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New
Passport Rules Take Effect for Travelers to United States |
Posted:
01.22.07
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In an effort to increase border security, the United States is
changing the rules for those traveling in the Western Hemisphere
-- now they'll need passports.
Printer-friendly version: PDF
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 The
new passport rules go into effect Tuesday for all air travelers
entering the United States. In the past many travelers coming
from Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean destinations only needed
a driver's license and sometimes a birth certificate to enter
the country.
Now they'll need a passport.
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New rules |
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It's all part of what is being called the Western Hemisphere
travel initiative, part of legislation passed by Congress in 2004
in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and recommended
by the 9/11 commission, a group that analyzed the U.S. response
to the attacks.
And air travel is just the beginning. By June 2009, people entering
the country by land and sea also will be required to have passports.
 The
original date had been June 2008 but Congress delayed the start
to allow the installation of technology to read passports at all
U.S. border crossings.
The government has proposed creating a new card that could be
used for land and sea entry into the United States, but the decision
has not been finalized. At $45 for adults and $35 for children,
the card would be cheaper than a passport, which costs $97 for
adults and $82 for children.
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Tourism worries |
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Tourism experts worry that confusion about the new rules and
the high cost of getting a passport will keep some travelers at
home.
"There's a lot of confusion," Monica Vejar Corona,
a spokeswoman for the tourist agency in Baja California, Mexico's
northernmost state, told the San Diego Union Tribune.
One confused American is Russell Black, a Minnesota kayaker who
canceled a trip to Canada after learning he would need a passport.
 "I
don't even know what the process is," Black told USA Today.
"I don't want to get out there and get caught without a passport.
I'm unclear about the rules. I just know enough to make me nervous."
Black is not alone in not having a passport.
According to the U.S. State Department, the agency charged with
processing passports, about 73 million U.S. citizens -- less than
a third of the population -- currently hold valid passports.
But record numbers of Americans are applying for passports as
the deadline looms. The State Department processed 12.1 million
passports in 2006 and expects to process up to 18 million this
year.
One area that is expected to be hit hard by the new rules is
Caribbean destinations like Jamaica, where 73 percent of tourists
are Americans, and the Bahamas, where Americans make up 87 percent
of visitors.
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Some tourism
winners |
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While some travel destination spots in the Caribbean and elsewhere
are offering incentives, such as free spa days, rebates on passport
fees or free nights at their hotels, other destinations expect
to see an increase in bookings.
 Places
such as Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S.
territories and, therefore, do not require a passport from Americans.
These places are spending a lot of money to advertise themselves
as "no-passport destinations" in the U.S. market.
Megan Ziemba, a bride-to-be, ended up choosing Puerto Rico over
other Caribbean destinations for her upcoming wedding.
"We have a lot of family coming down and I know they don't
have passports," the 27 year old told the Associated Press.
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Getting a
passport |
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If you need a passport, the State Department recommends starting
the process early. Applying for a passport takes six to eight
weeks and may take even longer as the number of applications increases.
First-time passport seekers need to apply in person at passport
centers or one of the 9,000 individual sites set up at post offices
and libraries. The State Department Web site lists locations:
http://travel.state.gov/.
All children under age 14 must apply in person, usually with
one or both parents.
--Compiled
by Annie Schleicher for NewsHour Extra
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