Spinoff: Passports

[Adipoo]

I use mine for all travel and keep it on my person when in another country. I keep a photocopy apart from my passport, and keep another at my "home base." A lot of people will say to not carry your passport but I'm not ready to find out if a photocopy or driver's license is good enough ID in a foreign country.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Only when going out of the country.

I feel like you must have a very interesting job.

Not necessarily. I used to work less than a mile from Canada and could see it outside my office window. For some of us, going to a business meeting in a foreign country is a 15 minute jaunt over the bridge.

 

[bcla]

PS: A passport card is a wallet-sized card that substitutes for a passport under certain limited circumstances; the fee to get one is less than for a full passport. They are mostly issued to people who live near a US land or water border, so that they can cross back and forth without the expense of a full passport. You cannot use them for air travel. http://travel.state.gov/content/pas...ifference-Between-Passport-Book-and-Card.html

More specifically one can't use one for international air travel. However, it functions fully as a photo ID for domestic air travel. When I got mine (and I'm not one to cross the Canadian or Mexican border often) my concern was that California's driver license may not have been granted further exemptions from the RealID requirements. In the end California did upgrade the DL/state ID format to comply with the RealID requirements.

And I didn't clarify my previous statement. It's good for limited international "surface" travel by boat or land borders. Mexico and Canada accept them (along with enhanced driver licenses/IDs), plus Caribbean nations for cruise travel. I'm not sure about land travel though outside of the US/Canada/Mexico.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I carry it in my laptop case at all times. Twice in the last year has my boss decided to travel out of the country on a two hour notice - it makes it easy to say - sure I would love to go on this trip with you. I also have two go bags at all times in my trunk - I refresh them seasonally as needed. Its the family joke that I could live out of my car. But I can be on a plane in an hour if needed.

 

[bcla]

Only when going out of the country.



Not necessarily. I used to work less than a mile from Canada and could see it outside my office window. For some of us, going to a business meeting in a foreign country is a 15 minute jaunt over the bridge.

If you don't get stuck being asked questions or in the line where someone ahead of you is being grilled. I remember getting in line at the Blaine/Surrey border crossing almost two weeks ago hoping that I picked the right line. It was actually pretty painless.

Where are you going?
Are you bringing anything into Canada?
Are you meeting friends?
Where are you staying?
Enjoy your time in Canada.​

The strange thing was that we weren't really asked how long we'd be there.

US Customs actually didn't seem to be concerned with much other than bringing in produce, and it was OK as long as it came from the US. We bought a bag of cherries in BC and some apples - all labeled as being from Washington. Those strangely enough would have been fine, but I suppose Canadian blueberries from the same grower than exports to the US is a no go.

 

[Riff Off Gal]

I am not a U.S. citizen yet. I am just in America because my Dad was asked to head up a new division of his company that he worked for back in South Africa here in the United States. We have now been in America and I really don't know if we will ever go back to Port Elizabeth to live. Probably after I graduate from High School in 2017 I will go into the process of becoming a United States Citizen as I plan on attending college here and also my boyfriend of almost a year and a half is American. So basically I carry my passport around with me almost all the time.

 

[Dramatic Muffin]

I live abroad and travel a lot, and I keep it in my purse at all times.

 

[bcla]

I am not a U.S. citizen yet. I am just in America because my Dad was asked to head up a new division of his company that he worked for back in South Africa here in the United States. We have now been in America and I really don't know if we will ever go back to Port Elizabeth to live. Probably after I graduate from High School in 2017 I will go into the process of becoming a United States Citizen as I plan on attending college here and also my boyfriend of almost a year and a half is American. So basically I carry my passport around with me almost all the time.

If you have permanent resident status, there is a requirement to have a green card in one's "possession" at all times when in the US. Granted it's not a high priority for the federal government to enforce. I'm not even sure what that means as a practical matter, such as walking on the beach or going swimming.

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted

A green card is issued to all permanent residents as proof that they are authorized to live and work in the United States. If you are a permanent resident age 18 or older, you are required to have a valid green card in your possession at all times.​

That may be the only requirement in US law that a member of the public must carry identification when out and about. Nobody else is required to carry ID, unlike some parts of the world where there is a standard government-issued ID. Several of my high school teachers were from Europe, and they noted that even as children they had to carry their national identity papers (which are now cards). I've read that national identity cards are now the most common way for people to travel across borders in the EU, although there are a few EU countries that don't issue them. The UK apparently discontinued theirs.

 

[loves to dive]

When I lived abroad, the company my Dad worked for kept all employee's passports and we all had copies we carried around with us. When travelling abroad I always have it on me. When diving, if on a live-aboard (a sort of diving cruise but not as fancy) the captain always takes them and keeps them until you are back in the States, we have a photo copy then. When diving land based, we keep it in the hotel safe and keep the copy on us, even on the dive boat in a water proof bag. You just never know.

 

[Riff Off Gal]

If you have permanent resident status, there is a requirement to have a green card in one's "possession" at all times when in the US. Granted it's not a high priority for the federal government to enforce. I'm not even sure what that means as a practical matter, such as walking on the beach or going swimming.

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted

A green card is issued to all permanent residents as proof that they are authorized to live and work in the United States. If you are a permanent resident age 18 or older, you are required to have a valid green card in your possession at all times.​

That may be the only requirement in US law that a member of the public must carry identification when out and about. Nobody else is required to carry ID, unlike some parts of the world where there is a standard government-issued ID. Several of my high school teachers were from Europe, and they noted that even as children they had to carry their national identity papers (which are now cards). I've read that national identity cards are now the most common way for people to travel across borders in the EU, although there are a few EU countries that don't issue them. The UK apparently discontinued theirs.

Yes this is true. My family and I keep our cards either in our purse or wallets. I am pretty sure this is going to be our permanent residence at least until my Dad retires many years from now. By that time I will be an adult and will be a Citizen of the United States so I will choose where I want to live either back in South Africa or here in America. Right now with the opportunity of college around the corner and hopefully a long future with my boyfriend I will choose to stay here in America.

 

[aprilchem]

We usually only take ours when we're traveling outside of the US. But if we go to a place in the US that's really far away (like Hawaii or Puerto Rico) I'll often take at least the children's passports with me. I have other proof of ID (driver's license, etc.) but that's all we've got for the kids. If something were to happen I like to have some proof with me of who they are, and it's easier than bring their birth certificates.

 

[Cadiewampus]

It wasn't LOL

My job was to generate production orders based on distribution requirements. Spent most of my time staring at a screen or a stack of paper. "Inventory Planning & Forecasting". Distribution centers (which I rarely visited) were in CA & GA. I was in MO. Production facilities (which I visited often) were in Mexico. I never did have to leave same day, but I did on occasion find out "today" that I'd better leave "tomorrow". That was as close as I got, but you never know

Did you work in the Power transmission and distribution field?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Only abroad and then it stays in the safe and I carry a photocopy out and about to prove my id - If there isn't a safe then I carry it on me but that's rare now even in really budget hotels

 

[monarchsfan16]

I take it with me whenever I'm flying somewhere, even when within the country, so that I always have a second form of ID.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Only when travelling outside the country. I leave it in the hotel safe. I do not need it again until leaving a country/crossing a border. Photocopies at home unless travelling to a country like China or Russia. Then I carry photocopy.

I've travelled to about 25 countries and have never been asked for my passport unless I was entering or leaving a country.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Did you work in the Power transmission and distribution field?

Office products

 

[NotUrsula]

More specifically one can't use one for international air travel. However, it functions fully as a photo ID for domestic air travel. When I got mine (and I'm not one to cross the Canadian or Mexican border often) my concern was that California's driver license may not have been granted further exemptions from the RealID requirements. In the end California did upgrade the DL/state ID format to comply with the RealID requirements.

And I didn't clarify my previous statement. It's good for limited international "surface" travel by boat or land borders. Mexico and Canada accept them (along with enhanced driver licenses/IDs), plus Caribbean nations for cruise travel. I'm not sure about land travel though outside of the US/Canada/Mexico.

It is my understanding that no nation outside of North America and the Caribbean will accept a US passport card for entry. Appears not be usable for your average transatlantic cruise, or for an epic road trip to Argentina.

 

[MrsDuck]

We take our passports only when travelling internationally. We always keep a copy on us but leave the real one locked in the hotel safe.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I carry it every time I travel.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Do you carry your passport every time you travel, or only when traveling out of your country? Do you keep it on you, or do you leave it in your hotel room?

it's never occurred to me to bring a passport when traveling domestically. When I've traveled Internationally and brought a passport, I've kept it with me. I don't always stay in a hotel when traveling internationally--the last 3 international trips, 2 of them I stayed with a friend/family member and not in a hotel. Still, I just put my passport in my bag with my cash/credit cards and carried it with me throughout the day.