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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 22, 2007 Passport changes imminent U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico, Canada will need passports to cross the borders By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Passport applications have jumped significantly now that it's only a couple days till you need one to fly into Mexico or Canada, but local travel agencies say travelers have been aware of the security-motivated change and only a few are being inconvenienced. "We're twice as busy as usual, during the last few weeks," said April Lucas of the Ashland city recorder's office, which serves as one of three passport application agencies in the Rogue Valley. The others are the Jackson County recorder's office, which reports business up by about a third, and the main Medford post office. They advise planning far ahead, because it takes about six weeks to get a passport — half that if you pay extra to "expedite" the process, said Barb Shaw of the recorder's office. Fortunately for seasoned travelers, the new rules, requiring passports for flights to Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday, have been known for a couple years and most people have their papers in order, said Estelle Loye of Jackson Travel in Medford. Advertisement "It's put quite a push on the local passport offices, but I haven't seen many people putting off travel plans because of it," said Loye, who is planning a passport fair to pick up any stragglers. "It's not a problem. Travelers are dealing with it very matter-of-factly. It's a sign of the times," says Ingrid Boldt of Lithia Travel in Ashland. While the new rules apply only to air travel now, they will cover land and water a year from now. Tourists getting passports for the first time must file applications in person, bringing an application (available at www.travel.state.gov ), original birth certificate with validating stamp, picture ID such as driver's license and two passport photos. The cost is $97 for adults, $82 for minors and $67 for renewal (after 10 years). Renewals can be mailed in with current photos. Pictures can be taken at many local locations, including Costco, Total Camera and the recorder's office, in the $6 to $10 range. The new passport rules come from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. State Department, and are a "security of travel issue," so people who are security threats may not enter the U.S. from nearby countries using just a driver's license, as has been allowed for many decades, said Steve Royster, Consular Affairs officer with the State Department in Washington, D.C. Passports now have multiple security features, including special ink and tinting, holographs and a machine-readable computer chip that replicates all the information on the owner's page, Royster said. "These features make sure you are who you say you are — and they can't be forged," Royster said. The new rules have not slowed down travelers to and from our neighboring countries, he added, but rather have made things go faster. The departments are planning to issue passport cards the size of a credit card with similar security features in the near future, according to the State Department's Web site. It would be valid only for land and sea travel, not air. Passport agents are at the county recorder's office, the Medford post office on Eighth Street and Tuesdays only at the Ashland city recorder's office, on the plaza. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help