| Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) | | | | United States. |
| puts a damper on many travel plans. | | | | |
| | | | You could, not to long ago, travel to Canada |
| As many of you may know by now, especially if | | | | or Mexico as easily as traveling to visit |
| you have upcoming plans to travel to one of | | | | your parents 5 states away. Not anymore. |
| our neighboring countries like Canada or | | | | The Federal governments goal to strengthen |
| Mexico, your travel plans just might be at | | | | border security and facilitate entry into the |
| risk. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism | | | | United States for U.S. citizens and |
| Prevention Act or 2004 requires the | | | | legitimate foreign visitors now requires all |
| Department of Homeland Security and | | | | travelers to basically check-in by obtaining |
| Department of State to develop and implement | | | | a passport for identification and proof of |
| a plan to require all travelers, U.S. | | | | citizenship. This is an absolute necessity |
| citizens and foreign nationals alike, to | | | | to secure our borders against un-authorized |
| present a passport or other document, or a | | | | access with the foremost hopes of preventing |
| combination of documents, that denote | | | | terrorist acts by individuals abroad. |
| identity and citizenship when entering the | | | | Unfortunately, the policy and enforcement on |
| United States. Congress amended portions of | | | | border security will affect both incoming |
| the Act in 2006. The Western Hemisphere | | | | travelers and domestic travelers going |
| Travel Initiative is the Administrations | | | | abroad. As of January 2007, traveling to |
| proposed plan to implement this mandate. So | | | | Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean is |
| what does this mean? Well, for starters, if | | | | now considered traveling abroad, where once |
| youre traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or | | | | we could travel to the above countries with |
| the Caribbean, you are now required to obtain | | | | limited or no documentation needed at all. |
| a passport for your travels outside the | | | | |