Passports & Visas
New Requirements for Travelers
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico, and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.
In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:
- January 8, 2007 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
- January 1, 2008 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens who do not currently possess valid passorts and are entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and, to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.
For more detailed information, go to: http://travel.state.gov.
Obtaining Passports and Visas
To obtain a passport application, contact the nearest Passport Agency, one of the many federal or state courts, or a U.S. Post Office that accepts passport applications. The State Department’s Passport Bureau has details on what you will need to apply for a passport.
Visas are available from the embassy or consulate of the country you will be visiting or from a “visa service” which will get your visa processed for a nominal fee.
In both cases, apply for your travel documents several months in advance of your scheduled departure to avoid peak season delays.
Keep a copy of your passport number in a safe, separate place and immediately report the loss or theft of your passport or visa to the U.S. embassy or consulate and the local police authorities.
Make several copies of your passport, traveler’s checks, credit cards, itinerary, airline tickets, and other travel documents. Leave one copy with a relative or friend back home and carry one copy with you.
Parental Authorization for Children Traveling Outside the Country without Both Parents
In order to prevent international child abductions, minors traveling without their own parents, or with only one parent, may be asked to present proof that they have their parents’ authorization for travel.
- A minor traveling unaccompanied by his or her parents must carry a notarized letter signed by the parents authorizing the travel.
- If only one parent is traveling with the child, he or she may be asked to show either documents proving sole legal custody of the child, or a notarized letter from the other parent authorizing the child to travel outside the country of origin.
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