Guest Column
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
The proposed implementation timeline has two remaining phases:
PHASE II 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, U.S. Coast Guard
Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if
applicable.
PHASE III
As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens,
traveling (whether it be through air, land or water) 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:
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).
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.
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.
Applying for a U.S. Passport
U.S. citizens can visit the State Department’s travel website at
travel.state.gov, or call the National Passport Information Center at
1-877-487-2778; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793 for information about applying for a
passport.
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed by HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com) without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)