Ask ISSP Column

I am student from Canada. I almost always travel with my passport when I go home, but once or twice I forgot it, and it has never seemed to cause a problem at the border. Is it really necessary for me to travel always with my passport?

Yes, you should always travel with your passport. In the past nationals of certain countries (Canada, Bermuda and Mexico) were not required to travel with passport, but pending the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, passports may be needed for entry to the U.S. as soon as January 8, 2007.

The Departments of State and Homeland Security recently announced the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The initiative proposes to require all travelers to and from the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and citizenship to enter or re-enter the United States.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) mandated that the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and State develop and implement a plan to require U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to present a passport or other appropriate identity and citizenship documentation when entering the United States. The goal of this program is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate international visitors.

The initiative will also affect in particular certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States namely most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and Mexican citizens. The travel initiative will also affect all United States citizens entering or re-entering the United States.

The initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the proposed timeline. The proposed timeline will be as follows:

• January 8, 2007 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to the U.S.
• January 1, 2008 - Requirement extended to all air, sea, and land border crossings.

For more information, including how to comment on the proposed regulation, go to www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=5797.

Please provide this information to both foreign nationals and U.S. travelers in your school, department, or unit.