Category: Government Regulations

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Not Obtaining a Passport Causes Problems For Oklahoma Columnist
By Passport Editorial

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…

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New Passport Laws Affect Tourism to Small Town in Mexico
By Passport Editorial

The small village of Nuevo Progreso lies just on the other side of the Texas/Mexican border. Known for its safe streets and great bargains on everything from alcohol to medications to souvenirs, over the past few decades Nuevo Progreso has built an economy based largely on Texans who like to winter in Mexico. In the summer, they depend on casual tourists who cross the border to shop. However, after the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative went into effect on June, 2009,…

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New Passport Book or Passport Card: A Family Learns the Hard Way
By Passport Editorial

When you apply for a new passport, should you get a passport book or passport card? One family learned the difference the hard way.  Sherry Housley and her daughter Whitney  had planned to to take a mother/daughter vacation by the ocean in Cozumel, Mexico. However, when they went to apply for new passports, the clerk steered them toward ordering one of the wallet-sized new passport cards. Apparently, neither the clerk nor the Housleys was aware of one of the crucial…

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Emergency Passport for Student After Dog Chews His?
By Passport Editorial

A Wisconsin high school student going on a school trip to Peru was not allowed to leave the US after his dog damaged his passport. The dog, a 1-year-old golden retriever named Sunshine, found the passport in a waistband the student had borrowed to keep his valuables secure in Peru. She only nibbled off the top corner, but the damage was done. Chicago airport officials let the boy fly to Miami with his class despite the chewed-up passport. However, once…

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The Rationale Behind New Passport Rules
By Passport Editorial

At the beginning of this month,  new passport rules went into effect for travel between the US and Canada,  Mexico and the Caribbean.  Before June 1st, you could have traveled to these countries with a birth certificate and a driver's license. Now, you need a US passport or another approved document. Why were these new passport rules necessary? Why isn't it enough to be able to produce a valid driver's license or state ID card to prove your identity, and…

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New Rule Makes Getting a Passport Easier For Same-Sex Couples
By Passport Editorial

A new change in the rules for getting a passport will make things easier for same-sex couples married in Massachusetts and other states that allow  same-sex  marriage. Under the new rules, same sex couples who change their names after marriage will be allowed to apply for a passport using their spouse's last name if they choose to change their names after marriage. Before this ruling, in order to have the same last name as their spouse, one spouse would have…

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Review of New Laws Requiring Passports For Travelers
By Passport Editorial

US Representative Gary Peters of Michigan has managed to get an amendment through the House of Representatives requiring the government to review the economic impact of the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The new rules, which became law on June 1st, 2009, require Americans to use passports or another special government-approved document to travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by land and sea. Prior to June 1st, Michigan and Canadian citizens who wanted to cross the…

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