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Whew! That was a scare - - - but it had a happy ending.
A topic which emerged late last week during the ISC World Tournament time in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, had some people fretting and concerned.
The topic? A coming requirement that U.S. citizens would have to have a U.S. passport to be allowed to re-enter the United States. And the concern was that this new requirement would be in place in time to make it more difficult, and costly, for Americans to make the trek to Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, in August of 2006 for the ISC World Tournament and the ISC-II Tournament of Champions.
The good news - - - and the straight skinny - - - is that this new “requirement” of a passport WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR 2006 if flying and not until the end of 2007 if driving!!!!!
This means that the thousands of Americans - - - players and fans alike - - - who will be in Kitchener next August, WILL indeed be able to re-enter the good old U.S.A. without a requirement of showing a U.S. passport.
The coming need for a passport, to be required as part of the Homeland Security efforts, is on the horizon. The message here is that Americans should seriously consider applying for a U.S. passport to be used for identification - - - but this choice will not be forced on Americans until more than a year after the ISC World Tournament is held in Canada again in 2006.
August 24, 2005
Gordon Wise
ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com
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