http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:
a.. Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens,
traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and
South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a
valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner
Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
b.. As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens,
traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America,
the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be
required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the
Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a
later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working
to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be
provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for
land/sea entries.
The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or
returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly
from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and
do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following:
Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island,
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI
Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be
acceptable to fulfill document requirements:
a.. U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when
traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and
South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport
when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
b.. The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This
limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will
be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries)
between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in
size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.
c.. DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue
to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS,
FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As proposed,
members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will
continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.
Background
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the
Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and
implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign
nationals alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination
of documents, that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United
States. Congress amended portions of the Act in 2006. The Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the Administration's proposed plan to
implement this mandate.
The goal of the Initiative is to strengthen border security and facilitate
entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign
visitors by providing standardized, secure and reliable documentation which
will allow the Department of Homeland Security to quickly, reliably and
accurately identify a traveler.
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