Washington,
Jun 7, 2007 -
Today, the U.S. State Department announced a temporary lifting of passport requirements within the Western Hemisphere originally implemented in January. U.S. citizens traveling to the Western Hemisphere countries of Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for and not received their passport, are able to travel with proof from the State Department of their pending application and a government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license.
Congressman Shadegg was joined by many other members of congress who signed a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressing the urgent need for a remedy to the excessive passport processing times. This implementation will help ensure that constituents are able to meet their travel dates without worrying about the last minute arrival of their passports. For those traveling to destinations other than Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda, who will still be required to have a passport, this change will allow for faster processing of their required passports.
