Only 30% of Americans Have a US Passport - Expedited Passports

How many people do you know who actually have a US passport? Unlike, say, a driver’s license, a passport isn’t one of those documents that everyone has. In fact, according to CNN, only 30% of Americans have a passport- about 1 in 3. Compare that to Canada, where 60% of citizens have passports, or the UK, where 75% of citizens do, and you can see just how low that percentage really is.

Why do only 30% of Americans have a passport? The obvious answer is that we simply don’t travel abroad as much as people in other countries do. According to CNN, Americans took approximately 61.5 million trips overseas in 2009. That may sound like a lot, but it really isn’t when you consider how many people live here. Also, that number is down 3% from 2008.

So what’s the deal? Are we that provincial, just unwilling to deal with even minor cultural differences? Maybe that’s part of it. CNN quotes Matthew Kepnes of NomadicMatt.com, who says “Not taking the leap is comforting, because this is the American life. Breaking outside anything that is your norm is scary.”

Meanwhile, Bruce Bommarito,executive vice president and chief operating officer for the U.S. Travel Association, sounds a similar note: “Americans are comfortable in their own environment.” (more…)

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!

Have you ever had a pet try to prevent you from leaving on a trip? They’ll try anything from looking cute and pitiful to going on a hunger strike. Once, my childhood cat even soiled the inside of my family’s car to try keep us in town (fortunately, she chose the wrong vehicle).

Moses, a basset hound puppy belonging to Eric Mann and Brooke Blew of Massachusetts, used a far more effective strategy: attempting to devour Mr. Mann’s US passport two days before the couple’s honeymoon in Cancun.

Mr. Mann brought the passport to a passport office to see whether or not he could travel without replacing it. He told Boston ABC affiliate WCVB TV, “I thought I did my due diligence. They said it was fine and the bar codes and picture were all intact.”

The couple was allowed on the airplane in Boston but once they got to Cancun,they found themselves turned away at the immigration desk. According to Mr. Mann, “I handed over my passport and that was it. We weren’t in the office a minute and they said ‘You have to leave the country.’” And so Moses got his wish-his humans returned home in less than a day instead of leaving him alone for a week.

The moral of this tragic story? First, don’t leave your passport where your puppy can get to it! Second, don’t take chances with a damaged US passport. Get it replaced. If your passport is damaged and you are supposed to leave the country, you do have options other than just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

The first of these options is to make an appointment at a regional Passport Agency office. These special passport offices are equipped to issue passports within 24 hours as long as you have an itinerary to prove that you will be traveling in the next 14 days.

The second, more convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. RushMyPassport will submit your passport application on your behalf directly to the Department of State, for processing times as quick as 24 hours.

Don’t let a damaged US passport ruin your vacation-contact us today!

If you’re going on a cruise, you’ll have a much better time if you have everything you need with you when you get on the boat. It can be tough to remember everything you need to pack. This packing list will help you get started:

• Clothes: Mostly light, summer stuff, but also include some comfortable warmer clothes as well. Additionally, most cruise ships don’t allow jeans and T-shirts in the dining cabin for dinner, so bring appropriate clothing for that. Bring at least one (preferably 2) formal outfits for the formal dinner nights.
• Sunscreen: SPF 15 or higher
• Aloe vera or other sunburn treatment
• Sunglasses
• Personal care necessities, like your toothbrush, hairbrush and toiletries.
• Swimwear
• Medical insurance information
• Travel insurance information, if applicable
• Tickets and other documentation related to the cruise
• Airline ticket information and hotel confirmations, if applicable
• Your camera
• Basic medical stuff, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, antacids and anti-diarrheal medication
• Dramamine or other medication for motion sickness
• Insect repellant
• Money belt or pouch to keep your money protected during shore excursions
• Stuff to read and/or listen to

If you’ll be leaving the country on your cruise, there’s one item that should be on the top of your list: Your US passport. Passports are required unless you are traveling to Mexico, the Caribbean or Canada on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port. For a closed-loop cruise to one of these regions, you can get by with a driver’s license and a birth certificate (or other form of US citizenship.)

However, even for closed-loop cruises, it’s still a good idea to bring your US passport with you.  You need a passport to fly anywhere outside of the US, so having your passport with you will make it much easier to get home in a hurry if you have an emergency of some sort. Also, if you don’t make it back to the boat on time during a shore excursion, if you have your passport you can fly to the next port and catch up with it. Finally, some cruise lines may require you to bring a passport even for closed-loop cruises, so call and ask if you have any questions.

If you need a US passport in a hurry, we can help. RushMyPassport can deliver your application directly to the Department of State, for processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

Charles Chatman was sent to prison  for 27 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, 2 years after DNA evidence from the case exonerated him, he is still having trouble getting a US passport.

According to DallasNews.com, Mr. Chatman went to jail in 1981 on a rape conviction, the result of a mistaken identification.  He always maintained his innocence, but it wasn’t until 2001 that Texas state law allowed prisoners to request DNA tests of existing evidence. It took officials two more years to find the evidence in his case, and it was not until 2007 that a test was developed that was sensitive enough to use.

In 2007, Mr. Chatman was exonerated and released from prison. He began building a new life for himself, fell in love and conceived a child.  He wanted to take his partner on a cruise for Valentine’s Day, and to do that, he needed a passport.

However, even though 2 years had passed since he was released from prison, his record still indicated to US passport officials that he was a felon who had not yet completed his sentence. If you are convicted of a felony, in most cases you can get a passport once you’ve served your sentence, but if you are still under supervision, you’re out of luck.

Since the State Department would not issue Mr. Chatman a passport, he was unable to take the cruise, and would have been out all of his money if the media hadn’t gotten involved.  Fortunately, once the situation was publicized, Carnival issued a credit.  Hopefully, he gets his US passport soon and he and his girlfriend get a much-deserved vacation!

This situation demonstrates why it’s important to apply for an expedited passport if you think there’s anything that could possibly go wrong.  The sooner you know that there’s a problem, the sooner you can get it fixed, and the less likely you are to miss your trip.

Apply for your US passport today!

Have you applied for a US passport card recently? If so, your card may be defective. The US Department of State has announced that 658  passport cards were found to be defective.

The cards in question are invalid,  which means that if you try to use them to cross into Mexico or Canada, you could find yourself in a bit of a pickle as border officers will have to use other means to verify that you are a US citizen.

How do you know if your US passport card is defective? According to the Department of State, the defective cards were all issued on March 29th. If you got a passport card on that day, check the number. If it’s between C03612551 and C03613550, you may have a defective card and will need to get it replaced.

Defective cardholders are being notified by the Department of State, so if this is an issue for you, you are probably already aware of it.  But just in case, if your passport card number falls in the range above and you have questions, you can call  the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. That line is open between 8am and 10pm Eastern, weekdays only.

Naturally, the government is issuing “immediate replacements” for the defective cards.

Passport cards are small, wallet-sized cards that can be used as proof of citizenship for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  However, the cards are no good for travel to countries other than those listed above, and they are no good for air travel anywhere.  For that, you need the full-sized US passport book.

If you need a US passport in a hurry, RushMyPassport can help. We provide you with clear, easy-to-follow instructions to simplify the application process. Then, we hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport today!

Have you gotten one of the new US passport cards yet? If you have one, and you are driving across an international bridge into Mexico or Canada, border officials want you to take that card out of your wallet and “wave it in the air like you just don’t care” before you get to the inspection booth.

No, this isn’t some elaborate prank designed to make you look foolish for border officials’ amusement.  According to the El Paso Times,  this procedure actually helps you get through the border crossing more quickly.

Here’s how it works: about 70 feet before each inspection booth, the government has set up a sensor. Waving your card in front of the sensor allows the officer in the booth to pull up your data before you get to the booth, cutting the time for a routine crossing by about 5 seconds per vehicle.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it all adds up-if everyone who crossed the El Paso border with a passport card used the system, it would save a lot of time. William Molaski, the Customs and Border Patrol port director in El Paso, told the El Paso Times that

“As more people use their cards correctly, wait times will go down. A savings of only five seconds per vehicle reduces overall crossing times by about 30 (collective) hours a day.”

The system currently only works with US passport cards, not the standard US passport books. US passport cards are small, wallet-sized cards introduced to make crossing the border easier for people who have to do it frequently.  They are only good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and they are no good for plane travel.

If you are on a cruise or traveling more than a short distance over the Mexican or Canadian border, it makes sense to carry a passport book with you instead of a passport card, since you would need it to fly back home in case of an emergency.

Under a relatively new law that went into effect in June of last year, passports are required for most American travelers visiting Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean.  For more information about the requirements, see the following articles:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

If the new regulations have caught you by surprise and you needed to have your passport application in, like, yesterday, RushMyPassport.com can help. With RushMyPassport, you get personal service and attention from an experienced passport specialist, help with your application and much faster service than you can get submitting your application at the post office. In fact, RushMyPassport can have your application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

At 5,525 miles long, the US/Canadian border  is the longest border in the world.  Not all of that border is paved-some is mountain wilderness, some of it empty prairie, and some of the border runs along the Great Lakes.  If you are crossing from Canada into the United States at a border crossing in a populated area, you need a US passport, passport card or another document that’s compliant with the World Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). For more details, see Do I Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

But what if you are hiking into Canada via the backcountry? In some cases, you don’t just need a US passport, you also need a CANPASS Remote Area Border Crossing permit.  This permit is required by the Canadian government to cross the border in the following areas:

• from Pigeon River through to and including Lake of the Woods
• the Canadian shore of Lake Superior
• Cockburn Island
• Sault Ste. Marie (upper lock system)

To get one, you need to be a US citizen or permanent resident.  You must also meet Canada’s entry requirements, of course, which means you need to be healthy, have enough money to take care of yourself and have no criminal convictions.

You can apply for the permit here, using either a copy of the pages of your US passport that have your photo and your personal information or using other acceptable documentation as described on the web site.

For most people, it’s a good idea to have your US passport book handy if you are traveling to Canada, even if you are traveling by land and able to use alternative documents such as a passport card, enhanced driver’s license (only available in certain states), or a NEXUS, PASS or SENTRI card.  A US passport book is a requirement for air travel to and from Canada, so having one makes it much easier to get home quickly in case of an emergency.

If you need to get a passport quickly, using a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com makes the whole process much faster and more convenient.  With RushMyPassport, you can get your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment and travel to a US passport agency office.

Apply for your US passport today!

Your US passport is one of your most valuable possessions, and you are probably very careful with it. However, no matter how careful we try to be, accidents happen. When it comes to passports, the most common causes of accidental damage are pets, toddlers, washing machines and for frequent travelers, normal wear and tear.

Whether your dog chewed it or you accidentally sent it through the spin cycle, you should never try to travel with a damaged passport. Any damage to the passport book makes airport authorities and border officials start thinking about potential fraud, and there is a very real possibility that you will not be allowed to travel.

To replace a damaged US passport, treat it just like you would a lost or stolen passport. Fill out Form DS-64, Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport, and describe how it was damaged.  Then, you can either send your old passport in to be canceled and leave it at that or you can go ahead and apply for a new passport in person at a passport acceptance facility (see How To Apply for a New Passport for details.)

If you currently have a damaged passport, however, there’s a good reason to apply for a replacement now-the Department of State is planning to raise passport fees later this year.

Expect it to take at least 6 weeks to replace your damaged passport if you request regular processing, and at least  weeks if you request the government’s expedited processing.  If you need a passport sooner than that, the easiest way to get one is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  We’ll walk you through the paperwork to help you avoid common mistakes that could cause delays, then personally walk your US passport application directly to the Department of State for super-fast processing-often as quick as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport 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!