Passport Requirements Change Again

[jhannah]

The ball keeps bouncing! But this will give a reprise to many who are going to the Caribbean. Cruise passengers will not need passports until June 1, 2009 under new legislation just approved by Congress. The current requirement of a photo ID and birth certificate will remain in effect until that time. There may be an alternative ID called a "PASScard" that may be made available between now and then.

 

At this point, airline passengers will need passports to re-enter the U.S. beginning January 8, 2007. According to a major cruise supplier, this will give cruise lines an additional advantage for passengers travelling to the Caribbean and should increase demand and probably prices. Ya' figure? I guess if warm Caribbean seas are in your must-do list, better get booking soon before further price increases.

 

The State Department's website doesn't reflect this yet, but contains a note that it will be updated once all is finalized.

 

Of course ... and this goes without saying, but I will ... a passport is simply the best way to go regardless of the ever-changing regulations.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I totally agree a Pass Port is a MUST but I do know a few including our son and a couple of friends cruising with us for our March cruise that have not obtained theirs yet so this is good news.:)

[DD]

Please note that the requirements that you listed are NOT official yet. They have not yet been finalized. They are expected to be approved; however, the old requirement with the 2007 date is still current. http://www.travel.state.gov is the most up-to-date authority. While I agree that it certainly appears that the law is going to be modified as you discussed, it hasn't officially happened 100% yet.

[AAAAmerican]

Yes even with Congressional approval..prior to the Nov elections we even are having roads finally paved... someone wants reelection in this Blue State ...huh..>?

 

A passport is vital (IMHO) as the form of ID is looked at as the best available.. well not in this State as I had said before my Jury Duty Summons was more important to MV here...

 

Passport Rule UpDating I sure hope is better than the CLIA site ..still the Older Noordam is show and with erroneous information..

 

Yes Jim I got that also..follows here..<>:D ASk the Eolected Official in your State when they are going to UpDate it.. that way you get a valid answer prior now to the Elections....

 

U.S. cruise passengers will not need passports until June 1, 2009 under new legislation just approved by Congress. The current requirement of a photo ID and birth certificate will remain in effect until that time. Government agencies are also discussing implenting a less-expensive, alternative ID called a "PASScard" that may be made available sometime in '07 or '08.

 

 

 

The ball keeps bouncing! But this will give a reprise to many who are going to the Caribbean. Cruise passengers will not need passports until June 1, 2009 under new legislation just approved by Congress. The current requirement of a photo ID and birth certificate will remain in effect until that time. There may be an alternative ID called a "PASScard" that may be made available between now and then.

 

At this point, airline passengers will need passports to re-enter the U.S. beginning January 8, 2007. According to a major cruise supplier, this will give cruise lines an additional advantage for passengers travelling to the Caribbean and should increase demand and probably prices. Ya' figure? I guess if warm Caribbean seas are in your must-do list, better get booking soon before further price increases.

 

The State Department's website doesn't reflect this yet, but contains a note that it will be updated once all is finalized.

 

Of course ... and this goes without saying, but I will ... a passport is simply the best way to go regardless of the ever-changing regulations.

[caribbean dreams]

Bill, do you know when this extension is expected to pass?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Whatever happens -- everyone should get those passports now -- avoid the rush!!

[xpcdoojk]

In one of the other forums, this has been discussed in more detail the consensus there is that this extension is only for travel between Canada and Mexico and the US and not for people arriving in the US via air or cruise. I certainly do not know the final answer as the legislation has just been signed, but again, it is not obvious that cruisers won't need a passport. So, if anyone reads this and has a cruise in January 2007 please make sure that you find out the facts before you run out of time.

 

jc

[rpach10115]

Travel Weekly - The National Newspaper of the Travel IndustryTuesday, October 3, 2006Subscribe to Travel Weekly | Email the Editor | TravelWeekly.comPASSENGERS returning to the U.S. from Mexico, Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda via a cruise will not be required to show a passport until June 1, 2009, thanks to a provision inserted into a Homeland Security Department appropriations bill that extended the implementation of portions of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The rule to require passports for passengers was scheduled to take effect in January 2007. According to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the co-sponsors of the amendment, the legislation will allow more time to perfect a system that will also make PASS cards an available alternative to passports for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders. The bill was passed on Sept. 29; President Bush is expected to sign it into law. The International Council of Cruise Lines praised Washington's decision, while expressing support for increased security: "The cruise industry applauds Congress' efforts to increase security at our borders but to do so reasonably," said Michael Crye, president of the ICCL.

[cactuslady]

I agree that a passport is always best, and don't wait until the last minute to get it. What if you are on a cruise with only a driver's license and birth certificate, something goes other than planned, and you end up having to fly home? You would need the passport.

[noblepa]

Has this bill been passed by BOTH houses of Congress? The article that someone posted mentioned that it was an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill, that was inserted in the Senate.

 

If it is an amendment, the amended bill must go to a conference committe between the House and Senate to have the differences ironed out. The article wasn't clear (at least to me) which stage of the process the bill is in.

 

Wasn't a similar delay passed by the Senate six months ago, only to be turned down by the House?

 

Paul Noble

[bookworm0911]

2009 is 8 YEARS from 09/11/01. It is still too much to require a passport? Homeland Security is a farce.

[cruisequeen10]

Okay I am really confused. Does this apply to U.S. and Canadian citizens. If I am Canadian and cruise to Alaska - boards the ship in Vancouver roundtrip back to Vancouver, will I need a passport.

[fann1sh]

CruiseQueen 10 - it looks like the answer is now NO PASSPORT. The above quote from Travel Weekly News pole-axed me! I almost posted last night that change applied to LAND CROSSINGS only (as of September 25), but hadn't been able to follow all the rounds of amendments over the last week. Once the deadline has passed, your need for a passport will be (technically) not to get on in Canada, nor to satisfy the Canadian government, but to leave the ship in US ports - a technical difference that makes no difference at all, since the cruise ship will require pasport proof before even adding your name to the manifest.

[fann1sh]

Bookworm0911, am explanation - absolutely NO FLAMES intended! Everyone wants more border security, but the problem with these passport rules is they play to perception, not reality. The extension is a good idea - really!

As someone who has crossed the border back and forth between Canada and the US perhaps a thousand times before 9/11, and more than 500 times since then, you should know you are already protected by the best defence in the world - your Customs and Immigration officers. These talented men and women are outstanding at their job. Time and again they have "nosed out" suspicious characters when the paperwork looked perfect.

Paperwork - even passports - can always be forged. Requiring passports gives a false sense of security.

Once physiometric scanning both is possible and required (retina/fingerprint verification), forgeries will become harder. The extension may give time for passports to include this information. However, nothing will ever replace a well trained force of human beings.

I hope you're not among the group of Americans that still believe the 9/11 terrorists came into the United States from Canada. That misinformation was proved false not long after 9/11 - the hijackers came from the Middle East via Europe.

For decades, Canada was the U.S.'s largest trading partner. (I believe we've now been slightly edged out by the PRC) Most of that vital trade goes by truck across land border crossing. Border delays threaten "just in time" deliveries for not just the auto industry, but hundreds of others that are the lifeblood of American commerce and prosperity. Nothing is more important to both U.S. and Canadian citizens than safety and security, so let's make rules that help, not hurt!

(OK, I'll get down off my soapbox now)

[seaisme]

good news..but would highly recommend getting a passport. it's going to be something you need in the near future...and right now, rather easily to obtain. why not do it now? I couldn't find my SS card when changing jobs, and in filling out the I-9 form (which is required verification of citizenship in the US by every employer)..my passprt was all I needed for proof of identity. Everyone should have a passport...just do it!

[DD]

Travel Weekly - The National Newspaper of the Travel IndustryTuesday, October 3, 2006Subscribe to Travel Weekly | Email the Editor | TravelWeekly.comPASSENGERS returning to the U.S. from Mexico, Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda via a cruise will not be required to show a passport until June 1, 2009, thanks to a provision inserted into a Homeland Security Department appropriations bill that extended the implementation of portions of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The rule to require passports for passengers was scheduled to take effect in January 2007. According to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the co-sponsors of the amendment, the legislation will allow more time to perfect a system that will also make PASS cards an available alternative to passports for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders. The bill was passed on Sept. 29; President Bush is expected to sign it into law. The International Council of Cruise Lines praised Washington's decision, while expressing support for increased security: "The cruise industry applauds Congress' efforts to increase security at our borders but to do so reasonably," said Michael Crye, president of the ICCL.

 

I too get TW. If you read the article in its entirety, it does say, "expected to sign into law" rather than saying that it IS law; however, the article isn't particularly clear. A quick reading of that issue made it sound like it was a done deal when, in fact, it is not, yet.

 

We spend months trying to accurately advise clients on doc requirements and now, yet again, an 11th hour change. This is just like last year....

[rpach10115]

Here is the full article:

Congress passes bill delaying passport rule for land, sea travel (10/02/2006)Passports still required for air travel as of Jan. 8, 2007 By Michael Milligan WASHINGTON -- Congress on Sept. 29 approved an amendment that would delay implementation of new passport requirements included in the [/url], a law requiring U.S. travelers to have passports in order to re-enter the U.S from abroad.

The last-minute revision, which was inserted into a Homeland Security Dept. appropriations bill, delays implementation until June 1, 2009 the requirement for passports for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders and for cruise passengers returning to the U.S. from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda through the same date. All U.S. citizens, however, will need passports for travel by air starting Jan. 8, 2007, as previously proposed.

According to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the co-sponsors of the amendment, the legislation will allow more time to perfect a system that will also make PASS cards an available alternative to passports for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law.

Under the amendment, Congress requires the DHS and the State Dept. to first complete seven benchmarks in order to implement the passport requirement as well as develop the proposed PASS cards.

The amendment represents a significant victory for the travel industry, which lobbied heavily for a delay in the implementation of the passport rule.

"[The government] needed more time to implement this," said Rick Webster, vice president, government affairs for the Travel Industry Association, told . "There was no way that they were ready to go by January."

Webster said that while the measure delays implementation of the passport rule until June 1, 2009, the government could move sooner if they're ready. "They can move sooner than that and we would want them too. But we want them to move when [they're] ready and when the traveling public is ready to comply.

"That is the key. We don't want the government to say 'we are ready to comply' before the traveling public is educated to what the requirements are and what the final rules are and understand their options. We want people to keep traveling."

The Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Caribbean Hotel Association, along with local hotel associations in the region as well as tourism ministers and commissioners of foreign affairs had lobbied strenuously for a deadline extension for passengers returning to the U.S. by both air and sea.

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, CTO's secretary general, earlier had argued that "while we agree with the intent [of the WHTI], we want more time to educate the U.S. public so that any harm to the Caribbean's tourism business will be at a minimum."

Caribbean hotel and tourism officials were expected to release formal statements Oct. 3 regarding reaction to the passport extension for cruise passengers returning to the U.S.

Meanwhile, according to Jim Santini, legislative counsel for the National Tour Association, "A major crisis has been averted at our nation's land borders. This common-sense adoption of a June 1, 2009 deadline ensures that proper security procedures and technologies are in place so that legitimate travel and tourism remains unimpeded. This is a great victory for North American tourism"

The International Council of Cruise Lines also praised Washington's decision.

"The cruise industry applauds Congress' efforts to increase security at our borders but to do so reasonably," said Michael Crye, president of the ICCL. "We will continue to work with the government to raise awareness of the requirements and encourage the traveling public to secure proper identification."

Webster said the travel industry's relationship to the passport requirement always centered on "timing and reasonable deadlines. That's what we were looking for and that's what this amendment gives us."

While both cruise passengers and travelers entering Canada and Mexico by land would be able to use the proposed PASS card, Webster said the industry still recommends that travelers apply for passports.

"For people who are concerned or confused about the options, what they can do is just get a passport," Webster said. "The simple way to achieve peace of mind and security is to simply get a passport. They can do that right now."

To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to .

Johanna Jainchill and Gay Nagle Myers contributed to this story.