Until last week, Susie Williams-Allen, a newspaper columnist for the Purcell Register in Purcell, Oklahoma, wasn’t aware of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The WHTI, which has been in effect since June 1, 2009, requires that American citizens returning from Mexico prove their identity and citizenship with a US passport on their way back across the border.
Last week, she and her husband decided to take a day trip into Mexico without first obtaining a passport.
Read ArticleThe small village of Nuevo Progreso lies just on the other side of the Texas/Mexican border. Known for its safe streets and great bargains on everything from alcohol to medications to souvenirs, over the past few decades Nuevo Progreso has built an economy based largely on Texans who like to winter in Mexico.
Read ArticleAt the beginning of this month, new passport rules went into effect for travel between the US and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Before June 1st, you could have traveled to these countries with a birth certificate and a driver’s license.
Read ArticleOn June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative became law. The new laws require that Americans traveling to Canada by land or sea carry passports with them.
Read ArticleUS Representative Gary Peters of Michigan has managed to get an amendment through the House of Representatives requiring the government to review the economic impact of the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Read ArticleAs a consequence of the new travel regulations that went into effect on June 1, many places in Canada and Mexico that depend on tourism are expecting a slow summer, according to TampaBay.com.
Read ArticleThe Department of State put a lot of effort into publicizing the changes to US travel requirements that became law on June 1st. They added a clock to US Passport Agency’s web site, counting down to the second when the new rules would go into effect.
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