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PASSPORTS
in 2007 are sure to be the topic of conversation for many travelers
going abroad. There are new Federal regulations that are going
to apply starting in January of 2007.
These regulations
are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or WHTI
. There are two phases to this initiative:
Phase
1 - Starting January 23, 2007 , All citizens traveling by
air between the U.S. , Canada, Mexico, Central and South America,
the Caribbean, and Bermuda Must present a Passport , Air Nexus
Card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, Alien Registration
card, or Form I-551.
Phase
2 - As of January 1, 2008 - All citizens traveling by land
or sea between all the above mentioned places in phase 1, may
be required to present a valid passport or other documents as
required by the Dept. of Homeland Security.
U.S. citizens
will not be required to show a passport when traveling to: Guam,
Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Somoa, Swains Island
, or the Common Wealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
These changes
are a direct result of the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Act.
Children
will also be required to present a passport. Passports for children
16 and older are good for 10 years, while passports for children
under 16 yrs old are only good for 5 years. Both parents need
to accompany children under 14 , unless proper paperwork is provided
, such as sole custody papers, etc.
Some exemptions
may apply to US armed forces on active duty traveling on orders....Other
vacation travelers should become informed on the latest requirements.
To apply
for a passport the first time , you can visit a post office or
library. You need to bring two photographs of yourself, proof
of U.S. citizenship, like a birth certificate, and a valid form
of photo idenification, such as a driver's license.
To run a
search for places to obtain a passport in your area, we have provided
the following resource for our travelers.
http://www.iafdb.travel.state.gov.
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It
can take up to 12 weeks to get a passport , so don't
wait to the last minute. Your passport must have 2 to 4 blank
visa stamp pages when traveling.
Fees
range from $50 to $97 dependent upon what you get. For quicker
service, you can pay as much as $200 above these fees in order
to obtain your passport from a passport agency . Call 1-877-487-2778
for assistance.
Emergency
passports for lost or stolen passports will still be available
.Renewing
your passport 9 months prior to its expiration date is a good
habit to get into, because some countries and airlines require
that your passport be valid at least 6 months beyond the trip
dates.
The
following mailing address is provided for our travelers convenience:
National
Passport Processing
. P.O.
Box 13290
Philadelphia,
Pa. 19101-3290
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PASSPORT
COLORS:
Black Cover
- For Diplomats
Maroon Cover
- For Official Business
Blue Cover
- Tourist /Regular
To see FAQ
about passports, as well as, many other travel reqiurement questions,
use the following web link for assistance.
The
Cbp.gov
Be
Smart and Travel Safe - Awesome Traveler -
Report Information
source-
http://www.travel.state.gov
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