Travelers returning by sea or land will have to show 'proof of citizenship' starting Jan. 31
By Doreen Hemlock
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
January 19, 2008
Get ready to present more paperwork when traveling by boat or car back into the United States from nearby countries.Starting Jan. 31, adults and children who are U.S. citizens will be required to show "proof of citizenship," such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or a U.S. passport. Adults also will need to show government IDs, such as a driver's license.But at least in South Florida, don't expect the headaches that accompanied last year's requirement that U.S. citizens show passports when returning by air from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or Caribbean countries.Cruise lines, marinas and U.S. officials expect smooth sailing because most U.S. travelers already show proof of citizenship for re-entry by sea. The new rule does not yet require passports. U.S. citizens eventually will need passports to return by land or sea from nearby countries but not until possibly next year, officials said. The date has not been set.But U.S. land crossings from Mexico and Canada are bracing for longer lines. At land borders, many people now enter "simply by saying, 'I'm an American citizen,'" Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said.Business groups worry that the new rule could disrupt commerce and travel across the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders.On Friday, the Travel Industry Association and Travel Business Roundtable asked the government to delay the "proof of citizenship" rule, calling it onerous to require citizens to carry a birth certificate "in the absence of robust, advanced outreach to travelers." The groups asked that U.S. citizens be required to show only a government-issued ID to re-enter by land or sea effective Jan. 31."It is critical that we learn from past mistakes and unveil these important policy reforms in a smart and efficient manner," Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable and chief executive of Loews Hotels, said in a statement.The new rule is part of a broader push to boost U.S. border security after Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. South Florida cruise and marine leaders said they foresee little problem because they've been getting out the word for months through Web sites, travel agents and other channels to those entering the United States by sea.Many cruise companies, including Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest, had been requiring their clients to show proof of citizenship to speed processing. And many boaters have been showing birth certificates to authorities to obtain boater numbers for re-entry.Chris Oswell, captain of the Lady Nancy, a 112-foot private yacht that frequently visits South Florida, said he has operated for several years on the premise that no one comes aboard for a trip to the United States without a passport or green card."I'll just say no," Oswell said.Oswell said he typically arrives from the Bahamas and clears customs by phoning an 800 number and giving Homeland Security the passengers' names, passport numbers, dates of birth and addresses. He gets a clearance number in return. Guests then have 24 hours to go to an Eller Drive office at Port Everglades and show their passports and clearance numbers.Travelers shouldn't find it hard to comply with new requirements. Proof of citizenship can even include a U.S. passport that has expired, said Zachary Mann, special agent and spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection."We don't expect extensive lines [in South Florida] because of this rule," Mann said. "And if you don't have the right documents, and you're a U.S. citizen returning, we're not going to keep you out. The processing time for you to enter will just take longer."A smooth transition would contrast with last year's rocky implementation of a rule requiring a passport for U.S. citizens flying back from Western Hemisphere countries. So many millions of citizens requested passports that passport offices were overwhelmed. The government had to suspend the rule to clear the backlog before reinstating it.The passport rule also took a toll on the Caribbean, the world's most tourism-dependent region. Some Americans skipped Caribbean vacations to avert the hassle and cost of obtaining passports. Countries that don't require a U.S. passport for entry, including the Bahamas and Jamaica, took big hits.Even Caribbean islands that are part of the United States and excluded from the passport rule, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, felt a sting, as U.S. travel to the Caribbean slipped, travel leaders said.The current processing time for a U.S. passport application is four to six weeks, down from roughly 12 weeks in mid-2007.
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