Important
Passport Information:
- 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.
- 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.
Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007
The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced
today that the requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda
to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the
Western Hemisphere will begin on January 23, 2007.
This change in travel document requirements is the result
of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into
law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. These new travel
document requirements make up the Departments' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
(WHTI). In order to obtain national security benefits as quickly as possible, and to
expedite the processing of arriving passengers, the plan will be implemented in two
phases.
The first phase involves travel by air and requires all citizens of the United States,
Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes
the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States from within
the Western Hemisphere. The final rule for the air phase of the WHTI rule will be
published in the Federal Register on November 24, where it can be viewed at www.regulations.gov . That rule is also available
on the Department's consular web site, travel.state.gov
and on the Department of Homeland Security's web site, www.dhs.gov.
A separate proposed rule addressing land and sea travel will be published at a later
date proposing specific requirements for travelers entering the United States through land
and sea border crossings. As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the
United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by
land or sea could be required to present a valid U.S. 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.
The Department has dedicated additional resources and personnel to meet the increased
demand for passports generated by these requirements. In Fiscal Year 2006, the Department
issued a record 12.1 million passports to American citizens, and anticipates issuing 16
million passports in Fiscal Year 2007. U.S. citizens can find information about how to
apply for a passport at travel.state.gov or by calling 1-877-487-2778. |
