Washington , D.C. Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement about the easing of passport rules announced by the Bush Administration in response to backlog of passport applications.

I am pleased that the Administration recognized the growing backlog of passport applications and eased the rules for travel to Canada , Mexico , the Caribbean and Bermuda .  My own office has received a flood of calls about delays in the processing of passport applications.

The implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in January created a significant influx, with which passport offices have been struggling to keep up.  With an expected record of 209 million people expected to travel this summer, the situation was quickly spiraling out of control. 

Under the revised rules in effect until the end of September, travelers will need to show proof they had applied for a passport and government-issued identification, such as a drivers license. 

Easing the passport rules will ensure that family vacation plans are not disrupted because of a passport system unable to keep up with demand.

To Check Passport Application Status & Print Application Proof, click here:

You will need to provide the following information to complete the on-line form and print out the proof of application:

       your last name, including suffixes without punctuations except the hyphen, (for example: Jones III, Patton Jr, Jackson-Smith, Varela Garcia);

       Date of birth in the following format:  MM/DD/YYYY; and

       The last four digits of your Social Security Number.

Please Note: According to the State Department, it is currently taking up to one (1) week for passport applications to be tracked online.   Please allow at least that time before checking the status of your application.

You must follow these instructions to prove the status of your passport application for those Americans traveling by air to Mexico , Canada or the Caribbean as part of the recently announced Temporary Travel Flexibility for U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications. You must keep a print out your passport application status for departure from the U.S. and for re-entry into the U.S.  Some countries may still require a passport.  Please see Foreign Entry Requirements, Click Here.