Travel restrictions to change soon
Brendan Hoover
Due to new Departments of State and Homeland Security regulations, citizens returning to the United States by air from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere must present a valid passport to enter the country beginning Jan. 23.
“This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004,” a State Department press release noted in November.
This is the first phase of the two-part Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The second phase, which could be implemented as early as Jan. 1, 2008, would require U.S. citizens to present passports upon returning from Western Hemisphere countries by land or sea.
“The Department has dedicated additional resources and personnel to meet the increased demand for passports generated by these requirements. In Fiscal Year 2006, the Department issued a record 12.1 million passports to American citizens and anticipates issuing 16 million passports in Fiscal Year 2007,” the press release noted.
For Mustang residents, obtaining a passport for the first time is not necessarily an easy task. A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service in Mustang said that they do not handle passport applications. First time applicants must apply in person to one of 9,000 passport application facilities across the country. The closest place to Mustang to apply for a passport is in downtown Oklahoma City.
Applicants must present proof of U.S. citizenship, proof of identity, two, two-inch by two-inch color photographs, and all necessary fees.
The total cost for a passport, including all applications and processing fees, is $97. Expedited processing of an application can be performed for an additional $60. All fees go to the State Department.
While Mustang residents have to travel elsewhere to get a passport for the first time, some local businesses are offering services to make the process a little easier.
Yukon Mail and Copy Plus owner Jean Fouche said residents can pick up passport applications and have their passport photos taken at his store, located at 1300 W. Vandament Ave., next to the Wal-Mart Supercenter.
“I’m also working to be a U.S. passport application agent, but I’m not there yet,” Fouche said.
Other businesses in Mustang that take passport photos include: Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Wal-Mart, and Your Mail Store, 202 N. Mustang Rd.
Brendan Hoover
Due to new Departments of State and Homeland Security regulations, citizens returning to the United States by air from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere must present a valid passport to enter the country beginning Jan. 23.
“This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004,” a State Department press release noted in November.
This is the first phase of the two-part Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The second phase, which could be implemented as early as Jan. 1, 2008, would require U.S. citizens to present passports upon returning from Western Hemisphere countries by land or sea.
“The Department has dedicated additional resources and personnel to meet the increased demand for passports generated by these requirements. In Fiscal Year 2006, the Department issued a record 12.1 million passports to American citizens and anticipates issuing 16 million passports in Fiscal Year 2007,” the press release noted.
For Mustang residents, obtaining a passport for the first time is not necessarily an easy task. A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service in Mustang said that they do not handle passport applications. First time applicants must apply in person to one of 9,000 passport application facilities across the country. The closest place to Mustang to apply for a passport is in downtown Oklahoma City.
Applicants must present proof of U.S. citizenship, proof of identity, two, two-inch by two-inch color photographs, and all necessary fees.
The total cost for a passport, including all applications and processing fees, is $97. Expedited processing of an application can be performed for an additional $60. All fees go to the State Department.
While Mustang residents have to travel elsewhere to get a passport for the first time, some local businesses are offering services to make the process a little easier.
Yukon Mail and Copy Plus owner Jean Fouche said residents can pick up passport applications and have their passport photos taken at his store, located at 1300 W. Vandament Ave., next to the Wal-Mart Supercenter.
“I’m also working to be a U.S. passport application agent, but I’m not there yet,” Fouche said.
Other businesses in Mustang that take passport photos include: Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Wal-Mart, and Your Mail Store, 202 N. Mustang Rd.
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