In part to 9/11 and the Iraq War, there have been a few initial procedures
that have led to new safety and travel laws. The United States particularly
has cracked down on codes in order to ensure the safety of their own
citizens and with the help of neighboring countries such as Canada and
Mexico it has spread over their borders. The Mexican passport card is
one of the newer interventions to help bring safety to all travelers
to Mexico.
The Mexican passport card, otherwise known as the PASS, is a required
document for travelers who expect to spend any time going back and forth
over the border. Beginning in January 2008, the new laws determined
that all people going from air, ground or boat must have a passport
(legal and valid), Alien registration card or NEXUS card. This applies
to the United States, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, Caribbean, and Central
and South America. The reasoning is to keep everything safe and protected
and with the recent outbreaks of passport forgery, keeping things intact.
Many people confuse the PASS (Mexican passport card) with a regular
passport.
The main difference between the two is the limitations that each has.
The passport card is a more limited passport that allows travelers to
go by land or sea through the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean’s.
While you can use a regular passport if you have one, it may be easier
to apply for a PASS card if you just want to go between these neighboring
countries. A normal passport, on the other hand, is a global travel
book that allows a person to go from country to country around the world.
You can use this for air travel as well as land and sea (including ferry
rides).
The PASS card came into existence, at least the idea, in 2004 when the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act required the Department
of Homeland Security to do something about protecting the travelers
of the United States and the neighboring countries. In 2006, the PASS
card was officially implemented to be the answer to the problematic
situation. Not only would Mexico benefit from the card, but the US,
Canada and the other countries involved would receive better overall
protection.
Since the passport card has only been in existence for a few months
it is still under careful watch as to whether it will be an effective
tool for travel or not. The ultimate goal is to strengthen border security
and make sure that there is no wrongful entry to the United States but
to allow freedom and ease to those who want to legally go back and forth.
The PASS card seems as if it is a reliable and legitimate solution to
an international dilemma. The Mexican passport card also serves as a
way for the Department of Homeland
Security to act quicker and identify travelers with more ease then
ever.
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