The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is the implementation of a requirement to show a

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

or other acceptable document to enter the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, for nationals of certain

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

n jurisdictions who were previously exempt from it when traveling within the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

. The requirement comes from the

Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) is a 235-page Act of Congress, signed by President George W. Bush, that broadly affects United States federal terrorism laws. The act comprises several separate titles with var ...

, enacted in 2004 in response to the

terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Hijackers in the September 11 attacks#Hijackers, Nineteen terrorists hijacked four com ...

, and implemented in phases between 2007 and 2009. According to the

United States Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the Interior minister, interior, Home Secretary ...

, the purpose is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for both U.S. citizens and foreign visitors.Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Frequently Asked Questions
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, September 14, 2020.

History

Passports were required for travel to the

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and continuously since 1941. However, exemptions from the passport requirement existed for travel within the

by nationals of some

n jurisdictions. Before 2007, to enter the United States from other parts of the Americas except

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, citizens of the United States,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

were allowed to present any evidence of their citizenship, including merely an oral declaration. Nationals of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

could present a Border Crossing Card when arriving from Mexico or Canada. These exemptions applied to travel by any means of transportation.Documents Required for Travelers Arriving in the United States at Air and Sea Ports-of-Entry From Within the Western Hemisphere
Federal Register, August 11, 2006. In 2004, the

was enacted in response to the

. Section 7209 of that law required that U.S. citizens, as well as nationals of neighboring jurisdictions who had been previously exempted from the passport requirement, present a passport or other document specified by the

U.S. Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior, home, or public security ministries in other countries. Its missions involv ...

to enter the United States. The law set a deadline of January 1, 2008 for the new requirement to take effect. In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 postponed this deadline to June 1, 2009.Documents Required for Travelers Departing From or Arriving in the United States at Sea and Land Ports-of-Entry From Within the Western Hemisphere
Federal Register, April 3, 2008. The implementation of the new requirement was named the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and was done in phases. In the first phase, effective January 23, 2007, nationals of the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Mexico became required to present a passport to enter the United States by air from the Americas. The regulations retained exceptions for U.S. and Canadian citizens with a NEXUS card, and for members of the U.S. military and U.S. Merchant Marine. Effective January 31, 2008, oral declarations were no longer accepted as evidence of citizenship. Citizens of the United States, Canada and Bermuda became required to present some document establishing their identity and citizenship to enter the United States by land or sea. The second phase of the WHTI applied the passport requirement also for entry by land or sea from the Americas, effective June 1, 2009. The regulations again provided some exceptions. For entry by land or sea, in addition to the documents acceptable for entry by air, U.S. citizens could present a passport card, which was developed specifically for this purpose, with a lower cost and smaller size; and U.S. and Canadian citizens could present an enhanced driver's license or a trusted traveler card ( FAST or SENTRI). For nationals of Mexico, entry with only a Border Crossing Card became restricted to travel from Mexico by land, pleasure vessel or ferry. Other exceptions were made for

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

passengers, children, Native Americans, and emergencies. The WHTI did not affect the existing passport requirement for entry to the United States from outside the Americas, or for nationals other than of the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Mexico. It also did not affect the passport exemption for holders of a U.S. permanent resident card or similar immigration document, or for travel between the United States and its territories.

Implementation

As a result of the WHTI, combined with previously existing requirements and subsequent changes, travelers must present one of the following documents when entering or departing the

by air, or entering the United States by sea from outside the

:Carrier Information Guide
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, November 2023. * U.S. passport * Foreign passport, with a U.S. visa if required * U.S. permanent resident card (Form I-551), temporary I-551 stamp, re-entry permit (Form I-327),

refugee travel document A refugee travel document (also called a 1951 Convention travel document or Geneva passport) is a travel document issued to a refugee by the state which they normally reside in, allowing them to travel outside that state and to return there. Re ...

(Form I-571), advance parole authorization (Form I-512), temporary protected status document (Form I-512T), or

employment authorization document A Form I-766 employment authorization document (EAD or EAD card, known popularly as a work permit, is a document issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that provides temporary employment authorization to noncitiz ...

(Form I-766) annotated "valid for re-entry to U.S." or "serves as I-512 advance parole" * U.S. military or

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

identification with official travel order * U.S. merchant mariner credential indicating

U.S. citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constit ...

* NEXUS card indicating U.S. or

Canadian citizenship Canadian nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of Canada. The primary law governing these regulations is the Citizenship Act, which came into force on February 15, 1977 and is applicable to all provinces and ...

(only to or from Canadian airports with preclearance) * U.S. government-issued transportation letter or boarding foil (for entry only) * Foreign emergency travel document or U.S. removal order (for departure only) For entry by land or sea from the Americas, travelers must present one of the documents acceptable for entry by air or one of the following: * U.S. passport card * NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST or Global Entry card indicating U.S. or Canadian citizenship * U.S. or Canadian enhanced driver's license * Enhanced tribal card, Native American photo identification card, or Canadian Indian status card * Border Crossing Card, only for entry from Mexico by land, pleasure vessel or

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

* U.S. or Canadian

birth certificate A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the Childbirth, birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation ...

, U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad, U.S. naturalization certificate or Canadian citizenship certificate, only for children under age 16, or under age 19 in a supervised groupChildren - Traveling into the U.S. as Canadian Citizen
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, September 27, 2019. * Government-issued photo identification along with U.S. birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad or naturalization certificate, only for travel by

returning to the same place of departure in the United States8 CFR §53.2, Exceptions
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Children born to a U.S. permanent resident mother during a temporary visit abroad do not need a passport or visa at the mother's first re-entry to the United States within two years after birth. Children born abroad to a parent with a U.S. immigrant visa after its issuance do not need a visa if holding a passport and a birth certificate. It is also possible for the U.S. Department of State to waive the passport requirement for a U.S. national in case of an emergency, for humanitarian reasons or national interest.

References

External links

* {{authority control International travel documents Borders of the United States Visa policy of the United States United States Department of Homeland Security Canada–United States relations Mexico–United States relations

History

Implementation

See also

References

External links