As of Dec. 31, 2006, travelers to and from these nations traveling by air or sea will NEED to have a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. Currently, American citizens need proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate and photo identification (a driver's license) to enter these countries and to re-enter the United States.

The new rules are a requirement of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and it has been proposed that the initiative (called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, WHTI) be rolled out in two phases, starting Dec. 31 of this year. It was proposed that those traveling by land across the Canadian and Mexican borders would need a passport or other secure accepted document by Jan. 1, 2008, although at the time of this writing, the U.S. Senate had passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which includes a provision that postpones this deadline for 17 months, to June 1, 2009.

Lack of Clarity

There has been quite a bit of confusion around the changes. A Zogby survey of U.S. border state voters and Canadians commissioned earlier this year by the Business for Economic Security, Tourism and Trade (BESTT) Coalition found that the majority of Americans are unfamiliar with the proposed changes. In another study done last year by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, one-third of Americans assumed the new passport rule was already in effect (since Sept. 11, airlines have often asked for passports as identification). But, the proposed two-tiered deadline is still being called a "proposed timeline," and the "alternate" form of secure ID has not been determined (so far, it is only for land crossings between the United States and Canada).

As of this writing, the Dec. 31, 2006 implementation date is open to public comment. Since the changes are likely to affect the flow of people and goods by land between the United States and Canada most dramatically, many tourism associations and cross-border trade groups are lobbying for ways to ease the process while maintaining increased security.

The Travel Industry Association (TIA) with the Travel Business Roundtable wants the deadline on the WHTI extended, saying the requirements could disrupt legitimate travel to the United States.

"We'd prefer a single deadline for all types of travel," said Rick Webster, vice president government affairs, of TIA. He foresaw problems with the 2008 deadline in particular. "There are going to be a lot of challenges technically. Standards have to be agreed upon, electronic readers have to be installed, the public has to be properly informed of the new documentation requirements, and then there's the procurement process. There's a lot of misinformation out there right now."

Alternate Identification Options

In particular, there has been much debate about what type of alternate identification will be introduced. One option is the People Access Security Service, or PASS, travel card that would contain secure, biometric information. "After attending some town hall meetings along the border, it was noted that U.S. citizens don't want to spend $97 for a passport and would rather a more spontaneous form. The PASS card is the size of a credit card and will cost around $50," explains Jarrod Agen, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. It should be noted that the PASS card option might be used for land crossings only, and so would not work for air travelers.

Another option being discussed is an encrypted driver's license, which many lobby groups believe would be even cheaper, more accessible, and impact United States-Canada travel the least. "We want to limit the type of documents allowed. Right now there are 8,000 types of acceptable driver's licenses and birth certificates. It's a security risk. If only passports and PASS cards are allowed, verification will go more quickly and traffic will flow more smoothly," Agen said.

The question of what kind of card is to be issued has become a political hot potato, as many believe a more expensive document will deter traveling by land between the two countries and significantly harm the economy. According to 2005 Travel Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) data, Canadians traveling to the United States spend $12.3 billion Canadian ($10.75 billion U.S.) yearly, while Americans spend $9 billion Canadian ($7.86 billion U.S.) in Canada each year. Cross-border travel has already dropped 28 percent from the United States to Canada and 11 percent from Canada to the United States from 2000-2005, according to Statistics Canada.

On top of that, the Zogby Survey found that a third of the non-passport holders were less likely to travel between Canada and the United States if a passport or other secure document was to be required. The potential economic fallout is substantial. A report prepared for the Canada Tourism Commission (CTC) projects a loss of $1.8 billion Canadian ($1.57 billion U.S.) for Canada and $800 million Canadian ($699 million U.S.) for the United States due to the WHTI between 2005-2008.

Passport Canada, a Special Operating Agency of Foreign Affairs Canada, says the number of Canadians holding passports continues to increase year after year. In 2001-02, only 1.7 million passports were issued. That meant 27 percent of the Canadian population held passports, while now 40 percent of the population holds passports. According to the U.S. Department of State, approximately 25 percent of Americans have passports.

To combat potential negative impact, lobbyists are pushing for a card that is secure yet easily obtained (such as the encrypted driver's license), costs under $25, and works bilaterally.

 "We're advocating policy reciprocity," says Randy Williams, president and CEO of TIAC. "If a PASS card is introduced, it should be like the trusted traveler NEXUS card and be recognized on both sides of the border. We also want it to be used for air, sea, and land entries in both countries. Once it's in place and working for a while it has the potential to expedite border traffic. In four or five years, the border will really benefit from the changes."

A recent announcement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Michael Chertoff echoes Williams' hopes: "As we develop the passport card, we are consulting closely with Canada and Mexico. DHS and State will ultimately offer a platform so that travelers can benefit from expedited or trusted traveler programs at all U.S. ports of entry." The announcement also noted that members of existing trusted traveler programs such as FAST, NEXUS and SENTRI will continue to receive these program benefits.

The Affect on Meetings

How are the new rules going to affect meetings held outside the United States, or foreign attendees coming into the United States? It varies, depending largely on the travel savvy of attendees. "I've spoken to many colleagues and found that some meeting planners are waiting until the smoke clears before they'll book a meeting up here. There's too much confusion about documentation," says TIAC's Williams. "We don't think they will have much impact at all," counters Jane Day, CMP, director of meeting services for the Society of Nuclear Medicine. Day's meetings usually draw 4,500 attendees, one-third of which are international. Her group is scheduled to meet in Toronto in 2009 and she notes, "The changes have come up in our committee meetings but it wasn't something our members were worried about. They're very well traveled and well versed in what kind of documentation they need."

Greg Talley, CAE, president of Talley Management Group, oversaw an annual Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with 46,000 attendees (39,000 U.S. citizens) in Toronto last year. He foresees the PASS card as being attractive for this group in the future. "Around 50 percent of the American attendees drove over. Many of these people are casual travelers who don't own a passport and used a birth certificate or driver's license as crossing ID. In the future, they might be interested in purchasing the alternate form of ID proposed, which is supposed to be cheaper than a passport."

While identification documents were not a problem for the AA group last year, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) convictions were. "In Canada, DUI is a felony and you aren't allowed in. In the United States, it is only a misdemeanor. We had to spend a lot of time working with Canadian immigration authorities. There is a restitution process that has to be initiated at least six months prior to entry, and we had to put the information and requirements into an understandable format for our attendees," explains Talley, who also made sure attendees with a conviction checked the Canadian government Web site, www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/conviction.html, which outlined the steps needed for entry into the country. "The concern around DUI convictions kept some people away but those who came were properly prepared."

Talley is currently planning a meeting in Vancouver for the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) in 2007. "They will be flying in and will need passports and appropriate visas depending on the country they come from, but this is a group of very well-educated travelers," he notes.

Passport Initiatives

While the number of U.S. citizens with passports has gone up from 16 percent a decade ago to 25 percent today, that statistic is far below other countries such as Canada, where 40 percent of the population have passports. For some meeting planners, not only do attendees have to be reminded to keep their travel documents up to date, they have to be educated. The CTC has implemented a program to help. "We're working with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to have a presence at major trade shows in the United States," explained CTC Vice President, U.S., Susan Iris. Tourism Toronto and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre provided an opportunity for attendees at PCMA's 50th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia to take free passport photographs and also provided applications on site in anticipation of PCMA's 51st Annual Meeting in Toronto in 2007. The CTC is also supporting an outreach program where industry event attendees can have passport photos taken on the spot and fill in passport applications, provided at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and The Center for Association Leadership's Springtime event in May. Iris is also hoping that the USPS will take part in similar outreach programs for American associations that plan to meet in Canada in the future.

Foreign Attendees

Travelers coming into the United States from countries other than Canada, especially developing countries, have always had more strict entry stipulations and the process of applying for a visa to attend a conference, seminar, or trade show has grown more involved since Sept. 11.

Applicants often must go in person to a consulate to have an interview. The location of the consulate offices and time necessary to secure the visa can be a big obstacle. It can take months. Some of the most recent changes for meeting planners bringing foreign delegates into the United States involve the letter of invitation. To avoid fraudulent usage, the letter must be customized, recognizing the person as a member of the organization, and in some cases, needs to come from a prominent person in that country, such as the head of a university medical department or chair of the organization in the country in which the meeting is to be held.

It also must include the applicant's passport information, date of birth, and nationality. In addition, attendees must register for the meeting before applying for a letter of invitation. This is to discourage letters being requested from an American organization by illegitimate sources and then sold on the black market as a way to get into the country.

Gwynn Breckenridge, CMP, director of meetings for the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), has experienced the problem firsthand. "People have said they were attending our meeting but they were actually just saying that as a way to get into the United States," she said. IADR holds events both in the United States and internationally that draw up to 6,000 attendees, 40 percent of whom are not American. This June they met in Australia and next year will be in New Orleans. One change to the invitation letter protocol included not sending it to the registrant. "In China, they said it had to go directly to the embassy, delivered by hand," Breckenridge said.

Each IADR meeting draws around 1,000 students, 300-400 from outside the United States. "A student may be a Middle Eastern citizen studying in the United Kingdom and if the meeting is in the United States, their visas are not processed as easily as a European citizen's," Breckenridge explained.

Even after a meeting is convened, homeland security issues can arise. "Last year the FBI showed up at our meeting in Baltimore. They flashed their badges but didn't really seem to do anything. I sent the State Department a list of presenters and registrants and perhaps they noticed a number of attendees from a certain part of the world. I never did find out why they were there," Breckenridge recalled. Start Early Preparing attendees to be properly documented for border crossing can take a varied amount of time, depending on the group. "For the members of ISTM, it will take about 2 percent of our planning time. For the inexperienced traveler from AA, it can take up to 60 percent of your time," noted Talley, who started the information process two years prior to the AA meeting in Toronto and then had a dedicated staff member handling queries exclusively for six months.

Breckenridge suggests that planners "start as far in advance as possible and wherever you're meeting, check that country's Web site to get updated information on entrance requirements. Some have online forms. For instance, for our meeting in Australia in June, a visa application could be processed online or through the airline."

Have a plan to communicate the information that attendees need for the entry process to the United States or another country. Work with immigration officials. The Department of State has established a Business Visa Center to facilitate visa application procedures for U.S. businesses with upcoming travel or events (e-mail businessvisa@state.gov). Whether your meeting is at home or abroad, it's crucial to know how your attendees will be affected at the border. Making it easier for them will make it easier for you.

Contributing Editor Maureen Littlejohn is a freelance writer in Philadelphia.

Report On Visa Delays

On April 4, the Government Accountabil- ity Office (Office) released a report titled, "Border Security - Reassessment of Consular Resource Requirements Could Help Address Visa Delays." This report highlights the ongoing problem of excessive wait times for international travelers seeking a U.S. visa at certain consular locations. The report concludes: "The visa process presents a balance between facilitating legitimate travel and identifying those who might harm the United States. State [Department], in coordination with other agencies, has made substantial improvements to the visa process to strengthen it as a national security tool. However, given the large responsibility placed on consular officers, particularly entry-level officers, it is critical to provide consular posts with the resources necessary for them to be effective. Indeed, extensive delays for visa interview appointments point to the need for State to perform a rigorous assessment of staffing requirements to achieve its goal of having the right people with the right skills in the right places."

To view the entire report: www.gao.gov/new.items/d06542t.pdf.

New Requirements for Travelers

(From the Department of State Web site, www.travel.state.gov)

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by Jan. 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico, and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines.

The proposed timeline will be as follows:

Dec. 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

Dec. 31, 2007* - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel. *In May, the U.S. Senate passed a provision to the Immigration Reform Act of 2006 to extend this deadline until June 1, 2009.

This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all U.S. citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens, will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.

Electronic Passport Issued to Public This Year

(Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, D.C.; Feb. 17, 2006)

The Department of State is phasing in the issuance of the new Electronic Passport (e-passport) to better facilitate international travel for U.S. citizens and enhance border security. On Dec, 30, 2005, the Department began limited production of the first-ever U.S. e-passports. As part of a pilot program, the Department is now issuing diplomatic passports and soon official passports in electronic format.

The e-passport integrates the latest concepts in electronic document protection and readability. The new passport combines face recognition and contactless chip technology. The chip, embedded in the cover of the passport, holds the same information that is printed in the passport: name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, dates of passport issuance and expiration, passport number, and photo image of the bearer. Previously issued passports without electronic chips will remain valid until their expiration dates.

To address privacy concerns, the Department has incorporated an anti-skimming device in the passport's front cover. The Department also included basic access control (BAC) technology to prevent skimming and eavesdropping.

The anti-skimming device and the BAC technology, when taken together, will mitigate unauthorized reading of the e-passport. The Department plans to issue the first full validity U.S. e-passports to the American public later this year and plans to issue e-passports at all domestic passport agencies by the end of 2006.

Documents Needed By US Citizens

Passport or proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and photo ID required. Minors (under 16) traveling alone or in someone else's custody must present written authorization, signed before a notary, from the parent(s) or guardian. Visas are not required. Canadian immigration officials at ports of entry will issue persons planning to stay longer than 180 days a visitor's record. Anyone with a criminal record (including a DWI - Driving While Intoxicated - charge) should contact the Canadian Embassy or nearest Consulate General before travel. U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport. HIV testing required for resident applicants who are over 15. A temporary resident applicant requires immigration medical examination if stay exceeds six months or seeking to work in Canada. For student or business travel, check with the Canadian Embassy, 501 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-1740 or the nearest Consulate General: CA (213) 346-2701, MI (313) 567-2085, NY (212) 596-1700 or (716) 858-9501, or WA (206) 443-1375. Web site: www.canadianembassy.org.