From The Press Room

• New Border Crossing Procedures Begin Jan. 31, 2008
• FAQs: New Border Crossing Procedures Beginning January 31, 2008

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Homeland Security Components

• Office of Policy
• Customs and Border Protection

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More from Homeland Security

• Enhanced Drivers Licenses: What Are They?
• Background: U.S. Land Border Crossing Updated Procedures

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Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

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The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) 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 depart the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.

The travel document requirements make up the departments of State and Homeland Security’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). 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.

This travel initiative is being implemented in two phases:

• Air travel requirements went into effect January 23, 2007 and now all travelers including children must present a passport or secure travel document when entering the United States by air.
• Land/Sea requirements are transitioning toward standard and consistent documents for all travelers entering the country, with full implementation in June 2009. Read More.

More About Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

• Read the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Current U.S. border crossing procedures and information

This page was last reviewed/modified on January 23, 2008.