B.C. tourism officials are bracing for Jan. 23, when a new U.S. law takes effect requiring people travelling by air to have a passport to enter the U.S.

Tourism Vancouver president Rick Antonson said there are concerns the law will deter many short-term U.S. visitors because most of them don't have the passports they would need to get home again.

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The following is list of professions which qualify for TN status under NAFTA, and the applicable minimum education requirements and alternative credentials. The U.S. State Department notes:

With some exceptions, each profession requires a baccalaureate degree as an entry-level requirement. If a baccalaureate is required, experience cannot be substituted for that degree. In some professions, alternative criteria to a bachelor's degree is listed. For some professions, experience is required in addition to the degree.

Citizens of Canada do not need a visa to travel to the U.S. except under certain circumstances.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a set of FAQs on the air portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which goes into effect beginning January 23, 2007, and applies to citizens of the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. After that date, those citizens who are traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport to enter the U.S. The FAQs appear below.

The Departments of State and Homeland Security have announced that beginning on January 23, 2007, it will be required "for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere". The Press Release appears below.

Many foreign programmers, and other professionals, who would like to work for YouTube and Google wonder whether YouTube and Google sponsor individuals for H-1B visas. As you can see from the following chart, Google does indeed sponsor H-1B workers. Therefore, after the acquisition of YouTube by Google, Google will likely continue to sponsor individuals for H-1B visas provided that the H-1B quota, established by the U.S. government, has not run out.

Under a new government proposal, U.S. citizens who frequently go back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico or Canada would pay $20 for a new credit card-sized travel document they could use instead of a passport.