CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

American Passport Requirement to be Delayed

Monday, 18 June 2007

The United States is planning to delay implementation of a new rule that would require American travelers to show a passport when entering the United States by air, land or sea. The delay is good news for travelers to Canada!

The controversial US Passport requirement was to be implemented by January 2008. The new rule would require all people entering the United States, both American citizens and non-citizens, to display a valid passport. Currently, American citizens are only required to show some form of proof of citizenship and a valid piece of photo id in order to re-enter the United States.

Implementation of the new passport requirement has been delayed until June 2009, much to the delight of the Canadian tourism industry.

Canada's tourism industry is highly dependent on visitors from the United States. Canada’s tourism industry was concerned that the extra passport rules would deter visitors from the United States - many of whom do not currently have valid US passports.

The delay until June 2009 will help give the tourism industry time to adapt to the new rules, and give more time for American citizens to request new US passports.