Just Released a must read!!!!!!!!!

[rchaze60]

Border-Crossing to Require Proof of Citizenship
If you're accustomed to driving across the border to shop, ski or sightsee in Canada, you need to know about new border-crossing requirements.
By AP Editors
Related Articles Flying the Unfriendly Skies
Vacation Doc: The Three Biggest Vacation Nightmares
Message Board: When Should You Need a Passport?
 
Starting Jan. 31, citizens of the U.S. and Canada ages 19 or older will have to present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license) along with proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) in order to enter or depart the U.S. by land or sea.
 
Children ages 18 and younger need proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
 
The requirements also apply to Americans driving or sailing to and from Mexico, and to those traveling by sea to and from Bermuda and the Caribbean.
 
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the new rules end the practice of "accepting oral declarations of citizenship alone." Details are available at http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec.
 
The Cruise Lines International Association says most cruise companies already require proof of citizenship and government ID for boarding. "These requirements have been industry standards, but will now be required by law and enforced as of Jan. 31," CLIA said in a statement.
 
A separate proposal to require passports or other secure documents for land and sea travel from the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico has been postponed. The DHS originally proposed that requirement to take effect this coming summer. A bill signed by President Bush in December included a provision delaying the passport requirement until the summer of 2009.
 
But you do need a passport if you’re flying into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean under rules that went into effect in 2007. Those regulations resulted in a deluge of passport applications, with the State Department issuing a record 18.4 million passports in fiscal year 2007, compared to 12.1 million in 2006. Thirty percent of Americans now hold passports, up from 27 percent. Last summer, the time it took to get a passport doubled, but processing times are now back to normal (four to six weeks); details are available at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport.
 
If you don't have a passport and you're craving a Caribbean getaway this winter, remember that U.S. citizens may still travel to and from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which are U.S. territories, without a passport. But bear in mind that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers may ask your citizenship when departing on these flights, so having your birth certificate available is helpful.