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News > WHTI Passport Requirements Reinstated for U.S. Citizen Air Travelers

WHTI Passport Requirements Reinstated for U.S. Citizen Air Travelers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a reminder to U.S. citizens traveling by air that passports (or any other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document) will again be required for all travelers to the United States from within the Western Hemisphere as of midnight on September 30, 2007. The WHTI, implemented earlier this year, requires all U.S. citizens traveling by air to, or returning to the United States from, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to present a passport or another approved document establishing the bearer's identity and nationality in order to enter or re-enter the United States. Due to a backlog in processing requests for passports, the DHS temporarily suspended this rule for U.S. citizen passport applicants through September 30, 2007. Only U.S. citizen travelers departing the country prior to October 1, 2007 with Department of State official proof of passport application receipt and government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.

Alternate acceptable forms of identification currently include cards issued for the NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST frequent traveler programs and border crossing cards (Mexican citizens only). A passport card program and exceptions to the WHTI identification requirements for certain children under age 18 have also been proposed but not yet finalized by DHS. Please contact your Hodgson Russ immigration attorney with questions regarding this announcement.