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ID cards for border crossing ruled out |
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By Ryan Smolinski » Canada has ruled out issuing a new ID card for
residents crossing the United States border. This means anyone making a
trip across to the US will soon need to carry valid passports.
Legislation introduced in Washington means border crossings will no longer be as quick and easy as it currently is. Both Americans and Canadians will be required to carry more secure documentation - beginning January 1, 2007 for air and sea travellers, and a year later for those crossing by land.
Only one in four Americans owns a passport, the application for which costs US$97. To make things a little easier on frequent travellers, the US is launching a new ID card, which will cost around half that amount, with discounts for families.
Canada however says it will not launch its own version of the card, which means Canadians must own a passport to cross the US border. About 39% of Canadians currently have passports.
A Canadian passport currently costs $87 and is valid for five years.
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