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Passports become mandatory
Jan. 23, 2007
By Elena Brown
brownele@mscd.edu

As of Jan. 23 all U.S. residents will need to have a passport when re-entering the United States.

The U.S. Postal Service will be on campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 24 to provide applications and pictures for students, faculty and staff in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge.

The service will offer adult passport applications for $97 and $82 for children, and will provide a passport photo for an additional $15. Applicants may bring their own passport photo.

To apply for a passport you must bring a certified copy of your birth certificate, valid photo identification and your parents’ date and place of birth. Generally it takes up to six weeks to receive a passport, although expedited services are available for a fee.

The new rules were mandated by Congress in 2004 following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and were recommended by the 9/11 Commission. According to the U.S. Department of State, 70 million Americans have passports, which is only a quarter of the eligible population.

The Jan. 23 rule change affects air travelers of all ages returning to the United States from Canada, Panama, Mexico and a number of the Caribbean islands. Many cruise lines already require passengers to have passports.

By as early as January 2008, passports may also be required of those traveling by land or sea, including by ferry.

In addition to the passport fair, the travel abroad program will be on hand from noon to 1:30 p.m. discussing various opportunities for students.