Demand for passports

[DebbieM]

As I have contacted Snr Matinez office I have been put on his mailing list and have just picked up the following off of his weekly news letter.

Appears that heaven forbid, the delays should stop USC's travel plans, a temporary fix has been put in place. Compasionate Visa?????

Deb


Summer Travel Reminder


Passport Rules have changed for U.S. citizens traveling to certain countries.

In the face of record-breaking demand for passports, there have been longer than expected processing times of passport applications. As a result, the United States Government recently announced an accommodation for air travel. U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received, passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government-issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through Sept. 30, 2007.

For more detailed information, do not hesitate to contact our Office or visit the relevant U.S. Department of State Web page at www.travel.state.gov.

[chris]

A true tale of the big bully getting it's way every time. I am sure that if the UK was having probs issuing passports the USA would simply turn around UK folks at the airport with a flea in their ear. Yet the USA because of their incompetence expect outlying countries to allow US folks in without proper passports. Sucks!!!!:fit: :fit: :fit: :fit:

[blytht]

A true tale of the big bully getting it's way every time. I am sure that if the UK was having probs issuing passports the USA would simply turn around UK folks at the airport with a flea in their ear. Yet the USA because of their incompetence expect outlying countries to allow US folks in without proper passports. Sucks!!!!:fit: :fit: :fit: :fit:

A bit harsh?? The UK did have problems issuing the biometric passports and were given an extension to comply..............

You have to show proof that you have applied for a passport and have government issued id.
This shows that the US can admit its failing, its not asking for a worldwide travel exception for USC, just those countries stated. I think this type of
admittance of failure is good to quote that the US government have failings!!!!
Hopefully this will make them examine there processes more closely, and except they have other areas that need addressing also.

Who knows it could be the start of a top down review of all immigration.

Its worth hoping.....

[Susie]

Thanks for sharing Debbie

This is one thing I could not get to grips with. Everyone needs a passport to travel to abroad so how come Americans could travel without a passport till now?

See even more backloggs as a result

[chris]

For many years the Americans have been able to vacation in Mexico, the Caribbean, on the fringes of continental US all on a US Drivers license. Those countries have never waived the big stick and demanded that travellers from the US have anything more. That's because of the dosh the Americans spend in those places.
This new requirement for the Americans travelling there to have passports has not been driven by those countries BUT by the US itself , which through its paranoia has now decided that Americans need a passport NOT necessarily to travel to another country but to get back in their own country. So its not an exit document, more an re-entry document.
As is usual here, there is always a knee jerk reaction to everything and as expected the US Passport Dept has been inundated with Amercians wanting a passport. So now the US Govt in its usual good spirit to all mankind, has determined that they don't need as much ID for the time being to travel to said countries.
Were it not for the fact these countries rely so heavily on the US Tourist dollar, I would have loved for them to use this as a golden opportunity to give the US a taste of its own medicine, but they won't for financial reasons. When the US first announced this passport measure, so worried were the resorts by this, that many of the resorts in those countries offered to pay the Americans for the cost in getting their passports!!!
Still sucks:fit: :fit: :fit: :fit: :fit: