Passports and a heads up.

[Formula Jr]

If you and your significant other want to travel and your passports are due to expire, you better put in your request for renewal AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It aint a two week- 16 day thingy any more.

The Passport office is totally jammed right now due to the requirements for Passports to enter Canada. And you might have to wait over three months to get the renewal or even know what your status in the process is.

Is there someone here with the State Department that knows the right people to call?

My Wife and I are invested in a trip to Italy for our honeymoon, next month, but her Passport process status is still unknown and taking too long to renew... She is not someone that would fit any profile to examine, if those are indeed in place. We did the renewal request 9-1/2 weeks ago and we are beginning to worry.....

[mrfixxall]

Im not sure but wont a birth certificate work also?

[Formula Jr]

Birth Certificate Work also?, for what? Clarify.

[yeller]

A birth certificate will still work if you're coming into Canada or vice versa....for now (and only if you're driving across), but Formula is going to Italy and I doubt it will be accepted.

We have the same problem here, Formula Jr, due to the new requirements to enter the US. Normally a 2 week renewal, now closer to 12.

[boxy]

Passports are needed to enter the US by AIR right now ,traditional forms of ID still work at Land/sea crossings, but just so we are clear Canada Customs does not require a passport to enter Canada by AIR from the US, but US Immigration does requires a passport to RE-ENTER the US by AIR.

From the US Deparment of State website.......
Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007

The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that the requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere will begin on January 23, 2007.



Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

[maddad]

At your local U.S. post office, you can get info on a program where for a fee of +/-$70, they will expedite a passport app/renewal including express mail to the right agency and back to you. About 2 weeks turn around I think.
Bring all the required paperwork with you.

[Team Jefe]

Mike is right...though its lettle help to Owen now.

I'm sure the back up it getting worse by the month, but in Feb. we got Renee's passport (original, not renewal) and paid the $75 expediting fee. we got the document within 2 weeks.

If you have an itinerary for travel, the passport office can even turn it around in as little as 48 hours for a renewal. Of course it costs $$$, and you will need to ride herd to get it done. There are even companies that do just that for a living...I've had to used them before.

Once again, it does Owen no good knowing this now. But I think Owen was mostly making a public service announcement anyway....so here is my contribution.