Congressman Bill Shuster, Proudly serving the Ninth District of Pennsylvania

	For Immediate Release:		Contact: Jeff Urbanchuk
	June 8, 2007		202-225-2431

	State Department Changes Passport Rules in Response to High Demand

	Washington, DC – Today, the State Department, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, temporarily revised passport rules to accommodate US citizens traveling by air to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. A Copy of the State Department’s press release on the rule changed is attached for your review. According to the State Department: "Due to delays in processing times for passport applications, the federal government is making an accommodation for air travel. 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 Sept. 30, 2007." The State Department’s travel website, Constituents taking advantage of this new temporary exemption can print-out the online passport status check that may be accessed through Passports are still required for people traveling outside of the newly exempted areas. Constituents should be aware that processing times for passports are still running at least 12 weeks. Expedited passports applications are taking lat least 3 weeks to be completed. Constituents can call the National Passport Center at 1-877-487-2778 to get information on a passport application. If travelers need help with their passports, timing remains extremely important. Congressman Shuster can help, but his office recommends that constituents contact him at least two weeks from their planned departure date. Congressman Shuster’s district offices can be reached toll free at 1-800-854-3035. travel.state.gov has been updated to reflect this change. Constituents who are in the process of planning a trip overseas to the effected locations are strongly encouraged to visit the website for up-to-date information.http://travel.state.gov/passport. This status check can be used to prove that a passport application has been received by the State Department.

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