AWESOME news about softening of US Passport rules for Kids.

[linda_loo]

---

[jennylou]

An important note is that this will only affect land travel between the US and Canada. If you live on a Southern border state and like to travel to Mexico, you will need to get your children a passport. In addition, it appears if you travel by air between the countries, your children will need a passport.

I don't know, $82 isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, if you're planning a vacation out of the country, so long as you are able to plan ahead to get them. Since we tend to travel all over, and we may return to the Carribean again, we will all be getting passports - not all at once, as that might sting the pocketbook, but over the next several months.

[Sophia]

Well, I'm pissed. This doesn't do me any good at all. :mad: The rule should be the same for land travel to Mexico as it is for Canada.

[linda_loo]

---

[linda_loo]

---

[jennylou]

I'd really like to see them ammend the rules completely to allow children under 2 to travel without a passport at all (regardless of land, sea, etc). It seems fruitless to get a passport for a child so young and have them using it for another five years - kids change a lot in that time!

[Sophia]

It's not like we go all the time, but we have relatives in Mexico and the international bridge is only 30 minutes away from our house. I was already annoyed at the new rules, but thought, oh, well, that's life. But seeing that the rules are being relaxed for Canada and not Mexico really upsets me.

And yeah, $82 per kid is a big deal when it means not being able to cross the border whenever we'd like.

I'm surprised Mexico didn't make a fuss--this is really going to hurt the economy in the border towns.

[Mrs. M.]

Considering that the US require passports for any visitors, regardless of age, I think it's ok for other countries to demand the same.

[Sophia]

I believe the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security is behind these rules, not the governments of Mexico and Canada.

ETA:

The passport rules affecting those entering the USA from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central and South America have been controversial since they were announced in 2005 as part of a post-9/11 effort to tighten security along the nation's borders.

source (http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-02-22-passport-kids-borders_x.htm)

[maplekitty]

hhmmm...82 bucks?! :eek: that sucks! the canadian children's passport only costs 22 dollars and you have one free picture change within the three years.

[tinkerbelljenny]

We live really close to Canada and drive there many times during the year. We got each of our sons a passport because it is so much easier for us at those border crossings to hand them over passports then to hand them birth certificates. We have found that in our area the passports make the entrance or exit faster than if we give them a bunch of paperwork.

[Mrs U]

$82 isnt bad considering it's good for 5 years ($16.40/year) Better than what we paid for DS's Swiss biometric pass that is only good for 3 years.:rolleyes:

Oh and to comment on why should children under 2 should have a passport- well lets just say there are enough parents that abduct their own children from the other spouce in the world.

[jesseybell]

I was going to get DD a passport just in case, seeing that it is good for 5 years, even though she won't look the same at all. I would have had it done if I could freaking find a place to take a passport picture of her. I know the site has the requirements for the picture, but I don't want to try to make it/print it myself and have it be wrong. I've inquired at 5 different places and they all say they don't do pictures of infants (even now when she can sit by herself). They suggest going to Sears....I would have if it were convenient at all.

[LexyLou]

I don't know, I personally think everyone should have a valid passport, including children.

We're a 1st World Country yet so few of our residents have passports.

ETA: I agree, $82 for 5 years is not a lot of money, IMO, for peace of mind.

[jennylou]

I was going to get DD a passport just in case, seeing that it is good for 5 years, even though she won't look the same at all. I would have had it done if I could freaking find a place to take a passport picture of her. I know the site has the requirements for the picture, but I don't want to try to make it/print it myself and have it be wrong. I've inquired at 5 different places and they all say they don't do pictures of infants (even now when she can sit by herself). They suggest going to Sears....I would have if it were convenient at all.

Walgreens did my neice's when she was 8 months old.

[blondegirl]

jessybell: We got our passports at the post-office, and they took pictures right there. When you search for a passport acceptance facility on the Dept. of State's website, you can search for locations that have a photo on-site.

http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

[camberne]

Just another point, you only have to pay $52 of the $82 fee by check/money order. The $30 processing fee can be paid by credit card.

I agree that it really isn't that much to pay in the scheme of things. It's not like this *just* came up and you have to scramble to get your passport in the last planning stages of a trip.

[PinkMartini]

Has anyone been to Mexico since the new rules went into effect?

My brothers were both down in TJ a few weekends ago and neither have passports - and they were able to get back into the US with no problems...

[Lilla]

jesseybell I second the Walgreens suggestion. I need to get a passport for my 4 month old DD. I called my closest Walgreens and they said they'd do her photos no problem.

[jennylou]

Has anyone been to Mexico since the new rules went into effect?

My brothers were both down in TJ a few weekends ago and neither have passports - and they were able to get back into the US with no problems...

If they crossed over via car, it's because the new rules only apply to air travel right now.

[jennylou]

Just another point, you only have to pay $52 of the $82 fee by check/money order. The $30 processing fee can be paid by credit card.

I agree that it really isn't that much to pay in the scheme of things. It's not like this *just* came up and you have to scramble to get your passport in the last planning stages of a trip.

LOL, only if you are planning a trip and your DC is not even born yet!:p

[SiValleySteph]

I would have had it done if I could freaking find a place to take a passport picture of her.

We took our own. They have the photo rules on the US Passport website. I took DS's for his passport when he was 2 months old. DH recently took a shot for a visa for DS, now 2.5 years. If you have a decent camera and some rudimentary photo editing skills, you can probably do it yourself.

We had to pay the rush fees for DS's passport because his birth certificate didn't come until he was 2 months old and we were going on an international trip when he was 3.5 months and we also needed to get a Visa! :eek: