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Travel Information - International Travel -Airline Travel Information
New Security Measures
The United States has recently adopted new security measures at airports and seaports designed to protect the safety of U.S. citizens and international visitors. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security promises that these new measures will be quick and efficient, requiring no more than seconds in most cases. For more information, visit the Department of Homeland Security website.
Travel to the United States
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 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. Therefore, the requirement to have a passport in your possession will be required for all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel on December 31, 2007.
It is important to allow sufficient time for your passport application to be processed. The best time to start is now.
Arriving in the United States
On the airplane, you will be asked to complete a short arrival/departure form. You will need your visa and/or passport handy. You will need to present your visa and/or passport at the port of entry in the United States. Most often that port of entry will be the airport where you land.
When you deplane, follow signs for non-citizen entry. At that location, a Department of Homeland Security official will interview you and verify all of your paperwork. Under the US-VISIT Program of the Department of Homeland Security, most people arriving in the U.S. will submit to a fingerscan of the two index fingers and a photograph. Once admitted, you will receive an immigration stamp and proceed to baggage claim and customs. For information about arriving in the U.S., including arriving by land or sea, see US-VISIT.
Upon arrival in the U.S., certain foreign citizens are required to register under Special Registration, which is the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program. Registration under NSEERS is a distinct process from US-VISIT.
