On June 1, 2009 new regulations regarding travel documents will become law. In a nutshell, travel ANYWHERE outside the U.S. will require a passport and no longer will a driver's license suffice to go into or get out of Canada. Most people are already aware of this. But did you know you may be able to get by without getting a passport?
According to an article in Newsday, there are more ways to travel out of the U.S. without a passport than I was aware of. For instance, there is a Passport light, called a passport card. Costing less than half what a passport costs, this card can be used to gain entrance into Bermuda, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada and lasts just as long as a passport - 10 years. The drawback is it is only for land or sea entry - not flying. (How do you 'drive' to St Thomas?)
Certain border states (like New York) can issue an 'enhanced' drivers license also. Which allows for driving entry into Canada and Mexico but of course not air travel. Also not valid in all Caribbean nations so you would need to check specific countries for applicability.
There is also something called a Nexus card for pre-screened customers. Drawbacks include extensive paperwork, interviews and fingerprinting and is valid for only 5 years. One advantage is that there are now some entry lanes into Canada that are 'Nexus' priority lanes. However, every person in the car needs to have a Nexus card, not just the driver.
You can read the details plus gain more information by reading the Newsday article and its subsequent links. Being informed is half the battle. The other half is being prepared.


