U.S. Passport Requirements: Latest News

U.S. Citizens entering or leaving Mexico will not need a U.S. passport to cross the border by land until June 1st, 2009 thanks to a Congressional amendment signed into law by President Bush on December 26, 2007. This amendment delays implementation of the land crossing passport requirement until a comprehensive policy is developed that according to Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), "not only secures our borders but ensures that our regional economy will be able to reap the benefits from both trade and tourism."

The U.S. government is now accepting applications for a wallet sized passport card (PASS card) meant to be cheaper and more convenient for U.S. travelers. They expect to begin sending the cards out as early as the summer of 2008.

Thanks to this newly signed amendment, the U.S. government will share PASS card technology with the Mexican and Canadian governments to assure a streamlined process for travelers on both sides of U.S. border crossings and guarantee that the new card system meets specific security standards. An alternative process will be created for groups of children crossing land borders, and perhaps most crucially - necessary technological infrastructure will be implemented at all ports of entry in order to correctly process identity cards and to train U.S. personnel on the new technologies before passports are required.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security intends to push forward with other parts of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and starting in January 2008 will ask U.S. citizens and citizens of Mexico and Canada to present the following documents when entering or departing the United States by land:

U.S. and Canadian Citizens
• Ages 19 and older: a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate
• Children ages 18 and younger: proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
• Passports and trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.

Mexican Citizens
• As under current entry requirements, Mexican nationals, regardless of age, must present a passport issued by the Government of Mexico and a visa, or a valid Form DSP-150, B-1/B-2 laser visa (Border Crossing Card).
• Trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.

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Article Sources

• U.S. State Department
• Department of Homeland Security
• U.S. Representative Louise Slaughter, Official Press Release

Written and Posted on December 27, 2007