The Department of Homeland Security has stated that beginning January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a passport or government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, when entering the U.S.

June 20, 2007 -- The Department of Homeland Security today has stated that beginning January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a passport or government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, when entering the U.S. Children under 16 years of age would be required to present certified copies of their birth certificates.

At a date still to be determined, DHS would begin implementing full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which mandates that all persons entering the U.S. be required to show a passport or authorized travel documents. Government officials said they expect full implementation to be in the summer of 2008, though Congress has required that it be implemented only by June 2009. Both the Senate and House recently passed legislation requiring that the new rules be implemented no earlier than the June 2009 date.

New requirements for having passports to enter the U.S. on airplanes began in January. The increased number of applications for passports inundated the State Department and caused the processing time to balloon from three weeks a year ago to up to three months presently. The State Department recently announced that through September 30 it will temporarily allow American air passengers to re-enter the U.S. if they have a government-issued photo ID and proof that they have applied for a passport.

Information gathered from the Travel Industry Association Web Site, June 20, 2007