Crossing the border, starting June 1, will require secure U.S. government-issued documents in compliance with new federal travel requirements. That has special significance for Aroostook County’s border towns with a regular flow of tourists, shoppers and workers going back and forth to Canada on a daily basis. The current use of a photo I.D. and a birth certificate for land border crossing will not be acceptable starting June 1. With anywhere from 3,500 to 5,000 different types of U.S. birth certificates, the government does not consider them secure documents since they are vulnerable to tampering. “We need to have one type of document, that being a passport card or a passport, coming into the United States we know is secure and will provide a more expeditious flow of traffic,” says Theodore Woo, chief of public affairs for the Boston Field Office of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The State Department is recommending travelers apply now for a U.S. Passport Book or U.S. Passport Card. The familiar blue passport book is good for all international travel. Another document, the passport card — similar in size and appearance to a driver’s license — is valid only at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry when traveling from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Both documents provide proof of citizenship and identity and are valid for ten years if issued after the applicant is 16 years old. They are valid for 5 years if the applicant is under 16 years. Other documents like an enhanced driver’s license is not available in Maine.
Passport fairs Saturday
The post office in Houlton and the one in Limestone will hold special passport fairs this Saturday, March 28 to accommodate Americans needing documents compliant with Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative rules to cross U.S. land and sea borders after June 1.
In Houlton, Postmaster Fred Workman says he’s been inundated with requests for passport appointments. “People are smart here. A lot of people cross the border every day so they’re educated to what’s going on. So, I felt there would be a need to have this passport fair to get as many people taken care of as I possibly can.” In Houlton, between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m., the post office will host its own passport fair and take the two required photos. Prior to Saturday, residents can pick up applications.
The cost is $75 for the U.S. State Department fee, plus $25 for the post office processing fee and $15 for the photos. The passport card costs $45 as opposed to $75 for a passport, plus the $15 photo fee.
Workman says right now turnaround time is about three to four weeks to get a passport. But, with travel season approaching and more applications to be compliant, the lag time could be longer. Documents required for a passport are the completed passport application, proof of U. S. citizenship and proof of identity. A birth certificate must be original with the raised seal and not a photocopy.
Limestone Postmaster Dan Durepo is also hosting a passport fair on Saturday and says he has “seen passport applications double over the last month.” He and his head clerks will be there from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to shepherd applicants through the process. He says it should only take about 10 minutes including the photo.
Woo emphasized the new travel requirements are a reflection of threats that may be posed to the country if tampered or fraudulent documents fall into the wrong hands. “Our primary focus, our mission, is to prevent terrorists and weapons of terror from entering the United States. And the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is an initiative that will allow CBP officers to successfully succeed in that mission.”
The State Department is recommending travelers apply now for a U.S. Passport Book or U.S. Passport Card. The familiar blue passport book is good for all international travel. Another document, the passport card — similar in size and appearance to a driver’s license — is valid only at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry when traveling from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Both documents provide proof of citizenship and identity and are valid for ten years if issued after the applicant is 16 years old. They are valid for 5 years if the applicant is under 16 years. Other documents like an enhanced driver’s license is not available in Maine.
Passport fairs Saturday
The post office in Houlton and the one in Limestone will hold special passport fairs this Saturday, March 28 to accommodate Americans needing documents compliant with Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative rules to cross U.S. land and sea borders after June 1.
In Houlton, Postmaster Fred Workman says he’s been inundated with requests for passport appointments. “People are smart here. A lot of people cross the border every day so they’re educated to what’s going on. So, I felt there would be a need to have this passport fair to get as many people taken care of as I possibly can.” In Houlton, between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m., the post office will host its own passport fair and take the two required photos. Prior to Saturday, residents can pick up applications.
The cost is $75 for the U.S. State Department fee, plus $25 for the post office processing fee and $15 for the photos. The passport card costs $45 as opposed to $75 for a passport, plus the $15 photo fee.
Workman says right now turnaround time is about three to four weeks to get a passport. But, with travel season approaching and more applications to be compliant, the lag time could be longer. Documents required for a passport are the completed passport application, proof of U. S. citizenship and proof of identity. A birth certificate must be original with the raised seal and not a photocopy.
Limestone Postmaster Dan Durepo is also hosting a passport fair on Saturday and says he has “seen passport applications double over the last month.” He and his head clerks will be there from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to shepherd applicants through the process. He says it should only take about 10 minutes including the photo.
Woo emphasized the new travel requirements are a reflection of threats that may be posed to the country if tampered or fraudulent documents fall into the wrong hands. “Our primary focus, our mission, is to prevent terrorists and weapons of terror from entering the United States. And the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is an initiative that will allow CBP officers to successfully succeed in that mission.”
