U.S. Government Temporarily Relaxes Passport Rules

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced on June 8, 2007, that effective today, U.S. citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air as long as they present both a government-issued photo identification and Department of State official "proof of application." This concession is valid through Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens traveling by land or sea are not yet required by the U.S. government to present a passport and remain unaffected. Please note: individual Caribbean country entry requirements, as well as some vendor policies, may still require travelers to obtain a passport. Agents and travelers are advised to check individual country and vendor policies.

However, the U.S. Department of State warns applicants that they may need to wait up to one week for expedited applications and up to four weeks for routine applications before a proof of application can be obtained and printed. In other words, passport seekers who filed a non-expedited application very recently and are traveling in less than 4four weeks may not benefit from this accommodation. Similarly, expedited applications where travel is expected in less than a week from the application may not be aided.

Travelers in need of a passport for travel to other parts of the world within the next two weeks should call or e-mail the National Passport Information Center. Because the Passport Service unit uses a centralized system, travelers cannot get their documents faster by submitting applications directly to a regional processing facility. If your travelers need to apply or renew a passport in the very near future, you should urge them to submit their applications as soon as possible!

Additional information can be found here or by calling 1-877-4USAPPT.