| If you need to make frequent land crossings | | | | time to hire and train additional staff to shorten the |
| between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico, the U.S. | | | | wait time from an unacceptable 4-6 months. |
| Passport Card could work for you. It really is a great | | | | The next phase, which would apply these |
| idea. And as is typical with so many things proposed | | | | documentation rules to all air and sea travel to or |
| by the U.S. Federal government, it is being | | | | from Mexico and Canada, began a year later. And the |
| implemented late. | | | | last phase, which affects the most people, took |
| Efforts have increased since 911 to make U.S. | | | | effect on Dec. 31, 2007, applying the requirement to |
| borders more secure. These very same efforts have | | | | all air, sea and land border crossings with Mexico and |
| made it difficult for Mexicans and Canadians, who | | | | Canada. |
| often have legitimate requirements for frequent visits | | | | Many border communities requested an alternative to |
| to the U.S., to make quick and smooth transitions | | | | a traditional passport. In response, the Department of |
| through border control. | | | | State announced a proposal for developing a |
| Because of how easy it is to obtain fraudulent | | | | card-format passport for travel between the United |
| drivers' licenses, a new policy was developed out of | | | | States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. |
| a desire to reduce reliance on the licenses for entry | | | | It would be a limited use wallet-sized card that would |
| into this. The first phase of the new rule went into | | | | cost significantly less than a traditional passport. The |
| effect Dec 31, 2005, which required all U.S. citizens, | | | | media note for this card was released October 17, |
| traveling by air or sea, to or from the Caribbean, as | | | | 2006. |
| well as Central and South America, to have | | | | Now, fast forward (if such a term is at all possible |
| passports. | | | | when referring to the United States government) |
| The result of this ruling caused, literally, a months' | | | | and applications are finally, now, being taken for this |
| long backlog to obtain a U.S. passport. The | | | | card. Production is projected to start next month. |
| Department of State was totally unprepared for the | | | | That is June 2008 for a policy that was implemented |
| volume of applications. Even when it became | | | | LAST December. If a passport card will work for |
| apparent that the State Department was woefully | | | | you, better get in line fast. |
| understaffed, it still took an inordinate amount of | | | | |