The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

[Ian David]

From: VacationsToGo.com
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 7:21 PM
Subject: Vacations To Go Cruise Newsletter

Last month, the US Department of State announced a plan called the
"Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative," designed to enhance border
security, which will require people traveling between the United States
and the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada to have a passport
to enter or re-enter the United States. Citizens of the United States,
Canada, Mexico and Bermuda will be affected.

Currently, passports are recommended, but not required, for travel to
and from the destinations above. The new requirements are expected to be
rolled out in phases according to the following schedule:

Beginning December 31, 2005, a passport will be required for all air and
sea travel between the United States and the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central
and South America. All foreign nationals from these areas, and US
citizens returning from these areas, will be required to show a passport
to enter the United States.

Beginning December 31, 2006, a passport will be required for all air and
sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada. Canadian and Mexican citizens,
and US citizens returning from Canada or Mexico, will be required to
present a passport to enter or re-enter the United States.

Beginning December 31, 2007, a passport will be required for all air,
sea or land travel to and from the above-mentioned destinations.

There are groups lobbying to change this timeline or the requirements,
and there's a possibility that could happen, but it's becoming more
likely that these new requirements will go into effect as planned. It's
also likely that international frequent travelers holding Sentri, Nexus
or Fast Cards, or Border Crossing Cards, may not need passports, but no
final decision has been made.

Some cruise lines are encouraging anyone without a passport who plans to
cruise to one of these areas in 2006 to start the passport application
process now, to avoid delays that may occur as applications increase.

You can learn more about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative on the
US Department of State's Web site. For answers to frequently asked
questions, click here
<http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2225.html> .

For
information about obtaining or renewing a passport as a US citizen,
click here <http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html> .


For information about obtaining or renewing a passport as a Canadian
citizen, click here <http://www.ppt.gc.ca/passports/how_obtain_e.asp>
to visit Passport Canada.