State Department: 2008. US Citizen without passport = no re-entry

[SammyBlue]

New Requirements for Travelers Between the United States and the Western Hemisphere

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 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 order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.

I will need a passport to have lunch 65 miles away in Nogales, Sonora. If I do not have on, the Border Patrol and the Customs Office is under orders from the IRTRP TO DENY REPATRIATION.

You will need a passport to have lunch in Canada, or go to a Canadian Casino. How many Americans will be denied re-entry into our country because "we have to be on the look out for Terrists!"

Nice, huh?

[bullimiami]

1. or to take a quick hop to the bahamas.

[tanyev]

2. As long as they still let me go to Canada,

I don't care so much about getting back in.

[txindy]

3. You beat me to it.

:toast:

[Bjornsdotter]

6. Ditto n/t

[MissB]

13. Yep.

This is a bad thing?

[rodeodance]

4. oh for pete's sake!

[tyedyeto]

5. I'm even closer to Nogales than you are. and go there ...

every couple of months. Friends of mine will go almost weekly. Many don't have passports. This will be good for the passport business. Pay the almost $100 dollars to get one and you can cross the border for an hour or two and we'll let you back in.

[SammyBlue]

8. DUers need to know this. Anyone near a border needs to know this

rate this post up! The in box text was taken directly, word for word, from the State Department!

You will be denied re-entry after 2008 if you step 5 feet out of the country without a passport.

This is big, people!!!

As a Freeptard would say. . .this is HUGH!!!! And SERIES!!!!

[tyedyeto]

10. I know it is!

I first heard about the passport requirement earlier this year and thought WTF? Ever since, I always take my passport with me when I go there, just in case they change the 'rules' at the last minute.

[RagingInMiami]

7. At least the Tecate is cheaper down there

Not to mention the meds

[hopeisaplace]

9. last year I got all our family passports for travel to the US

..just to have it over and done with...and was it ever EXPENSIVE.
6 of us. When it was all said and done, nearly $600 (canadian)

[upi402]

14. Gawd, why would someone come HERE?

Bring plenty of freedom with you, cuz it's a drought here.

[hopeisaplace]

15. would you believe me when I said...a hockey tournament

:toast:

it's true...Canadian's and our hockey *gheesh*
If I didn't have 4 sons...
I'd have more money! lol

[upi402]

23. Hey, I may go to Canada for

Supercross!
LOL
Good times and no money!

[hopeisaplace]

24. omg, I had to google "supercross" to find out what it was

lol!...Ok. now I know..

welcome on behalf of the entire country of Canada
if you do, :hi:

[4dsc]

11. Is a national ID next??

Itsn't this all leading to a national ID card?? think about it for a second.. Placing more and more restriction upon the American citizen in the name of terrorism.. They are putting more and more controls on our lives!!

We need to replace them badly!!

[FreedomAngel82]

33. The House already passed that one

[upi402]

12. Vee *must* see zee papers! Produce zee papers!

Americans are denied the opportunity for dual citizenship. Not by other countries, but be the land of the free and home of the brave.
You must rescind American citizenship to become a citizen of another country. Other countries don't do that.

[yellowdogmi]

31. Are you sure,

A week or so ago I heard on a local news channel that Chris Chelios has dual citizenship US and Greece. I thought that that wasn't allowed but now I am not so sure.

[mainegreen]

37. Not true. Many countires force you to give up the old citizenship

when taking up a new one (belgium for example). In fact, thats pretty common. However, most countries, US included, allow you to inherit citizenship from parents.

[seabeyond]

16. i am told by lawyer sil i HAVE to have passport to go to akumal

by cancun mexico. she told me 5 years ago when we went i argued i didnt need. now she says we MUST have. just for argument sake, we do NOT need one?

[seabeyond]

18. now hubby is arguing it imay be to get into or leave mexico

after we did this other countries threw it back at us. well. i guess i will just have to find out the answer. cause by gosh, i want to know.

[txindy]

19. I've been to Mexico without a passport

But I don't trust them, now, so I'd get one, if I were you. Looks like we'll need them soon enough and they're good for ten years (I believe). They're just a pain to get, what with getting the special passport pictures taken and making certain both parents are with the kids while applying in order to sign-off on them getting passports (otherwise the absent parent needs to have a notarized authorization provided).

[seabeyond]

21. thanks for the info

we are trying to figure out how to get both parent there for the kids passport. hubby been busy. i got one five years ago, i dont need one. kids only last 5 years. this argument is more because of his family, not because i dont want one, or wont take it, but because they lie to me to make me do what they want and pisses me off

thanks for the info

[txindy]

25. As I understand it, your husband can write a letter giving his consent

Then the letter must be notarized. This way, they hope to avoid one parent fleeing the country with the children and without the other parent's knowledge.

I'd double-check the info., considering your source, though. If that's what they like to do to you, they may well be making the whole thing up. Try the Texas forum and see what they say. I'm in TX, but it's been years since I've been that far south.

[High Plains]

27. Not yet.

[txindy]

17. Recommending. We need to rate this up for all to see.

:kick:

[alarimer]

20. This will not be good for cross-border tourism

People who go to Canada or Mexico for the day will not likely pay money for a passport that they will not otherwise use. So border towns will suffer. And I imagine a lot of college spring breakers will get stuck in Mexico, having gone there from South Padre to party.

[PDJane]

22. Canadians will need a passport to get there.......

This year, if I understand it correctly. I'm not sure that I will spend the cash to visit the few folks I know stateside; they may have to come visit me!

And yes, it is working towards national ID cards for everyone; the brits are already more than half-way there.

[ClayZ]

26. Oops.... Self Delete

[hopeisaplace]

28. I have to ask about your name "clayz"

any special reason that made you chose that?



edit: spelling

and sorry if that was an imposing question..I was just
curious :)

[ClayZ]

29. I am a potter.

:hi:

I must be ClayZ to have my hands in the MUD for 30 years.

[hopeisaplace]

30. oh that's pretty cool

:hi:
I tried it once (in junior high school--wayyyy back in the day)..
it was fun but hard to do

[FreedomAngel82]

32. So what if you go on a cruise and you lose it or something?

Than you can't prove you're there? Or what if you enter Mexico for a few hours or a few days?

[AuntiBush]

36. All Kidding Aside

I visited Toronto eons ago and really was looking forward to traveling again in the near future vacation-wise.

Does anyone out here know the answer to this? Does it take 2 years for passport processing?

[HippieCowgirl]

39. No, passports take about 4-6 weeks to process

and you can pay extra for an expedited passport that arrives in 2 weeks.

I know because I just got mine.

[LifeDuringWartime]

34. shouldn't the passport be free?

so citizens will be taxed just for coming home :eyes:

[Historic NY]

35. Just imagine the traffic backup at the borders...........

sitting for hours upon hours so they can stamp it. :crazy: Most border crossing just can't handle it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. This is also a way of tracking all movements of US citizens. Every time

they visit suspicious pro-peace countries like Canada, it's a mark on their record.

And what happens to those whose passports are lost or stolen? How long will they have to languish away from their homes until/IF the fascist regime in the US decides to issue them another one?