The End of the North American Free Pass

David Danda, Elder Law Attorney and Founder of the law firm David E. Danda, PC, was astonished to learn that out of the almost 4 million travelers to Mexico and the more than 2.5 million Americans who visit Canada annually only 1 in 4 have a U.S. passport. The newly enacted Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative makes it is crucial for these travelers to have a passport beginning January 23, 2008 or they will not be permitted to re-enter the U.S.

Atlanta, GA (PRWeb) November 30, 2006 -- David Danda, Elder Law Attorney and Founder of the law firm David E. Danda, PC http://www.daviddanda.com reveals that unprepared U.S. travelers returning from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda may be turned away at the airport upon their return to the United States beginning on January 23, 2007. According to Mr. Danda, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires that all persons, including U.S. citizens, who attempt to enter the United States by air from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner document or they will be denied entry into the country. Danda states "very few Americans know about the new rule and only 25% of citizens have a valid passport."

According to Danda, seniors and retirees are most likely to travel to Canada or Mexico and are least likely to be aware of the new rules. Danda states that "the new travel rules instituted by WHTI are the result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (amended in 2006) which required that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State develop and implement a plan requiring all travelers, including U.S. citizens, to present a passport or other approved secure documents which designate the traveler's identity and citizenship when entering the United States. WHIT is the Bush Administration's proposed measure implementing the Congressional mandate."

The U.S. Department of Commerce forecasts a record 54 million international travelers entering the U.S. in 2007. In addition, according to Danda, the Commerce Department projects that more that 6.5 million Americans will travel to Canada and Mexico in 2007.

Danda continues that "the goal of the Initiative is increased security. After 9-11, we have a national security need to know who is entering our country. WHTI strengthens border security and at the same time eases entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and our legitimate foreign visitors. By standardizing documentation, the Initiative allows DHS to quickly, reliably and accurately identify all travelers who present secure and reliable approved documents to our border agents."

The proposed initiative will be implemented in two phases:

1. Beginning January 23, 2007, all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document.

2. As early as January 1, 2008, all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents approved by DHS.

According to Danda, as a rule it takes a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks to process a passport application. Danda states that "between now and December is typically the least busy time of the year and offers a quicker turnaround time on most applications. The operative rule for Americans planning to travel to Canada or Mexico or the Bahamas' and returning to the U.S. on or after January 23, 2007 is "plan ahead.'" Fees to expedite the passport application process are substantial.

However, if you need to travel urgently and require a passport sooner, Danda states that "you can apply for expedited service, which under most circumstances will deliver your passport in two weeks. In addition to the normal passport fee, there is (1) an additional $60 expediting fee plus (2) an overnight delivery charge per passport application."

Further Danda states that "to meet the documentation requirements of WHTI, the State Department, in consultation with DHS, is proposing the development of a limited-use 'card-format' passport for international travel by U.S. citizens through U.S. land and sea ports of entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda."

Danda continues that "the frequent travel of residents living in U.S. border communities and crews traveling on commercial maritime vessels presents a unique crossing situation that requires an innovative solution while offering the safety the public requires and the national security the country demands." The Department of State is committed to producing a passport card that incorporates cutting-edge technology. The proposed limited-use passport ID card would be a wallet-sized card. The proposed cost of the ID would be $10 for children and $20 for adults, plus a $25 processing fee. "The passport card will be designed to meet the same standards as a traditional passport" according to Danda.

Danda asserts that "the secure Homeland Security approved technology incorporated in the proposed passport card is specifically designed to address the special needs of land and maritime border-crossings. The proposed passport card would use RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to link each passport card to a secure U.S. government database containing the traveler's biographical data and a photograph." According to Danda, the card will not contain personal information.

Danda suggests that "for the final rule, go to http://www.dhs.gov or http://www.travel.state.gov. The rule will be published in the Federal Register and can be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov.";

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To learn more about David Danda and David E. Danda, PC, please visit http://www.daviddanda.com.

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