CROSSING BORDERS

New passport rules move ahead with only a few hiccups. While stricter identification is now required for Americans returning from Mexico and Canada, immigration officials may still allow travelers through with a passport or official identification. This will not last. Be careful. One of our travelers did report a problem with her minor child. The regulations state that children under the age of 16 only have to present a birth certificate.

Security rules for land and sea border crossings now require U.S. citizens to present a passport, passport card or enhanced driver's license with microchip I.D. information. Regular business crossers often face background checks, which can generally be reproduced for future crossings.

These new rules under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative were scheduled to go into effect in 2008, but were delayed a year. Air travel re-entry requirements went into effect in 2007.

Delays from these regulations are rare. Customs and Border Protection agencies report that nearly 100 percent of the people crossing borders into the U.S. after midnight carry the required documents.