Tag: WHTI

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New Passport Requirements Split Community In Two
By Passport Editorial

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…

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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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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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Obtaining a US Passport Too Much Trouble For Canada Vacations?
By Passport Editorial

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…

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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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Is Getting a Passport Too Much Trouble?
By Passport Editorial

As a consequence of the new travel regulations that went into effect on June 1, many places in Canada and Mexico that depend on tourism are expecting  a slow summer, according to TampaBay.com. The report noted that some Niagara Falls tourists that were surveyed said they would not be back due to the new rules, which require adults to carry passports for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The article also noted that only 20% of…

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