Passport deadline draws near

    June 1, 2009, is still the deadline for U.S. citizens needing a passport book or card to cross back into the USA from another country. Requests for books and cards are increasing greatly in these final weeks. Here are a few things to keep in mind as the deadline draws near, straight from the Boston Regional Passport Center: • As of now, you already must have a passport book to fly internationally.
• As of now, you must have proof of citizenship (usually a birth certificate or naturalization papers) to cross back into US territory by land or sea.
• As of June 1, your birth certificate/naturalization papers will no longer be enough. You MUST have the book or card when you cross back into the United States.
• The chip in your card or book does NOT give out personal information — only that you have in fact been processed and approved for a book/card. The purpose of the passport book/card is to prove your 1. citizenship; 2. appearance; and 3. identity. Holding a valid passport is evidence that you have proven all three satisfactorily.
• Passport Acceptance Agents CANNOT make photocopies of your birth certificate for you for any reason. We cannot submit a photocopy of your birth certificate to the regional processing centers. We DO have to send your birth certificate IN with your application, but it WILL come back to you. If you plan to travel across country lines in the meantime, please plan accordingly and have another OFFICIAL copy of your birth certificate handy. These can be obtained through the City Office where you were born. Check the Vital Records link below to see where to get yours.
• The $25 execution fee for first-time passports is set by the Department of State, not the processing facility. The cost is the same wherever you go.
• As of this writing, processing times for passport books and cards is estimated to be about 4-6 weeks — usually sooner. Expedited service is 2-3 weeks door-to-door. There is an extra $60 fee plus $14.95 for Express Mail back to your address. Expedited service is only offered for passport BOOKS; passport CARDS cannot be expedited.
• It is your choice whether to have passport pictures taken professionally or whether to take your own, BUT there are VERY stringent guidelines for what constitutes an acceptable passport picture: certain lighting, certain pose, certain dimensions, certain background, certain film, certain paper. There is a lengthy description available at the Department of State’s Web site, listed below. There are many retailers and agencies around that take acceptable pictures for varying costs. Please be aware that if you send in substandard passport photos, they will be sent back and your application will be delayed or refused by the Dept of State.
• While the Dept. of State only requires the passport card for land or sea travel in the Western Hemisphere, any organized travel tour you book with — be it cruise or bus — might well require that you have the book and not just the card. If you become ill or otherwise incapacitated while traveling to Canada, Mexico, etc., and must be flown home, your card will not be enough. If you are planning a trip with a tour group or agency, please check with them first regarding their requirements.
• You will still be able to apply for passport books and cards after June 1. You just will not be able to cross international lines without them after May 31. Plan accordingly!
    As always, please remember that in addition to your application, you will need your proof of appearance (photos), proof of identity (such as driver’s license or State ID), and proof of citizenship (such as birth certificate) at the time you apply, along with the fees to the U.S. Department of State and to the Processing Facility where you submit your application. Please also remember that you should not sign your application until your are in front of the Processing Agent who will ask you to swear the the truth and accuracy of your information (to the best of your knowledge) and who must also witness your signature.
    For further information: Vital Records http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm; US Department of State Travel Web site http://travel.state.gov/ ; e-mail lisashaw@presqueisle.lib.me.us; or please call Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library at (207) 764-2571. We generally have Passport Acceptance Agents on duty Sunday from 10 a.m.-1:45 p.m.; Monday from 9 a.m.-5:45 p.m.; Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.-6:45 p.m.; Wednesday from 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m.; Thursday from 9 a.m.-6:45 p.m., and NOW we offer Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1:45 p.m. An appointment is not necessary, but it’s a good idea to quickly call ahead to make sure someone is here and that there isn’t a queue. You also do NOT need to be from Presque Isle or even from Aroostook County to take advantage of this service, and we thank all those from out of the area and downstate who take advantage of this service!
    Sonja Plummer-Morgan is the city of Presque Isle’s library director. She can be reached at 764-2571 or via e-mail at sonjaplummer@presqueisle.lib.me.us.