? re: crossing border with step-son

[granolacruncher11]

Wow! I guess you should ignore my advice about age. We also live in a border town and we also have a blended family and ever since the older turned 16 we have never had any questions about whom belonged to whom etc.. I also just assumed that since the 16 year olds were able to get their own passports (also without any signed forms from the other parent) that there would be no problems. Learn something new everyday! I love these boards!

 

[CdnDisneyLover]

I've brought my oldest son's friend camping in the states for 4 days and he only needed a letter from his mother and it wasn't notorized and it was fine. Sometimes they ask for a letter from my husband if its just me taking our 4 year old across the border but again that isn't notorized either and it was fine.

Just an FYI kids under 16 don't require a passport to cross over land even when the passports are implemented on June 1/09. If you are flying, kids will need a passport though. We cross quite often cause we live in a border city and the US guards told me this. Just an FYI.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've brought my oldest son's friend camping in the states for 4 days and he only needed a letter from his mother and it wasn't notorized and it was fine. Sometimes they ask for a letter from my husband if its just me taking our 4 year old across the border but again that isn't notorized either and it was fine.

QUOTE]


The Canadian government says other wise. You are required to get your documents notarized. Whether the customs guards follow the rules is a whole other issue.

I was told by Air Canada that my DD would not be permitted to board her flight to Mexico (she was travelling with my mother that time) unless my mother had the proper documents giving her legal permission to take my DD out of Canada. That was the first time my DD left the country without us so we did as we were told and got a notarized letter, which due to my ignorance on the subject at that time cost me $300. My mother was never asked a single question about my DD nor was she asked to produce any documents. On other trips that my DD has been on the adults she travelled with were grilled beyond belief. So you just never know who you will get and how much they will go by the book.

 

[dancin Disney style]

duplicate...sorry.

 

[ChisJo]

I was told by Air Canada that my DD would not be permitted to board her flight to Mexico (she was travelling with my mother that time) unless my mother had the proper documents giving her legal permission to take my DD out of Canada. That was the first time my DD left the country without us so we did as we were told and got a notarized letter, which due to my ignorance on the subject at that time cost me $300. My mother was never asked a single question about my DD nor was she asked to produce any documents. On other trips that my DD has been on the adults she travelled with were grilled beyond belief. So you just never know who you will get and how much they will go by the book.

Yikes! We've never been charged that much for my step son. We've just used the template that the government has posted on their website, got a lawyer to notarize it, and it has never cost us more than $40. I know my step-sons mother has never had any problems with the letters we've written.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Yikes! We've never been charged that much for my step son. We've just used the template that the government has posted on their website, got a lawyer to notarize it, and it has never cost us more than $40. I know my step-sons mother has never had any problems with the letters we've written.

It was a several years ago and like I said and it was partially due to our ignorance at the time in that type of thing. We just went to our family lawyer and told him what we needed and he preparred it. Might I add that as a result of that bill he is no longer our lawyer. We found out after the fact that we could have written the letter ourselves and gone to a notary for between $30 and $50.

Since then we have educated ourselves on how this is all done.

BTW, most city halls can notarize a letter for a really tiny fee around $15.

 

[ChisJo]

BTW, most city halls can notarize a letter for a really tiny fee around $15.

Awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

 

[Tower]

wow!

I guess we were lucky in the past.

We've taken our kids south with us in the past and brought along a baby-sitter. The sitters we had were all daughters of my cousins who share my last name. With our little children, I told the truth, that we were going to a conference wherever, bringing the kids and a baby-sitter. No other questions were raised.

Good to know for the future.