Washington, Jun 8, 2007 -

Congressman Patrick McHenry today announced that the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security are allowing temporary travel flexibility with regard to passports. U.S. citizens who are traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda and who have applied for but not yet received passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

Adults who have applied for but not yet received a passport should present government-issued photo identification and an official proof of application from the U.S. Department of State. Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child’s proof of application. Travelers who have not applied for a passport should not expect to be accommodated. U.S. citizens with pending passport applications can obtain proof of application at: http://travel.state.gov. Tenth District citizens who have filed their application but are not able to receive their receipt through the State Department’s website should contact Congressman McHenry’s Hickory district office at 1-800-477-2576.

This accommodation does not affect entry requirements to other countries. Americans traveling to a country that requires passports must still present those documents.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for citizens and legitimate international visitors. Initial WHTI requirements for air travel took effect on January 23, 2007.