Reminder: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Effective June 1, 2009 at U.S. Land and Sea Ports of Entry

Starting June 1, 2009, all travelers must present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States.

U.S., Canadian, and Bermudan citizens (who previously were exempt from this requirement) should apply for secure passports or renew passports now or investigate obtaining other acceptable secure documents such as special passport cards and trusted traveler cards that the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department Homeland Security have developed.

In a related development, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will shortly designate enhanced driver’s licenses and identification documents issued by the states of Vermont and Michigan and the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Ontario as acceptable documents for purposes of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.  These documents may be used to denote identity and citizenship of, as appropriate, U.S. or Canadian citizens entering the United States from within the Western Hemisphere at U.S. land and sea ports of entry.