Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

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.

U.S.PASSPORT AND WHTI COMPLIANT 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: Passport card applications are currently being accepted in anticipation of land border travel document requirements. Based on current projections, we expect the passport card to be in full production beginning in July 2008. We will provide additional updates as available. Once in production, the passport card it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.
• WHTI-Compliant Travel Documents for U.S. citizen travel via land or sea, as of January 31, 2008:
o Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
o State Issued Enhanced Driver's License (when available)
o Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available)
o U.S. Military Identification with Military Travel Orders
o U.S. Merchant Mariner Document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business
o Native American Tribal Photo Identification Card
o Form I-872 American Indian Card