U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that beginning January 31, 2008, all those entering the United States from Canada or Mexico land and sea borders - including U.S. and Canadian citizens - will be asked to present citizenship and identity documents. Per the latest stage of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, oral declaration of U.S. or Canadian citizenship alone will no longer suffice.

As of January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens aged 19 and older must present official identity documents proving U.S. or Canadian citizenship, in order to enter the U.S. via land or sea/ferry crossing. Certain documents, such as U.S. or Canadian passports, will always be acceptable without further evidence. However, U.S. and Canadian citizens can also provide a combination of citizenship and identity documents, such as a birth certificate presented along with a valid driver's licenses. A complete list of acceptable documents is available to travelers at ports of entry and is also available on the CBP website, and is also available on the Jackson & Hertogs website.

Travelers who cannot present one of the listed documents may be delayed as CBP officers attempt to verify their identity and citizenship. Children ages 18 and under will only need to present a birth certificate.

This set of documentation marks a transition period between January 31, 2008 and June 2009, during which time travelers can present one of a wide variety of appropriate documents. The final requirements, which will require the use of an actual U.S. or Canadian passport, will go into effect for all those seeking entry to the U.S. via land or sea borders in June 2009. As a result, Jackson & Hertogs recommends that all U.S. and Canadian citizens contemplating the possibility of land or sea travel to Canada immediately obtain a valid passport in time for their trip.

United States citizens will be able to obtain the new U.S. Passport Card (to be used as a cheaper alternative to a U.S. passport) starting February 1, 2008 in anticipation of the new policy for border travel document requirements. The first wave of U.S. Passport Cards should be issued by Spring 2008.

United States and Canadian citizens seeking entry to the United States via air will be unaffected by this latest announcement, as they have already been required to provide a valid passport upon entry since 2007.

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