An Expedited American Passport Card Can Be A Cheap Alternative
In years past, the only true form of international identification was the passport. However, in the United States, a passport was not needed for border trips to Canada and Mexico. Today, laws are much more restrictive and passports are needed to cross in and out of the country regardless of how close the final destination is to the U.S. If a trip is coming up in the near future, an expedited United States passport card can be used in place of a regular passport.
The passport card will allow passage to border trips such as Canada and Mexico. This is a dramatic change from years past as the only ID that was needed before was a drivers license or birth certificate. Rules have changed, but exceptions are made for some trips that are close to home. This is great news for casual travelers as the passport card slips right into the wallet and there is no bulky passport book to carry or possibly lose.
An expedited passport card is applied for in much the same manner as a regular or expedited passport. There is still an issuing agency that must be used in order to secure one of these. These agencies may all be found online by doing a simple search and choosing the one that is right for you.
The expedited passport card itself does have restrictions on it. It was made in place of a passport for areas that had never really required passport documentation from the United States before. Also, it cannot be used for air travel at all. This card is meant for cruise traveler and actual border crossings to places like Mexico. Now, instead of only needed a valid driver's license, the passport card serves as the official accepted ID.
What makes the difference in the passport card is the electronic coding and laser engraving that is featured as a security measure. While state ID's have come a long way, they are simply not as secure as the process in which a passport card is created. These safety measures cannot be forged at this time and it is yet one more step to making sure that the borders are indeed secure.
To get an expedited passport card, everything must be in order or the process will be delayed. Something that some people do not realize is that it is their responsibility to have the photo taken and ready when they get to the passport office. In addition to that, proper ID and proof of citizenship must be gathered. The expedited service will also require that an additional fee be paid.
When the documentation is being submitted, be sure to have originals and not copies or even certified copies. These will not be acceptable and will only slow the process while waiting on the correct ones. When sending the documents in, be sure to mail them through a trackable carrier such as FedEx or UPS so their progress may be monitored. This is sensitive, personal information and everything possible should be done to safeguard it.
