New Passport Laws Don’t Impede Border Crossing - Expedited Passports

In 2009, new passport laws went into effect that changed the documents required for travel between the US, Mexico and Canada. Called the Western Travel Initiative (WHTI), the regulations required most US citizens to have either a passport or a passport card for land and sea travel to either country, with a passport book being required for air travel.

Local businesses on both sides of the border have been ruing that day ever since, blaming the requirements for slowing down the number of consumers able to casually hop from country to country.

Now, a new report suggests that at least on the US/Canadian border, the problem may be an issue of perception rather than an actual increase in wait times.  According to the Spectator, an in-depth study commissioned by the Binational Economic and Tourism Alliance found that 90 percent of the time, cars and trucks had to wait just 5-10 minutes to get across the border.

Executive director Arlene White told the Spectator that the study was prompted by continued angst from businesses over the new passport requirements:

“We just kept hearing that it’s tough to cross and it’s a hassle. We wanted to know the realities of how much had changed and the economic impacts of the changes since 9/11 … We said let’s gather the facts instead of the myths.”

Slightly less encouraging was the study’s finding that only 53 percent of residents living near border areas had a document that would enable them to cross if they wanted to.  The most flexible travel document is a US passport book, which allows for travel by land, air and sea. If the cost of a new passport is prohibitive and you don’t plan on flying, a passport card will allow you to cross over by land or by sea for only $55 per person. Another alternative is a NEXUS card, though the application process is a little more involved and requires a personal interview and a retinal scan.

If you need a new passport, it’s important that you don’t wait until the last minute. Passport applications take about six weeks to process. For a $60 expedite fee, the Department of State’s expedited service will save you some time, but you still must allow three weeks. For faster processing, you must either drive to the nearest Regional Passport Agency office or use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport. By hand-delivering your paperwork to the Department of State, we can cut processing time down to as little as 24 hours with no need to wait in line or make an appointment.

Let us help you get your new passport quickly and easily- get started today!

At the moment, you only need a passport if you’re leaving the country.  But in this age of increased security, will you ever need a passport to board a domestic flight?

Eventually, yes. There is a possibility that you could need a passport to board  a domestic flight if you live in some states. That’s because in 2005, the government passed the REAL ID Act, which created new standards that states were required to apply to their driver’s license and state ID programs in order for those IDs to be accepted for certain purposes. A gold star on the license indicates that it meets the REAL ID qualifications.

Many states acted quickly to  introduce the new requirements, but there were also some holdouts. For example, Alabama and Connecticut just announced that while they would introduce “gold star” licenses that conform to REAL ID standards, they would also continue to issue regular, non-compliant IDs as well.

Eventually, if you live in a state that offers regular IDs and “gold star” licenses, you’ll need a passport to get on even a domestic flight if you select the regular license. This requirement will start in 2014 if you were born after December 1st, 1964, and in 2017 if you were born before that date.

Assuming the law actually goes into effect as planned, that is. A lot can happen between now and 2014, and the ACLU’s David McGuire told the Connecticut Mirror that he is skeptical it will ever be implemented:

 ”There really is no need to jump through the hoops and get the verified license. There is virtually no chance that ‘Real ID’ will ever be implemented, or you won’t be able to fly without a verified license or enter a federal building.”

Nothing’s certain, at this point, but if you live in a state that’s not issuing REAL IDs exclusively, you should keep an eye on the situation in the years to come and take it into consideration when it’s time to renew your license.

In the meantime, if you need a passport for an international flight, make sure to apply well in advance of your travel dates. You’ll need at least six weeks if you apply with regular processing, and at least three weeks if you apply for the Department of State’s expedited processing.

For faster processing, you have two options: make an appointment and possibly travel to one of the State Department’s 24 regional passport agency offices or use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport. We hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Need a passport fast? Contact us today!

The Associated Press has an excellent article up that looks at how the new passport regulations associated with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) have changed the way people live in border communities like St. Albans, Vermont.

More than two years after the final phase of the WHTI went into effect, residents still miss the “good old days.” It’s easy to see why- in the article, Paul Martin, the fire chief in Richford, Vermont, reminisces about how easy it used to be to go from America to Canada and back again:

“It used to be real simple. We just went across the border. Sometimes I wouldn’t even take my wallet.” Now, he says, whether it’s “simple” or not depends on who is posted at the crossing: “If I get somebody I went to school with, I don’t have a problem. If you get somebody new, they have to inspect everything. It all depends on what kind of a day the inspector is having.”

The truth is, most borders are arbitrary, man-made things. Along the US/Canadian border, close-knit communities straddled the dividing line between the two countries. Now, the ties that bind have inevitably become a little bit looser. Paul Martin’s fire department still crosses into Quebec to help fight fires across the line, but they can no longer count on the Quebec fire department for backup unless there is a serious emergency; it’s easier to get into Canada than it is to for the Canadian fire trucks to cross over into the United States. One restaurant owner on the American side even held a contest to help some of his Canadian regulars get new passports so they could continue to pop in for a bite. Still, he gets much less business from Canada now, and his establishment is suffering.

While the tone of the people interviewed for the AP piece seemed to range from anger to grim resignation for the most part, not everyone has a problem with the new regulations. Stanstead College Headmaster Michael Wolfe (from Quebec) told the AP that he doesn’t mind the new rules:

“I wouldn’t say it’s hard. It just takes longer. As long as the paper work is in place, I think it’s OK.”

For more information on passport requirements for Canadian travel, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

If your trip does require a passport and you need it quickly, RushMyPassport can help. We deliver your application right to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment or wait in line at a passport agency office.

Need a new passport? Contact us today!

Are you in a hurry to get your passport? Does your application seem have gotten mysteriously stuck in limbo? That’s frustrating for sure, but here’s how NOT to handle it: Calling your congressperson’s office and threatening them.

It may seem like I’m stating the obvious here, but apparently one East Tennessee man had to learn that particular life lesson the hard way. Here’s the gist of the story, from KnoxNews.com:

“Eric Robert Henderson, 27, admitted he called U.S. Rep. Phil Roe’s office in Washington, D.C., and left threatening voice-mail messages in September 2010. Federal authorities said he made the calls twice and threatened murder unless the government issued him a passport”. During each phone call, he specifically threatened to either assault, shoot or kill someone,” FBI agent David Bukowski wrote in a warrant.”

Apparently Mr. Henderson is unfamiliar with that old adage about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar. He was arrested, pleaded guilty and is now facing up to five years in jail. It probably goes without saying that he didn’t get a passport, either.

The really crazy thing about the whole incident is that the Congressman he threatened isn’t even his Congressman!

Look, if you need an expedited passport, you do have options. Paying the $60 expedite fee and requesting expedited passport service will cut the processing time for your passport application down to three weeks instead of six. If that’s still not fast enough, you can either make an appointment at one of the 15 regional passport agency offices in the United States, or purchase expedited passport service from a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. We’ll hand deliver your paperwork for processing in as little as 24 hours.

If you’ve submitted an application already, you can check the status online at the Department of State’s website or by calling the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.

If your application is delayed and you can’t figure out why, it’s not a bad idea to contact your representative. As long as you’re not making creepy death threats, they’re usually more than happy to help!

Need expedited passport service? We can help!

One common question we get asked here at RushMyPassport is whether or not you can be denied a passport if you owe taxes. In most cases, the answer is no: the IRS does not share its tax data with the Department of State, and current law does not allow passports to be denied simply because you owe the government money (though if you’ve got a criminal case against you for tax evasion, that might be a different story).

But that may change in the future. As you’re no doubt aware, Congress is currently looking at ways to reduce the nation’s deficit. One method recommended by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a new report is to deny passport services to people who owe the IRS more than a certain amount.

According to Fox News, the GAO estimates that in 2008 alone, over 5.8 billion dollars was owed collectively in back taxes and penalties by citizens who applied for and received US passports. Some of it is owed by normal people who got behind paying their taxes, but it’s hard to have much sympathy for some of the worst offenders. For example, one person owed $40 million in taxes and hadn’t filed a return in four years. Forget TurboTax, this guy could obviously afford to hire an accountant!

The GAO report notes that “The federal government has a vital interest in efficiently and effectively collecting the billions of dollars of taxes owed under current law. Such legislation could have the potential to help generate substantial collections of known unpaid federal taxes and increase tax compliance for tens of millions of Americans holding passports…IRS officials stated that screening passport applicants for federal tax debts would likely improve tax collections.”

It’s important to note that before the government makes paying your taxes a condition of getting a passport, Congress would have to pass a law tying the ability to receive passport services to a person’s tax status. We’ll keep you updated – in the meantime, taxes are due Monday, so if you haven’t paid yet, you might want to get on that.

Also, whether or not you owe taxes, if you plan to travel internationally anytime soon, you should go ahead and apply for passport services as soon as possible. Remember, regular service takes at least 6 weeks, and even the government’s expedited service, which costs an additional $60, takes 3 weeks.

For faster service, a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport is the easiest and most convenient option. We’ll walk you through the necessary paperwork and personally deliver your application to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours.

For quick, hassle-free passport service, contact us today!

If you’re applying for a passport, you should be aware that the Department of State just revised its guidelines concerning which birth certificates it will accept as proof of citizenship.

As of April 1st, 2011, all birth certificates submitted with passport applications must include your parent or parents’ names. So, before you send in your paperwork, take your birth certificate and double-check to make sure that your parents’ names are on the document.

Even if the birth certificate you’re holding has your parents’ names on it, though, the State Department has other requirements for birth certificates that could trip you up.  Here’s how to make sure your application passes muster:

• Use an original or certified copy of your birth certificate.  It should have a raised, embossed, engraved or multicolored seal on the top.
• Whether it was designed to look cute or designed to look “official,” a birth certificate issued by the hospital where you were born is NOT considered proof of citizenship.
• The birth certificate  must have your name, the date you were born, the place you were born and a registrar’s signature on it to be considered valid.
• Check the date that the birth certificate was filed with the registrar’s office. If it was filed late, more than one year after you were born, you won’t be issued a passport unless you can back it up with  secondary evidence of US citizenship.

If the certificate you have doesn’t meet the Department  of State’s requirements, you can use the CDC’s website to find out where to go to get a new certified copy, or you can order a copy through Vitalchek.

Applying for a passport can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be that way. When you apply with RushMyPassport, your case manager will make sure you know exactly what you need, helping to prevent common errors that could delay the processing of your application.

Even better, we’ll personally deliver your application to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Don’t wait – submit your passport application today!

Conflicting regulations from the US Department of Homeland Security and major cruise lines have left many travelers asking “Do I need a passport to go on a cruise?” and not getting a clear answer. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, as a result, passengers end up not only confused, but stranded as well.

Here’s the skinny: Under Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) regulations, people traveling by boat to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean need one of the following documents:

• A US passport book
• A US passport card
• An enhanced driver’s license (only available in certain states )
• A “trusted traveler” card, such as a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card

HOWEVER, the WHTI also contains an exception for passengers on closed-loop cruises, cruises that begin and end in the same US port. These passengers are eligible to travel with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID and a certified birth certificate.

Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. The Palm Beach Daily News outlined a couple of different issues that frequently confuse travelers.

First, there’s the birth certificate issue. You need either the original or an official certified copy (ie, a copy you requested from the Department of Vital Records where you were born.) In order for the cruise line to accept it, it must have a raised seal. But beware! A raised seal means nothing if the birth certificate is from the hospital. Hospital birth certificates look official, but they aren’t accepted as proof of citizenship.

Another tip: your birth certificate might be rejected if it’s ripped or torn, so if it’s showing signs of wear and tear, order a fresh copy from your State Department of Vital Records.

Another issue: if you’re lucky enough to live in one of the four states that issues an enhanced driver’s license, you might think that you could get away with boarding just with the license and not have to bring your birth certificate. After all, under the WHTI, enhanced driver’s licenses are valid for land and sea travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.

But not so fast! Glenn Ryerson, Celebration Cruises’ VP of sales, told the Palm Beach Daily News that “even enhanced driver’s licenses aren’t accepted by Celebration, which follows standards of other cruise lines.”

Also, be aware that even if the cruise is “closed-loop,” passport books may be required if the cruise involves an overnight stay on land at a port instead of on the ship.

Confusing, right? This is why having a passport is the best way to go. That way, you know you’re covered. Barring that, check government requirements AND check with your cruise line. If the cruise line requirements are stricter than the government’s requirements, go with the cruise lines’ requirements. If the cruise line requirements are less stringent than the government’s, something’s fishy. For example, one customer interviewed in the article claimed that the cruise line had told her she could travel with a driver’s license only. She got left at port.

If you need a passport at the last minute, RushMyPassport can help. We’ll personally deliver your documents to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours with no need to make an appointment or wait in line at a passport agency office. That means you’ll spend less time worrying about your passport and more time packing for your cruise!

Apply for your US passport today!

Passport applications forms are getting a makeover in March. What’s changing? So far, the major change that’s been announced is changing the “mother” and “father” fields to ensure that same-sex couples and people in other non-traditional family structures can more easily apply for a child passport for their children.

The current application just says “Mother” and “Father.” But not every family has a mother and a father. Same-sex couples often struggled with how to fill out the forms, having to cross out the incorrect word and replace it with a more appropriate designation. The experience often made them feel like second-class citizens, like their families weren’t real families in the eyes of the government.

According to deputy assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services Brenda Sprague, the old forms were “imprecise. It just didn’t capture the reality of their situation. Clearly, we want to be sensitive to the feelings of other people, but we are also very conscious of our need to introduce the greatest degree of precision to the process.”

Sprague further explained that “We find that with changes in medical science and reproductive technology that we are confronting situations now that we would not have anticipated 10 or 15 years ago.”

Originally, the Department of State planned to deal with this problem by replacing the terms “mother” and “father” with the gender neutral terms “parent one” and “parent two.” This caused controversy as some conservatives were outraged. According to Politics Daily, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped in with a common-sense solution. “Mother” and “Father” will remain on the new application forms, which will now read “mother or parent” and “father or parent.” The State Department can accurately capture information about applicants, nobody has to cross out parts of the application, and mothers and fathers won’t have to bicker about who gets to be “parent one” and who gets to be “parent two.” Everyone wins!

The new forms will be available March 01, 2011. Child passports take about 6 weeks to arrive if you apply with normal processing and about 3 weeks if you apply with the Department of State’s expedited service. An expediting company like RushMyPassport is the easiest and most convenient way to get your child’s passport more quickly, though you also have the option of making an appointment and traveling to the nearest passport agency office.

Let us help you apply for a child passport today!

Poor Jermaine Jackson. He’s stuck in Burkina Faso with an expired passport. Well, actually, it’s difficult to pity the man-the only reason he can’t get it replaced is that he owes almost $100,000 in child support. From TMZ:

“Here’s what we know. In May 2008, Jermaine’s baby mama Alejandra got a child support order, requiring him to pay $3,000 a month. Jermaine went into arrears almost immediately and, as of last month, he owed $91,921.”

Apparently, in 2010 the California DMV repo’d his driver’s license due to the unpaid debts. But they didn’t take his passport, and since it was still valid, Mr. Jackson decided to jet off to sunny Burkina Faso. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t check the expiration date and it expired while he was there.

Now, since he owes more than $2,500 in child support for Jafaar and Jermajesty, his two boys, he’s become subject to the Passport Denial Program. That means that until he pays up, the State Department will decline to renew his passport.

If you’re on the passport denial list for overdue child support, you need to contact the child support agency in the state where the child support is owed. You can find the agency information here. Just click on your state to be taken to the appropriate agency’s web page.

Once you’ve contacted the agency and made the required payment, they should remove your name from the passport denial list. This may take two to three weeks. If you’ve already applied for your passport, at that point you can contact the National Passport Center at 1-877-487-2778 and request that they process your application. They will verify that your name is off the list and then hopefully send you the passport.

Now, kids, here’s the moral of today’s story: If it’s time to renew your passport and you owe child support, get caught up before you fly halfway across the world. Why? Because you’re smarter than Jermaine Jackson, that’s why!

And remember, once your child support is paid off, RushMyPassport is the quickest and easiest way to renew your passport!

Larry Caza and his girlfriend just wanted to spend Christmas somewhere warm. So, the Canadian couple booked a tropical vacation in Mexico over the holidays. Unfortunately, Mr. Caza’s passport was water-damaged, and when they arrived at the airport airline employees refused to let them on the plane. He described what happened in a report on CTV News: “The girl looked at our passports, looked at mine, and then said, ‘I’m going to have to talk to the supervisor. The supervisor came up and said, ‘You cannot travel on our airline with this passport.’”

The couple was able to reschedule, but their tropical getaway will now cost them an additional $1,000 after flight change fees and hotel fees.

According to CTV News, Mr. Caza believed that his passport was in good enough condition to use despite the water damage because he had recently used it to drive across the border into the US. The moral of the story: if your passport is damaged, whether or not you can use it is always going to be a bit of a crapshoot. Obviously if it’s totally torn up you won’t be able to use it at all, but if it’s only slightly damaged whether or not you can use it to get to the next phase of journey is up to the individual airline employees and border control officers you encounter.

Company spokesman Lawrence Elliott explained that the airlines have an extra incentive to be careful about letting people with damaged passports on board. He told CTV News, “All governments of the world download the responsibility for proper documentation onto the air carriers, and frankly we have no choice but to download that responsibility on the individual travellers.”

It’s best not to take chances. If your passport is damaged, go ahead and get a new one. The money you’ll spend on a replacement passport is nothing compared to the money you’ll lose if you have to cancel or reschedule your trip.

Using RushMyPassport.com is the easiest way to get your damaged passport replaced in a hurry. We walk you through the application process and personally deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for the fastest possible processing.

Let us help you replace your damaged passport today!