Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

U.S. Department of State Passport Information Site

AIR TRAVEL

Implemented on January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.

LAND AND SEA TRAVEL
The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

• JANUARY 31, 2008
  U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document, or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. DHS also proposes to begin alternative procedures for U.S. and Canadian children at that time.
  
   
• SUMMER 2008
  At a later date, to be determined, the departments will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders.
  
  The implementation date will be determined based on a number of factors, including the progress of actions undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security to implement the WHTI requirements and the availability of WHTI compliant documents on both sides of the border. DHS and DOS expect the date of full WHTI implementation to be in the summer of 2008. The precise implementation date will be formally announced with at least 60 days notice.

Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.

U.S. Department of State Passport Information Site

U.S. PASSPORT AND OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

• U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere countries.
• The Passport Card: This limited-use, wallet-size passport card is not yet available and is under development.  When available it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean region (includes Bermuda).
• Other Accepted Travel Documents: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST and the U.S. Coast Guard Mariner Document.  Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders are exempt from the passport requirement. DHS has more information on these travel documents.  This information may be seen at www.dhs.gov.

ABOUT WHTI
 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S.
 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on February 22 its intent to propose, as part of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), significant flexibility regarding travel documents required for U.S. and Canadian children as part of WHTI requirements for U.S. land and sea border entry in 2008.
 

The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

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.

U.S. Department of State Passport Information Site

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How to Get Your NEW PASSPORT

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To apply for a new passport, you will need to appear in person at a post office or courthouse that accepts passport applications. You can also CLICK HERE for the location nearest you.

At the acceptance facility, you will need to provide the following:

1. Proof of Citizenship

You will need ONE of the following:

1. Original or Certified copy of your birth certificate - hospital birth certificates are unacceptable (If you do not have your original birth certificate, click here to order a certified copy)

2. Old Passport

3. Original Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of Citizenship

4. Consular Report of Birth Abroad

2. Proof of Identity

You will need to provide ONE of the following

1. Driver's License (issued more than 6 months ago)

2. State-issued identification card (issued more than 6 months ago)

3. Official government or military picture identification

3. New passport application (DS-11)

Click here to download the DS-11 form
(Do NOT sign the DS-11 until you are instructed to do so by the acceptance agent)

4. Passport Photos

Go to a passport photographer and have your passport photos taken. You will receive two (2) identical passport photographs.

Click here for passport photo requirements and where to have passport photos made.

5. Check, money order or bank draft to pay application fees

You will need to provide two separate checks for fees:

• payment of $67 payable to U.S. Department of State

• payment of $30 payable to the acceptance facility

(Please include your date of birth on the memo line of the check)

Remember, you are only required to renew your U.S. Passport once every 10 years.

Here's what you can expect to happen at the passport acceptance facility.
The passport acceptance agent will:

• Witness you signing line 23 of the DS-11 (Do not sign until asked to do so)

• Check your identification to verify your identity

• Attach your proof of citizenship documents to the application

• Attach your photos to the application

• Receive payments for your passport application

At this point, the acceptance agent will send your documents to the U.S. Passport Agency. You will receive your new passport in the mail in about 6 weeks (or about 2 weeks if expedited) together with your citizenship documents. When you receive your passport, please be sure to sign in the space provided for your signature.