UPDATED PASSPORT INFO

New Passport Rules for Border Crossing Begin in June

Starting June 1, 2009 Americans will need to show a passport or passport card when returning to the United States by land or sea from Mexico and Canada.  If you’re arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda by land or sea, you’ll generally have several choices; a passport, a passport card (a new type of ID that the U.S. government began issuing in 2008), an enhanced driver’s license (a new high-tech version offered by a few states) or a “Trusted Traveler” card such as SENTRI and NEXUS for frequent border crossers.  The State Department’s travel web-site http://www.travel.state.gov/ is one-stop shopping for passport information.  If you’re renewing a passport, you can download the form from the web-site and mail it in.  If it’s your fist time applying for a passport, you can visit any one of thousands of “passport acceptance facilities,” such as post offices, libraries, etc.  A passport costs $100 for adults and $85 for children younger than 16 (cost to renew is less); a passport card costs $45 for adults and $35 for children younger than 16.  Processing time is currently 3 weeks however the State Department is advising an increase in processing time will most likely occur during the next few months

How to Apply For a Passport or Passport Card: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Information Regarding the Passport Card: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

Traveling to Canada: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1082.html

“On behalf of the bands and choirs of Oakland Christian, we would like to thank everyone at EPN for all your hard work to make this trip run so smoothly. As usual, everything was great!”– Dave Keiser, Oakland Christian School