Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Delayed

[SPUDNICK]

:rolleyes: The State Department website says:

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada to have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

 

From today's Federal Register

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/...05/05-17533.htm

 

DHS and DOS envision implementing the new requirements in the following two stages to ensure that the transition is orderly, to provide affected persons with adequate notice to obtain necessary documents, to designate the alternate documents that will satisfy the requirements, and to ensure that adequate resources are available to issue additional passports or other authorized documents.

a. Air and Sea Crossings: Beginning December 31, 2006, all individuals traveling to the United States by air or sea will be asked to present a valid passport or other document, or combination of documents that have been deemed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be sufficient to establish identity and citizenship. A valid passport will satisfy this requirement and other documents will be considered as possible alternatives to passports in advance of this implementation date. DHS and DOS anticipate soliciting comments through a notice of proposed rulemaking in order to fully consider possible alternatives to passports. This rulemaking process will take place sufficiently in advance of the implementation date for this phase of the program.

 

b. Land Crossings: Beginning December 31, 2007, all individuals arriving at United States land border crossings will have to present either a valid passport or another document, or combination of documents, deemed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be sufficient to establish identity and citizenship. We expect that BCCs and registered traveler programs such as SENTRI, NEXUS, and FAST will be accepted. DHS and DOS also anticipate soliciting comments on the implementation of this phase of the program well prior to December 31, 2007 through a notice of proposed rulemaking. Persons traveling during the implementation of IRTPA should plan to depart from the United States with documents sufficient to meet any new requirements that will be in place when they return.

[SPUDNICK]

Customs has also updated their website with the new dates

 

http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/08312005.xml