Passport deadline expected to be postponed

[MszKitty]

Passport deadline expected to be postponed (08/18/2005)By Gay Nagle Myers and Michael MilliganWASHINGTON -- In a victory for the travel industry, the State Dept. and the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) are expected to push back by a year the Dec. 31 start date for a rule that would require Caribbean-bound U.S. travelers to show passports whenever they enter or exit the country.

 

 

The same policy covering Americans returning from Canada or Mexico, which had been set to take effect Dec. 31, 2006, also was expected to be delayed.

 

 

Although neither federal agency had acted by press time, industry sources told TravelWeekly.com that the deadline extension was imminent.

 

 

“We fully expect that the deadline will be pushed back to the end of 2006, and it will make no distinction between places traveled to and from,” said Richard Webster, director of government affairs for the Travel Industry Association (TIA). Webster said he expects the new implementation date will soon be published in the Federal Register.

 

 

The departments are expected to rule that the new policy will be directed at all passengers traveling via air and sea by the end of 2006. By 2007, those crossing U.S. borders by land would also be included.

 

 

The TIA is part of a coalition of trade groups that has been lobbying for a delay in implementing the rule. The coalition includes the National Tour Association, the U.S. Tour Operators Association and the Student Youth Travel Association. The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association and Expedia also lobbied for an extension of the Dec. 31 deadline.

 

 

“The CHA can appreciate the U.S. concern for its security, and we have no issue with that,” said the association’s president, Berthia Parle.

 

 

The CHA has steadfastly advocated that the playing field be leveled by introducing the passport plan to the Caribbean on Dec. 31, 2006, the same day it is scheduled to go into effect for Mexico and Canada.

 

 

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, secretary general of the CTO, said, “We would be delighted by an extension because of the substantial negative impact the original dates would have on the economies of the Caribbean. We hope that any new date is sufficiently distant to allow full compliance without any economic hardship to our members.”

 

 

Last December, Congress approved the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, later signed into law by President Bush. One provision requires that by Jan. 1, 2008, those traveling to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document when entering, re-entering or leaving the U.S.

 

 

On April 14, the departments floated a proposal to implement the law on a phased-in schedule with a new rule referred to as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The phase-in process was to start on Dec. 31 and would have initially required citizens from the U.S., Canada and Bermuda traveling to the U.S. by air or sea from the Caribbean, Central and South America to show passports.

 

 

By Dec. 31, 2006, the rule was to apply to travelers returning from Canada and Mexico by air and sea.

 

 

Travel industry lobbyists raised concerns that comparatively few U.S. travelers have passports and that the rule would immediately hinder cross-border travel.

 

 

“When the announcement was made back in April, the President asked for [the proposed rule] to be pulled back and reviewed,” said a DHS spokesman.

 

 

The proposal has remained under review ever since, but it was never printed in the Federal Register, a procedural step that formally puts interested parties on notice and allows them to file comments that, in turn, are used to help formulate the final rule.

To contact reporters Gay Nagle Myers or Michael Milligan, send e-mail to gmyers@travelweekly.com or mmilligan@travelweekly.com.

 

[springtxbill]

I figured this would happen when it was announced. They would not be able to process as many passports as would be required before the date took effect.

[Happy ks]

It will be a relief to some who have been worrying about it for next year. I think it's still the best form of ID and would not leave the country without mine.

 

When is this supposed to be official?

[MszKitty]

It will be a relief to some who have been worrying about it for next year. I think it's still the best form of ID and would not leave the country without mine.

 

I totally agree.

 

 

When is this supposed to be official?

 

 

 

Although neither federal agency had acted by press time, industry sources told TravelWeekly.com that the deadline extension was imminent.

 

“We fully expect that the deadline will be pushed back to the end of 2006, and it will make no distinction between places traveled to and from,” said Richard Webster, director of government affairs for the Travel Industry Association (TIA). Webster said he expects the new implementation date will soon be published in the Federal Register.

[knothead]

I had already made up my mine to go ahead and get our passports before these deadline came down the wire. I have mine now and feel that I did the right thing, at some point in time the will be required and I'll have one less thing to worry about! Plus if I decide to take a last minute trip to some place that I needed it - No waiting & worry