'Passport Day' offers help with application

Need a passport? The U.S. State Department is holding another walk-in "Passport Day" in downtown Seattle on Saturday, Jan. 16.

It's aimed at travelers heading to the Olympic Games in February in Whistler and Vancouver, B.C., who must have a passport or other federally approved ID to cross the border. However, the Passport Day is open to all U.S. citizens who need passports. It lets travelers get help with the application form and take advantage of weekend hours.

Both routine and expedited applications will be accepted, and passports will be mailed back. A similar Passport Day was held in December in Seattle and drew more than 300 applicants, said Trip Atkins, assistant director of the Seattle Passport Agency.

The Passport Day will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Seattle Passport Agency office in the Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Ave, Suite 992. Applicants should go to the Second Avenue entrance and must have government-issued photo ID to enter the building.

To see what documentation is required for the passport application (forms can be downloaded in advance or picked up at the Passport Day), go to the U.S. State Department Web site at www.travel.state.gov (or phone 877-487-2778).

There's also a special section on the Web site for Olympics-related travel. Travelers headed to the Olympics, or to Canada any time, should be aware that Canada has stricter laws on drunken driving and tougher firearms restrictions than the United States.

Canadian immigration officials may deny entry to people who have a DUI/DWI (driving while intoxicated) conviction; travelers with such a record can seek in advance what's called a "waiver of exclusion" in order to enter Canada. There is also a system called "deemed rehabilitation" that may be applied to visitors who have had one previous DWI conviction more than 10 years ago. It gives Canadian border officials leeway to allow those travelers to enter Canada. Get details at www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/faq-inadmissibility.asp

Kristin Jackson: kjackson@seattletimes.com