The Visa Waiver Program has been around for over 20 years, although it has reached greater awareness and prominence in the post-911 era of travel.  The program has been modified over the years, with additional countries added to the list and an electronic travel component added, but the underlying purpose of the plan remains the same.
Visitors from specific countries are permitted to travel to the United States for a period of up to 90 days (for business or pleasure travel) without having to get a Visa.  There are specific requirements for countries to get on the waiver list, including …read more

Gearing up for some international travel this year?
As part of your trip planning process, make sure that you have all your paperwork in order.  If you’re flying be air, or on a cruise ship, you’ll be asked for some of these documents before boarding.  Don’t forget them — you’re won’t be able to leave home without it!
Here’s what you need:

Passport or Green Card
Notarized permission to travel letters for all minors (under 18 years of age) not traveling with BOTH parents.
Any required Visa for countries you will be visiting.
Sufficient medication for the duration of your trip, in its ORIGINAL container …read more

Today is the very last day to travel between the United States and the Western Hemisphere (Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda) with only a driver’s license or voter registration card.
Beginning January 23rd, 2007, all persons traveling will be required to present a valid passport.  This means both children and adults must have passports.  Alternate acceptable identification includes the Air NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card Form I-551.
The new regulation does not apply to travel to and from U.S. Territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin …read more

If you want to travel outside the geographical boundaries of the Unites States, you’re going to have to have a passport.  Gone are the days when a birth certificate and drivers license would do the trick.
Canada, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean have long been excluded from the requirement of a passport, but all that changes effective the end of the year. 
Travelers to and from these destinations will now be required to have a passport to enter the United States if traveling by common carrier — plane, cruise ship, train.  A year later, the passport requirement will be extended to …read more

If you have concerns about your international travel plans, one of the places you can check is the State Department’s website.  There’s a wealth of information, just a mouse click away.  Check for information before making your plans, and then again before departing.
Here is some of the information that the State Department can provide:

Travel Warnings:  Issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Countries where avoidance of travel is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as Consular Information Sheets.
Public Announcements:  Used to disseminate information about terrorist threats …read more

I carry my passport with me at all times. 
It’s in my wallet.  I don’t leave home without it.  In part, this decision is a requirement of my job.  In part, though, it’s because you never know when you might get a wild hair (frequently defined as an unexpected travel opportunity) and want your passport handy.
Do you have a passport?  If not, and foreign travel is in your foreseeable future, you need to start the application process immediately.
The first step is to get a passport photo taken.  Most people dread this step, and it gives rise to the old joke:  “If …read more