Passport Requirement for Land Border Crossing Has Been Delayed

House and Senate lawmakers have agreed to push back the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiation rules pertaining to land border crossing by 17 months. This rule would require passports or tamper-resistant identification cards from everyone entering the country by land from Mexico and Canada.

Lawmakers want to make sure new ID cards being developed by the Bush administration will better secure borders against terrorists without slowing legitimate travelers from Canada and Mexico. The new ID's will be required for Americans and all others entering the U.S. The congressional agreement worked out would delay the land border aspect of the program until June 2009.

This delay does not affect travel rules for individuals entering the U.S. by airplane or cruise ship, who will have to show their passports to Customs officials as of January 8, 2007, to gain entry.

More on this congressional agreement here.