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Passport regulations to change in January
By Ryan Boetel
Daily Nebraskan (U. Nebraska)
11/02/2006

(U-WIRE) LINCOLN, Neb. — The frustrations of international travel continue to grow.

Starting Jan. 8, 2007, U.S. citizens will be required to have passports when traveling to nearby countries that have not required passports in the past.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 is the reason for the tighter security for international travelers. Currently, U.S. citizens are allowed to travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Panama and the Caribbean without their passports, but that is soon to change.

As the deadline approaches, AAA officials are advising international travelers to take steps to make sure they are allowed to travel.

"The law hasn't been very well-communicated to the public," said Shannon Mullen, a travel and sales agent for AAA, from her Omaha office on Wednesday.

Mullen said she doesn't think the government has been informing the public of how the new regulations will affect traveling.

To help future travelers, AAA is holding free seminars at its Nebraska locations to help inform the public of what they can expect when traveling. Lincoln's office is holding its seminar on Nov. 18, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The organization will also be taking passport pictures for free.

"We are very proactive in making our clients aware of the circumstances," Mullen said.

Mullen said people who plan vacations by themselves might have problems.

Because of the recent demand for passports, applying for one is taking longer than it has in recent years.

Mullen said two months is the minimum someone should expect to wait for a passport, but it could potentially take nearly half a year.

A passport costs $67 for adults, $52 for children 16 and younger, plus a $30 processing fee per applicant as well as $60 express mail charges for rushed delivery.

Christa Joy, the director of study abroad programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said UNL students studying abroad shouldn't have any problems next semester.

"We have always recommended getting passports when traveling internationally," Joy said. "It is always easier in Mexico if you have a passport."

Copyright ©2006 Daily Nebraskan via UWire



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