It’s nearly summertime and you are planning a rightfully deserved week-long trip abroad . All of a sudden your heart sinks when you discover that your passport is about to expire and you have to pay an extra fee for expedited processing – and you still may not get it in time due to several big changes, some of which are already taking place. The Bureau of Consular Affairs warned that it is expecting an increase in passport applications through 2018. Make sure you submit your passport application well ahead of when you actually need it for international travel in order to avoid possible delays . More than 18 million passports were issued as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) in 2007. A decade later, they are now about to expire. There has already been an increased demand for passport renewals. This is a new driver’s license with enhanced security features such as machine-readable technology . People holding new driver’s licenses and ID cards from m