US passports will no longer be required for reentry from the Caribbean come 8 January. The reason: Homeland Security forgot to publish the ruling in the Federal Registry. See explanatory story below:
U.S. mixup over new passport rule
Caribbean tourism organizations being urged to
aggressively lobby Washington for fairer treatment
By JOHN COLLINS
The Caribbean travel industry has obtained a temporary reprieve from the expected Jan. 8 deadline for U.S. citizens traveling to the Caribbean to be in possession of a U.S. passport to return to the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the postponement without establishing a new date for its introduction. The action resulted from a situation where travel agents and tour operators active in the Caribbean trade learned from the airlines that Homeland Security, after issuing the stricter new rule, had failed to have it published in the Federal Register as required by law.
Washington observers indicate that this will result in a delay in the implementation of the new requireent and an administrative reprieve during which the procedures for its introduction can de developed and promulgated. Indications are it would require a minimum of 60 days but some airline executives are calling for a longer period in order toclear up the confusion that has developed because of the mixup.
The new passport requirement would not apply to travelers from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico and the USVI. In addition, because of strong lobbying by the cruise industry, it was exempted from the stricter rule for two years.
There have been a number of reports in the Caribbean critical of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and their lobbying efforts to adequately publicize the gravity of the situation.
U.S. mixup over new passport rule
Caribbean tourism organizations being urged to
aggressively lobby Washington for fairer treatment
By JOHN COLLINS
The Caribbean travel industry has obtained a temporary reprieve from the expected Jan. 8 deadline for U.S. citizens traveling to the Caribbean to be in possession of a U.S. passport to return to the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the postponement without establishing a new date for its introduction. The action resulted from a situation where travel agents and tour operators active in the Caribbean trade learned from the airlines that Homeland Security, after issuing the stricter new rule, had failed to have it published in the Federal Register as required by law.
Washington observers indicate that this will result in a delay in the implementation of the new requireent and an administrative reprieve during which the procedures for its introduction can de developed and promulgated. Indications are it would require a minimum of 60 days but some airline executives are calling for a longer period in order toclear up the confusion that has developed because of the mixup.
The new passport requirement would not apply to travelers from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico and the USVI. In addition, because of strong lobbying by the cruise industry, it was exempted from the stricter rule for two years.
There have been a number of reports in the Caribbean critical of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and their lobbying efforts to adequately publicize the gravity of the situation.
