Every Sunday and Monday, beginning this weekend, all recreational vehicles and vehicles towing trailers will be directed into the commercial facility, which will afford them more room, making it easier for them to drive the longer vehicles through the port of entry. Passenger vehicles will continue to use the normal lanes. Mexican officials will be separating and directing traffic into the appropriate lane prior to entering the port of entry.

“We have a dual mission of law enforcement and facilitation at the ports of entry,” said David Higgerson, Director of Field Operations, “and while we won’t sacrifice our enforcement operations, we are continually looking at ways of improving our ability to facilitate legitimate international travel.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, working with their counterparts in Mexico, decided on this pilot program to increase their ability to screen and process more vehicles and people during peak travel days and times, which typically occur between noon and 7:00 PM on Sundays and Mondays.

To ease their screening and entry into the United States, travelers are also advised to be prepared by having all documents ready before approaching an officer, answer all questions truthfully, and declare everything acquired while in Mexico. Travelers are also advised to plan their trips around the peak travel days and times.

For additional information on what to expect at a port of entry, document requirements, and prohibited or restricted items, travelers can visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website at http://www.cbp.gov/.

The Office of Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers’ primary mission is anti-terrorism; they screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Posted by www.azmc.org

U.S. and Canadian Citizens – Single Document Option

One of the following documents should be presented to prove both identity and citizenship.

Acceptable Documents as of January 31:

U.S. and Canadian Citizens – Two Document Option

All U.S. and Canadian citizens who do not have one of the documents from the list above must present BOTH an identification and citizenship document from each of the columns below.

Identification Documents*

Citizenship Documents

U.S. and Canadian citizen children ages 18 and under will be expected to present a birth certificate issued by a federal, state, provincial, county or municipal authority.For Travelers Other than U.S. and Canadian Citizens

All existing nonimmigrant visa and passport requirements will remain in effect and will not be altered by the changes that are implemented on January 31, 2008.

U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents
Permanent Resident Card (I-551) or other valid evidence of lawful permanent residence is required.

Permanent Resident Card (I-551) or other valid evidence of lawful permanent residence is required. Mexican Citizens
Mexican citizens, including children, must present a valid passport and a B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visa or a Border Crossing Card.

Mexican citizens, including children, must present a valid passport and a B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visa or a Border Crossing Card.Know Your Destination Country Document Requirements

It is strongly recommended that all travelers leaving the U.S. verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country. This information is available through the Department of State website or by consulting with the Embassy of the country you are visiting to determine what documents are needed to meet the entry requirements of that country. ( U.S. Department of State ) These requirements could include a birth certificate, passport, or passport and visa for entry into that country.

We are implementing new procedures to better serve you and enhance the security of the United States.

Travelers who do not present one of the documents listed may be delayed as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers attempt to verify their citizenship and identity.

Thank you for your cooperation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin the transition to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative secure document requirement over the next 18 months, with implementation as early as June 1, 2009.

Article posted by http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml

The wallet-sized cards will be available to U.S. citizens by this spring.

They will cost $45 for adults and $35 for children, cheaper than a regular passport, and adults who have passports will have to pay only $20. They will be accepted for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, but not for flights.

The new passport cards are being offered as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, or WHTI. The first phase of that went into effect last year, requiring U.S. travelers returning by plane from Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean to carry a passport. That led to a temporary surge in demand for passports, with wait times for passports increasing from four to six weeks to 12 weeks, although they have since returned to normal.

The Bush administration wants to begin requiring passports or passport cards for land and sea border crossings in mid-2008, but Congress is trying to force a delay on that requirement until summer 2009.

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said in a statement that the wallet-sized passport card will be a better option than a passport for many border residents.

“Also, by making the card available starting this year, I am hopeful that we will not see a repeat of the passport problems that plagued the State Department last year,” he said.

Posted by www.azstarnet.com  

The changes are the result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the goal of which is to strengthen border security while still allowing travel with standardized, secure and reliable documentation, according to the U.S. State Department.

So far, the initiative only affects air travel between the United States and the above listed countries. However, travelers may use U.S. passports when traveling via sea and land, including ferry crossings.

As early as Jan. 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the United States and the same areas may be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents to be determined by the Department of Homeland Security when traveling by land or sea, including ferries. The dates and requirements may change as time passes and advance notice will be provided by the government.

Nebraskans can apply for passports through district court clerk’s offices.

Hall County District Court Clerk Valorie Bendixen said her office has been aware of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative for a few years and the requirements have undergone multiple changes. The office has already seen a number of people applying for passports to travel to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda because they became aware of the new requirements through media coverage or their travel agents, she said.

“People should always know what’s expected,” she said. “My office refers people to their travel agents with questions. We try to do the best we can.”

Bendixen said she and her employees also refer people with questions to the Web site www.travel.state.gov for more information about passports.

She said the deadline for the new passport requirements has been moved several times. According to the State Department, the initial proposed deadline was Jan. 1, 2007, but it was pushed back to Jan. 23 after the airline industry voiced concern over holiday travel.

More than 70 million U.S. citizens hold valid passports and in the fiscal year 2006, more than 12 million passports were issued, according to State Department.

Bendixen said her office has been handling a lot of passport applications in the last few years. When comparing numbers from September through November of 2005 to this year, she said the number of passport requests doubled.

“We have a lot of people in this area that travel to Mexico and Canada,” she said.

Passports for people ages 16 and older are good for 10 years. For anyone under age 16, a passport is good for five years, according to www.travel.state.gov.

Bendixen said everyone applying for a passport needs a certified copy of their birth certificate and two identical photos of good quality. Several businesses in town will take passport photos. When children under age 16 are applying for a passport, both their parents and the child need to be present when applying. A certified copy of the child’s birth certificate and a form of ID, such as a driver’s license, must be shown by both parents, she said.

Not having a birth certificate and having one with inaccuracies are commonly encountered problems at the Hall County district court clerk’s office. Depending on the circumstances, there are a number of other documents that will be accepted, such as a letter from Vitals Statistics or naturalization papers. The Web site www.travel.state.gov lists frequently asked questions such as this and describes the process that must be used to obtain a passport.

The standard fee for getting a passport for people age 15 and under is $52 to the passport agency and $30 to Hall County, Bendixen said. For an adult, the fees are $67 to the passport agency and $30 to the county. In order to expedite a passport application, there are additional fees, she said.

Anyone who has had a passport, who was 16 years old or older and the passport was issued in the past 15 years, can reapply by mail, which will save a $30 fee. Forms are available from the district court clerk’s office and on the above-mentioned Web site, she said.

It takes four to six weeks to get a passport application processed and Bendixen said, due to increased demand, it is taking the full six weeks for passports to arrive. She suggests applying early in order to get passports on time and to have time to double check accuracy.

“It’s not a difficult process, but it’s a long process,” she said.

Documents required

On Jan. 23, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling by air to Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda will be required to present one of the following:

– A valid U.S. passport

– An Air NEXUS card

– A U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine document.

As early as Jan. 1, 2008, this could apply to travel by land or sea, including ferries.

Another travel ID document, the passport card, is being developed and will be used to travel only by land or sea, including ferries, between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. It will be similar in size to a credit card. This card is not currently available.

Further information about passports can be found at www.travel.state.gov.

Source: U.S. State Department

Article posted by www.apostille.us