passport rant

[amez]

Several of my families members have decided to go to Niagara falls at the end of summer. We were planning on going to the Canadian side but getting passports has been odd. My twelve year old nephew couldn't get one because he has to have both parents present and well he hasn't seen his dad in 12 years. My sister has never made a move to get child support or anything and clearly isn't going to make an effort to contact his father about a passport. I do completely understand that passports can't be issued when both parents aren't present. It really is for the safety of the child. My mom pretty angry about it, but that is just her way.

However, my aunt cannot be issued a passport. this one baffles and annoys me. She can't get one because she only has one eye. She lost the other to cancer seveal years ago and wears and eye patch. She was never comfortable wearing her "fake" eye. Does anyone know is there good reasoning behind not issuing a passport due to having only one eye?

Any ideas? She may go back wearing her "fake" eye and see if that works. It just seems very odd to me that her disability prevents her from crossing into Canada.
thanks
Amy

 

[Kathi OD]

Several of my families members have decided to go to Niagara falls at the end of summer. We were planning on going to the Canadian side but getting passports has been odd. My twelve year old nephew couldn't get one because he has to have both parents present and well he hasn't seen his dad in 12 years. My sister has never made a move to get child support or anything and clearly isn't going to make an effort to contact his father about a passport. I do completely understand that passports can't be issued when both parents aren't present. It really is for the safety of the child. My mom pretty angry about it, but that is just her way.

However, my aunt cannot be issued a passport. this one baffles and annoys me. She can't get one because she only has one eye. She lost the other to cancer seveal years ago and wears and eye patch. She was never comfortable wearing her "fake" eye. Does anyone know is there good reasoning behind not issuing a passport due to having only one eye?

Any ideas? She may go back wearing her "fake" eye and see if that works. It just seems very odd to me that her disability prevents her from crossing into Canada.
thanks
Amy

Not sure about the reason for the aunt w/ one eye, but I'm assuming your sister has sole custody of her son. Does she have legal sole custody? If so, she can get a passport for your nephew. She needs to show a copy of the court order and he'll get his passport.

If she didn't go through the courts, well she is going to have to get that court order if she wants him to have a passport. There are good reasons why people need to have things done legally. This is one of them.

 

[maelstrom]

That's very odd about your aunt. Who told her that she couldn't get a passport because she only has one eye? I'd elevate the issue, hardcore; that is not acceptable.

 

[Embel]

I thought that children under 16 only needed a birth certificate to cross a land border. We are also planning to go to Niagara this year, and I found this...

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

I hope it's true- it would save me a lot of money.

 

[KellyT2]

re: your aunt. It is because they need a full view of her face. (Bolds are mine).

From the application (F DS-11):

TWO RECENT COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS
Submit two identical color photographs of you alone, sufficiently recent to be a good likeness of you (taken within the last six months), and 2x2 inches in size. The image size measured from the bottom of your chin to the top of your head (including hair) should not be less than 1 inch and not more than 1–3/8 inches. The photographs must be color, clear, with a full front view of your face, and printed on thin paper with plain light (white or off–white) background. The photographs must be taken in normal street attire, without a hat, head covering, or dark glasses unless a signed statement is submitted by the applicant verifying the item is worn daily for religious purposes or a signed doctor’s statement is submitted verifying the item is used daily for medical purposes. Photographs retouched so that your appearance is changed are unacceptable. Snapshots, most vending machine prints, and magazine or full–length photographs are unacceptable. Digitized photos must meet the previously stated qualifications and will be accepted for use at the discretion of Passport Services. (Visit our website for details.)

re: Your nephew (F DS-11):

IF ONLY ONE PARENT APPEARS YOU MUST ALSO SUBMIT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
• Second parent’s notarized written statement consenting to passport issuance for the child,
• Primary evidence of sole authority to apply, OR
• A written statement (made under penalty of perjury) explaining the second parent’s unavailability.

 

[KellyT2]

That's very odd about your aunt. Who told her that she couldn't get a passport because she only has one eye? I'd elevate the issue, hardcore; that is not acceptable.

Please see my post below, all she needs is a doctor's note.


KellyT2

 

[amez]

http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatraveloverview/qt/uscitizenborder.htm
as far as I am understanding as of June 2009 everyone who travels by air or land needs a passport to return to the United States.

My sister has done nothing through the courts. She put the father's name on the birth certificate and then left it at that. I don't think she'll go to court to fix this either. Yearly my mom and my nephew either visit us or we go on a short trip some where. So my sister doesn't need a passport for him (if that makes sense) we would need it to go on our year trek - I starting thinking about it the other day and told my mom to check on getting my nephew a passport before I got my kids one. I don't want to spend the money on it if he couldn't get one. Like I said before I completely understand the safety issues of my nephew not getting one. That doesn't really bother me-I'm flexible we can just stay on the U.S. side or if part of us get passports we can go over for a day and meet back up on the U.S. side.

My aunt's situation really bugs me though-just can't fathom why. I'm not sure who told her she couldn't. We live a couple of states away from all of my family. I know my mom went to the post office and talked to them about my nephew-maybe my aunt had went there too? I think she plans to persue it some more.

 

[amez]

Kelly you posted just before I did. that explains quite a bit.

Thanks
Amy

re: your aunt. It is because they need a full view of her face. (Bolds are mine).

From the application (F DS-11):

TWO RECENT COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS
Submit two identical color photographs of you alone, sufficiently recent to be a good likeness of you (taken within the last six months), and 2x2 inches in size. The image size measured from the bottom of your chin to the top of your head (including hair) should not be less than 1 inch and not more than 1–3/8 inches. The photographs must be color, clear, with a full front view of your face, and printed on thin paper with plain light (white or off–white) background. The photographs must be taken in normal street attire, without a hat, head covering, or dark glasses unless a signed statement is submitted by the applicant verifying the item is worn daily for religious purposes or a signed doctor’s statement is submitted verifying the item is used daily for medical purposes. Photographs retouched so that your appearance is changed are unacceptable. Snapshots, most vending machine prints, and magazine or full–length photographs are unacceptable. Digitized photos must meet the previously stated qualifications and will be accepted for use at the discretion of Passport Services. (Visit our website for details.)

re: Your nephew (F DS-11):

IF ONLY ONE PARENT APPEARS YOU MUST ALSO SUBMIT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
• Second parent’s notarized written statement consenting to passport issuance for the child,
• Primary evidence of sole authority to apply, OR
• A written statement (made under penalty of perjury) explaining the second parent’s unavailability.

 

[shortbun]

I thought that children under 16 only needed a birth certificate to cross a land border. We are also planning to go to Niagara this year, and I found this...

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

I hope it's true- it would save me a lot of money.

Get the passport. Bottom line, are you going to shove some paper in front of immigration and expect them to go against what they know to be true? No.
Get the passport.

 

[Embel]

http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatraveloverview/qt/uscitizenborder.htm
as far as I am understanding as of June 2009 everyone who travels by air or land needs a passport to return to the United States.

When I click on your link, then click on the second sentence about exceptions for children, it gives the following info...

"Bottom Line: U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 15 or younger with parental consent will be allowed to cross the borders at land and sea entry points with certified copies of their birth certificates rather than passports."

Not sure how this would affect your sister as only 1 parent would be there for consent.

Good luck!

 

[shortbun]

OP-all the good stuff is on the Canadian side. Your sister needs to look into getting the custodial issues taken care of. Sorry.

 

[amez]

We are going to have to look into this some more. My sister won't be coming with us, so that changes things for sure too.
Not having to get the kids passports would save us a bunch of $$ too. I'll have to see if he could travel with his birth certificate and a notorized form from his mom. Thank goodness we still have time to change our plans around if need be.

Not sure how this would affect your sister as only 1 parent would be there for consent.

Good luck!

 

[Embel]

Get the passport. Bottom line, are you going to shove some paper in front of immigration and expect them to go against what they know to be true? No.Get the passport.

Certainly not-if a passport is necessary I would expect to need it. But, I've researched this several places online & keep coming up with the same answer.

 

[npmommie]

If you are only traveling to and from Canada you can get the passport card to save you a bit of $$, its cheaper than the regular passport book,
has the same requirements for getting it though I think.
and can only be used us to canada,mexico, caribbean, and bermuda

 

[DizBelle]

On your aunt... It isn't because she has only one eye. She needs to get the photographs taken without the eye patch so her whole face can be seen. If she refuses to be photographed without the eye patch, they can refuse to issue the passport.

I can't see (no pun intended) how an eye patch is a medical necessity for a missing eye. I don't see how it would be detrimental to her health if she took off the eye patch for the duration of a photograph. But, I might be missing something (again, no pun intended)

It has nothing to do with her disability. She doesn't need to wear the fake eye. She just needs to take off the eyepatch for the duration of the photograph (less than 60 seconds).

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I thought that children under 16 only needed a birth certificate to cross a land border. We are also planning to go to Niagara this year, and I found this...

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

I hope it's true- it would save me a lot of money.

This is true, at least it was in August last year. We drove up through Montana into Alberta to Banff and all we needed was DS11 and DS10's birth certificate. But both their father and I were in the car, and the BC's proved we were their parents. I don't know about just one parent taking kiddo across the border, that may be frowned upon due to possible custody abduction. DH and I only needed our DL's.

If you fly that is a whole different situation. You all need passports to fly into Canada.

 

[Maleficient]

So if i have sole custody (with court paperwork) I don't need their father there to get my kids passports, do I? TIA!

 

[Embel]

This is true, at least it was in August last year. We drove up through Montana into Alberta to Banff and all we needed was DS11 and DS10's birth certificate. But both their father and I were in the car, and the BC's proved we were their parents. I don't know about just one parent taking kiddo across the border, that may be frowned upon due to possible custody abduction. DH and I only needed our DL's.

If you fly that is a whole different situation. You all need passports to fly into Canada.

Thank you! I am having the kind of day where I really needed some good news, and saving $300 on passports is very good news!!

 

[DizBelle]

So if i have sole custody (with court paperwork) I don't need their father there to get my kids passports, do I? TIA!

I would think not. As sole custodian you can make all decisions without anyone else's approval.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

This is true, at least it was in August last year. We drove up through Montana into Alberta to Banff and all we needed was DS11 and DS10's birth certificate. But both their father and I were in the car, and the BC's proved we were their parents. I don't know about just one parent taking kiddo across the border, that may be frowned upon due to possible custody abduction. DH and I only needed our DL's.

If you fly that is a whole different situation. You all need passports to fly into Canada.

I wouldn't count on that being true, now. As of June 1, 2009, all Americans over the age of 15 need a passport to enter Canada. However, I read that many border crossings were making exceptions for the first few months last summer because a lot of people didn't know about the rules, or didn't have time to get a passport (there was quite a backlog at that time and it was taking a long time to process applications).

I wouldn't count on being able to just use your drivers license now, a year after the rule went into effect. I cross the border frequently (live in Seattle but all my family is in Canada) and have always been asked for my passport, since June 1, 2009.