If you’re planning to travel to Mexico or Canada for the holidays, Customs and Border Protection officials have offered some “helpful hints” to help reduce the wait time at our nations border crossings.
The first tip is to be prepared to show the appropriate ID. The days in which you could cross land borders without a passport or another secure form of ID are long gone. You need one of the following to get across the border by land:
A valid US passport
A US passport card
An enhanced driver’s license with an RFID chip. Many states do not issue these licenses.
A membership card in a “trusted traveler” program like NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI
Also, review Customers and Border Protection regulations about what type of items may and may not be brought across the border, and about rules for declaring items you are transporting.
Christopher Perry, CBP’s Detroit field operations director, told the News-Herald that CBP will do its best to ensure that citizens crossing the border are able to do so as expeditiously as possible:
“The holiday season is a busy time of the year for travelers and Customs and Border Protection is prepared to help them reach their final destinations in a timely fashion. Travelers who know the requirements and are prepared for their border crossing help us facilitate their travel while accomplishing our mission of ensuring the security of the border.”
One important item to note is that for travelers who are flying across the border, a passport is the only acceptable form of ID.
If you need a passport for the holidays and don’t have one yet, you’ll need to make an appointment at a regional passport office, or use a private passport expediting company like Rush My Passport. Do not attempt to apply by mail or at the post office at this point-you won’t get your passport in time.
Alison Kroulek is a freelance writer and blogger with a focus on the travel industry.
Article from articlesbase.com
The Financial Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Protection Act (FIFITPA) provides several protections for consumers in the areas of security freezes, credit reports, records disposal, security breaches and more. The Act also places requirements on businesses and public bodies with regard to the collection, maintenance and disposal of consumers personal information. This video is meant to highlight important portions of the Financial Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Protection Act and not to serve as a substitute for reading the Act. References to portions of the laws amended or added by the Act are to the appropriate section number within the South Carolina Code of Laws. The complete Act may be found on the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs website at www.scconsumer.gov or at the South Carolina Legislatures website at www.scstatethouse.net. All portions of the law, except the provisions regarding security breaches, become effective on December 31, 2008. The security breach provisions become effective July 1, 2009.
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