Passports to be required soon

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacey Haga
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
People traveling to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada will be required to have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States by Jan. 1, 2008 according to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. 

"The State Department has not finalized what other documents will be accepted," said Mary Draper, 325th Mission Support Squadron passport agent.  "They are strongly encouraging all U.S. citizens to get a passport." 

In order to ease the implementation of this requirement, the administration is proposing to complete it in phases, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future. 

The proposed implementation is Jan. 8, 2007, the requirement will be applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Jan. 1, 2008, the requirement will be extended to all land border crossings as well. 

This change in travel requirements will affect all U.S. citizens entering the United States from countries in the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports.   

It will also affect foreign nationals who are not currently required to present a passport to travel to the U.S. and most of the citizens of Canada, Bermuda and Mexico.  

Due to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a no-fee passport is required for U.S. government employees and their eligible family members, as well as eligible family members of active duty military members moving to Canada. Those moving to Alaska and their eligible family members are authorized and strongly encouraged to obtain a no-fee passport. 

Currently, a no-fee passport is preferred for U.S. government employees traveling to Canada for temporary duty.  Effective Dec. 31, a no-fee passport will be mandatory for air and sea travel to Canada and by Dec. 31, 2007 for land border crossings. 

"A no-fee passport is used for official business only; if citizens wish to travel for pleasure, they must have a tourist passport, which can be obtained for a fee, through the main post office downtown," said Mrs. Draper.   

To obtain a government passport, visit the passport office 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, to apply. Appointments are not necessary. 

For more information, e-mail Mary Draper, at mary.draper@tyndall.af.mil, or visit www.travel.state.com.