WHTI - Travel Document Requirements

WHTI, or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, is going into effect on June 1, 2009. More correctly, the full requirements of this initiative are going into effect at that time. With the summer season upon us, and many summer job holders potentially driving through Canada to reach their seasonal jobs in Alaska, it seems like a good time to refresh everyone on the rules. The WHTI also affects Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean region (17 nations). And, frankly this is more about getting home than going to another one of these countries.


From their website, here is the why of WHTI.

ABOUT WHTI

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S.

The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

As it stands today, here are the basic rules of required travel documentation.


AIR TRAVEL - All persons traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States. (Source: U.S. Department of State)


LAND/SEA TRAVEL - Beginning January 31, 2008, the United States ended the practice of accepting oral declarations of citizenship at the border. (Source: DHS)


What does this mean? Well, if you are crossing a border into the U.S. from Canada by vehicle or arriving by boat, you will need to provide certain documentation that proves both identity and citizenship.


Identification documents must include a photo, name and date of birth. When the initial initiative went into effect, this included the U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card (like a passport but not good for air travel), or other documents approved by the DHS. They also allowed a combination of documents like a driver's license (identity) plus a birth certificate (citizenship).


To see a visual version of the documents, click here.


As far as I can tell, the only major change for the June 1, 2009 update to the WHTI, is to the age of children and what they can use to prove their citizenship. More details available here.


I did want to share that this blog post exists because of discussion started on our social network, My CoolWorks, a wonderful source of ideas for blog posts, and honestly, since I have been in possession of a passport since 1994, I really hadn't paid too much attention to these changes, but figured I might learn a bit more about them by writing this piece. So there you have it. And, as someone pointed out in the discussion, the passport is a great document to have with you when you complete your I-9 form at the start of your new job. It's always nice when a document has a dual purpose.


And a bit about the dollars - Passport Fees. Although, the passport ($100) is more expensive than the passport card ($45), try to think like an accountant by amortizing the cost over 10 years. You'll only pay $10 this year and you'll certainly make more than that at your summer job.





Lastly, please make note that we have also scheduled a chat to discuss these requirements for Monday, March 30 at 9pm Eastern / 6pm Pacific. I hope you'll join us.