Bureau of Consular Affairs
U.S. Department of State
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Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
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Background
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the Department of Homeland Security and
Department of State to develop and implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals
alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination of documents, that denote identity and citizenship
when entering the United States. Congress amended portions of the Act in 2006. The Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative is the Administration’s proposed plan to implement this mandate.
The Goal of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
The goal of the Initiative is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens
and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized, secure and reliable documentation which will allow the
Department of Homeland Security to quickly, reliably and accurately identify a traveler.
Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI
Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document
requirements:
• U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United
States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a
U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
• The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This limited use passport in card format is
currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries)
between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it will
fit easily into a wallet.
• DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current
travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As
proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt
from the passport requirement.
Time Line
In the proposed implementation plan, the requirements outlined above will be rolled out in the following phases:
• On January 8, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central
and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid U.S. passport, Air
NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document.
• As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and
South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present
a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While
recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are
working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable
the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.
Travel Between the United States and U.S. Territories
WHTI will not affect travel between the United States and its territories. U.S. citizens traveling directly between the
United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa will
continue to be able to use established forms of identification to board flights and for entry.
Applying for a U.S. Passport
U.S. citizens can visit the State Department’s travel website at travel.state.gov, or call the National Passport
Information Center at 1-877-487-2778; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793 for information about applying for a passport.
October 2006
