Deadline Looms as Passport Applications Drop Amid Travel Declines
With the recession cutting into people’s travel budgets, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number of passport applications has declined severely over the past year.
25 percent fewer people are expected to apply for passports by the end of the current fiscal year than did last year, according to the U.S. State Department.
That equates to about 12 million fewer applications than in the previous year.
Though these figures are bad news for the international travel industry, which is seeing a decline in revenue as few people fly, stay and spend money overseas, it is a boon to passport applicants, who have seen wait times to get a passport decrease by half over the last few months.
However, the numbers could surge again as a new deadline approaches. As of June 1, 2009, Americans driving or cruising into the U.S. from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean will be required to show either a passport, or the new “passport card.”
The June 1 deadline will finally synchronize the land and sea transport rules with the air travel rules. For the last two years air travelers coming from these regions have been required to have a passport, but implementation of the land and sea regulations was delayed after processing centers were overwhelmed with applications.
In order to inform the public about the deadline and encourage people to apply for passports and passport cards, the State Department is holding a national outreach event tomorrow, Saturday March 28.
Dubbed “Passport Day in the USA,” during the event hundreds of post offices, town halls, and passport agencies around the country will allow people to walk in and apply for a passport without making an appointment. Many of these venues will offer extended hours.
The DOS says that the current wait time for a passport or passport card is four weeks for regular service, and two to three weeks for rush service. To find a center near you, go to travel.state.gov or call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.
The new rules stipulate that for those traveling by air from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, a passport is the only document that is accepted by U.S. Immigration. Those entering at land borders or sea ports can use either a passport, a passport book, or the smaller, cheaper passport card.
There are also several other forms of identification that immigration will accept for those entering the country by land or sea. The State Department Web site gives details on this, as well as how to apply for a passport online if you are unable to make it in person to an application center on Saturday.
By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related links: Associated Press, NBC25 Mid-Michigan, US State Department, Los Angeles Times
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