US Passport Power Falls to Historic Low

How “Passport Power” Is Measured

• Index is criticized as “silly” for counting every destination equally: China = St. Kitts, Tuvalu = France.
• Many argue for weighted metrics: by population, GDP, tourism desirability, or how many other countries that country lets in visa‑free.
• Others defend equal weighting as more “bias‑free,” though critics respond that this is still a bias and misrepresents practical value.

Alternative Metrics People Propose

• Weight countries that are generally restrictive (US, China, ECOWAS) more than those that admit almost everyone (small island states).
• Add “settlement freedom”: right to live and work elsewhere (e.g., EU, Schengen, Common Travel Area), which would push EU passports to the top.
• Tourism desirability index: Maldives, Iceland, Jamaica, etc., should count more than large but less‑visited countries.
• Several suggest multiple indexes instead of one “best passport.”

Visa-Free vs Visas, eVisas, and ETAs

• The ranking mostly counts visa‑free access; many see little difference between eVisa/ETA and a visa if you must apply, pay, and risk denial.
• Others note ETAs/ESTAs are far easier than full consular visas, which require in‑person visits and more scrutiny.
• Some point out growing use of ETAs/eVisas globally reduces “pure” visa‑free travel for everyone.

Concrete Reasons for US Rank Drop (Per Thread)

• Cited changes: loss of visa‑free access to Brazil; US exclusion from China’s new visa‑free list; adjustments by Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Somalia, Vietnam; UK’s new ETA.
• Net effect: many other passports gain new visa‑free entries while the US largely stays the same.

Value of US Citizenship Beyond the Index

• Several note the index ignores core benefits of citizenship: home residence rights, work rights abroad (where applicable), and consular protection.
• Some perceive a decline in US “soft power”: more hostility toward Americans, less embassy effectiveness, and less desirability as a marriage/relocation partner.

Dual Citizenship and Second Passports

• Article’s claim that “dual citizenship is the new American dream” is contested as out of touch: ordinary people find extra citizenships hard to obtain.
• Others counter that dual citizenship is increasingly socially accepted (normalized) even if rare, and many Americans have access via ancestry or long residence abroad.
• Debate includes whether academic and legal experts are generalizing from wealthy clients.

Geopolitics, Reciprocity, and US Decline Narratives

• Some tie the ranking drop to broader geopolitical shifts: less fear of US retaliation, more insistence on reciprocity, and tensions with China.
• Others argue the article/metric overstates decline; in practice, where US travelers needed visas before (e.g., China, Vietnam), they still do.
• Thread splits between “US is falling apart / chickens coming home to roost” and pushback that this is hyperbolic and not reflected in markets or day‑to‑day reality.

Experiences at Borders and Practical Mobility

• Multiple anecdotes describe unpleasant US border control, sometimes enough to deter voluntary travel.
• Some emphasize that, legally, US citizens cannot be permanently barred from re‑entry, but note that harassment, delays, and intimidation at the border are still significant risks.
• Paid fast‑track programs (Global Entry, TSA PreCheck) are seen as creating a wealth‑based divide in travel experience.

Index Design Quirks and Miscellaneous Points

• More destinations than passports because territories (e.g., Puerto Rico, Greenland, British islands) are counted separately from their parent states’ passports.
• Another index (cited in thread) explicitly combines travel freedom with settlement freedom and produces different rankings.
• Some question whether the index accounts for the higher likelihood that US citizens who apply for visas are actually approved, even where visa‑free access doesn’t exist.