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Canada
For citizens of Canada if traveling by air, a passport is required.
As of June 1, 2009, Canadian citizens traveling to the U.S. by land or sea will be required to present one of the travel documents listed below.
Canadian Passport – This is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies a person’s identity and citizenship. It is accepted for travel by air, land and sea.
Enhanced Driver’s Licence/Enhanced Identification Card– Canadian provinces have begun issuing these documents that denote identity and citizenship that are WHTI-compliant for cross-border travel into the U.S. by land or sea.
Trusted Traveler Programs – NEXUS, FAST/Expres and SENTRI enrollment cards can speed your entry into the U.S. and are issued only to pre-approved travelers. FAST/Expres cards are valid for use at land or sea ports of entry; the NEXUS card can be used at land or sea ports of entry and at kiosks at participating airports.
For more information, please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website at www.getyouhome.gov.
Note:
Beginning January 18, 2009, additional non-U.S. citizens will be required to provide digital fingerprints and a photograph when entering the United States.
Canadian citizens who receive a Form 1-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) at inspection or who require a waiver of inadmissibility are now required to provide biometrics when entering the United States. While the new regulation requires certain additional Canadian travelers to provide biometrics, most Canadian travelers continue to be exempt from US VISIT procedures.
Many countries around the world use biometrics as a way of facilitating the international travel process, protecting travelers against identity theft, and preventing document fraud as well as for security purposes.
For more information about these procedures please visit www.dhs.gov/us-visit.
Citizens of Other Countries
New Technology to Smooth Travel Process
Beginning January 12, 2009, all nationals, including children, from the 27 countries participating in the U.S. visa waiver program will be required to obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to boarding a U.S.-bound plane or sea vessel. Modeled after a successful Australian program, ESTA is an automated system used to determine the eligibility of VWP visitors to travel to the United States and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk. The program is a relatively simple and effective way to strengthen U.S. security, and that of international travelers, while at the same time helping to preserve the VWP program.
ESTA mirrors the data travelers already submit through the I-94W paper form currently filled out upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry; however, it simplifies the process by allowing visitors to fill out the form online prior to arrival. In order to obtain an ESTA, travelers will need to submit biographic data including name, birth date, and passport information, as well as travel information such as the flight number and destination address in the United States to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The implementation of the ESTA program will allow DHS to eventually eliminate the I-94W paper form.
Each ESTA will be valid for a period of two years and will allow visitors unlimited travel to the United States during that timeframe. An ESTA will not be issued to travelers with a passport that expires within six months of applying for an ESTA. In this instance, the traveler would need to obtain a new passport or apply for a U.S. visa.
While ESTA will become mandatory for all VWP travelers beginning January 12, 2009, visitors can obtain an ESTA as of August 1, 2008 by visiting https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Currently only available in English, the site will be translated into a variety of other languages this fall.
In the future, DHS will also allow travelers to obtain an ESTA through an air or sea carrier or a travel agent.
For more information please visit: www.cbp.gov/esta and http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html .
Collecting Biometrics to Protect Travelers' Identities
Upon entry into the United States your photograph and digital fingerprints will be collected. Many countries around the world use biometrics as a way of facilitating the international travel process, protecting travelers against identity theft, and preventing document fraud as well as for security purposes. For more information about these procedures please visit www.dhs.gov/us-visit.
For a detailed explanation of the entry process, please visit: http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/editorial_0525.shtm
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