Expedited Passports

The debate over the State Department’s proposed fee hike for passport services continues, with lawmakers and State Department officials arguing back and forth about whether the new fees are justified, especially given the current state of the economy.

The LA Times notes that if the increases happen, the passport application fee will be more than double what it was in 2002.  New York Representative Chris Lee notes that the increase may not seem like that much for an individual to pay,  but would have a big impact on families, with a family of four paying around $500 just to apply for passports. The LA Times also interviewed Representative Brian Higgins, who did not mince words-he called the increase flat-out “immoral.”

In the articleBrenda Sprague, deputy assistant secretary of State for passport affairs, claims that the price hike is justified:

“We have a strong, defensible position for increasing the fees.” Costs have been rising, she said, as high-tech features make passports more expensive to produce and the department adds facilities to meet growing demand. By 2011, she said, the department expects to be operating 28 passport facilities, up from 13 just five years ago.

Other factors that were taken into account were the costs of providing services to US passport holders, including extending a helping hand to Americans who get in a jam overseas.

What do you think? Considering the services that the State Department provides passport holders, is it worth it to charge extra passport fees and to start adding charges for passport services that used to be free, like adding visa pages?

Whatever your opinion is, let us know in the comments and then go tell the US Department of State before the comment period is up on March 11th.

After the comment period ends, the new prices will probably be in place within weeks. We’ll keep an eye on the story and provide updates as it develops, but in the meantime, if you don’t want to pay the extra fees, you’d probably best go ahead and apply for passport services now.

It may still be cold and gloomy outside in many parts of the country, but make no mistake: spring is coming! That means it’s time to start planning for Spring Break.  And if your Spring Break plans are taking you outside of the country, you may need to get a passport.

To help you with your travel plans, here are the passport requirements for some of the more popular spring break travel destinations:

Mexico

Warm blue water,  gorgeous beaches and margaritas galore-what more could you want in a spring break destination? You probably need to get a passport before you can go party in Cancun, though.  For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

US Citizens Visiting Mexico Face New Passport Requirements

Canada

If you prefer skiing and other winter sports to lazing around on the beach, Canada has some excellent ski resorts.  Most trips to Canada will require a passport.  For details of Canada’s passport requirements, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

Europe

If you have the funds, springtime is one of the best times to visit Europe. The weather is nice, and because “high season” for travel to most European destinations is in the summer, visiting Europe in the spring means you get lower prices and fewer crowds.

Travel to Europe always and without exception requires a US passport.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean is another great place to go for a laid-back vacation filled with sun and sand.  However, most Caribbean travelers will need to get a passport before they leave.  For details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Cruises

A spring break cruise allows you to easily visit many different destinations for a great price.  Passport requirements for cruises depend on where you go. For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go On a Cruise?

If you need to get a passport for Spring Break, you’d better hurry-you don’t have much time. Regular passport processing can take at least 6 weeks. The government’s expedited processing option takes 2 to 3 weeks and costs an additional $60 plus overnight delivery fees.

If you need to get  a passport sooner than that, the most convenient way  is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  An expediting company will deliver your documents to directly to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Get a passport today!

If you think it’s expensive to get a passport now, just wait…earlier this month, the Department of State filed a proposal in the Federal Register to significantly increase passport fees to help pay for the services it provides. If you don’t want to pay the increased costs, you’d better apply for a passport, quick!

Here are the proposed changes, according to the LA Times:

Currently, it costs an adult $100 to apply for a new passport and $75 to renew a passport by mail. For a child under the age of 16, it costs $85. Under the Department of State’s proposal, a new adult passport would cost $135, while an adult passport renewal would cost $110. A child passport would cost $105.

Even more striking, the Department of State plans to begin charging to add visa pages to the back of passports. Currently, this service is performed free of charge, but under the proposal it would cost a whopping $82!

The new fee structure is not set in stone yet, but according to the LA Times the Department of State plans to move as fast as possible to begin charging the fees after the 3o-day public comment period is over.

Lawmakers in border states, like New York, are protesting the proposed increase because they depend heavily on tourism.  For example, WMBW.com quotes New York Congressman Chris Lee:

“These costs are too high. It’s going to further dampen our ability to increase traffic across our border. In just the past year alone, the tour bus traffic is down by more than 10 percent because the government imposed their new restrictions on the border that requires a passport.”

Concerned about passport cost increases?  The proposal is open for public comment until March 8th or 9th. You can put your two cents in here.

If you need to renew your passport, get a new one or just add some pages to the back, it seems like a good idea to apply for your new passport quick, before the price goes up. If you can get your passport before the increase goes into effect, it will be good for 10 years.

RushMyPassport can help you through the application process, providing easy to follow instructions that make the process go more smoothly and help you avoid common mistakes that can delay your application. And if you need your passport in a hurry, we offer processing times as low as 24 hours.

Don’t wait-Apply for your passport, quick, today!

Cruises have become an increasingly popular way to travel.  In fact, per Wikipedia, the American cruise industry has added nine cruise ships each year since 2001. In 2010, over $18 million American passengers are expected to spend $27 billion on cruising.

One reason that cruises are so popular is that booking a cruise can seem much less daunting than planning a similar vacation on your own.  However, you do need make sure that you have all the necessary travel documents for your cruise, or you may find yourself watching forlornly as your ship leaves port without you.

Do you need a passport to go on a cruise? That depends on where you are going.  If your boat only stops at US ports, then no passport is necessary.  If you are cruising outside of the Western Hemisphere, you definitely need a passport.

However, if you are cruising from the US to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, the rules are a little more complicated.

The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which became law on June 1, 2009, requires American citizens traveling to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean by land or by sea to present one of the following documents to re-enter the country:

• A US passport book
• A US passport card (Note: Unlike the US passport book, the US passport card is not valid for air travel)
• A NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST card
• An enhanced driver’s license (only available in certain states)

However, there are a few exceptions to the passport requirement for cruises in the Western Hemisphere:

• US citizens on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port, can use a driver’s license or government-issued ID card and a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship.
• Children under the age of 16 traveling by land or sea can use their birth certificates, as can children under the age of 19 if they are under adult supervision and are traveling with an organization such as a school group, church group, volunteer organization or sports team. (more…)

A new passport office will open in Buffalo, New York later this year, according to ABC News. The Regional Passport Agency will be able to offer same-day passport service, making it easier for people living in western New York to deal with sudden trips across the border to Canada, which now require a passport.

According to WIVB. com, the new passport office will be located in the Warner Building on Genesee Street. It should be open this fall, in late September or early October.  Until then, the closest place for citizens of Western New York to get a same-day passport issued is the passport office in New York City.

The Spectrum, the University of Buffalo’s student newspaper, quoted Representative Chris Lee as saying “Western New Yorkers need to have the ability to travel easily across our northern border. With a one-stop shop passport office located right in our community, Western New Yorkers will be able to more easily acquire valid travel documents while not having their need to conduct cross-border business negatively affected.”

However, there is a catch- same-day passports will only be issued to applicants who can produce proof of travel showing that they have already booked tickets to leave the country within the next 14 days (although if you are traveling for business, a business letter may be accepted).

Also, the passport office will operate on an appointment-only basis, so you can’t expect to just waltz in there and pick up a passport.  Finally, in all likelihood the office will have very limited office hours- many Regional Passport Agency offices have hours that might make bankers jealous.

Although the Department of State has been making an effort to open new passport offices, for many Americans the nearest Regional Passport Agency office is very far away, making driving inconvenient at best and impractical or even impossible at worst.

If you can’t make it to a Regional Passport Agency office, there is an easier way to get your passport expedited. A private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State, resulting in lightning-fast processing.  In fact, RushMyPassport.com can have your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

The Mexican government just announced that they will hold off enforcing new regulations requiring US citizens to show their passports to get into the country, at least in some areas. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the new rules will go into effect on March 1st for other parts of Mexico, but not for Baja California, because “Mexico lacks the infrastructure to enforce the regulations at busy ports such as San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.”

That means that US citizens going for short-term visits to Mexico and entering through crossings such as Tijuana or through ports like San Ysidro and Otay Mesa will not need to present passports to enter Mexico.  Cruise ship passengers in Ensenada will also be exempt.

However, you should pack a passport anyway-even if you don’t need one to get into Mexico, you will likely need it to come home.  In June of 2009, new passport regulations went into effect for US citizens returning from Mexico by land or by sea as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Now, passports are required to return from Mexico by land or by sea, except in a few special circumstances, like for children. See “Do You Need a Passport to Go To Mexico?” for more details.

Trying to re-enter the US without a passport is no fun, unless you like getting questioned by border officials and having to wait while they try to determine whether or not you are, in fact, a US citizen. It’s true that if you are a US citizen they have to let you in eventually, but why not avoid all of the hassle?

Oh, and if you are flying to Mexico, you absolutely have to have a passport-they won’t let you on a plane without it. Driving or cruising south of the border without a passport also means that you can encounter difficulties if you need to fly back due to an emergency.

So, if you plan on traveling to Mexico, go ahead and get a shiny new passport if you don’t have one already.

If you need your passport quickly, the fastest and most convenient way to get one is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. We’ll help you with the application and personally deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for processing times that range from 24 hours to a little over a week, depending on which option you select. Compare that to regular passport processing times of 3 weeks for the government’s expedited service and 6 weeks for regular service.

Let us help you apply for your new passport today!

Except for the time he spent fighting in the Philippines, Tony Lopez, a World War II veteran, has never left the United States. According to the Denver Post, that was supposed to change on February 16th, when a combat reunion will be held in the Philippines to mark the 65th anniversary of the Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor, which Mr. Lopez participated in.

Mr. Lopez, who was awarded both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service, was supposed to “raise the colors” in the ceremony, but when he applied for a new passport, he was turned down. The reason? His birth certificate wasn’t issued within a year of his birth. According to an earlier article from the Denver Post, he was born in a very small town in New Mexico, and getting a copy of his birth certificate was a challenge:

“The Catholic church burned down, and all the records were lost,” he said. “In 1990, my brother and I traced our baptismal records to Santa Fe. The state took those and gave us our birth certificates based on that.”

Unfortunately, since Mr. Lopez applied with normal processing, he didn’t find out about the problem until 6 weeks later, when his wife got her new passport back and he got a rejection letter from the Department of State.

This is another illustration of how easily problems can arise when current requirements for documentation are applied to people who were born in times and places where strict-recordkeeping wasn’t the norm.  It’s also another good reason to expedite your passport application even if you think you have plenty of time.

Sen. Michael Bennet was able to get a one-year temporary passport for Mr. Lopez, but it didn’t reach him soon enough for him to make the necessary arrangements.  Fortunately, he will get a second chance:

“It’s all right. There’s another reunion on March 3, the anniversary of MacArthur accepting the island back from the Japanese,” he said. “Maybe I can get to that one.”

If you need to get a passport quickly, RushMyPassport.com cen help. We’ll assist you with the paperwork and hand-deliver it to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours! Plus, our unique tracking system tells you where your passport application is at all times. That means that if there are any problems with your application, you’ll know about them as soon as possible, so you can get them fixed as soon as possible.

Need a new passport? Apply with us today!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. In honor of the annual love-fest, why not plan a trip to one of the romantic cities described below? Each of the cities below is famous for having a romantic atmosphere that makes falling in love seem effortless-so much so that all 5 of them have been used as settings for some of the classic love stories of the silver screen:

Paris, France:  Paris’ reputation as the “City of Love” has made it the city of choice for romantic flicks-think Last Tango in Paris, An American in Paris, and Gigi, among many, many others. Walk along the Seine, climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and don’t forget to share a bottle of wine and some excellent chocolate with that special someone!

Rome, Italy- Used as a setting for romance movies both old (like Roman Holiday) and new (like When in Rome), a visit to the Eternal City is even better when you share it with someone else.

Casablanca, Morocco- The scene of the classic romance Casablanca is still a romantic city to visit, thanks to its mild climate and gorgeous architecture.

London- What could be more romantic than strolling through the streets of London, the scene 0f Shakespeare in Love, and many of Shakespeare’s plays as well?

Rio de Janeiro- The scene of Notorious, a 1946 romantic thriller featuring Cary Grant and Ingrid Berman, Rio de Janeiro features world-class beaches and stunning scenery.  For a romantic afternoon activity, take the glass-paneled cable car up Sugarloaf mountain.

To get to any of these cities, you need more than a taste for romance and adventure. You also need a US passport. RushMyPassport makes applying for your US passport easy and fast. We help you through the application process, providing clear, easy-to-understand instructions and a handy checklist that makes gathering the appropriate documents a breeze.

Then, we hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times that range from 24 hours to a little over a week, depending on the option you request when you sign up.  Compare that to the normal processing time of 6 weeks for regular passport processing and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited service, and you can see why our service is the most convenient way to get a US passport quickly.

Apply for your US passport today!

If you live in one of the areas of the US that is currently buried in snow, taking off to the sunny Caribbean probably sounds perfect right about now.  However, before you book that Caribbean cruise, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new passport requirements.

Up until June 01, 2009, you could visit the Caribbean with just your state-issued photo ID and  a birth certificate as long you were traveling by  sea. You only needed a passport if you were flying. However, on June 01 of last year, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) went into effect.

The WHTI requires US citizens traveling by sea to the Caribbean to carry one of the following documents:

• A US passport book
• A US passport card
• A “trusted traveler” identification card, such as a NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card
  
• An enhanced driver’s license or EDL (these have an RFID chip in the back like a passport, and only certain states issue them)
  

There are, however, a couple of exceptions.  First, cruise ship passengers who are taking a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port, can use a state-issued photo ID along with a copy of their birth certificate.

Second, children under the age of 16 can use a birth certificate, as can children under the age of 19 if they are traveling with an organized group chaperoned by an adult, like a school group, sports team or church group.

However,  air travelers of any age are required to have a US passport book, no exceptions. Additionally, the passport card is no good for air travel-you can only use it if you are traveling by sea.

The new passport requirements apply to travel to the following countries:

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Jamaica
• Montserrat
• Netherlands Antilles
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Turks and Caicos

Even if you are on a closed-loop cruise, it’s a good idea to have a passport book with you just in case you have to fly back unexpectedly. For the same reason, if you are traveling with children or sending your kids off on a trip with their church or school, it’s a good idea to send them with a passport, as well.

If the new passport requirements have caught you off guard, RushMyPassport can help. We’ll hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Get ready to explore the Caribbean-apply for your passport today!

According to DallasNews.com, starting March 1, 2010, Mexican border officials will begin asking to see US citizens’ passports before they leave the US.

You may be asking yourself, “What else is new?” After all, technically passports have been  required for US citizens traveling to Mexico since June 1st, 2009, when the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) went into effect. However, the WHTI requirements only require US citizens to show their passports when they re-enter the United States. The Mexican government didn’t care if you had your passport or not, so you could get across the Mexican border without it-you would just run into trouble trying to get back into the US.

The US government also can’t keep you from re-entering the US as long as you are a US citizen. They can just detain you until they have verified your citizenship. So, as long as you were willing to risk being held up for hours on the way back in, you could hop over the Mexican border without a passport.

In some cases, US citizens have been unaware of the new requirements, and assumed when they were allowed across the Mexican border that they must have had all of the documents they need to get back.  Read an Oklahoma newspaper columnist’s account of just such an incident here.

As of March 1st, this will no longer be an issue since the requirements to get into Mexico will be the same as the requirements to get out of Mexico.

So, remember-starting March 1st, if you want to go to Mexico, you will need a passport to get across the border.  According to DallasNews.com, it is not yet clear whether or not closed-loop cruise ship passengers and children under the age of 16 will be exempt from Mexico’s new passport requirements as they are under the WHTI. We’ll keep you posted once that information is available.

Remember, applying for a passport takes at least 6 weeks if you apply for regular processing, and at least 3 weeks if you apply for the government’s expedited service.  If you have a trip to Mexico coming up sooner than that, a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com offers the easiest solution, with processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!