Under 17 yrs old - no passport required!

[punksmom]

Just heard on Breakfast TV news - Childern under the age on 17 will not require a passport to enter the US by land.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Please note this does not apply (as PunksMom noted) to air travel. Those under 17 travelling and entering the US by air.. will still continue to need a passport.

Expect to hear an announcement about senior citizens in the coming months for land travel as well.

J

 

[cdnmickeylover]

I would still get a passport for the kids even if it wasn't technically required.

If you're going on a cruise and have to fly back for whatever reason from a port along the way how are the kids going to fly? This is assuming that you have crossed into the US by land.

It will not be a cost saving measure to forgo passports for the kids if they can't get home.

Fiona

 

[maryliz]

Expect to hear an announcement about senior citizens in the coming months for land travel as well.

J

Most senior citizens I know travel way more than I do ... they should absolutely have to have a passport just like the rest of us. As for kids, I don't really care ... mine have them, and will continue to do so because it makes life so much simpler. If those families that don't travel but want to go across to Port Huron to go to Cracker Barrel won't need them for their kids, it's fine by me.

And I agree totally with Fiona ... if something happened where you needed to fly the child home, you wouldn't be able to without passports. And they're much cheaper than adults.

 

[Northstar]

Actually, unless Canada decides to require passports to enter Canada, you could fly your kids home from a US airport without passports. The only problem would be if you are outside the US (say, in the Caribbean) and can't get to Canada without entering the US by air... but then you'd probably have needed passports to get your kids into that third, non-US non-Canada country anyway.

I'm glad to hear this. Imagine what life was going to be like for people in border towns if they had to have everybody's passport to zip across the border for shopping!

 

[calgarygary]

I think that this could possibly lead to slower lines at the border. By not having one consistent policy, I think U.S. border guards will end up with adults without passports, children without parental consent (they will likely tighten up this enforcement), and border guards being extra careful. One policy always ends up being more easily enforced than 3, which is what I believe they are proposing - adults, children 16-18, children under 16.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

Actually, unless Canada decides to require passports to enter Canada, you could fly your kids home from a US airport without passports. The only problem would be if you are outside the US (say, in the Caribbean) and can't get to Canada without entering the US by air... but then you'd probably have needed passports to get your kids into that third, non-US non-Canada country anyway.
QUOTE]

There are countries in the Carribean we don't need passports to enter but there are lots of places that you would not be able to fly home from unless you went through the States. Just because you can do it without passports for kids doesn't mean that you should.

A Canadian passport is the only identification that proves without a doubt that you are Canadian and entitled entry into Canada. A driver's license or even a birth certificate does not do this. In the event of another terrorist attack (which hopefully will never happen), if I'm out of the country I want to be guaranteed entry back into my own country (and not have to leave the kids behind).

What I would like to see is a passport that lasts longer than 5 years but to me it's a really small price to pay for peace of mind.

Fiona

 

[tone.def]

from:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/02/21/passport-rules.html

Young Canadians to get free pass at U.S. land borders
Premiers travelling to Washington next week to fight passport rules
Last Updated: Thursday, February 22, 2007 | 12:06 AM ET
CBC News

Canadians aged 16 and younger will be exempt from a controversial rule requiring visitors to show passports at U.S. land borders by 2009.

"For 16 and under, the rules will not change," a U.S. State Department official said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"You obviously need control, but you don't need to worry so much about Canadian kids."

The exemption for children will officially be announced Thursday by Michael Chertoff, the U.S. secretary of homeland security. Wednesday night, staff for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day confirmed the news.

"The government has been working vigorously with the Americans to have children exempted," Mélisa Leclerc said. "We are pleased to see that our efforts have resulted in the Americans agreeing."

The exemption will make it easier for sports teams, youth groups and school groups to travel across the border for tournaments and events.

Passports at airports still required

Youngsters will not be exempt from the rule that requires all Canadians to carry passports when flying into the United States. That rule went into effect Jan. 23.

The new passport rules fall under the U.S. government's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which was designed to toughen border security following the al-Qaeda attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Under the initiative, Canadians must show passports when flying into the United States, and Americans must show passports when flying back into the United States after a trip to Canada. The same rules will apply at land crossings by June 2009.

Frequent travellers will also have the option of showing special identity cards.

An estimated 40 per cent of Canadians currently carry passports, while only 27 per cent of Americans do. Those statistics have prompted fears that tourism and shipping to Canada will suffer as the passport rules are implemented.

On Wednesday, the premiers of Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick announced they would travel to Washington to raise concerns about the passport rules at the National Governors' Association meeting, Feb. 25 to 28.

There are suggestions more exemptions to the rules could be coming. State Department officials hinted an announcement pertaining to seniors could be coming soon.

 

[punksmom]

My daughter is 12yrs old. We are going to WDW in August - flying out of Buffalo. I am going to play it safe and send off both of our passport applications next week. Do not want any experiences so worth the extra expense to me.

 

[Amberle3]

I really, really wish they'd stop playing around and just make one decision and stick with it.

I always recommend a passport for travel out of the country. It is the ONLY form of ID that is proof of Canadian citizenship. Your birth certificate only shows where you were born, not what country you're a citizen of. Your driver's license only shows where you live. My DH for instance was born outside of North America. He lives in Canada. He's a US citizen.

 

[drag n' fly]

For heavens sake as if their is not enough confusion already. Good for parents as it is expensive though!

 

[Northstar]

It is the ONLY form of ID that is proof of Canadian citizenship. Your birth certificate only shows where you were born, not what country you're a citizen of.

Well, I'm playing devil's advocate here cause I have my passport (but it's not a Canadian passport so I've always needed one to be here, travel or no travel) but a certificate of citizenship is also proof of citizenship. A birth certificate from a country like Canada, that gives citizenship to everyone born here, is a proof of citizenship. The documents you use to prove citizenship for your passport application are proof of citizenship... it's just that you can't rely on every border guard in every country recognizing these documents, while a passport is in a standard form recognized internationally.
Until quite recently the Canadian passport site actually said that a Canadian passport was NOT proof of citizenship (found this out while I was looking into becoming a citizen), which struck me as complete nonsense! I'm glad they have got rid of that bit of doublespeak.

My DH for instance was born outside of North America. He lives in Canada. He's a US citizen

OMG, that's MY DH! I just hate it when the border guards actually look at our passports... the eyebrows go up, they start scrutinizing us, wondering how come we were born so many places and live in so many other places... then they start asking us to prove we are really DD's parents (a passport is useless for this, so we end up carrying her long-form birth certificate in addition to a passport).

 

[riu girl]

"Canadians aged 16 and younger will be exempt from a controversial rule requiring visitors to show passports at U.S. land borders by 2009."

So when in 2008 or 2009 will Canadians require passports for US border land crossings? I for some reason thought it was Jan 2008 but the above info. makes me think it will now be 2009??

Thank you

 

[cdnmickeylover]

Believe it or not it is possible to have a Canadian birth certificate and NOT be considered a Canadian citizen.

You could also have a certificate of citizenship and have renounced your citizenship.

The safest way to travel is always with a passport for everyone in the party.

Fiona

 

[CanadianGuy]

"Canadians aged 16 and younger will be exempt from a controversial rule requiring visitors to show passports at U.S. land borders by 2009."

So when in 2008 or 2009 will Canadians require passports for US border land crossings? I for some reason thought it was Jan 2008 but the above info. makes me think it will now be 2009??

Thank you

Congress has yet to firmly say the June 2009 date is set in stone.. but it seems increasingly more likely that it definitely will not be January of 2008.

A dear friend works Canadian Passport here in Fredericton .. and she says it will almost certainly be June of 2009, but since congress has NOT put that into law yet.. the date is officially not yet determined.

J

 

[riu girl]

Thanks for the info.

 

[digskat]

For $37.00 each I think I will just buy them

 

[maryliz]

For $37.00 each I think I will just buy them

I agree. Although my kids do look like little criminals in their pics. I do think it makes crossing the border much easier ... I think they appreciate those of us that hand over 4 passports. Several years ago I was in the camp of "if I don't need to spend the money, I'm not going to bother". Changed my tune in 2004 and I don't regret it whatsoever. And I didn't realize when I first decided to get them that the kids were much cheaper, so I was actually PLEASED with the cost for the 4 of them. LOL

 

[tophee99]

We've sent for them. Better safe than sorry, especially when dealing with customs!! And I agree.......the cost is worth it.......less worry and generally an easier time dealing with customs.

 

[digskat]

I agree. Although my kids do look like little criminals in their pics. I do think it makes crossing the border much easier ... I think they appreciate those of us that hand over 4 passports. Several years ago I was in the camp of "if I don't need to spend the money, I'm not going to bother". Changed my tune in 2004 and I don't regret it whatsoever. And I didn't realize when I first decided to get them that the kids were much cheaper, so I was actually PLEASED with the cost for the 4 of them. LOL

Oh Maryliz! You make me laugh. The whole Duncan Clan looks like a group of terrorists. We teased our son that the guarntor a friend that is an OPP officer said that he refused to sign his as he is a holy "terror"ist!