The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State last week issued the final rule for travel by land and sea under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), mandating June 1, 2009, for new document requirements for entering the United States.
The final rule essentially codifies legislative direction from Congress last year stipulating that the land and sea portions of WHTI would not be rolled out prior to next June.
In addition to establishing new document requirements, DHS said it is officially designating the Washington State Enhanced Driver’s License as a WHTI-compliant document. Citizens of Washington State who apply for and receive an EDL will be able to use the secure credential to denote U.S. citizenship when reentering the country from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. Several other states, including Arizona, New York and Vermont, soon plan to issue EDLs for their citizens.
Under WHTI, other acceptable documents for entering the U.S. include a passport, the State Department’s new pass card, and trusted traveler cards issued by Customs and Border Protection such as NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. Document requirements for the air portion of WHTI went into effect last year without a hitch.
As of January, DHS ended accepting oral declarations of identity and U.S. or Canadian citizenship for entry into the country by land. Persons entering the United States by land now may show a birth certificate and photo ID to prove citizenship and identity.
With the final rule in place for WHTI, DHS will be conducting public information campaigns over the next 14 months to inform U.S. and Canadian citizens about the new document requirements. WHTI documents are considered secure credentials that have security features to prevent counterfeiting. The EDL and pass cards will have radio frequency ID technology to help speed the entry process at land borders.