Homeland Security delays border crossing rules
Citizens returning to America won't need passport until June
2009
FACT FILE
Passport rule changes
What travelers need to know about new regulations
American citizens won't need a passport to cross the land
borders until the middle of next year, delaying that
requirement by more than a year.
New identification document requirements, the Department of
Homeland Security and Department of State announced
Thursday, will take effect June 1, 2009. By that date, U.S.
travelers will need to present documents that show both
identification and citizenship to cross back from Mexico and
Canada. For most travelers, that will mean a passport.
The policy shift is the final step of the Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative (WHTI), which changes document
requirements for travelers who were previously exempt
including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda.
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We are on course to implement and enforce the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is an important step
forward in securing the homeland, Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff said. Limiting and standardizing
the types of documents presented will result in a more
secure and efficient border. We will continue to encourage
cross-border travel and trade while at the same time
decreasing identity theft and fraud.
Residents of border states who frequently cross the border
have specialized ID cards for that purpose, called trusted
traveler cards, and they will continue to be honored.
Two months ago, the government stopped allowing returning
citizens to simply give an oral declaration of citizenship.
Proof is now required, but a broad range of identification
is acceptable. The rule set to go into effect in June of
2009 will greatly restrict the forms of acceptable
documentation.
Leaving time to prepare
The rule was announced 14 months in advance so the public
has enough notice and time to obtain documents, Homeland
Security said in a press release.
Between now and June 1, 2009, the two federal agencies will
conduct campaigns to inform U.S. and Canadian citizens about
the new requirements. Their efforts will include, the press
release said, will include special outreach to members of
border communities who could be affected most by the changes.
Thursdays announcement comes nearly two months after
Homeland Security said it would no longer accept oral
declarations of identity and citizenship.
Border security at a glance
To cross the U.S.-Canadian border, citizens now must have a
passport or similarly secure document, or a combination of
two other documents.
Single document option:
U.S. or Canadian passport.
U.S. passcard
So-called "trusted traveler card," which includes NEXUS,
SENTRI or FAST cards (These are typically used only by
people who cross the border frequently, often for work).
State or province issued "enhanced" driver's license
(states are only beginning to produce these, so they are not
available in most places).
U.S. military ID with travel orders.
U.S. merchant mariner document.
Native American Tribal Photo ID card.
Form I-872 American Indian Card.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Card.
If you don't have a passport or one of these other IDs,
there is a two-document option, the most likely combination
being a driver's license and a birth certificate.
Border crossers can present a driver's license or ID card,
or a U.S. or Canadian ID card, along with one of the following:
Birth certificate.
U.S. Consular report of birth abroad.
U.S. Certificate of Naturalization.
U.S. Certificate of Citizenship.
U.S. Citizen Identification Card.
Canadian citizenship card.
Canadian certificate of citizenship without photo.
18 and under: U.S. and Canadian citizens 18 and younger
need a birth certificate issued by a federal, state,
provincial, county, or municipal authority.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
The changes that took place in January were early steps to
prepare the public for WHTI changes and allow travelers time
to obtain passports or other relevant documents, Homeland
Security said.
Prior to that, more than 8,000 different documents have been
used to enter the United States, including library cards and
student IDs. Proof-of-citizenship requirements greatly
reduce the ability to sneak by border agents with fake
papers, Chertoff said earlier this year. Border agents will
now only accept about two dozen types of ID. However, under
the new system agents will likely be examining many more
birth certificates, which pose their own counterfeit risks.
Backlogs feared
The law's requirements for air travelers in 2007 was quickly
followed by a massive backlog in passport applications, and
some fear that will happen again this year as Homeland
Security tries to go forward with the land and sea crossings.
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