U.S. Delays Passport Rule
The U.S. Senate voted to delay for 17 months a
requirement that Americans re-entering the United States after
short visits to Canada and Mexico show passports or high-technology
identification cards. The Senate would push back a Jan. 1, 2008,
deadline for the requirement. A driver's license usually satisfies
customs and border inspectors now. Shippers and truckers feared
the requirement might disrupt cross-border trade. The measure
was adopted Wednesday as an amendment to a broader immigration
bill before the Senate. The new deadline for having to show
a passport or ID card would move to June 1, 2009, if the bill
becomes law. Canadians also will have to show a passport or
high-tech ID to enter the United States, even for short visits,
and they are covered by the delay. Short-term visitors from
Mexico already must have tamperproof cards, known as laser visas,
to enter the United States. Congress required the new documentation
as part of the 2004 intelligence reform law.
