US sets stricter passport
requirements for 2007
WASHINGTON DC--US, Mexican and Canadian citizens must present a passport or other approved documents to enter the United States of America when arriving by air from North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean by early 2007, the US Government said on Wednesday.
The new rule, which also covers Bermuda, goes into effect on January 23, 2007.
Previously, US and Canadian citizens were allowed to enter the US from selected countries if they presented an identification document like a birth certificate or driver's license. Some Mexicans could also enter without a passport if they had a special border crossing card.
"The ability to misuse travel documents to enter this country opens the door for a terrorist to carry out an attack," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "We cannot continue to allow loopholes that could facilitate access to the United States through false claims of citizenship or fake identities."
Chertoff said the new initiative strengthens border security by designating verifiable secure documents that can be used at the airport points of entry. The statement said there are more than 8,000 different state and local entities in the United States that issue birth certificates and driver's licenses, and it is difficult to quickly verify authenticity of the documents.
Under the new rule, the government will accept a Merchant Mariner Document – issued by the US Coast Guard to merchant mariners – instead of a passport. Members of the US military may present their military identification and orders if they are travelling on official orders.
Some Canadian and US citizens enrolled in a pilot program called NEXUSAir can also enter the country by presenting the identity cards they have been issued which includes a computer chip with an image of their iris.
A second stage of the program will be implemented by January 1, 2008. It will require similar documents for U.S. citizens travelling in the Western Hemisphere by land or sea.
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