HOMELAND SECURITY: DO YOU HAVE PAPERS?

Cross-border travel will require proof of citizenship in 2008

by EVAN McLEAN
Staff writer

Whether international travelers are driving or boating in 2008, they will need to plan ahead to get back into the United States.

While passports reportedly are taking more than the usual eight-10 weeks to be processed, the state of Washington and province of British Columbia, Canada, are drawing international attention by looking into identification alternatives.

“Working with the Department of Homeland Security, Gov. (Christine) Gregoire set up a pilot project for the state’s Department of Transportation to provide an enhanced driver’s license or identification card that would act like a passport when traveling by land or by sea between Mexico, Canada and the United States,” said DOT communications and education director Gigi Zenk.

In 2004, Congress passed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, as recommended by the 9/11 Commission, establishing documentation requirements for travelers entering the U.S.

Starting Jan. 31, Homeland Security will begin a transition to enforce the initiative, requiring its U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to accept only a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license along with proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate for citizens to gain entry into the U.S. by land or water.

“The interim proposal requires adults to have the two forms of ID, while we expect to require only passports and other secured citizenship documents as a next step,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne said. “The other secure documents include enhanced driver’s licenses and NEXUS cards.”

Congress is expected to take action this week on a bill setting a date for border officers to accept only passports or other secure documents for re-entry into the U.S. If passed, June 1, 2009 will be the earliest date for implementation.

Presently, officers are allowed to accept oral declaration of citizenship for land and sea travelers. Homeland Security has required passports for all international air travel since January 2007.

“Living in areas of Washington, like Sequim, it’s part of our reality to travel outside of the country to Canada at a moment’s notice,” Zenk said. “So this enhanced driver’s license really is a cost-effective and easier way to do a cross-border commute, considering it would already be in your wallet and many people keep passports in a safety deposit box.”

Zenk said day trips between British Columbia and Washington went down significantly after the initiative passed, one of the driving forces behind Washington becoming the first state to create a passport alternative.

The province is expected to unveil its own enhanced driver’s license in 2008.

Passport alternative
The enhanced driver’s license will look different from a regular license and will have a Radio Frequency Identification chip.

“The RFID chip will not have personal information but rather a number that border officials can give to DOL to verify the ID,” Zenk said.

The Department of Licensing will charge $15 to enhance an ID, compared to the $92 charge for a passport, and applicants are required to bring in documentation similar to what is needed for a passport.

“We are getting people trained to do qualification of documents to make sure we meet DHS requirements of citizenship verification, identity check and proof of residence within Washington state,” Zenk said.

The Department of Licensing Web site has details and locations of the 11 participating licensing facilities. The Port Angeles office is expected to do enhanced license review two days a week after mid-January.

Milne said the U.S. State Department plans to unveil a passcard, a wallet-sized alternative to a passport.

“They are all voluntary programs to make it easier to drive or boat across the border,” Milne said. “I know the NEXUS card is very popular with private boaters in (the Sequim) area and I would expect the same from these new alternatives for ferry and Peace Arch traffic as well.”


Starting Jan. 31, U.S. and Canadian citizens:
• Begin a transition toward exclusively using a passport, NEXUS card or enhanced driver’s license identification for cross-border commute
• Ages 19 and older will need a government-issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate.
• Minors 18 and younger will need proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate.