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.

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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.

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In 2008, the US Department of State introduced a new passport option: the US passport card.  The wallet-sized card was meant to make international travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean more convenient and less expensive. Passport cards are the same size and shape as a driver’s license, and they cost much less-only $45 for a card compared to $100 for a passport book.

Passport cards are gradually becoming more and more popular, but as Las Vegas’ Fox 5 News reports, there is still a lot of confusion about what type of travel they can actually be used for, and that means people are missing their vacations.

You see, passport cards may be much cheaper than a regular passport, but they are much more limited in terms of where and when you can use them. They are ONLY valid for land or sea travel to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean. They aren’t valid for travel to any other countries. Equally important, they can’t be used for air travel at all. So, even if you are flying to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, you need a passport book, not a passport card. If you show up at the airport with a passport card, they won’t let you on the plane. That’s exactly what happened to Wendy and Jason Baxter, as described by Fox 5 News:

“You have to have a passport book,” the agent told the family.Last year, when Wendy and Jason Baxter ordered new passports, they were told they could order the passcards to fly to Canada instead of the more expensive passport, they said.“We asked what the difference was” between the two, Wendy Baxter said. Baxter said they were told passports were needed to fly overseas, while the passcard would get them into Mexico and Canada.“(You) get everything packed, everything’s done, (and) you get to the airport … and they say, ‘You can’t go,’” Wendy Baxter said.

Did passport card confusion catch you by surprise? If you need a new passport in a hurry, you have 3 different options: order a new passport with expedited processing, which costs an additional $60 and will get your application processed in 3 weeks instead of the normal 6, make an appointment at a passport agency office, or use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.

Of these options, an expediting company is the most convenient way to get superfast service. At RushMyPassport, we walk you through the application process and hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

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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!

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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!

Jamaica is a popular destination for American tourists. The blue skies, white sandy beaches, excellent coffee and laid-back reputation make it an excellent place to go if you need to decompress. However, if you are planning a trip to Jamaica, there are some new passport requirements you need to be aware of.

On June 01, 2009, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) went into effect. Here’s what that means to you:

• If you are flying to Jamaica, you must have a valid passport book to travel.
• If you are traveling by boat, you need either a US passport book, a US passport card, a NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card, or an enhanced driver’s license.

To make things even more complicated, there are a few exceptions to the above requirements:

• Children under the age of 16 can use their birth certificates instead of a passport if they are traveling by sea. If they are traveling by plane, they still need a passport book.
• Children under the age of 19 can also use a birth certificate if they are traveling by sea with a school group, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team. The group must be accompanied by an adult chaperon. Again, if the group is traveling by plane, everyone needs a passport book.
  
• US citizens on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port, can bring a copy of their birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID.

If you are traveling to Jamaica, don’t forget to make sure that you have your passport and that it hasn’t expired.  If you need to get a passport in a hurry, a passport expediting service like RushMyPassport can offer a speedy alternative.

When you apply through RushMyPassport.com, we’ll help you fill out the application and then personally deliver your application to the Department of State. This puts your application at the top of the stack, for processing times as quick as 24 hours.

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Recent changes in passport rules have left many U.S. Citizens confused as to whether or not they need a passport to travel to the Bahamas. On June 1st, 2009, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) went into effect:

If you are traveling by plane, you must have a U.S. Passport.

If you are traveling by sea, you can use a passport book or one of the following documents:

• a passport card
• a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card
• an enhanced driver’s license (only some states have these).

Please note that the passport card can only be used if you are traveling to the Bahamas by sea-it’s no valid for air travel.

Exceptions

There are, however, a few exceptions to the above rules. For example, if you are traveling to the Bahamas on a closed-loop cruise, a cruise that begins and ends at the same US port, you can use your driver’s license and birth certificate instead of a passport.

There are also a couple of exceptions for children.  Children under age 16 can use a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship IF they are traveling to and from the Bahamas by sea. Children under age 19 can also use birth certificates IF they are traveling by sea and IF they are traveling with a school group, a church group or a social or cultural organization supervised by an adult.

Just like adults, children in any age group must have a passport book to travel to the Bahamas by plane.

If the new passport regulations have caught you off guard, RushMyPassport can help. We hand-deliver your application to the US Department of State and then rush your new passport back to you, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

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Since June 1st, 2009, most U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico are required to carry passports to get across the border.  Here are the travel requirements for each of the circumstances below:

Flying Into/Out of Mexico
US citizens of any age flying to or from Mexico must have a US passport book, no exceptions. You should be aware that the US passport CARD is no good for air travel.

Traveling to Mexico by Land If you are traveling to Mexico by land, under the new rules you must have one of the following documents to re-enter the US: US Passport Book US Passport Card Nexus, SENTRI or FAST card Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL)- Currently, only a small number of states offer Enhanced Driver’s Licenses

Traveling to Mexico by Sea
Traveling to Mexico by sea is about the same as traveling to Mexico by land, unless you are on a closed-loop cruise. A closed-loop cruise is a cruise that begins and ends at the same US port.  American citizens on a closed-loop cruise can use a driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID AND an original or copy of their birth certificate, naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship to re-enter the country.

Children

Children under the age of 16 traveling to and from Mexico by land or by sea can use their birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or naturalization certificates to re-enter the country.

Children under the age 19 traveling with an adult-chaperoned organization such as a school group, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team can also use their birth certificates, certificates of citizenship or certificates of naturalization.

However, children of any age traveling by air to and from Mexico must have a passport book.

If you need a passport to go to Mexico, RushMyPassport.com can help. We make getting a passport quick and easy by providing you with a helpful checklist and personal assistance with the application. Then, we hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for super-fast processing, often as a quick as 24 hours.

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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!

Until last week, Susie Williams-Allen, a newspaper columnist for the Purcell Register in Purcell, Oklahoma, wasn’t aware of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The WHTI, which has been in effect since June 1, 2009,  requires that American citizens returning from Mexico prove their identity and citizenship with a US passport on their way back across the border.

Last week, she and her husband decided to take a day trip into Mexico without first obtaining a passport.  Unfortunately, on her way back across she learned about the new laws the hard way…from a decidedly unsympathetic border guard. Mrs. Williams-Allen and her husband faced a stern round of questioning before they were eventually allowed back across, treatment that she did not expect from a US border patrol officer as a US citizen.

The rules have been in place since June, and the Department of State has been diligent about publicizing the new requirements, but it appears that infrequent travelers are still falling through the cracks. As Mrs. Williams-Allen noted in her column, “Maybe I should have known I needed a passport. I think there may be more out there like me who do not know. It is not like I am a world traveler.”

The moral of the story?  If you are planning a trip to Mexico, even if it’s just walking across and taking a taxi back to the US, obtaining a passport should be your first step! It’s also a step that should be taken well in advance of a trip, if possible.  Currently,  obtaining a passport takes about 6 weeks if you apply with normal processing and about 3 weeks if you apply with regular processing.

To get your passport more quickly and with less hassle, consider using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. You’ll get detailed, easy-to-follow instructions to help you with your paperwork, plus personal help and guidance from a professional passport specialist.

Also, an expediting company will personally deliver your passport application to the Department of State, drastically reducing the time you have to wait. In fact, with an expediting company, your passport could be on its way back to you in as little as 24 hours!

At RushMyPassport.com, we make obtaining a passport quick and easy. Apply with us today!