U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar today welcomed the decision by the Departments of State and Homeland Security to temporarily suspend new passport requirement for travel to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
The U.S. Passport Agency is a part of the Department of State.
"Implementation of this requirement has completely overwhelmed the passport system," said Lugar. "Hoosiers have encountered long delays and frustrating communications from the Department of State. Many have not received their passports in time to make long-scheduled trips abroad and have lost significant amounts of money. Others have been forced to take last minute trips to the Chicago passport office, often waiting for hours, in a last-ditch effort to secure a passport.
"As the passport difficulties mounted over the past three weeks, I tasked a group of my constituent service staff in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. to assist hundreds of Hoosiers in getting information and, when possible, requesting expedited service on applications," Lugar added.
The temporary rule suspension means that:
- U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received, passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007.
- Adults who have applied for, but not yet received, a passport should present government-issued photo identification and an official proof of application from the U.S. Department of State. Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child's proof of application.
- It is recommended that passport applications be submitted at least six months in advance, or if not possible, to submit applications as quickly as possible. Passport applications must be pending to travel by air to foreign destinations. Proof of application can be print-out of the online status check accessed at http://travel.state.gov/passport. This will show that application has been received by the Department of State. Lugar said that his office will continue to work with constituents that have questions or pending passport applications and are traveling to other locations. More information is available at: http://lugar.senate.gov/services/passport/.
Earlier this week, Lugar wrote to Secretary Condoleezza Rice and expressed his concern for Hoosier travelers caught in the passport backlog. In the letter, he sought information about how the Department of State was dealing with the passport backlog and suggested that he and other members of Congress would be closely following the corrective measures put in place.
# # #
