A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

The new passport card has information encoded electronically in the card to speed processing of citizens coming back into the U.S. The card has been criticized by some for the fact that the data in the card could be hacked into because the data can be picked up from more than a few inches away. The critics say the data could compromise the holder’s personal information.

We have never agreed with this criticism because the only data on the card is a unique number of the holder that has nothing to do with their identity. Instead the number is only good for use on the database of the U.S. Customs officials. When put into Customs computer database, the number will identify the holder, so he or she can be correctly and immediately identified and allowed to enter the U.S.

So even if someone did successfully hack into the card and get the passport card number of the holder, it would only be helpful if they also had hacked into the Customs database, and that is as close to impossible as the government can guarantee. We respect the integrity of the databases of the U.S. government, so we do not think the passport card is a personal security risk.

Read an interesting editorial on this subject by the Buffalo News whose readers are heavily impacted by this card because they are only a few miles from the Canadian border.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Regular U.S. visitors to Mexican beaches just south of San Diego are showing up less because of an increase in armed robbery on the beaches.

The Associated Press reported “Surfers and kayakers are frightened to hit the waters of the northern stretch of Mexico’s Baja California, long popular as a weekend destination for US tourists.”

Weddings have been canceled and beach front restaurants have seen a dramatic drop in business, even on the usually busy New Year’s weekend.

Shakedowns by police and drug-related violence have continued as in past, but starting last summer, attacks by masked, armed bandits has frightened even longtime visitors, according to the A.P. store.The Baja California peninsula is known worldwide for clean and sparsely populated beaches.

The US Consulate in Tijuana has not reported an increase in attacks on American citizens but many crimes are not reported, according to US consular officials. The State Department has always warned motorists on Mexico’s border to watch for cars following them. But citizens should reasonably ask themselves what could they do if they were being followed in a remote area even a few miles from the U.S. border?

In Rosarito, a city an hour from the border, authorities recently forced police to surrender their weapons for testing to see if they were linked to any crimes.

In 2007, 18 million tourists visited Baja, down from 21 million in 2006. Mexican crime continues to soil the lovely nation and its people. The tragedy of this level of crime touches both the direct victims, the tourists, and the Mexican citizens who lose their jobs because of the crime driven drop in visitors.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Passport Update on new Passport Rules From A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

January 4, 2008

FIRST: New regulations go into effect on January 31st that require all persons entering or re-entering the U.S. to show proof of citizenship. Prior to that date, persons can continue to prove citizenship verbally.

Proof of citizenship can be accomplished by presenting a valid passport, an original or certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, or an original copy of your certificate of citizenship or naturalization. We recommend a passport because it is the only document that proves both your citizenship and your identity.

SECOND: The Department of State, the agency of the Federal Government that issues passports, issued new rules regarding the new passport card on December 31, 2007. Here is a summary of everything covered in the new regulations. As you will see, there are more rules to be issued in the future telling citizens when and how the State Department will begin issuing passport cards. When and how the State Department will begin issuing the passport cards is not yet known.

1. The State Department will issue passport cards. The official name of the document will be “passport cards.” State will continue to issue “passport books” which up until now we have known as a “passport.”
2. The passport card is valid only for passage through land and sea ports between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The passport card cannot be used for flights into or out of the U.S.
3. The passport card will be issued to citizens in all 50 states but it is exclusively for use for land and sea entrance to the U.S. Passport cards cannot be used for international air travel.
4. Passport cards can be used for identification for domestic flights. Remember: the passport card can be used as government-issued proof of identity and proof of citizenship. So, if you do not have a driver’s license and need identification for passing through security for domestic travel, you can use your passport card for proof of identity instead of presenting your driver’s license.
5. Passport cards have the same validity as passport books – 10 years for adults 16 and over and 5 years for children under 16.
6. Citizens will be able to apply for a passport card at any acceptance agent on the same basis as a regular passport.
7. Passport books must be signed on the signature page by the passport holder to be valid. Passport cards do not have to be signed to be valid.
8. The passport cards will be able to be scanned at U.S. borders when a person is in the vicinity of an electronic reader that will be operated by U.S. border control officials. The chip in the card contains only one item of information – a unique identifying number that has meaning only inside the secure database of the State Department and Homeland Security Department. There is no personal information such as name, date of birth, social security number, etc. stored electronically on the chip. So, if someone did pick up the signal, they would not be able to use the data to learn anything about the holder.
9. The execution fee for applying for a passport card is $25. The execution fee for applying for a passport book is $30.
10. The fees for obtaining a passport card for persons without a passport are as follows:
    • Adults: Total $45 — $20 application fee, plus $25 execution fee
    • Children under 16: Total $35 — $10 application fee, plus $25 execution fee
11. Persons who have a valid passport book (Remember: a “passport book” means a person who has a “passport”) and who are applying for a passport card (in addition to holding a valid passport) are not required to pay the execution fee. Thus, persons with a valid passport who also want a passport card can apply for $20.
12. The government may permit alternative documentation for land crossings such as driver’s licenses issued by states that have established methods for determining citizenship acceptable to the Federal government. Several states have already submitted proposals to the Federal government. This matter will be addressed in subsequent regulations issued by the Federal government.

We’ll keep you posted.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

Remember that effective January 31, 2008, when returning to the U.S. from any destination, you must present proof of citizenship. A passport is the best proof because it also identifies you and it can be scanned and you can quickly move through the border.

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

By Jon Wuebben

Making plans to travel to Mexico this year? Is a Mexico family vacation in your future, or are you looking to take a little time for rest and relaxation on the sandy white beaches of Cancun or Puerto Vallarta?

Well, your timing is right. It promises to be another fantastic year south of the border for all of the major Mexico resort hot spots! In fact, 16 million Americans will probably visit Mexico this year.

Be sure you are prepared before you travel, as there have been some new requirements issued by the U.S. State Department. Although it’s a minor change from prior travel requirements, it affects all U.S. citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. Essentially, all that is required is a passport, which most frequent travelers have anyway. The goal? To make it safer for you and to strengthen United States border security.

Here are some important facts you should know:

* The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (PDF link) requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States.

* In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines.

* The proposed timeline will be as follows:

- December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

- December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.

The Easy Way to get a Passport

First, when applying for a passport, make sure you allow enough time! It typically takes 6 weeks to process a passport application. Where can you apply for a passport? The State Department
provides a handy search tool to help you find the Passport Acceptance Facility nearest you.

What’s the busiest time for passport processing? Usually between January and July. Of course, if you have an emergency and need to travel to Mexico right away, the State Dept does offer some options. Go to their website or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: on 1-877-4USA-PPT.

Additional Tips for Travel to Mexico

* Be sure to leave your travel itinerary and passport information with a friend or relative in case the originals are lost. It can also be helpful to carry a copy of your travel documents with you in a separate location from the originals.

* Avoid traveling with large amounts of cash. Credit cards are widely accepted and most areas visited by tourist will have an ATM machine. These are great options because they are safe, convenient and you get a favorable exchange rate. Another option is to use traveler’s checks.

* Using a fanny pack or travelers wallet for your cash and passport is a great idea.

* While they are making great strides in improving the water quality throughout Mexico, it is advisable to drink bottled water. In addition, avoid drinking beverages over ice as the ice may have been made from tap water.

* Wash vegetables and fruits in a purifying solution of some type.

* Before leaving, check with your health insurance provider so that you are aware of your coverage.

* If you are planning to drive over the border be sure to obtain a temporary import permit and all the necessary insurance.

So now that you’ve been informed, what are you waiting for? Mexico is a land of incredible beauty and natural wonder! Whether you’re going to sunny Cancun, festive Acapulco, or even Puerto Vallarta, your perfect Mexican vacation getaway is just a flight away!

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Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order or renew your passport.
About The Author:

This article was written by Jon Wuebben, of Custom Copywriting. Jon writes select pieces about travel in Mexico for the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort.

We received a call from a client who was at a U.S. airport to fly to Mexico on United Airlines who was not allowed on the flight because he did not have his passport. The United agent at the counter said that their computer system was informing them that all passengers must have a passport.

We discussed this with the Passport Agency and were told they had heard of similar problems, especially with United. Our contact said that the management of all major U.S. airlines have been informed of the new rules. He said that some of the confusion at the airport may be a result of the State Department announcement that the new exception rule (that permits travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda with only a birth certificate and proof the traveler has applied for a passport) applies only to re-entry into the U.S. for specific countries from that region — see list below.

The new rule does not change the entry requirements FROM the U.S. TO these or any other Caribbean countries. You can obtain country-specific entry requirements information from here, or you can check with the airline on which you are traveling.

The list of countries from which you can return to the U.S. with a government-issued photo id and proof that you have applied for a passport includes:

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Jamaica (except for business travel)
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos

You can obtain proof that you have applied for a passport from here. You must have that specific proof. It is the only acceptable proof.

The Passport Agency admits there have been problems, and we know there have been hundreds of thousands of problems. So, don’t assume anything. Remember that even though you may have applied, your application may not show up in the government’s system for typicallyl up to 20 days — and in some cases it has been as long as 3 months.

If your application is not in the system, call Passport Customer Service at 877.487.2778 and ask them to retrieve the necessary information 6:00 a.m. to midnight EST, Monday to Friday and limited weekend hours.

The volume of calls into the Service are still too heavy for the number of people answering the calls. So you expect to have difficulty getting through. It can take as long as an hour to get someone on the phone.

So check the requirements for the country to which you are traveling to make sure you have the necessary travel documents to enter and leave that country.