Western Hemisphere Travel Accommodations for Delayed Passports 
Posted Jun 15, 2007
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Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda now have to meet certain passport requirements when traveling by air. These requirements went into effect January 23, 2007. This has created significant demand for U.S. passports. In order to address this problem and to avoid disruption during the heavy travel season this summer, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have agreed to allow travel under the WHTI based upon proof of an application for a U.S. passport. This temporary relief is valid through September 30, 2007 for U.S. citizens.
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Limited Relief : No Changes in Other Countries' Requirements
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This change does not alter any travel documents required by the country that the U.S. citizen is seeking to enter. The U.S. passport requirement is a requirement by the U.S. government. Therefore, flexibility in that requirement on the part of the U.S. government does not change the laws of any other country with respect to entry documents.
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This change also does not alter any other U.S. requirements for presentation of passports (U.S. or foreign) for entry. This is limited to U.S. citizens who are traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. This requirement was reported previously in several MurthyBulletin articles, including our December 8, 2006 article, Reminder: Passports Required for Western Hemisphere Air Travel, available on MurthyDotCom.
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What to Submit
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Those seeking to use this exception will need to have proof that they applied for a U.S. passport. The instructions for obtaining the proof of application are available on the DOS WebSite. Additionally, these individuals will need to show government-issued photo identification. Although not specifically stated, it would be advisable to carry alternative documentation of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate reflecting birth in the U.S., or a naturalization certificate. It should be noted, however, that often the birth certificate or other proof of eligibility is submitted with the passport application and is, therefore, not available.
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U.S. Citizen Children of Residents or Foreign Nationals Covered
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While many MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers are not yet U.S. citizens, many have children who were born in the U.S. Since these children are U.S. citizens, they are covered by the WHTI requirements.
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FAQs and Answers Available
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The DOS has anticipated questions that are likely to arise from this change. They have responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) with regard to this issue on their website at (http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3254.html).