Must Haves for Canada Beer Runs: Passport & Bottle Opener

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will go into effect June 1, 2009 for land and sea travel into the U.S.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative WHTI requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. It is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 IRTPA.

The goal of WHTI is to facilitate entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, while strengthening U.S. border security. Standard documents will enable the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

The State Department has designated Saturday, March 28, 2009 as “Passport Day in the USA”:

All Department of State Passport Agencies, and many Passport Acceptance Facilities around the country, will host passport application acceptance events. U.S. citizens without a valid passport book or passport card are encouraged to apply on this day.

More passport info on the State Department travel web site.

More info on the Customs web site.