According to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published today, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is proposing to require that United States citizens and nonimmigrant aliens from Canada, Bermuda, and Mexico entering the United States at air ports-of-entry and most sea ports-of-entry present a valid passport for entry into the U.S. The NPRM would not apply to land border ports-of-entry and certain types of arrivals by sea (ferries and pleasure vessels). These types of entry will supposedly be addressed in a separate, future rulemaking.
The NPRM discusses the currently entry requirements from those countries, the comments CBP received to its advanced notice of proposed rulemaking published back in December of 2005, the proposed new requirement and limited, specific exceptions to the new requirement. Comments to the NPRM are due no later than September 25, 2006.
If you would like further information you should review the NPRM in greater detail or you may contact Robert Rawls, Office of Field Operations, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 5.4-D, Washington, DC 20229, telephone number (202) 344-2847 or Consuelo Pachon, Office of Passport Policy, Planning and Advisory Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, telephone number (202) 663-2662.
