Welcome to MMATB
Meet Me at the Border is an information resource for the network of businesses, individuals, and governmental agencies in North America whose livelihood or way of life is connected to the Canada-U.S. border. For 5,525 miles or 8,891 kilometres, our shared border binds together companies, employees, tourists, sports fans, first responders, and border community residents who depend on goods or services from just across the way.
The interconnectedness of our countries speaks to the depth of our relationship. Canada is the single largest export market for 38 States and tops $561 billion in cross border trade supporting 7.1 million jobs in the United States. This means that our safe and secure Canada-U.S. border facilitates over $1 million in trade each and every minute.
Take the time to explore Meet Me at the Border to see what is affecting your business, happening in your community, and ensuring our security. Additionally, please sign up to receive updates from our Border Central Newsletter and share your story about why the Canada-U.S. border is important to you.
New Entry Requirements to the United States
Travel DocumentationThe Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a new U.S. law requiring all travellers, including Canadians, to carry a passport or other appropriate secure documentation when travelling to and from the United States.
Visit Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's Consular Affairs section to find out more about the new entry requirements to the United States.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection site on Documents You Will Need to Enter the United States offers a comprehensive list of valid documents for entry into the United States for U.S. Citizens, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, Visitors, and Non-Immigrants.
Border Update
- Opportunity to Comment on a Proposed Rule: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
August 17, 2007
Connect2Canada sent out a message on August 17, 2007 informing Connect2Canada members about an opportunity to comment on a proposed rule regarding the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. - Homeland Security Department - Proposed Rules Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004
June 26, 2007
Implementation: Travel within Western Hemisphere; documents required for persons departing from or arriving in United States at sea and land ports-of-entry. - WHTI Land and Sea Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Published
June 20, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced today the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. Proposed rules require a passport or other secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. - Joint Departments of State and Homeland Security Announcement: U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications Allowed Temporary Travel Flexibility Within Western Hemisphere
June 8, 2007
The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand. - Border Travel Update: What Documents Do You Need?
June 6, 2007
Connect2Canada sent out a message on June 6, 2007 as a reminder that Canadians and Americans can continue to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea without a passport for at least the remainder of 2007. - DHS and the State of Washington Team up to Advance Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
March 23, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security signed a Memorandum of Agreement today with the state of Washington to launch a pilot program that will enhance the security of state driver's licenses and potentially serve as an acceptable alternative document for crossing the United States' land and sea borders. - DHS Announces Proposed Passport Flexibility for U.S. and Canadian Children at Land and Sea Borders
February 22, 2007
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today its intent to propose, as part of the forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), significant flexibility regarding travel documents required for U.S. and Canadian children as part of WHTI requirements for U.S. land and sea border entry in 2008. - Minister Day announces that NEXUS takes off at Toronto Pearson International Airport
February 12, 2007
The Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Stockwell Day, announced today that the NEXUS Enrolment Centre and automated self-serve kiosks are now operational at Toronto Pearson International Airport and that NEXUS will expand to six more airports across Canada. The expansion to Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax will be completed soon. - Canada invests over $430M for smart, secure borders
January 12, 2007
On January 12, 2007, Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, announced an investment of $431.6M over five years to reinforce smart, secure borders. This funding will allow three key initiatives under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) - eManifest, Business Resumption and Partners in Protection - to move forward.
On the Record
"We tend to forget how daily and ordinary our relationship is. It's the most active of relationships at a level of people to people, not just government to government."
- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Canada-U.S. friendship, September 12, 2006
From elected officials to business people and representatives from other organizations, people are talking about the Canada-U.S. border and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Click here to read more about what they are saying.
Contact Us:
mmatb@canadianembassy.org
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