Number: RS22802
Title: Passports: Current Regulations
Authors: Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: After the January 2007 implementation of phase I of the new passport regulations (requiring passports when entering by air), the Department of State was deluged with passport applications. The time necessary to get a passport expanded from the typical four to six weeks to several months, ruining many Americans' travel plans. On January 31, 2008, another change occurred. Government-issued proof of identity and citizenship documents will be required to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, according to the Department of Homeland Security. People under the age of 18, however, will be required to present only proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Phase II is the requirement to have passports for land and sea crossings. It is scheduled to be implemented after June 2009.
Pages: 5
Date: March 25, 2008