Going to the Winter Olympics? You Need a Passport, Quick! - Expedited Passports

This year, the Winter Olympics are being held in Vancouver, Canada. The games run from February 12th to February 28th, and since they are relatively close to us this year, a lot of Americans are expected to attend. If you’re one of them, make sure you are up to speed on the latest requirements for crossing the US/Canadian border.

Last year, those requirements changed. Previously, you could have driven across to Canada to see the Winter Olympics with just a driver’s license or other state-issued ph0to ID and a copy of your birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

However, now that the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is in effect, you may need a passport quick if you want to attend.  To get across the border by land or sea, you will need one of the following documents:

• A passport
• A passport card
• An enhanced driver’s license (only certain states offer this)
• A NEXUS, SENTRI  or FAST card (NEXUS and SENTRI are “trusted traveler” programs for frequent travelers, and FAST is a program for commercial drivers).

If you are flying to Vancouver, you must have a passport book (not a passport card) to board the plane.

To try to minimize problems, according to USA Today, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a $2 million ad campaign to help educate people about the new requirements.

If you don’t have a passport, you’ll need to get one in a hurry- the Winter Olympics are only a month away.

At this point, the easiest way to be sure you’ll get your passport quick enough is to use a private passport expediting company. The State Department’s expedited service takes 2-3 weeks, which is cutting it awfully close.

RushMyPassport can help you get your passport more quickly, in anywhere from a little over a week to 24 hours, depending on the processing option you choose.

Don’t miss the Winter Olympics: Let us help you get a passport, quick!

Borders are, for the most part, imaginary lines in the sand.  For a long time, the border between the US and Canada was just that-an imaginary line in the dirt.  Communities grew up that straddled the border, different towns in name only.

For example, Stanstead, Canada and Derby Line, Vermont are technically two towns, but they were a single community until June of this year, when the imaginary line in the dirt turned into a real border that requires a passport to cross.

Plus, barricades have been set up to separate the towns, cutting off people that still consider each other neighbors.

In an article posted by AFP, Raymond Fluet, a resident of Stanstead, said that “It used to be a friendly place. The people on both sides of the border, they’re our parents, our friends, our cousins. This is home for all of us. But because of the crackdown, we don’t go visit as often.”

However, according to the mayor of Stanstead, not everyone passing through town was quite so neighborly:

“There was a lot of traffic. People used these roads to smuggle drugs, tobacco or alcohol, even illegal immigrants into the United States.”

The bottom line is that the new passport regulations are here to stay. If you plan on crossing the border into either Mexico or Canada, you will need to apply for a new passport if you don’t have one already.

When you make travel plans, make sure to allow enough time for your new passport to arrive. Typically, it takes at least 6 weeks for your passport application to be processed if you request regular processing, and 3 weeks if you request the government’s expedited service at the post office.

To get your passport faster, you can make an appointment at a US passport agency office or use a private passport expediting service. An expediting service is often the most convenient option, since you don’t have to make an appointment or wait in line.

Let RushMyPassport.com help you apply for your new passport today!

If you still don’t have plans for Labor Day, why not take a trip across the border into Canada? Expedia has some wonderful specials available for Labor Day from Canadian hotels.  For example,  you can get a room at the Imperial Inns and Suites in Niagara Falls for just $56 per night. The Canadian side of the falls has casinos, wine tours, the Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum and the Guinness Book of World Records Museum.

Or, if you’d prefer to stay in Toronto, Delta East has rooms from $88 per night. In Toronto, you can see famous landmarks like the CN Tower,  cruise mighty Lake Ontario,  tour local breweries or spend some time at the Toronto Zoo.

However, if you want to take advantage of these Labor Day deals, you’ll need to invest in a fast passport if you don’t already have one.  Since June 1st, a passport, or another approved form of ID like a passport card or an Enhanced Driver’s License, is required for US citizens returning from Canada.

If you apply for a passport directly through the government, expect to wait 6 weeks or more if you select their regular service and at least 3 weeks if you select their fast passport service. If you need a fast passport before Labor Day, your best bet is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. Not only will you get personal attention and service from a passport professional, you’ll also cut your passport processing time significantly, to anywhere from as little as 24 hours to a little over a week, depending in which option you choose.

For professional, fast passport service, order your passport from RushMyPassport.com today!

On June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative became law. The new laws require that Americans traveling to Canada by land or sea carry passports with them. Apparently, obtaining a passport is too much trouble for many Americans, as tour operators are reporting a shift towards domestic destinations.

According to this article on Canada.com, motor coach tours to visit destinations in Canada are down by 30% over the past year. This is almost the same as the percentage of tour members who stated that they didn’t have a passport and didn’t want to get one. Since 2001, after security became more of a concern and travel regulations became stricter, day trips are down by 70%.

So, is obtaining a passport to go to Canada really worth it? Definitely! For more details, check out the Top Reasons to Get an Express Passport and Visit Canada This Summer.

If you’d like to travel to Canada, you’ll need to allow at least 6 weeks for processing if you apply through the government with normal processing. The government’s expedited processing takes at least 3 weeks. For faster processing and better customer service, consider using a private passport expediting company. You’ll have knowledgeable, professional passport experts to help you through the application process, and processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Obtaining a passport is easy with RushMyPassport.com-apply today!

If you’d like to visit another country without going too far from home,  consider going to Canada this summer.  Canada is an exciting vacation destination, with enough different activities to appeal to almost anyone. Let’s take a look at the top 5 reasons to visit Canada this summer:

• Fishing- Canada is an excellent destination for sport fishermen. This post on Destinations for Leisurehighlights the best lakes to fish in Canada, especially for the delicious northern walleye pike.
• Golf: Canada also has several world-class golfing opportunities with well-designed courses set against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery. This post describes the 10 best golf courses in Canada. If you like to watch as well as participate, check out the 2009 RBC Canadian Open in Toronto, July 20-26th.
  
• Whale Watching: Starting in May and continuing on through October, Vancouver Island offers some incredible whale-watching tours. See dolphins, orcas, gray whales and more.
  
• Music- The International Festival de Jazz de Montreal takes place June 30th through July 12th and features performances by famous artists such as Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck and more.
  
• Niagara Falls- The most powerful waterfall in North America is an incredible sight to behold-and you’ll get the best view of it from the Canadian side of the river.  In the summer,  families can enjoy free fireworks and concerts at Queen Victoria park every Friday and Sunday night. Also, check out the S.C.E.N.E festival on June 28th, with more than 100 bands playing live.
  

If you want to go to Canada this summer, don’t forget your passport! On June 1st, travel regulations changed. Now, passports are required for American citizens trying to re-enter the US from Canada. If you haven’t applied for a passport yet, you’ll need to get an express passport. The easiest way to order an express passport is to use a private passport expediting company.

An expediting company can get your passport application processed quickly, sometimes in as little as 24 hours. Plus, you won’t have to make an appointment at a Passport Agency office or wait in line.  Make the most of your summer vacation: order your express passport today!

The Department of State put a lot of effort into publicizing the changes to US travel requirements that became law on June 1st. They added a clock to US Passport Agency’s web site, counting down to the second when the new rules would go into effect. They made announcement after announcement, starting months ahead of time.

However, for all their outreach, there were at least 2 people that the State Department failed to reach with their warnings: Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.  The two ex-presidents were asked about the new requirements during a joint appearance in Toronto on Saturday, May 29th.

As reported in the Winnepeg Free Press, here’s how they responded:

“I’ll be frank with you Frank, I don’t know about the passport issue,” Bush told the crowd of 6,000.

“I thought we were making good progress on using a driver’s licence to cross the border. What happened to the easy-pass card?”

Clinton too said he’d only heard about the passport requirement a day earlier, adding that in all likelihood most Americans were completely unaware of it as well.

Apparently, our two former presidents would have benefited from reading our blog! The new requirements were put into place as part of the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). To sum them up:

• All adult American citizens traveling to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean must have a US passport or another document approved by Homeland Security to get back into the country. Previously, you could use your driver’s license and a birth certificate if you were crossing by land or by sea, but that is no longer the case.
• Children under the age of 16 can use a birth certificate when traveling by land or sea.
• Children ages 16-18 can use a birth certificate when traveling by land or sea as part of an organized, chaperoned group, like a sports group or school group.
• Passengers of any age can use a driver’s license and birth certificate (or naturalization certificate) if they are on a closed-loop cruise that begins and ends in the same US port.
• Air passengers of any age need a US Passport Book.

If you need a passport to travel to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, you should be prepared to wait. It’s currently taking at least 4 to 6 weeks to process a passport application submitted with standard processing. New passport applications submitted using the government’s expediting service take at least 2-3 weeks, and that’s if you pony up the cash for overnight shipping to and from the Passport Agency.

Can’t wait that long? A private passport expediting company is a convenient way to get your passport more quickly. An expediting company hand-delivers your application materials and then sends you your new passport. Because your application goes to the top of the stack, it gets processed much more quickly-in as little as 24 hours!

Don’t let the new passport regulations interfere with your summer vacation-order your passport now!

American citizens in Michigan now have a passport office nearby.  On Monday, Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, inaugurated a Regional Passport Agency office downtown at 211 West Fort Street.

Before this office opened, the nearest Regional Passport Agency was in Chicago, Illinois. A Regional Passport Agency office helps travelers who need a passport for travel within the next 14 days. Given that new passport rules will go into effect on June 1st, requiring a passport to come back across the Canadian border, the new passport office could not have opened at a better time.

Regional Passport Agencies admit travelers by appointment only. They are open only during limited business hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, meaning that many travelers will have to take off work to visit.

Is there an easier way to get a passport immediately? And what about the many Americans who don’t live within driving distance of a Regional Passport Agency office? Fortunately, there is a way to get your passport quickly without having to wait in line, make an appointment, or drive long distances. A private passport expediting company can forward your application directly to the US Department of State for faster processing-sometimes in as little as 24 hours!

Why waste time driving to the passport office for your appointment? Order your passport from us today!

Today is May 1st, which means that in exactly one month, new passport regulations will go into effect as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. We’ve written about the WHTI pretty extensively, but since it’s about to become reality, here’s  a quick review of the upcoming changes:

• Passports are already required for air travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  There are no exceptions, and this will continue after June 1st, 2009.
• Starting June 1st, 2009, passports will be required for land and sea travel to these locations, too. Currently, all you have to have is a state-issued photo ID and a birth certificate.
• After June 1, 2009, children under age 16 will be able to use a birth certificate instead of a passport for land and sea travel to these locations only.
• After June 1, 2009, children ages 16-18 traveling with supervised, chaperoned groups like sports teams, church groups, or school groups will be able to use birth certificates instead of passports, as well.
• Passports will still be required for all air travelers, no matter how old.
• Passengers on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same US port) may continue to use an ID and birth certificate.

To help US  citizens who travel across the border frequently, the Department of State has introduced a wallet-sized passport card that is less expensive than a traditional passport book. Unfortunately, it’s also less useful-you can only use it for land and sea travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.  You can’t use it for plane travel at all.

If you need a new passport, you should apply well in advance of your scheduled departure date, preferably at least 2 or 3 months before your trip. However, if you just realized you need a passport before June 1, there are ways to get a new passport quickly.

The easiest way to get a passport in a hurry is to use a private passport expediting service. An expediting service will deliver your application to the US Passport Agency directly, so it goes to the top of the pile.  By using an expediting service, you could have your new passport on its way back to you in as little as 24 hours, with no appointments or waiting in line.

Don’t get caught without a passport after June 1-order your new passport today!

UPDATED INFORMATION AS OF JUNE 1st, 2009: 

Air travel to and from Canada requires a US passport book for everyone of all ages, unless you have a valid NEXUS card. NEXUS card holders can use their NEXUS card as a substitute for a passport provided you are flying to preclearance Canadian airport with NEXUS kiosk.

Land and sea travel requires a passport, passport card, NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card in most cases. However, children under the age of 16 can use birth certificates for land or sea travel. So can children under the age of 19, provided they are on an organized trip with a school, sports team, church group, volunteer group or similar organization. Passengers on closed-loop cruises (beginning and ending in the same US port) can use a driver’s license along with a birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

US travel regulations have changed a lot over the past few years, making questions like “Do you need a passport to go to Canada?” somewhat complicated to answer.

Right now, whether or not you need a passport to go to Canada depends on how you are traveling.  Our neighbor to the north is included in the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, aka the WHTI. Currently, American citizens traveling by land or sea to companies covered by the WHTI do not have to have passports. However, you will need to show a government-issued photo ID to prove your identity and a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship to prove that you are an American citizen. You do need a passport to go to Canada if you are traveling by plane.

Just when you thought you had it figured out, the rules are changing again in just a few short months. Effective June 1st, 2009, most land and sea passengers will have to have US passports to re-enter the country as well. There will be a few exceptions for certain people crossing the border by land or by sea: (more…)

Travel requirements have been changing so quickly, it can be hard to keep track of what documents are required to go where. However, it’s important to stay up-to-date, since not having the correct paperwork can derail your trip!  One of the common questions about travel requirements involves travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, countries covered under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

Do you need a passport for travel to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean? Currently, it depends on how you are traveling. If you travel by plane, you have to have a valid US passport to travel from the US to any of these countries. However, if you are driving or traveling by sea, you just need to carry proof of identity (like a driver’s license) and proof of citizenship (such as your birth certificate).  No matter what method of travel you choose, it’s still a good idea to get a passport if you are leaving the country. What if you have an emergency and you need to fly back home? When it comes to foreign travel, it’s always a good idea to think like a Boy Scout!

Also, on June 1, 2009, the travel requirements are changing again. On this day, the final phase of the WHTI will go into effect, and land and sea travelers will also be required to have a passport to travel to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean. The only exceptions are people who have other types of WHTI-compliant identification (such as the Enhanced Driver’s Licenses offered in some states) and children under the age of 16. A passport will still be required for all international air travel.

If you need to get a new passport quickly, consider using the services of a private expediting company. An expediting company can cut through the red tape to help you get your passport quickly and easily, in as little as 24 hours!