By Ed Shannon, staff writer

Effective Jan. 23, 2007, air travelers entering the U.S. will be required to have passports as proof of identification. This includes American citizens returning from visits to Canada, Mexico and other nations.

Partly because of this new regulation, the Albert Lea Post Office, 141 S. Newton Ave., is scheduling a Passport Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

At some date later in 2007 sea travelers will be required to have passports. And by 2008 passports will be required to cross the borders of Canada and Mexico by land and to re-enter the U.S.

People attending this fair at the post office are asked to bring a certified copy of a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or previously issued U.S. passport. Also required is a current driver&8217;s

license, military ID, or state-issued identification card.

The fee for an initial adult passport is a check for $67 payable to the U.S. Dept. of State. The fee for a child&8217;s passport for those under age 16 is $52, also payable to the U.S. Department of State.

The execution fee for each passport application, adult or child, is $30 each, payable to the postmaster.

At the Post Office Passport Fair the required photos are available for $15.

The two identical photos for each passport application are based on federal standards. Professional photographers are aware of the requirements.

Adult passports are valid for 10 years; children&8217;s passports are valid for five years.

Passport applications made locally are sent to Los Angeles, Calif. for processing

The passports are returned to the applicants in about six to eight weeks. For expedited service, about two weeks, an additional fee of $60 each is charged, payable to the U.S. Dept. of State.

Sandy Tatge, acting supervisor at the Albert Lea Post Office, stresses that a passport application made at this facility is based on &8220;full service&8221; because of the photography feature. She added that passport inquiries and applications can be made each weekday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the service window in the post office lobby.

Passport applications can also be made at the Freeborn County Recorder&8217;s Office in the new courthouse addition. Here all services, except photography, are available and the fees are the same, according to Sonya Paulson, deputy recorder/registrar.