October 1, 2020, is the REAL ID deadline, and most people will not be able to board even a domestic air flight in the U.S. without either a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or a passport. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) … Continue Reading
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is directly involved in Hurricane Dorian rescue efforts. So far the agency’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) has airlifted over 80 people, including citizens of the Bahamas and citizens of the U.S., from the ravaged Abaco Island and Grand Bahama to Nassau for medical treatment and shelter. CBP is also … Continue Reading
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cancelled an incoming Harvard freshman’s visa and deported him back to Lebanon eight hours after arriving at Boston’s Logan International Airport to start his college career. CBP detained the incoming student along with several other international students who were ultimately admitted to the U.S. According to reports, CBP deemed Ismail … Continue Reading
On your next international trip, you may see facial recognition technology in use. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) started piloting this technology in late 2018. Now, in conjunction with various airlines, the use of facial recognition technology is growing and at some airports it is being used for everything from identifying passengers at gates to … Continue Reading
Critics say new federal restrictions on travel to Cuba may lead to a half million fewer visitors to the island annually and small, private business owners definitely will be hurt by confusion caused by those restrictions. In June 2017, President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum, “Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba,” … Continue Reading
The days of spontaneously traveling to Europe on a whim are coming to an end for U.S. citizens. For many years, U.S. citizens have been able to travel to most European countries with only a valid U.S. passport as a travel document. In 2021, the European Schengen Zone will be requiring a registration similar to … Continue Reading
Because some of the 9/11 terrorists used fraudulent driver’s licenses to travel, Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to comply with the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government establish minimum standards for the issuance of forms of identification, such as state driver’s licenses. After many starts, stops, and delays, the deadline set … Continue Reading
While all citizens of 38 (primarily European) visa waiver-eligible nations may enter the U.S. Virgin Islands for up to 90 days using ESTA, and United States citizens may enter most of the Caribbean Community Member States (CARICOM) for tourism or as business visitors without a visa, citizens of CARICOM cannot enter the U.S. Virgin Islands without … Continue Reading
In November 2018, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) notified the public of the opportunity to become a certified cargo screening canine! Qualified explosives detection canine teams and their providers would be able to become registered Certified Cargo Screening Facility-Canines (CCSF-K9) in the TSA’s cargo screening program. Until that time, only canines specially trained by TSA … Continue Reading
