Passport Information

Important announcement regarding PASSPORTS!

Air Travel: Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport to enter (or re-enter) the United States.

U.S. lawful permanent residents will continue to be able to use their Alien Registration Card (Form I-551) issued by the Department of Homeland Security or other valid evidence of permanent residence status to apply for entry to the United States.

Cruise Travel: As early as January 1, 2008, subject to U.S. Government amendment, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

For more information, please click here to see the Federal Government's website regarding passports and travel documents. Or, click here to locate a government passport facility near you.

Expect Major U.S. Passport Delays This Spring

3/14/2007 -

If you are planning to apply for new or renewed U.S. passports this year, apply as soon as possible. The Los Angeles Times reports that processing times for passports have jumped from the usual four to six weeks to 10 weeks or longer. Regional passport offices have seen large crowds, and the U.S. State Dept. says wait times on its toll-free passport lines have increased dramatically. March is historically the busiest month for passport application, as travelers prepare for spring and summer vacations. This year, though, the new rules requiring passports for flights to Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico have made things much worse. Don’t count on the State Dept.’s usual “expedited” service (which you can request for an additional $60 fee), because it’s expanded from two to four weeks’ turnaround. You can try services like Passport Visa Express – but remember that they may face the same crowds as they try to speed up the passport processing for your clients. For more details, check http://travel.state.gov.