The big problem is how much will the new passport regulation measures actually help border control, and how much will they restrict US citizens’ freedom of movement?
On Jan. 23, air travelers to and from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean will for the first time need a passport to cross the U.S. border. Starting in the spring, all U.S citizens applying for a passport will get an electronic version that’s embedded with a “smart” chip designed to thwart forgery.
Many people heading to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean now travel with just a driver’s license for identification. Under the new rule, U.S. citizens traveling by air need a passport. Though a driver’s license will no longer suffice, the government does leave some wiggle room. The Nexus Air card, issued under a USA-Canada cooperative program to prescreened travelers, is acceptable. The passport rule will apply to land and sea travelers no later than June 1, 2009.
For Americans who don’t want to pay $97 for a passport, the State Department also plans by the end of 2007 to introduce a “passport card” that would work like a passport. The card, which costs $20 for adults, is good only for those traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
I guess that this will create an increased market for RFID-foiling wallets.
The new passport looks like the traditional type, but its smart chip stores the traveler’s photo and personal information.
That’s not what I read recently…didn’t this blog link to an article a few weeks ago referring to the tag containing only a number that linked the immigration computer to the info??? (Can’t recall exactly where I saw that…)
If the chip is broken or malfunctions, the holder can continue to use the document as a non-electronic passport or buy a new one.
Well there ya go. Just zap the chip instead of buying a special sleeve or wallet. I predict the market for zappers will be just slightly smaller than the market for foil wallets. And the smart users won’t be buying wallets…
Don’t passports cost $100 or something? Is this just a ploy for the government to make more money?
If you assume a Passport is harder to fake than any one of 50 some odd drivers licences then it will help somewhat.
As far as hampering freedom of movement then it doesn’t hamper it any more than it does travel to all the other countries where we require a passport to travel from. It just removes an exception to the rules.
“passport card”
Expect this to become the your new “Personal ID number”, much as the SSN was before.
My prediction: it will become so enmeshed in our lives that it will replace debit cards so all financial transactions can be monitored (no matter how small), it will replace the driver’s license so movement can be better tracked, it will be required in order to purchase the RFID toll paying things that are now outright replacing cash toll booths, you will need it to apply for a loan, it will become your new medical ID card required to have ANY kind of insurance, etc.
The only thing that it won’t be required for is gun purchases and political contributions.
As far as Canada is concerned.
Last year the US Gov’t made it a requirement for Canadians to travel in the States to have a valid passport, which is a major pain in the @ss, especially for commerce.
So our (Canadian) Gov’t simply turned the tables on Americans, forcing US citizens to have a passport to travel to Canada. Canada waited a year, BTW, giving the US Gov’t time to retract.
So Americans now should only vacation travel to Hawaii, Puerto Rico or Alaska for holidays. Florida omitted for obvious reasons.
5. When Canada and Mexico are absorbed into the US, it’ll all be better.
Prepare to get chip’d… my dog doesn’t have a passport…
but he is typing this message… HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Had you shots lately?
HA HA HA HA HA HA
woof.
#2 – I don’t see this as a ploy for the government to make money – I see this as a ploy by an RFID manufacturer to sell a $40.00 RFID chip, $20.00 worth of added passport processing on top of the old $40.00 passport fee.
#5 I can still travel to the states w/o passport now. Not sure where you got your information.
In light of the fact that there have been no significant terrorist attacks since 9/11 I think things are working fine. How can it be demonstrated that a passport can make this more effective?
What it will do is hamper a considerable amount of commerce and peacable discourse between our countries. Canada and the United States are one anothers largest trading partners in the entire world! For those of us within driving distance of the border it will mean that many of the usual and neighbourly things we take for granted will become very difficult. Every year thousands of kids participate in cross border sports activites, school concert and cultural tours. I can’t see parents doling out big bucks for passports for their children so they can go to Grand Forks or Fargo or Buffalo or Detroit to play in a hockey tournament or catch a Tigers or Twins game.
I think it’s just another system that someone will confound …and we’ll all be having to dole out more dough for system 2.0 and beyond. From one sitting north of “the Border” it would seem to me that more money should be spent on ensuring the current i.d. works …and not creating another bundle of costly crap to carry along.
“anti-skimming material”???!? wtf, its is covered in “transparent aluminum”?
who wants to place bets on how long its takes to prove this system is inherently broken.
#10, there’s probably a “fudge factor” being applied, IOW common sense, by the personnel.
I got my info from the Canadian Customs office, when I travelled to Puerto Rico in March 2006, which is US soil.
I was forced to get a passport or else would have been refused. That’s the official policy since Jan 1 2006, from Air Canada booking agent, and confirmed at the custom’s office where I had my passport made. I asked before spending the $ of course.
Whether or not it’s being applied, or just for plane travel, or if you’re “well-known” (frequent flyer), I’m sure there’s a certain flexibility in the system.
Just don’t bring a carry-on borrowed from a friend that happens to have a pair of metal scissors that slipped under a bottom cover.
I was lucky one time, on a domestic flight to Vancouver, the supervisor was an old friend of mine from highschool, and over ruled the probably strip search, probe and subsequent flight rebooking.
Needless to say, I made myself tiny on board, as more than half the plane passengers where behind me and I cause a 30 min delay.
12,
Actually, transparent aluminum really exists, it’s called aluminum oxynitride. The Air Force calls it transparent armor.
Sounds like it is time to write your Congressman and ask “What the heck is this?” Is your Congressman in favor of everyone having to carry an ID?
Smartalix, I liked your link in #14. I sure hope they can get the cost down, I see quite a few civilian uses.
16,
Huh?
You know I was in Europe recently had no problem going from one country to the next without showing my passport. Like going from state to state here. Yet when I got back to the states I had to show my passport to get into my own country. Could this be the reason the euro is up and the doller down.
You’ll also need one to go to Hawaii in a few years. The Akaka bill that is pending, and has a good chance to pass a Democrat congress sets the stage for Hawaiian independence.
#19 Hey Pedro, it’s known as The Bible. If you truly have an intrest you should find a book titled, “The Institutes of Biblical Law” by Rousas John Rushdoony