A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

If you want to order one of the new a passport cards, get a passport application — it’s called a DS 11 and follow the instructions. On the new applications that will be available by February 1, 2008, you will find an option for applying for a passport card which you will select to order a passport card. Alternatively, you can order the traditional passport book with the same application.

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

If you travel to and from Canada, check this article for legitimate concerns about the next wave of regulations rolling out the new passport law in the U.S.

Beginning May 11, 2008, about one hundred million Americans might not be able to use their driver’s license to prove their identity when traveling on domestic commercial flights. If you hold a driver’s licenses or state-issued identification cards issued by Maine, South Carolina, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire, you might be one of them. Those states’ legislatures have voted not to participate either because of privacy issues or because of the added costs to the states.
Eighteen other states and the District of Columbia have rejected the Real ID regulations on privacy and cost grounds or have not yet agreed to comply. The 18 states that have not yet decided whether or not they will participate include TX, LA, MS, TN, MO, GA, FL, NC, VA, WV, DC, MD, DE, NJ, CT, RI, MA, WI, and MI.
Beginning May 11, if your state has not agreed to comply with the Real ID Act or has not asked for an extension, you will experience delays going through security at airports.
Travelers from these “non-Real ID states” will have to undergo delays and “enhanced security screening,” in the words of TSA, unless they have a valid U.S. passport book or card. About 27% of Americans have a U.S. passport and many more have applied for the new passport card which can be used exclusively for crossing at land and sea border. Both the passport book and the passport card will be acceptable, in lieu of a driver’s license, for proving identity for airport security clearance for domestic flights. The passport card cannot be used for international flights.

There may be a last-minute compromise before the May 11 deadline, but neither the Bush administration nor the states have blinked yet. Any substantive changes would require a new law to be passed by Congress and that is unlikely.
The Department of Homeland Security says the law is clear: a federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver’s license or state-issued identification card unless the state is meeting the requirements of the law or has agreed to do so. Thus TSA, a federal agency, will not accept driver’s license from non-participating states.

DHS has published almost 300 pages of regulations that states must comply with. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that only criminals and terrorists should be “disappointed” with the Real ID rules.

DHS has offered states a five-year extension, until 2013, to issue the new cards, provided they agree to abide by Real ID regulations and submit a report describing its plans by May 11, 2008. Those that don’t will find their driver’s licenses disallowed at airports beginning May 11, 2008.

In the final rule released in January 2008, DHS extended the deadline a second time to December 1, 2017. Only states that can prove they are well on their way to implementing Real ID can qualify for the lengthiest deadline extension.

Here is the essence of the Real ID Legislation if you want to know the details

TITLE II–IMPROVED SECURITY FOR DRIVERS’ LICENSES AND PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS

SEC. 202. MINIMUM DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS AND ISSUANCE STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION

Beginning May 11, 2008, a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver’s license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements of this section.

To meet the requirements of this section, a State shall include, at a minimum, the following information and features on each driver’s license and identification card issued to a person by the State:

(1) The person’s full legal name.
(2) The person’s date of birth.
(3) The person’s gender.
(4) The person’s driver’s license or identification card number.
(5) A digital photograph of the person.
(6) The person’s address of principle residence.
(7) The person’s signature.

To meet the requirements of this section, a State shall require, at a minimum, presentation and verification of the following information before issuing a driver’s license or identification card to a person:

(1) A photo identity document, except that a non-photo identity document is acceptable if it includes both the person’s full legal name and date of birth.
(2) Documentation showing the person’s date of birth.
(3) Proof of the person’s social security account number or verification that the person is not eligible for a social security account number.
(4) Documentation showing the person’s name and address of principal residence.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

A State shall require, before issuing a driver’s license or identification card to a person, valid documentary evidence that the person–

(i) is a citizen or national of the United States; or
(ii) is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent or temporary residence in the United States; or
(iii) has conditional permanent resident status in the United States; or
(iv) has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered into the United States in refugee status; or
(v) has a valid, unexpired nonimmigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa status for entry into the United States; or
(vi) has a pending application for asylum in the United States; or
(vii) has a pending or approved application for temporary protected status in the United States; or
(viii) has an approved deferred action status; or
(ix) has a pending application for adjustment of status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States or conditional permanent resident status in the United States.

You can see here your state’s position on the issuance of Real ID’s by clicking on your state on the map.

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

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.

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.

Arthur Frommer, who writes the Frommers travel books published his New Year’s resolutions for 2008 and we found it very interesting. We add a few ourselves to suggest tips to make travel easier.

Frommer’s resolutions:

1) I will limit myself to carry-ons, and never check a single bag;

2) I will carry sandwiches from home, and never bite into a single airline snack;

3) I will use public transportation from airport into town;

4) I will never book a connecting flight; if there’s no non-stop to my destination, I won’t go there (with some exceptions);

5) I will share courses with my wife, ordering a single main plate for the two of us;

6) I will stop patronizing “duty-free” shops;

7) I will never book an uncomfortable “boutique hotel” designed by a famous fashionista;

I will never use a credit card that doesn’t earn frequent flyer mileage;

9) I will never board a cruise ship carrying more than 700 passengers;

and 10) I will remain calm and unperturbed by refusing to read the travel section of the New York Times

And here are the New Year’s resolutions from A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors:

1) I will check the website of every airport before going there to depart or transit to obtain information about parking, wait times, food options, Wifi availability, amenities such as massages, spas, shopping, etc.

2) Park as close to airports as possible (and pay extra for the privilege) so I don’t have to wait on buses to take me to my car.

3) secure my boarding pass 24 hours in advance of my departure.

4) Mark my bag (that looks like someone else’s bag) with distinct bright yellow or orange colors, so someone doesn’t pick up my bag by mistake at the baggage claim area.

5) Check the public transportation status in cities to which I am traveling to ensure there are no strikes or other activities that make getting around difficult at my destination.

6) Join one of the services that allows me to go the front of the line at the security clearance.

7) Renew your passport six months before it expires.

Apply for one of the new passport cards that you can use to cross the land borders to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. You may not need it but if you lose your passport, you’re covered.

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

The State Department will soon begin issuing passport cards equipped with electronic data chips to U.S. citizens who travel frequently between the United States and Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.

The $45 card will be optional and cannot be used for air travel. The chip will contain a unique identifying number linked to information in a secure government database but not to names, Social Security numbers or other personal information. It will also come with a protective sleeve to guard against hackers trying to skim data wirelessly.

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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.

REMINDER:

Starting Jan. 31, adult travelers re-entering the USA by land or via ferry or small boat must carry either a passport or a government-issued photo ID plus proof of citizenship such as a birth or naturalization certificate. …. The change here is that persons driving into the U.S. until Jan. 31st, can get in by just answering questions.

Children 18 and younger need only proof of citizenship.

Effective Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens (19 and older) will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as

1) a passport or

2) a birth certificate or naturalization certificate supported by a government issued photo ID, when entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry from Canada.

Children ages 18 and under are only required to present proof of citizenship (without ID), such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or passport.

If a birth certificate is presented, it must be a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state. A photocopy of a birth certificate will only be accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) if the original has been sent to the Department of State in support of a passport application. In such case, the traveler must obtain and provide proof of passport application.

These changes are significant as compared to the current and long-standing policy that allows CBP officers to accept oral declarations of citizenship from U.S. and Canadian citizens seeking entry into the United States through a land or sea border. Effective Jan. 31, 2008, oral declarations will not be accepted.

All persons traveling by land or sea to Canada to take either a valid passport or a government issued birth certificate and photo ID beginning Jan. 31, 2008.

All persons traveling by air should be reminded to bring a passport. The passport requirement for air travelers entering the U.S. from Canada has been on the books since Jan. 8, 2007.

Please note that travelers holding NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST cards will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.

Eventually, at an unspecified date by mid-2009, the Department of State will require passports, or soon-to-be announced passport alternatives, from ALL travelers at ALL points, including air, land and sea, within the Western Hemisphere.

Prior to the effective date, the State Department intends to make available a Passport Card, which is specifically designed for land and sea travel from neighboring countries. The primary advantages of the Passport Card are that it will be less expensive and smaller than a traditional passport.

In addition, several states including Washington, Vermont and New York are creating an Enhanced Driver_s License that will, according to the CBP, also fulfill the proof-of-citizenship requirement at land and sea borders. Further details of these alternative products are unknown.

However, CBP says that ample notice of the exact date of implementation will be provided to ensure travelers can obtain the appropriate documents.

Since passports are the gold standard for entering and exiting the country from all foreign destinations, ALL travelers, including those traveling by land or sea in the Western Hemisphere, should be encouraged to obtain, and travel with, a passport.

Specific documentation requirements for land, sea and air travel may be found at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/.

To learn more about NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, visit www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/.

The State Department recommends that all persons obtain a passport for any international travel. If you need a passport or have questions, contact A Briggs. If you need an expedited passport, A Briggs can obtain one for you as quickly as one day.

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

Beginning January 31st, 2008, U.S. citizens will be required to show their birth certificates or other documents that prove citizenship, along with their driver’s licenses, to cross the border back into this country if they don’t have passports.

The modifications are step one closer to the new rules to tighten border security and require a passport or passcard to cross land borders. The State Department and Homeland Security have not issued the rules for the issuance of passport cards. The passport card will be issued to reduce the cost and complexity for residents in border states who cross the border regularly.

The State Department plans to begin processing applications for the wallet cards by the spring. The delays on the passport card and the stricter requirements at land border crossings are likely to cause traffic jams at ports of entry along the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.

Many people who regularly cross the border by showing a driver’s license and saying “yes” when Customs and Border Patrol agents ask if they are U.S. citizens are not aware of new rules.

300 million people cross the land borders annually. Congress moved back the deadline requiring passports or passport cards at all land borders until June 2009. Officials in charge of issuing passport cards announced plans for the driver’s license-like card in early 2006, and said the card would be ready for distribution by the end of that year. Now, almost two years later, the State Department is still working on the final regulations for the card, which is expected to cost $20 plus a $25 processing fee — about half of the $97 cost of a regular passport, making the smaller card a cheaper and easier alternative for many border residents.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you informed. Meanwhile, our advice is apply for your passport now. If you need a rush pasport, you can obtain a passport as quickly as 24 hours.

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