According to a US State department release: The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand. Border Trade Alliance (BTA) is continuing it’s advocacy work on WHTI and will communicate any updates through the BTA Border Blog and Advocacy sections of our Website.
Slaughter places WHTI Language in FY 2008 DHS appropriations bill
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, announced that language she authored to reform the ground travel requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is included in the FY 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill to be considered by the House. Rep. Slaughter`s legislation withholds $100 million in funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which would have been used to implement WHTI. Read the full article…
Passport waiver confusion grounds travelers - A government waiver to ease a backlog has a side effect: Some bound for Mexico needed to show a birth certificate. - LA times
Just when it seemed the passport logjam was starting to ease, passengers faced another obstacle Tuesday: Some airlines refused to let them board planes because they didn’t have birth certificates. In yet another embarrassment for the State Department, a temporary measure enacted Friday to reduce a huge backlog of passports is now leading to more unexpected aggravation. Read the full article…
Some passport fees to be refunded
Frustrated travelers who paid an extra $60 to get their U.S. passports expedited — and still had to wait for them — can now get a refund from the government. The decision to refund the money, disclosed in a State Department document sent Tuesday to members of Congress, represents the latest effort to come to grips with a massive backlog in passport applications that has ruined or delayed vacation plans for thousands in the United States. Read the full article…
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