As of January 23, 2007, a new American law will require everyone entering the United States by air to have a valid passport.

If you plan on driving to Austin you’ll be fine for this year:

Canadians can continue to use such documents as their birth certificates and drivers’ licences to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea for at least another year.

For anyone like myself who does not have a passport yet, here’s the expected time it will take to process your application [although I'd error on the side of caution as I'm willing to bet plenty of people will be realizing they now need a passport or have put it off to the last minute]:

If you are not travelling by air, we suggest that you avoid Passport Canada’s offices at this time. If you need your passport for January 23, 2007, mail-in your application if you can. If you need to visit a Passport Canada office, avoid Mondays and Fridays as they tend to be the busiest days. Passport Canada’s service standards remain the same for the moment:

* 20 working days when applying by mail or courier (does not include mailing time)
* 10 working days when applying at a Passport Canada office
* 15 working days when applying at a Receiving Agent – Canada Post office (does not include mailing time)
* 20 working days when applying at a Receiving Agent – Service Canada (does not include mailing time)

Costs: From within Canada = $87 [24 pages] or $92 [48 pages] [Canadian Funds only]

Find answers to additional questions at Passport Canada

++