August 4, 2008
Joint Announcement from DOS and DHS on Passport Card Production
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on July 22 that the new U.S. Passport Card is in full production and is now being distributed. The Passport Card is a convenient, wallet-sized document for land and sea travel between the United States and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It is not valid for international travel by air. Beginning in June 2009, travelers will be required to present a single Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant document denoting both citizenship and identity when entering the United States through a land or sea border. More than 350,000 Americans pre-ordered the U.S. Passport Cards since the State Department began taking orders on Feb. 1. Over 7,600 cards have already been mailed to advance customers, and all pre-orders are expected to be filled by Sept. 30, 2008. After the initial distribution, the processing time for passport cards should be less than four weeks. Customers will be able to track the progress of their passport card application online beginning in mid-August. For information on how to apply for a U.S. Passport Card or the traditional passport book, visit travel.state.gov.
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