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Informative Articles

Alternatives for Business Travelers
"I'm coming home. I've been away too long. Been away so long. I'm coming home" – Ian Thomas, in Coming Home I still recall my road warrior days. It seemed like every other week, I was hopping on a plane for Orlando or Vancouver or Palm...

Planning your Trip using Travel Tips
No matter where you're traveling or whether you're traveling by car, plane, or train, you'll want to make sure that you arrive there with everything that you need. You'll also want to save as much money as you can in getting there. If you're...

Playing Your Cards Right -- Tips for Traveling with Credit Cards
Using credit cards while traveling is a good idea for a number of reasons: You have a record of your expenditures for record-keeping and tax purposes (especially important if you travel for business) You may get a better exchange...

Safe and Sound Winter Travel
We've all felt Jack Frost taking a nip at our nose, and facing Jack also means facing the harsh reality that a harsh winter promises, including the toll it's like to take on our main mode of transportation. It's common knowledge that the...

The Ultimate Traveler's Day Dream Come True
More than a few times, I've caught myself sitting at work day dreaming about dropping everything and just jumping on a plane. In October of 2003, I did just that. Life can grind you down when you get in a rut. In my case, I had a particularly bad...

 
New Requirements for Travelers Between the United States and Western Hemisphere

Travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada will be required to have a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. 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. 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. Essentially, you must have a passport if you wish to enter the United States, even if you are a U.S. citizen.

When It Goes Into Effect

The travel initiative requirements will be rolled out in phases. The proposed implementation timeline is as follows:

December 31, 2005 - Passport required for all travel to or


from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.

December 31, 2006 - Passport required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.

December 31, 2007 - Passport required for all air, sea and land border crossings.

How Do I get a passport?

U.S. citizens may visit the Passport section of the State Department web site [state.gov] for information on how to apply for a U.S. passport. You should allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to apply and receive your passport in advance of travel. Current processing time estimates are 6 to 8 weeks.

In Closing

As the world becomes a more dangerous place, borders are being tightened. How depressing.
About the Author

Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - Preserve the experience with writing journals for your travels. Read more articles and travelogues on NomadJournalTrips.com.