Three quarters of Americans who do not have passports are required to get them in two months

Starting from January 23, 2007, almost everyone who arrives in the USA by air, including the Americans themselves, as well as Canadians and residents of several other countries of the Western Hemisphere, will have to present passports.

The date was announced on Tuesday in an interview with AP the head of the US Department of Internal Security Michael Chertoff. He said that on Wednesday it will be officially announced.

New requirements change the order of entry into the country for Americans, Canadians, citizens of Bermuda and some categories of Mexicans, for whom it was previously possible instead of a passport when entering the country to present a driver’s license or birth certificate.

"Now in the United States there are about eight thousand state and local institutions involved in the design of birth certificates and a driver’s license," the minister said. "The need to detect fakes among so many documents made according to different samples lies with an excessive burden on the shoulders of employees of the US Customs and Border Service," he explained.

In some cases, exceptions will be made: for those who often cross the US-Canadian border for US military, who are returning from a business trip, and for sailors of the trading fleet.

So far, innovations are concerned only for air passengers. But from January 2008, presenting a passport will also be required when crossing the land or sea border of the United States.

Meanwhile, the passport is currently framed only by every fourth American. Many are stopped by its price - 97 dollars, because so far an ordinary citizen of America has practically not needed a passport.

The commission on the investigation of the attacks on September 11 recommended tightening passport control at the border. “Documents for terrorists are important as weapons,” the commission was emphasized.

The law introducing the obligatory passport regime for border crossing for everyone was adopted by the US Congress back in 2004 . Only the date of introduction of new rules was not defined.

The Canadian authorities and some congressmen from the border states have already expressed concern that tightening the passport regime may adversely affect tourism and trade.

Chertoff said that, according to his department, for September this year, 90% of passengers arriving in the United States from Canadian airports had passports. According to the same data, there were 69% of Mexicans flying to Canada, as well as 58% and 75% of Americans heading to Mexico and other countries of the Caribbean, respectively.

The minister admitted that any document can be faked, but this is becoming increasingly difficult with the introduction of new technologies for protection against fakes. In addition, the presence of one verified document will greatly make life easier for both border guards and tourists, ”he remarked.