Friday, February 23, 2007

United States Is Relaxing New Passport Rules for Children for Land and Sea Borders

U.S. and Canadian children will be exempt from new rules that will require travelers to show passports when entering the U.S. at land or sea borders, a move the Bush administration said Thursday is aimed at helping families and school groups.

The new passport requirements will take effect as soon as January, 2008. In a change from earlier plans, U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 15 or younger with parental consent will be allowed to cross the borders at land and sea entry points with certified copies of their birth certificates rather than passports.

Since January 23, nearly all air travelers entering the U.S. who are citizens of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean--as well as returning American citizens--have been required to display passports. Children entering the United States by air will still be required to show passports.

For additional information, click here.  (Source:  CNN Web Site)