Heard a rumor...

[ChisJo]

I know that I read it on these boards, but was told by someone at the passport office that possibly starting as early as October, that people may not be able to pass over the border without a valid passport.
Just thought that I would give the heads up in case this policy did come into play.
Jo

 

[Scratch42]

If this was to be true, wouldn't the Federal Government have to give at least 6 months notice so that they could process all the paperwork?

Interesting!

Scratch

 

[Amberle3]

The Canadian goverment has nothing to do with whatever policies the US goverment decided to put into place.

The US government is under no obligation at all to give us any kind of warning. It would be nice, but they're not required to do it. Until the US decides to officially announce that they will be requiring passports, the Canadian government can't do anything more than it has been.

DFAIT (Department of Foreign Affairs) has been telling people for years to get passports. On DFAIT's website is this note:

Your passport is the only proof of your Canadian citizenship and identity that is accepted in all countries. You and all family members should have a valid passport if you plan to travel outside Canada.

Their US travel page does say that currently only photo ID and proof of citizenship is required, however they also say that "Canadians should carry a Canadian passport for all visits to the United States."

The website for DFAIT's report for travel to the US is http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=308000

The cost of a passport is about the same as getting a coffee from Tim Horton's once a month. $85, good for 5 years, works out to $1.42 a month.

 

[maryliz]

Just because they CAN do it, doesn't mean they WILL do it, without giving Canadians adequate time to get their passports. The US would lose far too much revenue by blocking Canadians without adequate notice. Think about how many people have trips planned, and the destinations would lose out big-time because we all cancelled. If they were going to do this without notice, they would have put it into effect immediately after 9/11, and they didn't.

Don't get me wrong, I think passports are a great document and I'm actually now considering getting them for my family, but I don't believe that the US gov't is all of a sudden going to be demanding them without notice.

Mary-Liz

 

[DIZNYFAN]

Thanks for the update I guess I should get the family new ones as they expired last Dec

 

[grover]

So if they decide to implement this one day in Oct...how does that work with all the business/economy/trucking industry...does everything just stop until all the passports are issued?
How long does it take to get a passport now?
How long do you think it will take once they implement this and there is a rush on them? I suppose that all the above people involved in business/industry which requires cross border travel would have to paitently wait there turn...do you think that would be for a few weeks or less?
Just curious how this will all work,
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[RoyalCanadian]

At 4pm on July 12 I applied for DD's passport in person at the Kitchener passport office. It was issued on July 14. I had the ExpressPost notice in my hands at 10am on July 16 and the passport in my briefcase at 2pm the same day. There is no excuse not to have a passport if you're planning international travel -- and yes, the US government will shut down the border to those who don't have proper identification whenever they choose (as they define "proper identification" -- not as we would like to define it). The Canadian government has given people lots of warning that the passport is the document of choice for international travel.
Let's all just take a moment and realize that the entry of Canadians into the US is a privilege and not a right -- regardless of how much money you plan on spending at WDW.

 

[Alysa]

It is the work of a moment to get a passport, however, to get a birth certificate for an infant to get said passport took us almost a whole year. We had to call both our MP and our MPP to get the passport in time for our trip. The Canadian Goverment clearly says on all official documents not to travel outside Canada without your passport. They are begining to be stricter with children recently due to child abductions (sniff).

Don't get turned back, apply today!!!!!

 

[Amberle3]

People who work in industries that require them to move back and forth across the border should already have passports. In addition there's a special clearance level just for those people, I forget offhand what it's called. (I keep thinking fastpass, but I'm sure that's not it!) I have a relative who's a trucker and has it - it's like a super passport, had to go through a background check and so forth before being approved. Besides, for those people it's a valid business expense and there's absolutely no reason not to have one.

As Royal Canadian so very eloquently put it - travelling to another country is a privilege. We have no *right* to go across the border, we've been spoiled for a great many years by the ease of transit across the border.

They say the "average" turnaround time for a passport is 10 working days (2 weeks). I renewed mine in.. sometime in the spring. Feb I think. It took a week.

Remember that this is not a normal time for the US. They're still reeling from September 11, and security is a prime concern. If they get any reliable information that something could be up, you can bet they're going to tighten security even more. They're in hyper-sensitive mode right now, and it's really tough to blame them for that.

Sure, maybe you're just planning a trip to WDW. And maybe the person beside you at the airport has spent thousands of dollars on a trip to WDW. And maybe they're not going there at all, maybe they've spend thousands of dollars training at a flight academy on how to fly (but not land) an aircraft. You just never know.

And frankly, when it comes right down to it, do you expect the US to be more concerned about the loss of SOME revenue from Canada, or the safety of their citizens?

 

[bunnyfoo]

I think it's called CANPASS. My dad has one of those cards because he flies to the US twice a week. He says it's really fast and he has a separate check in area at US customs.

 

[Amberle3]

THANKYOU! I knew it wasn't fastpass!

 

[eritouma]

The USA is always thinking about ways of changing the entry requirements for foreign citizens. My wife travels under a non-canadian passport, which at this time is not machine readable. Late last summer when we crossed one time they informed us that most citizens would require a machine readable passport by the beginning of september, 2003. That has since been bumbed back to October 2004, but just another example of the various things they are thinking of.. heads up and travel with a passport I say...

 

[Rachael Q]

we travel from Vancouver to Seattle quite a bit, and twice we have been with friends who were refused entry to the US because they did not have a passport. They did have drivers license and birth certificate, but US immigration didn't even ask for those, when we drove up the gentleman said, " passports please" - nothing else was an option.

Once was about 2-3 years ago, and once in last 12 months.

So they can already refuse entry if you don't have a passport, we always carry ours when we head to the US. (I have to, as I travel on an Australian passport, and that's a whole other story. In 14 years of traveling back and forth to US sometimes I have needed a visa, sometimes nothing and sometimes a visa waiver - I wish they would make up their mind).

 

[grover]

Fastpass....Canpass...-lol!
Wish it was a easy as a fastpass!
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[pumpkinboy]

I would think that imposing a passport requirement would be very unwise for the US govt to do, but it seems the idiocy of the current US administration knows no bounds, so I wouldn't put it past them. The cross-border shopping alone keeps a number of border cities' economies alive. Of course with this administration, Money Talks, so if the folks at Disney and other large companies militate against it hard enough, the Bushies will likely back down, and all you really need in Washington to influence things is lots and lots of Money.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

I would expect that the US government will impose a passport requirement at some point although I would be surprised if it happened before their election. As it is the right of the US gov't to decide who enters their country I don't think that they have to give anyone any notice. Yes, it would inconvience a great deal of people and cause some of their businesses to lose money but safety would come above money. No amount of lobbying is going to change it.

The Canadian government has been saying for years now that it would be prudent to have a passport when you travel internationally which does include the US.

We have passports, not so much because I'm concerned about getting into the US but more because if anything happened while we were out of Canada we want to have the right to re-enter Canada. A Canadian passport is the only document that proves that I'm Canadian -- a driver's license or even a birth certificate does not.

It's peace of mind for a very cheap price.

 

[ducklite]

The potential economic impact of the possible travel plans of 32 million is far outweighed by the national security and safety of 320 million.

Considering that those Canadians who's travel plans will have the highest economic impact on the US already have passports (business people, truckers, extensive travelers), the lost revenue of a few thousand missed Canadian guests is so miniscule that it wouldn't even be noticed in the big picture. Sorry, but it's the absolute truth.

I strongly suggest that if you are even thinking about visiting the States in the back of your mind, you obtain passports now. I do expect that within the next year or so, they will become mandatory for all visitors to the US.

Anne

 

[dsneygirl]

Originally posted by cdnmickeylover
A Canadian passport is the only document that proves that I'm Canadian -- a driver's license or even a birth certificate does not.

It's peace of mind for a very cheap price.

Actually that's not true. A birth certificate issued 1977 or later accompanied by photo ID is proof.
Other examples
~certificate of registration of birth abroad
~citizenship card

when accompanied by photo ID.

From my Canadian Immigration training

 

[grover]

Okay -you guys have put the fear of god into me- went and picked up 2 adult and 1 child passport applications-this will cut into our budget big time but I guess you need to pay these days to have peace of mind right!
Okay-so I read you need to have someone like a dr. sign your pic and application form--do all dr.s do this? Do they have to do it for you if you ask? We know no one else who fall into the professions they listed!
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[ChisJo]

Grover, a guarantor has to sign your application and photos. A guarantor has to be someone who has known you for over 2 years, and their occupations can vary from a judge, Certified management accountant, doctor, professor, etc. A doctor should be more than willing to sign your application, but obviously an appointment should be made.
You should also have them sign a photocopy of your SIN and DL photo to say that he/she can attest to your id.
Your guarantor should also be willing to answer any questions the passport office may have if they should have any.
Hope that helps!
Jo