The Department of State and Homeland Security announced Nov. 30 that beginning Jan. 23, 2007 all persons, including U.S citizens, traveling by air between the specified countries, will be required to present a valid passport to enter or re-enter the United States.

Why is the United States government implementing the travel initiative? “[Post 9/11], the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 required the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination of documents, that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United States,” according to the U.S. Department of State Web site.

The new initiative changes are known as, The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

The purpose of the new initiative is “Security,” said Kathy Thueson, of the BYU-Idaho travel department. We must “keep our borders more secure.”

The Department of State said for many years, citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda have not always been required to present a passport when entering the United States. A traveler could make “a verbal declaration of citizenship, or present other forms of documents to enter the country that cannot currently be validated or verified in a timely manner, such as birth certificates and driver’s licenses.”

The new WHTI initiative will have an impact on people who enjoy vacationing in these countries. Students whose families go on cruises or enjoy vacationing to these countries, they will now have to present a passport to come back into the U.S., Thueson said.

“The goal of this program is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate international visitors,” according to the Homeland Security Web site at www.dhs.gov.

For those who attempt to re-enter the country without a passport or an alternative travel card will be referred for secondary screening at the port according to the Department of State. Customs and Border Protection will “evaluate any evidence of citizenship or identity” in their databases. Screening will cause many delays.

To learn how to get a passport, visit the State Departments Web site at travel.state.gov.