see also: in September 2007 News Releases:   CBP Seizes $2.5 Million Worth of Marijuana Inside Cargo Load at Texas Entry   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Achieves Container Security Initiative Milestone with 58 Operational Ports   CBP Agriculture Team Intercepts Narcotic Plant at Newark Airport   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Collects More Than $2.2 Million in Underpaid Antidumping Duty on Chinese Shrimp   Kiosks for Frequent International Fliers Now Available At Edmonton Airport   Port of Alexandria, Egypt Participates in the CBP Container Security Initiative   Ports of Colon and Manzanillo, Panama Begin Container Security Initiative Operations ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers on dhs.gov site:   DHS on the web:   U.S. Department of State - Travel

contacts for this news release

Washington – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reminding air carriers and the traveling public that the temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere using a Department of State (DOS) official proof of passport application receipt will end as scheduled at midnight on Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens who departed the country under this travel accommodation prior to Oct. 1 with a Department of State official proof of passport application receipt and government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.

As a reminder, through Sept. 30, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet received, passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and DOS official proof of application for a passport.

Effective Oct. 1, 2007, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country.

DHS and DOS announced the temporary WHTI accommodation for air travel in June. The federal government made this accommodation due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

WHTI was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and addresses core 9/11 Commission findings for secure and reliable identification documents. It requires all travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda to present a passport or other approved document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality in order to enter or re-enter the United States. For more information about WHTI approved travel documentation, please visit the DHS website. ( DHS ) For information on obtaining a U.S. passport please go to travel section of the Department of State website. ( U.S. Department of State - Travel )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.