Published: February 07, 2007 09:17 am         

New Passport Rules

If travel is on your itinerary for the coming year, it's time to apply for a passport as soon as possible. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) all travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda will need to present a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. The proposed rule published would require all travelers to present a passport or other accepted document for entry into the United States by air or sea.

The purpose of the WHTI is to tighten security under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA).



This plan will be

implemented in two phases:



1. January 8, 2007 - Passports, Merchant Mariner Documents (MMDs) or NEXUS Air cards would be required for all air travel, and most commercial sea travel, from within the Western Hemisphere for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is a change from the previously scheduled date of January 1, in order to accommodate holiday travel.



2. January 1, 2008 - The statutory deadline for all Western Hemisphere travel, including land border travel. The specific requirements for the land border crossing will be addressed in a separate rulemaking in advance of this date.