On June 8, the U.S. Department of State, along with the Department of Homeland Security, announced that U.S. citizens traveling to several countries in the Western Hemisphere will be able to take advantage of more flexible re-entry requirements upon returning to the US. This announcement is a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) which was designed by congress to tighten border security. The WHTI officially went into effect on January 23, 2007.

Affected countries include Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and most countries in the Caribbean. The announcement states that US travelers who have applied for passports but have not yet received them can gain re-entry to the United States by air. However, travelers are still required to meet the requirements for entry for their destination country. This means that your destination country could still require you to have a valid passport, although there has been some cooperation by countries affected. You should contact your airline or the State Department prior to departure to find out if your destination country will allow you to enter without a passport.

Citizens with plans to travel to any of the affected countries and have applied for a passport, but not yet received it, are still required to present certain documents in order to re-enter the United States by air. Travelers must have a government issued photo ID as well as official Department of State proof of application for a passport. This procedure will be extended for all American citizens until September 30, 2007 in order to accommodate the high demand and time required to process passport applications.

For children under sixteen who travel with their legal guardian or parents, the legal guardian will be allowed to travel using the child’s proof of application status. If children are traveling alone it is important that they have with them a copy of either the hospital record of birth, record of baptism, or birth certificate to show they are a US citizen. In addition to this proof of citizenship, children are still required to possess documentation of their passport application status.

The U.S. State Department makes it fairly simple to obtain documentation of passport application status through their online service, which is usually able to track the status of your passport 7-10 days after the initial application date. As a service to travelers during this time, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will exercise its authority to deal with unique circumstances on a case by case basis for individuals who fail to provide proper documentation of citizenship or identity.

Here’s the basics:

1. If you’ve applied for a passport and haven’t received it yet, you can still gain re-entry to the United States from WHTI countries
2. Not all WHTI countries require a passport for entry, but be certain of the foreign entry requirements for your destination before you leave
3. Legal guardians and parents traveling with children 16 and younger can travel using their child’s passport application status
4. This temporary program will expire on September 30, 2007