Passport Regulations Temporarily Relaxed for Western Hemisphere Travel

Monday, July 2, 2007
Contributed by: Charles A. Mallard

Finding that they are unable to timely process the demand for passports under the new travel regulations, the Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Homeland Security announced on June 8, 2007 that they were temporarily relaxing the new passport requirements for U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Under the relaxed standards, U.S. citizens who have applied for but not yet received passports can temporarily enter and depart from the U.S. by air with a government-issued photo identification and DOS official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. Don't misunderstand this announcement - it does not do away with the new passport rules - instead, it is a temporary fix and to be eligible you must have applied for and be waiting on the receipt of your passport at the time of travel.

This column is published for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney client relationship. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author's law firm or its individual partners.