Crossing the United States border became more difficult as of Jan. 8, 2007, when it became mandatory to have a valid passport when traveling between Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. This procedure is now being strictly enforced as of July 2008.
Accessibility of passport services can be daunting, but UNC Charlotte’s Mail Services is partnering with the U.S. Postal Service to sponsor the Passport Fair (PF), Friday, Sept. 26, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Lucas Room of Cone University Center.
Horace Lytch, director of Mail Services, stated the benefit of the on-campus PF. He said, “The fair is a great convenience for those in the University community and surrounding area who need a new United States Passport for international travel.”
The PF is open to students, faculty and staff and the Charlotte area’s public. Visitor parking is located in the Cone Deck, at a rate of $1 for each 30 minutes. Lytch clarified that there is no appointment required, it is a walk-in event and there will be at least three processors on hand for timely processing.
A passport is valid for 10 years, for those individuals 16 and older. For those 15 or younger, the passport is valid for five years.
Moving on to passport applications, those will be on hand at the fair and are also available at the Campus Post Office in the lower level of the Prospector Building. Along with the filled-out application, other documentation is needed to process the passport.
The documents needed are: your original and certified birth certificate, a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID, Military or Federal Government ID, and two identical 2-by-2 inch color photographs that must be on thin photo paper stock and taken within the last six months. Also, there will be an on-site photo service available at an additional cost of $15.
Another requirement for a U.S. citizen is that the application requires your Social Security Number.
Passport fees for adults come to $100, and for those younger than 16 it comes to $85. Plus, there will be the additional cost of $15 if you need the photo service.
Payment methods accepted are: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards; personal, certified, cashiers or traveler’s checks; money orders (U.S. Postal Service, international currency exchange); bank drafts; and Debit/Check cards, but not ATM cards.
Looking ahead to processing time, it normally takes three weeks, but it will depend on workload and occasionally unforeseen circumstances, i.e. natural disasters.
The ability to check your application status is offered online at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html. It is recommended to wait at least five to seven days after submitting the application.
For further information, visit the U.S. Department of State at its home page for passports: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.
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