Passports as of Jan 2007

[mark]

Well looks as though the USCIS dont even trust their own any more



Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 22, 2006



Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007



The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that the requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere will begin on January 23, 2007.

This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. These new travel document requirements make up the Departments' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). In order to obtain national security benefits as quickly as possible, and to expedite the processing of arriving passengers, the plan will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase involves travel by air and requires all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States from within the Western Hemisphere. The final rule for the air phase of the WHTI rule will be published in the Federal Register on November 24, where it can be viewed at www.regulations.gov . That rule is also available on the Department's consular web site, travel.state.gov and on the Department of Homeland Security's web site, www.dhs.gov.

A separate proposed rule addressing land and sea travel will be published at a later date proposing specific requirements for travelers entering the United States through land and sea border crossings. As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea could be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible.

The Department has dedicated additional resources and personnel to meet the increased demand for passports generated by these requirements. In Fiscal Year 2006, the Department issued a record 12.1 million passports to American citizens, and anticipates issuing 16 million passports in Fiscal Year 2007. U.S. citizens can find information about how to apply for a passport at travel.state.gov or by calling 1-877-487-2778.

[floridapete]

Can some well-read American please tell me what they understand as 'the Western Hemisphere' ?

Where does that hemisphere (which must be half of a sphere - i.e. half of the World) begin and end ?

My knowedge of world geography would lead me to believe that the 'western hemisphere' starts at O degree latitude (Greenwich) and extends to 180 degree lat. which will be somewhere in the middle of the Pacific 0cean where the international date line is.

So what happened to the rest of the world i.e. 'the Eastern Hemisphere' in Americaspeak ? What is going to happen to Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, China etc. etc. Don't they figure in this ruling ?

Of course, the Americans may be teaching from a totally different Globe in their schools - wouldn't surprise me a bit ! ;)

[Jessica H]

This act was actually passed at least a year ago, as part of the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative." The spokesman's note is actually a little confusing.

Until January 2007, folks have been able to travel by air between the US and "western countries" such as Mexico, Canada, certain parts of Latin America and a good deal of the Caribbean (Dom Rep, Bahamas, Bermuda) with just a driver's license. The new change means that USC's must have a passport to travel to these places just as they would anywhere else in the world.

However, a USC will NOT need a passport to travel between the US and Puerto Rico.

For and example of current travel, look at the Dominican Republic. Right now, you need only a birth certificate/U.S. driver's license to gain entry to the DR. However, many folks are having problems leaving the DR w/o a passport. People have been denied access to the plane's gate because they didn't have one, and sometimes are delayed 10-15 days in the DR sorting out a passport with the US Embassy. With illegal immigration and identity fraud on the rise from many of these countries, including Canada, customs wants to make sure that you really are a USC when you come home.

Yes, part of this is a reaction to 9/11, though there have been other issues.
I feel that one of the biggest concerns for the US and Caribbean has involved children. I had a client who wanted to invest in the DR, but the attorneys strongly suggested that both parent and child get passports first, as many single parents with kids are detained prior to leaving the the island. This is because child abductions in the Caribbean and Latin America have been on the rise. They want a passport to prove you are the child's parent.

If we had an organization similar to the EU (not that I'm suggesting America and it's surrounding countries did neccessarily), then we could all have common passports/ID's. As we do not, I actually think it makes sense that we have get them. Perhaps this will help curtail illegal immigration, as many people get easy access into the States with a bogus driver's license or birth certificate. As far as the document requirement goes for driving to and from Canada and Mexico, having a bordercrossing ID card has been proposed, which would be cheaper than a passport and more easily obtainable for the thousands of people who drive to and from those countries on a regular basis.

Just a few thoughts...

Anyway, off to Ohio to visit the family for Christmas. Have a very merry one, Everyone!