A1 Technology & Travel

You'll soon need one to fly back to U.S. from Canada, Mexico and Caribbean! 

(December, 2006) — Even though their spring break is months away, brothers Eddie and Spencer Wright of Perinton took a short trip to downtown Rochester this week to prepare for their Caribbean cruise.

Eddie, 18, and Spencer, 14, applied for their first passports at the Monroe County Clerk's Office.

"Our travel agent told us it was mandatory now to have them," said Ted Wright, who cut the check for his sons' passports. "Cost-wise, it's something you have to add to the cost of your trip."

Americans returning to the United States by air must have valid passports beginning Jan. 23, according to State Department regulations. Travelers using other transportation have another year or more to get a passport.

In the past, travelers coming from North or South American countries were exempt from needing a passport, although South American countries required passports for entry into their countries.

The exemption is ending, which means that air travelers coming into the United States from every country, including Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, Jamaica, Aruba and other Caribbean nations, will need a passport.

Travelers planning trips in late January should apply for their passports this week because they take about six weeks to arrive, although exceptions can be made in emergencies.

Those visiting Canada or Mexico by car, bike, foot or boat won't need a passport until Jan. 1, 2008, at the earliest, although that could be delayed if lawmakers have their way. Another proposed date is June 2009.

"We have been alerting people for a long time. We saw it coming," said Lela Ford, owner of Gallery of Travel in Brighton. She said a few of her customers had to delay their January vacations because they didn't get their passport applications processed in time.

Ford said passports still aren't needed for travel from U.S. territories including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"But if you're going on a cruise, you have to have one," she said. "If something happens and you have to leave from Barbados instead of Puerto Rico, nobody's going to let you come back."

Ford said travel agents nationwide have attempted to stall the requirement of passports.

"We fought it because it's expensive," she said, referring to the $97 charge for adults. "But now, I think it's time. This is how Europeans go. So now we have to bite the bullet."

Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, has been critical of the passport requirements, saying it will hurt tourism. Her district includes Niagara Falls, where several million vehicles cross the border each year.

"Because of the high percentage of air travelers who already own passports, I don't expect this rule to have the dangerous impact on border economies that the proposed land and sea rules will have," she said. "Fixing those rules remains a top priority for me."

One option being discussed is a $45 border-crossing card for those traveling between Canada and the United States by car.

For the Wrights, their passport process started weeks ago, when they had to find copies of their birth certificates with a raised seal. Then they had their pictures taken (this can be done at photo shops or usually where applications are accepted) and had to find a day when they both could get to the clerk's office before 5 p.m.

"We go to Canada from time to time. In the future, having a passport is going to be the norm for travel," Ted Wright said.

According to the State Department, more than 71 million Americans, or about one in four, have valid passports. They've hired additional staff to process the 60 percent increase in passport requests in the past year.

Monroe County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo has seen an increase in passport applications, too. She encourages those who have passports to check the expiration date so they don't get caught without one.

"People are making inquiries," she said. "For some, it's been on their 'to do' list."

Dinolfo said the county traditionally averages 300 passport applications a month; in November, they handled 700.

"If they're planning on traveling and planning to get a passport, they'd better do it sooner rather than later."