DS-5513 asks for all addresses since birth; lifetime employment history including employers’ and supervisors names, addresses, and telephone numbers; personal details of all siblings; mother’s address one year prior to your birth; any “religious ceremony” around the time of birth; and a variety of other information. According to the proposed form, “failure to provide the information requested may result in … the denial of your U.S. passport application.”

The proposed “Biographical Questionnaire” follows the introduction in December 2010 of a new Form DS-11 for all passport applicants. It seems likely that only some, not all, applicants will be required to fill out the new questionnaire, but no criteria have been made public for determining who will be subjected to these additional new written interrogatories.

It’s not clear from the supporting statement, statement of legal authorities, or regulatory assessment submitted by the State Department to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) why declining to discuss one’s siblings or to provide the phone number of your first supervisor when you were a teenager working at McDonalds would be a legitimate basis for denial of a passport to a U.S. citizen.

OMB is accepting comments on this proposal for 60 days, which began February 14, 2010, and thus should run through April 15, 2011. Details and instructions for submitting comments are in the Federal Register notice.

[Newsjock]

1. Disgusting

Then again, Red America won't travel to those damned socialist "furrin' countries" anyway, so they don't think they need one of those liberal elitist passport things.

But just wait till everyone needs to show a passport to avoid a full search at the immigration control checkpoints on the highways.

[GReedDiamond]

2. I would not even be able to come up with...

...all of the answers to questions about every employer I had, their and their supervisor's names, addresses, etc. I don't even know the address of the first residence I lived in as an infant, I only know the name of the city. And these: "mother's address one year prior to your birth; any 'religious ceremony' around the time of birth," are you fucking kidding?

The site at the link provided looks legit, and the link from that site to their affiliated 501(c)(3), The First Amendment Project, at http://www.thefirstamendment.org/about.html, does so as well.

More police state crazy comin' at ya, more "change."

[Tunkamerica]

3. I agree. I can barely remember the street I lived on 2 years ago.

Addresses and names of employers are gone. I only remember things that are important to me and previous bosses are not.

[Raine]

4. Geeesh who the hell could provide all that crap

I know I couldn't, both my parents are dead so no one to even ask! :wtf:

[GReedDiamond]

5. Yeah, I hope this turns out to be a hoax...

...because it's way over the top, change-wise.

Edited for typo.

[JCMach1]

6. Filling out some embassy paperwork embassy, they required me to fill-in dates and locations of every

foreign trip since I was born. I travel a lot. so you can imagin... not only that had to rely on memory... some serious harassment involved in this kind of BS.

[hlthe2b]

7. How many people could actually do this?

I lived in so many places growing up have no records of supervisors or addresses for early jobs--couldn't remember their names if I tried.

Is this a joke? For those who have gone through Fed security clearances, this strikes me as more detailed than what was asked. Good God.