Search Results for: blog electronic passports update

Government Giving Parents A Break On Passports For Kids

Good news for you parents who travel internationally with your children. The Homeland Security Department just announced that U.S. and Canadian children will no longer need passports to come into the country by land or sea. If the news has you cheering, thank Canadian government officials and various tourism groups throughout North America—–both fought hard to ease the restrictions. Just so there is no confusion, this new policy change does not affect children who fly. There will be no change to the new rules for those who travel by air. Everyone coming into the United States by plane, no matter … Continue reading →

E-Passports–UPDATE

I recently blogged about the concerns regarding electronic passports, but my blog published PRIOR to the announcement that authorities uncovered an alleged terror plot involving airplanes and liquid explosives. I assumed that the heightened security checks at airports worldwide would certainly impact the United States plan to begin issuing e-passports, but I was wrong. In fact, I just learned that the U.S. State Department’s plan to issue smart chip-embedded passports to Americans will go on as scheduled TODAY. Initially, there was talk that the rollout wouldn’t formally take place until the end of the busy summer travel season. That is … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Passport Alternatives and New York’s Revamped Tourist Attraction

If you are planning a trip to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean this year take note: The State Department says it will begin accepting applications February 1st for passport cards as alternatives to passports for Americans traveling to the aforementioned destinations. The wallet-sized cards, which will be available to U.S. citizens by this spring, will cost $45 for adults and $35 for children. That’s cheaper than a regular passport, and adults who have passports will have to pay only $20. However, the passport cards will only be accepted for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and … Continue reading →

Outrageous Passport Fees

How much did you pay for your passport? If your passport was issued after 2005 you probably paid $97 (adults). For children under 16 the price for a passport is $82. Steep. No question about it. In fact, the price seemed so high that congressional investigators were recently asked to study whether a $30 portion of the passport charge was justified. According to the State Department the $30 is intended to cover the cost of clerks examining and accepting passport applications at post offices, State Department passport offices, courthouses, libraries, municipal offices and universities. But, now it appears the State … Continue reading →

Prepare For More Passport Changes

Consider this your passport wake up call: As of Monday, U.S. airline passengers will once again need to carry a valid passport when traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda. I have dedicated a series of blogs to the ongoing saga of passport changes. If you are planning to travel to a foreign destination any time soon you may want to familiarize yourself with the many changes that have occurred within the past year or so. You can do so by reading the following: · Revised Passport Rules · Holiday Travel: Important Passport Information For Parents and Children · … Continue reading →

New Passport Requirements Force Deadbeat Parents To Pay Up

After numerous blogs detailing the problems generated by the latest passport requirements, I am thrilled to report on how some those same amendments are helping nail parents who skip out on paying child support. Three cheers for the Passport Denial Program, which has forced untold numbers of child support scofflaws to pay millions in missed payments. This program works very simply: The State Department denies passports to non-custodial parents who owe more than $2,500 in child support. Once the parents make good on their debts, they can reapply for passports. According to the federal officials, now that passports are needed … Continue reading →

Passport Horror Stories

Can you imagine shelling out 3,000 non-refundable dollars for a trip to Ireland only to be told you wouldn’t be allowed to go because the passport you applied for three months ago has yet to arrive in the mail? Sickening isn’t it? You bet it is. Just ask my 17-year-old cousin who is supposed to be days away from leaving on a high school band trip to Europe. In my previous blog I covered the new changes in the passport laws. As of yesterday, the federal government temporarily waived its new anti-terrorism rules and lifted the requirement that U.S. passports … Continue reading →

Revised Passport Rules

Here we go again… yet another revision in passport rules. However, this one may be welcome news to all of you angry travelers who have been victimized by the backlog of passport applications. As of yesterday, the federal government temporarily waived its new anti-terrorism rules and lifted the requirement that U.S. passports be used for travelers flying to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. What do the new rules mean for you summer travel plans? According to government officials, right now you will be able to fly without passports to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda … Continue reading →

Holiday Travel: Important Passport Information For Parents and Children

In a previous blog I shared with you the lesson my friend learned the hard way about applying for a passport for a child: There is absolutely no chance (despite any begging, pleading, or “rationalizing”) that you will obtain a passport for your child unless he or she is present. Simply put: f you are applying for a passport for your child you MUST have the child with you. All first-time passport applicants must apply in person, regardless of age. You’ll find that the information will be especially vital come January 2007. That’s when nearly all air travelers entering the … Continue reading →