Law & Policy
Effective June 1, 2009 , the Western Hemisphere travel initiative will require that all persons traveling by air or by land or sea present a valid passport book , passport card or valid travel document to enter or reenter the United States. This applies to travelers reentering the United States from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean countries.
The goal of WHTI 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.
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 United States.