Maybe this isn't news, but US Homeland Security chief announced a few hours ago that even US citizens, returning from most parts of the Western hemisphere, will need to have passports to enter the US after 23 January 2007.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061121/ap_on_...orts_air_travel

I used to travel by motorcycle or car to the furthest parts of Mexico and return to Texas, before I ever owned a passport. Perhaps those days are gone forever.

The security chief said only about 25% of Americans have a valid passport. Of course, when you live in a huge country, you may never leave. The current cost of $97 for a ten year passport seems a bit of a nuisance for a one-time traveller.

I have always admired people who felt that confident when getting back into the US. I tried it once and crossed into Juarez with my passport in my hotel room and my DL in hand. Customs asked me several questions (as I felt the sudden need to shit bricks) before allowing me back in.

SO explain something to me. How the heck does a DL or a BC prove citizenship? I know you used to could send off by mail for a copy of your BC without proving who you were. That in it's self, is just a piece of paper with nothing identifying you as the true owner of the document.

Is this affecting current passports?

I've to go to a wedding in March in the US, and I have my 2002 issued British passport (with scan-able data strip). That's still valid right?

lol, so now the americans are crying cause they need passports .... bs.

I used to travel by motorcycle or car to the furthest parts of Mexico and return to Texas, before I ever owned a passport. Perhaps those days are gone forever.

Seems you will still be able to enter Mexico without a passport, the catch is you need a passport to re-enter the United States.

Some interesting info on free travel areas > International Travel without passports

Is this affecting current passports?

I've to go to a wedding in March in the US, and I have my 2002 issued British passport (with scan-able data strip). That's still valid right?

The deal with UK /EU V-W.programme is as long as the PP is machine readable then you should be OK...notice I said "should"

Only a matter of time before the Fully Bio-wotevers are mandated which could involve ...

fingerprints,facial recognition,Eyeball scans,body temperature i.d.Skin texture prints...etc..even read one about oder identification...ie the smell of your sweat...............dear dear... Sniff-sniff......sorry..... cant come in buddy.......

Along that line, I just saw a survey (maybe in the Bangkok Post) of over 2,000 world travellers, and the USA was voted the least friendly border to cross into, with the rudest immigration officials.

They already use eyeball scans - at least at the Shanghai US consulate when we went there in 2004.

I walked across the US border at age 54 with nothing but my birth certificate, no photo ID, and some odds and ends in my wallet. I told them I was a manager of IRS tax auditors, and they let me in. But that was long before 9/11/2001.

Is this affecting current passports?

I've to go to a wedding in March in the US, and I have my 2002 issued British passport (with scan-able data strip). That's still valid right?

The deal with UK /EU V-W.programme is as long as the PP is machine readable then you should be OK...notice I said "should"

Only a matter of time before the Fully Bio-wotevers are mandated which could involve ...

fingerprints,facial recognition,Eyeball scans,body temperature i.d.Skin texture prints...etc..even read one about oder identification...ie the smell of your sweat...............dear dear... Sniff-sniff......sorry..... cant come in buddy.......

Thanks for the reply Rinrada

I flew through the US in 2004 - fingerprint (index finger electronic scan)

and then again in 2005 - same fingerprint but also eyeball scan.

When I left Guatemala earlier this year, I refused to fly through the states.. buggers... and flew Guate-Costa Rica-Madrid instead.

Maybe the english can start a weight scan upon entry... if you have more than so many ounces of lard and blubber (that cannot be justified by beer ) you can't come in!

Along that line, I just saw a survey (maybe in the Bangkok Post) of over 2,000 world travellers, and the USA was voted the least friendly border to cross into, with the rudest immigration officials.

They already use eyeball scans - at least at the Shanghai US consulate when we went there in 2004.

I walked across the US border at age 54 with nothing but my birth certificate, no photo ID, and some odds and ends in my wallet. I told them I was a manager of IRS tax auditors, and they let me in. But that was long before 9/11/2001.

Igot to laugh at this one. youhad your birth certificate but not a passport? You often walk around with your birth certificate on you?

Eyeball scan Shanghai US consulate? Please explain.

TH

Along that line, I just saw a survey (maybe in the Bangkok Post) of over 2,000 world travellers, and the USA was voted the least friendly border to cross into, with the rudest immigration officials.

They already use eyeball scans - at least at the Shanghai US consulate when we went there in 2004.

I walked across the US border at age 54 with nothing but my birth certificate, no photo ID, and some odds and ends in my wallet. I told them I was a manager of IRS tax auditors, and they let me in. But that was long before 9/11/2001.

Igot to laugh at this one. youhad your birth certificate but not a passport? You often walk around with your birth certificate on you?

Eyeball scan Shanghai US consulate? Please explain.

TH

Up to 9/11 it was fairly easy for US and Canadian citizens at least to cross in and out of the US over the land borders with Canada and Mexico only with documentation that proved that they were US or Canadian nationals. In this case, drivers licenses, birth certificates or other photo ID usually sufficed.....and I guess common sense dictated at the time that going through the whole rigmarole of getting a passport wasn't needed if you were just going for a night out in Tijanana or taking the family on a road trip for a week. Indeed, the US-Canadian border is the longest non-defended border in the world. Take a look at google earth and for most of it, a small drainage ditch is all that seperates the two along the 39th parallel.

Indeed, one time while in Texas I went out with some American friends over to Mexico, I took my passport (as a Aussie) and then at 3am in the morning, blind drunk, we all stumbled back over. My passport was given a cursory glance (EU queue like) and the rest of my mates just slurred to the immigration guy 'American Citizen....hiccup!' and they were waved through.

Those days are long gone now so it seems.

Eyeball scan Shanghai US consulate? Please explain.

TH

Iris scans actually. Confirms the ID of the traveller for any subsequent visa applications. Actually a few countries do it these days. I got scanned at the Oman-UAE border once crossing back into Dubai. They use it to control visa runners and make sure that people don't come and scout for jobs in the UAE on a tourist visa (which is illegal there).

The UK also have an Iris scanning programme for any people with long term visas there. Once registered, you go through a special booth next to the immgration counters, avoiding any potential nasty run-ins with UK immigration officials (except scouse of course!!). No human interaction is required so re-enter the UK under this programme.

This rule is for air travel - modified title.