US International Travel Restrictions

If you are planning travel between US, Canada orPlan ahead and allow at least eight to ten weeks to
Mexico by air or sea, be prepared to present yourprocess your request for a new Passport. All the
passport. The same rules apply for the Caribbean andmore reason to make sure that you have a current
Bermuda. If you are planning business travel, a skiPassport now. You may have the opportunity or
trip, Spring Break, family vacation or warm weatherneed to travel, and may not have more than two
excursion, be prepared to carry a federallymonths to wait for a Passport. Acceptance facilities
recognized identification to enter the US, even if youinclude many Federal, state and probate courts, post
are a US citizen. The same rules will apply to roadsoffices, some public libraries and a number of county
and land border crossings in 2008.and municipal offices. There are also 13 regional
Beginning January 8, 2007 anyone traveling by air orpassport agencies, and 1 Gateway City Agency,
sea to or from the United States and Canada orwhich serve customers who are traveling within 2
Mexico must carry a passport or other federallyweeks (14 days), or who need foreign visas for
recognized identification to return to the Unitedtravel. Appointments are required to request
States.expedited processing.
These new rules also apply to U.S. citizens enteringPassports can also be used as identification for
from Central and South America, the Caribbean anddomestic travel within the US. Tired of pulling out
Bermuda.your wallet and Drivers License every time that you
On January 1, 2008 the rules will be extended to allapproach a ticket counter, security or gate check?
border crossings, including those on land. This newYou can keep your wallet, credit cards and cash in
requirement will also affect certain foreign nationalsyour pocket or purse and present your Passport
who currently are not required to present a passportinstead. Many business travelers have learned the
to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens,convenience of keeping their Passport in a
citizens of British Overseas Territory of Bermuda andconvenient pouch with carry-on luggage to expedite
Mexican citizens will be affected by thethe security identification verification process.
implementation of this requirement.For a convenient list of Carry-On Restrictions, go to:
Check your passport and make sure that it isFor more information on obtaining a US Passport, go
current, or get one if you do not have it already.to:
Getting a passport takes time. The Passport Services_________________
Office provides information and services to AmericanWords of Wisdom
citizens about how to obtain, replace or change a"I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then
passport. A passport is an internationally recognizedI'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've
travel document that verifies the identity andtraveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the
nationality of the bearer. Only the U.S. Department oftop two corners of the map so it won't fall down."
State has the authority to grant, issue or verify- Mitch Hedberg
United States passports."When you travel, remember that a foreign country
To obtain a passport for the first time, you need tois not designed to make you comfortable. It is
go in person to one of 9,000 passport acceptancedesigned to make its own people comfortable."
facilities located throughout the United States with- Clifton Fadiman
two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S."A man travels the world over in search of what he
citizenship, and a valid form of photo identificationneeds and returns home to find it."
such as a driver's license. This also applies if your- George Moore
passport has expired and is not in your possession, if"When a gentleman leaves home, he uses a lint brush
it was issued more than 15 years ago, if it wasto preserve his professional image. When a
issued when you were under 16 years of age, or ifgentleman returns home from Las Vegas, he uses a
your passport is being replaced because it was lostglitter brush to preserve his professional image.
or stolen.