Passports - will they finally be required

[dec2007w3boys]

I may have to break down and get our passports priot to our Nov 2009 cruise. Press release today:

 

Release Date: March 27, 2008

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of State: 202-647-2492

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced today the final rule for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. The WHTI final rule requires travelers to present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. WHTI establishes document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. These document requirements will be effective June 1, 2009.

"We are on course to implement and enforce the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is an important step forward in securing the homeland," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "Limiting and standardizing the types of documents presented will result in a more secure and efficient border. We will continue to encourage cross-border travel and trade while at the same time decreasing identity theft and fraud."

In addition to the release of the WHTI final rule, DHS is officially designating the Washington State Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) a WHTI-compliant document. As of March 24, Washington State had already scheduled more than 18,600 appointments for EDL interviews and issued more than 6,400 EDLs.

DHS is publishing the WHTI land and sea final rule more than a year in advance of its implementation to give the public ample notice and time to obtain the WHTI-compliant documents they will need to enter or re-enter the United States on or after June 1, 2009.

Many cross-border travelers already have WHTI-compliant documents such as a Passport or a Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST), or a Washington State EDL. The Department of State is already accepting applications for the new Passport Cards and additional states and Canadian provinces will be issuing EDLs in the next several months—all of which are options specifically designed for land and sea border use.

Beginning June 1, 2009, DHS will institute special provisions that allow school or other organized groups of children ages 18 and under who are U.S. or Canadian citizens to enter the U.S. with proof of citizenship alone.

Over the next 14 months, the Departments will be conducting public information campaigns to inform U.S. and Canadian citizens about the new document requirements. These campaigns will include special outreach to residents of border communities who may be most impacted by the new document requirements. DHS and DOS are working with the Canadian government to ensure widespread and consistent communications on both sides of our land borders.

This announcement comes two months after January 31, 2008, when DHS ended acceptance of oral declarations alone of identity and citizenship at the land borders. Since that time U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older have been asked to present proof of identity and citizenship. Children ages 18 and under are currently asked only to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

The changes that took place in January marked the beginning of a transition period intended to prepare the public for WHTI implementation on June 1, 2009. This common sense approach is designed to lessen the impact on individuals and allow time for travelers to become accustomed to the change and obtain the appropriate documents.

Upon implementation of WHTI, travelers will be required to present a single WHTI-compliant document denoting both citizenship and identity when seeking entry into the United States through a land or sea border. Standardized, secure and reliable documentation will enable Customs and Border Protection officers to quickly and accurately identify travelers at land and sea ports of entry. The WHTI secure document requirement is already in place for all air travelers.

Both the EDL and the Passport Card will contain security features to prevent counterfeiting and will include vicinity Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to help speed the entry process at the land borders.

The WHTI land and sea final rule and a notice on the Washington State EDL will be sent to the Federal Register for publication. Specific information on documentation requirements may be found at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/. For general information on WHTI or other travel-related programs, please visit www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov.

[OhioJeff]

I may have to break down and get our passports priot to our Nov 2009 cruise. Press release today:

 

 

I think that's a good move..but they will probably move the date again :) Its changed at least 4 times already.

[dec2007w3boys]

I think that's a good move..but they will probably move the date again :) Its changed at least 4 times already.

I wonder if Vegas is placing odds on this one. :D

[sdirector77]

A passport is a great document and if you average the cost for 10 years it is really not that much. Get your passport and when you are ready to travel it will be one last thing to worry about. ;)

[Snorkel2Much]

Actually, if you follow the link provided above to the final ruling http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/whti_final_rule.ctt/whti_final_rule.pdf, you should read paragaphs IV-B-6 and VI-A

 

 

They've finalized the exceptions for US citizens on Western Hemisphere cruises starting and ending in the US. You'll still only need a drivers license and birth certificate after June 1, 2009. If something goes wrong with your cruise and you have to fly home from a foreign airport though you'll have more issues to deal with if you don't have a passport.

 

Before you tell me I'm wrong please read the reference.

[SATXLady]

It would seem that if you think you are going to need them a year and a half from now and you have 3 children plus you and spouse, then it won't be so painful to go ahead and get one every two or three months so you won't get hit with the cost all at once. Or figure out the total cost, divide by twelve, and put that amount in the "passport fund" every month and then get them all at once. Or reevaluate at the end of the year and if you still don't need them, then keep your passport fund and use it as extra spending money on the cruise.

[KtBarker]

A passport is a great document and if you average the cost for 10 years it is really not that much. Get your passport and when you are ready to travel it will be one last thing to worry about. ;)

 

I agree having a passport is great... so much easier than needing multiple forms of ID... but for kids it's only over 5 years.

[Bookbug53]

Since everyone is required to have a passport to enter the US if flying, why would anyone risk it when leaving the US? If for any reason you need to fly home (illness, missed ship, etc.) you are simply out of luck. Do you think the DHS is going to simply say 'oh we didn't mean you'! Get a passport and call it good. I am sorry but IMHO if you can vacation on a cruise ship then the cost of the passport is part of the deal. Roll it into the budget and go now to get it. With all the changes (and who knows when the next one will occur)and all the confusion the only sure way to be sure is have the passport. I would never leave the shores of this country without one.

[*Mach*]

Have you guys heard about where the US passports are made??? Thailand... yep... Thailand. If fact, with the price increases that we've seen in the not too distant past the Government Printing Office is now saying that they made a PROFIT of $100,000,000 on passports...

http://www.wsbt.com/news/consumer/17050711.html

[abitaturbodog]

Thanks for posting this information.

[familyfromvt]

Have you guys heard about where the US passports are made??? Thailand... yep... Thailand. If fact, with the price increases that we've seen in the not too distant past the Government Printing Office is now saying that they made a PROFIT of $100,000,000 on passports...

 

http://www.wsbt.com/news/consumer/17050711.html

 

These new initiatives are nothing more than money making opprotunistic actions in the name of safety.

[Bookbug53]

Have you guys heard about where the US passports are made??? Thailand... yep... Thailand. If fact, with the price increases that we've seen in the not too distant past the Government Printing Office is now saying that they made a PROFIT of $100,000,000 on passports...

http://www.wsbt.com/news/consumer/17050711.html

 

BLANK CHIPS AND BLANK PASSPORTS. Actually the chips are made in Europe not Thailand. None of our information is embedded in these chips prior to processsing in the US. Where is the link to the multi-million dollar profit? What company, US Gov or otherwise, doesn't outsource production these days? And profit...well that just isn't the American way now is it?

[MizzCard]

I'm on my second passport...have had this one for approximately three years....Got married back in Sept and it's gonna cost me full renewal price for the name change. Gotta do it though....plus you never know when you'll win that free, all expense paid trip to Europe :D

[SATXLady]

I'm on my second passport...have had this one for approximately three years....Got married back in Sept and it's gonna cost me full renewal price for the name change. Gotta do it though....plus you never know when you'll win that free, all expense paid trip to Europe :D

 

Actually, it should cost you nothing for a name change due to marriage.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds5504/ds5504_2663.html

[allgeeteredup]

We were told that it could take six months for us to get our passports before we applied. From the day we went to City Hall to the day we received our passports in the mail was exactly 10 days. We were so surprised. The wait is really not as long as they tell you. But be prepared for the extra time. Don't wait until the last minute. We applied over a year in advance. We don't take chances.

[bratgrr1]

My PVP recommended a new passcard but only for cruising purposes. It can't be used for flying. So we went with that for my husband who has no intention of flying outside the country. I guess if he gets ill or something and we have to fly him back, we're screwed.

[dec2007w3boys]

Actually, if you follow the link provided above to the final ruling http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/whti_final_rule.ctt/whti_final_rule.pdf, you should read paragaphs IV-B-6 and VI-A

 

 

They've finalized the exceptions for US citizens on Western Hemisphere cruises starting and ending in the US. You'll still only need a drivers license and birth certificate after June 1, 2009. If something goes wrong with your cruise and you have to fly home from a foreign airport though you'll have more issues to deal with if you don't have a passport.

 

Before you tell me I'm wrong please read the reference.

 

Thanks for pointing this out. I am reading too that if you will not need a passport for cruises starting and ending at the same US port. Being an adobe document, I can't copy and paste it, but it is there. As you said, dl and bc will be required, except for minors under 16 need a bc. Interestingly enough, in searching for this - there are no news articles mentioning this part. Most of them say it will be required. Thanks again for pointing this out!!

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Since everyone is required to have a passport to enter the US if flying, why would anyone risk it when leaving the US? If for any reason you need to fly home (illness, missed ship, etc.) you are simply out of luck. Do you think the DHS is going to simply say 'oh we didn't mean you'! Get a passport and call it good. I am sorry but IMHO if you can vacation on a cruise ship then the cost of the passport is part of the deal. Roll it into the budget and go now to get it. With all the changes (and who knows when the next one will occur)and all the confusion the only sure way to be sure is have the passport. I would never leave the shores of this country without one.

 

Yes DHS will allow you to fly directly back to the good ole U.S.A.

 

If you need to fly home in an emergency it can be handled by a phone call assuming that you fly directly back to the U.S. The State Department can fax permission to fly to the airline. Remember you have already been checked by Homeland Security before you step on the ship. Your names are on the ships manifest and all of this is easily verified. You should have this number when out of the country for Overseas Citizens Services 1-888-407-4747 (from overseas: 202-501-4444). Also you should have the number for the agent that Carnival uses while in port which is listed in the Capers.

 

Remember that the passport rules apply to reentry to the U.S. only; most Caribbean countries will still admit Americans carrying only a birth certificate and driver's license or other primary ID.

[PJBUCHEIT]

Actually, if you follow the link provided above to the final ruling http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/whti_final_rule.ctt/whti_final_rule.pdf, you should read paragaphs IV-B-6 and VI-A

 

 

They've finalized the exceptions for US citizens on Western Hemisphere cruises starting and ending in the US. You'll still only need a drivers license and birth certificate after June 1, 2009. If something goes wrong with your cruise and you have to fly home from a foreign airport though you'll have more issues to deal with if you don't have a passport.

 

Before you tell me I'm wrong please read the reference.

 

So what you are saying is that even after June 1, 2009 if you leave say Long Beach on a cruise and then return to Long Beach, you do not need a passport to travel on that cruise? Sorry I could not get that link to work.

[MusicMan]

I'm not vouching for the validity of that document, but here is an excerpt from it

 

U.S. citizens traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere may present a government-issued photo ID along with an original or copy of a birth certificate instead of a document designated in this final rule if they:

1) board a cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and

2) return to the same U.S. port or place from where they originally departed. In addition, DHS and DOS added a new provision that clarified that U.S. citizens under the age of 16 are required to present either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate without having to provide a photo ID>

[nedac]

Since everyone is required to have a passport to enter the US if flying, why would anyone risk it when leaving the US? If for any reason you need to fly home (illness, missed ship, etc.) you are simply out of luck. Do you think the DHS is going to simply say 'oh we didn't mean you'! Get a passport and call it good. I am sorry but IMHO if you can vacation on a cruise ship then the cost of the passport is part of the deal. Roll it into the budget and go now to get it. With all the changes (and who knows when the next one will occur)and all the confusion the only sure way to be sure is have the passport. I would never leave the shores of this country without one.

 

So you know someone who is still sitting in a cruise port unable to come home because they have no passport?

 

I guess before anyone is reported missing, they should check cruise ports for them. We could have hundreds of US citizens just stranded there indefinitely.

 

Umm, you won't be banished from the US, I'm pretty sure. Will it be harder? Yes. But, up the creek... NO. Considering How much a flight will be as well as the luck in finding one. I figure, this will be fairly tame.

 

I refuse to give the government another penny unneccessarily. Our tax money should provide us with very inexpensive passports. The price of them is ridiculous.

[dec2007w3boys]

Here it is, thanks to another poster on CC -see thread regarding it:

 

FINAL Passport Rule Issued for Land and Sea Borders

 

Yesterday, the Departments of Homeland Security and of State issued the final rulemaking concerning the requirements of passports for land and sea border crossings under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. After years of development following 9/11, this ruling is the end of the process and can be considered FINAL when helping your clients ensure they have the proper identification when traveling.

Effective June 1, 2009, the following rules take effect for cruise passengers:

U.S. citizens on cruise voyages that begin and end at the same U.S. port (closed-loop itineraries) must show proof of citizenship* and government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license). A passport will not be required for passengers that fall into this category.

*Documents include: Original or certified copy of birth certificate; Naturalization papers; Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by Department of State

All other passengers and/or itineraries (such as cruises which begin in one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port or any cruise that begins or ends in a foreign port) will require a passport or other recognized document. For a list of accepted documents, see www.travel.state.gov.

The good news for a majority of cruise passengers – American citizens that leave and return on their cruise from the same U.S. port – is that the travel document requirements will remain largely unchanged from how the industry is operating today.

CLIA continues to encourage travelers to obtain passports to allow the broadest travel opportunities. Your clients can visit www.travel.state.gov to obtain information on how to apply at more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities in the United States.

[Snorkel2Much]

I'm not vouching for the validity of that document, but here is an excerpt from it

 

U.S. citizens traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere may present a government-issued photo ID along with an original or copy of a birth certificate instead of a document designated in this final rule if they:

1) board a cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and

2) return to the same U.S. port or place from where they originally departed. In addition, DHS and DOS added a new provision that clarified that U.S. citizens under the age of 16 are required to present either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate without having to provide a photo ID>

Thanks for typing that, I didn't have time to do a word-for-word copy.

 

I won't join the debate by others on whether or not someone SHOULD cruise with a passport, mainly because I think people should understand the actual rules and then decide what is best for them.

[dec2007w3boys]

So what you are saying is that even after June 1, 2009 if you leave say Long Beach on a cruise and then return to Long Beach, you do not need a passport to travel on that cruise? Sorry I could not get that link to work.

Yes, that is correct, see post above where I copied a short version from another thread.

[dec2007w3boys]

Thanks for typing that, I didn't have time to do a word-for-word copy.

 

I won't join the debate by others on whether or not someone SHOULD cruise with a passport, mainly because I think people should understand the actual rules and then decide what is best for them.

Absolutely correct!