Expedited Passports

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!

Today, Border Patrol officials began asking Americans for passports at the American and Canadian borders.  The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is in effect, and a passport or another government-approved document is now required to re-enter the country.

How has this affected traffic across the borders? Not much, it seems. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that wait times at both the northern border with Canada and the southern border with Mexico are normal today, and that the new rules haven’t caused an increase in travel time for most American citizens.

However, not everyone who regularly crosses the border has the correct documents.  FoxTV in El Paso reported that a flood of people applying for a last-minute passport has led some residents to camp out at the local county courthouse to make sure that their passport application gets in.

The new regulations require that American citizens returning from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean show a US passport, US passport card, or other approved ID to reenter the country. There are some exceptions for children and certain cruise passengers.  For more on the new regulations, see Do I Need a Passport For Travel To Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean?

For now, the government is letting people through without passports with a written warning, often after delaying them for a background check. However, they aren’t saying how long that policy will continue, so if you’re planning on visiting our neighbors to the north and south anytime soon, you need to apply for a passport.

Passport applications usually about two months to process, so you should apply well in advance. Even if you ask for the government’s expedited processing service, expect to wait at least a month. For faster service, you can submit your application through a private passport expediting company instead. These companies will carry your application to the Department of State by hand for processing times that can be as quick as 24 hours. Unlike the process of applying for an emergency passport directly through the government, there are no appointments necessary and you don’t have to travel out of your way to a Passport Agency office. The expediting company handles all of that for you!

Don’t get caught unprepared at the border-order your passport today!

US citizens planning a trip to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean need to be aware of new travel requirements that will become effective June 1st, 2009. After June 1st,  the days of being able to cross the border by flashing your driver’s license and your birth certificate are over.  US citizens traveling to these regions will need to show US passports or passport cards to re-enter the country…or else!

Right about now, your inner three-year-old is probably asking “Oh yeah…or else what?” What happens if you try to get back in to the US without a passport after June 1st? Will you be trapped at the border forever? Arrested?

Fortunately, the consequences for American citizens trying to re-enter the country without US passports after the deadline are not quite that grim. According to the US government’s fact sheet on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, travelers will “likely experience a delay as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers attempt to verify your identity and citizenship.” In other words, expect to be massively inconvenienced.

Being held up by Customs and Border Protection is no small matter…delays in getting home can result in having to pay extra for lodging, missing work and many other inconveniences. It’s also worth noting that if you are planning on traveling on a cruise or with a professional tour group, they probably won’t let you leave the US with them in the first place if you don’t have the right documents for re-entry.

So, please, don’t forget your US passports!

If you have a trip planned for Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, the fastest way to get US passports is to use a private passport expediting service.  When you use an expediting service, you get the benefit of faster processing and more personal customer service.

RushMyPassport.com offers a variety of processing times for applications for US passports to make sure your trip stays on schedule. For the fastest service, order your US passports from us today!

Passport requirements for travel to the Caribbean have changed! Click here to see the most up-to-date information.

US travel regulations have been changing over the past few years, so you may need a passport to go to the Caribbean even if you were able to travel without one in the past. Here are the details you need to know to  plan your Caribbean adventure, including current requirements and upcoming changes.

Right now, whether or not you need a passport to go to the Caribbean depends in part on which Caribbean country you are traveling to. There are 17 Caribbean countries that are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI):

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands (more…)