Effective Jan. 31, 2008, New Requirements for Entry at Land
and Effective Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens (19 and
older) will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as 1) a passport
or 2) a birth certificate or naturalization certificate supported by a
government issued photo ID, when entering the United States through land and
sea ports of entry from Canada. Children ages 18 and under are only required to
present proof of citizenship (without ID), such as a birth certificate,
naturalization certificate or passport. If a birth certificate is presented, it
must be a certified health certificate issued by the city, county or state. A
photocopy of a birth certificate will only be accepted by U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) if the original has been sent to the Department of
State in support of a passport application. In such case, the traveler must
obtain and provide proof of passport application. These changes are significant
as compared to the current and long-standing policy that allows CBP officers to
accept oral declarations of citizenship from All customers traveling by land or sea to Eventually, at an unspecified date in mid-2008, the
Department of State will require passports, or soon-to-be announced passport alternatives,
from ALL travelers at ALL points, including air, land and sea, within the Since passports are the gold standard for entering and
exiting the country from all foreign destinations, ALL travelers, including
those traveling by land or sea in the Western Hemisphere, are encouraged to
obtain, and travel with, a passport. The current turnaround time for a passport
is four to six weeks. For information on obtaining a U.S. Passport visit
www.travel.state.gov or call 1-877-487-2778. Specific documentation
requirements for land, sea and air travel may be found at
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/. To learn more about NEXUS,
SENTRI and FAST, visit www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/. Travel Coordinator 541-346-3158 ph 541-346-2393 fax |