Warning-Returning to Canada without a passport

[excitedfamily]

I just returned from WDW yesterday and nearly didn't get home. When I got to Orlando airport a lady was walking around making sure everyone had a passport because if you didn't you wouldn't be flying!

I told her that my kids and I didn't as they didn't arrive in time (almost 40 business days later) and she said then I couldn't fly as absolutely no one was allowed to check in without a passport.

I spent 30 minutes at a checki-in desk telling them that when I had called their customer support line before my trip to make sure I wouldn't have a problem, I had been assured that only people who had to return to the States wouldn't be allowed to fly without a passport. I also told them that thier own website specifically said the same thing, meaning that people returning home would be allowed. I also pointed out that it was a rule applying to the U.S. border, not the Canadian border.

One lady was really nice and helpful, the other was quite *****y and kept muttering under her breathe that it wasn't allowed. She kept going back to see a supervisor and I had to keep persisting. It didn't help that I didn't have my citizenship card because it's with my passport application, but I had the form that came with it with my citizenship number. Both kids had their long birth certificates as I had sent in their short ones with the application.

Obviously they finally let me check in but with a lot of attitude and a lot of "We shouldn't be doing this" muttered.

The man behind me said "What are they going to do? Deport you?" The employees were not impressed with that comment.

So anyone currently at WDW who got there before the new rule without a passport beware. The airline employees seem to have been given an all encompasing order of no one can fly without a passport regardless of where they live or their citizenship.

I am still waiting for the passports to arrive. I think Monday is 40 business days after they received my applications by courier.

 

[disneyfan2]

wow, sorry to hear, my CAA agent quote a law # saying we absolutley did not need the passport!!! this is something else. I am in the same boat, but my DD's do not have there birth certificate at all. I only have the slip saying that they did retain the birth certicate. When did you apply.

 

[highland3]

Yikes!!!

Were you flying to Toronto? Buffalo???

 

[excitedfamily]

I applied the 1st week of December.

I was flying to Vancouver through Dallas.

I am going to call the customer support line today to complain?? and to let them know that they should inform their employees of the rules pertaining to canadians returning to Canada.

The stupid thing is I read an article online at either ctv.ca or Canada.com earlier this week about how they were making it easy to return to Canada without a passport, especially for the snowbirds who may have entered the States before the rule was publicized or who didn't have time to get a passport before leaving Canada.

This new rule was introduced to protect the States. How is preventing Canadians from returning home a protective method. All the States needs are more illegal immigrants.

 

[mbb]

From Passport Canada:

Canadian entry requirements have not changed. If you are Canadian, you do not need a passport to enter or re-renter Canada.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a new American law that requires, for now, that all AIR travellers, including Canadians, carry a valid passport, or a Nexus Air Card when travelling to the United States from within the western hemisphere including Canada.

Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security requires that airlines demand that traveler present a valid passport, or a Nexus Air Card to board a plane.

The U.S. Government has assured Canada that it is not the intention of WHTI or APIS to prevent Canadians from returning to Canada.

Funny thing is, there's nothing that I can find on the DoHS that "assures" anything like that.

And that's where the problems arise..

Telling the airlines that it's *their* job to demand the passport, and "assuring" our politicians that the intention isn't to cause issues.

Airline employees are "just doing their jobs"...they aren't aware that CANADA hasn't changed their re-entry policies for Canadian citizens.

Our passports have always been the best proof of our citizenship We're proud to carry ours

Best of luck to anyone traveling in the next little while...

 

[runner26.2]

I think if this happens to me I'll just suggest the airline employee check DisBoards since all the answers are here

As the guy behind the OP said "what are they gonna do ... deport me?"

 

[OntFamily]

Not to stereotype, but this is a great example of workers assuming because it is a law in the USA, it is a law everywhere.

 

[Harvestdj]

No one is clarifying if the airline was American or Canadian. Some American carriers were requesting as much as a year ago that you have a passport to return to Canada. American carriers are subject to HUGH fines if they transport an illegal into our country. Canadian carriers being Canadian, are not subject to the same fines. The American carriers are not saying you cannot return to Canada without a passport, but without a passport, they are unwilling to take the chance of carrying an ellegal into our country. If you fly on an American Aircraft you are subject to their rules. Canadian carriers are much more lax. I speak from experience as I have travelled to the states a number of time in the last year on Alaska Airlines and they have been requiring passports to travel back to Canada for over a year.

 

[5boyz]

I find it easier and cheaper to fly out of Buffalo and Detroit...ok well except the long drive. You can still cross the borders without a passport until June of 2008.

 

[NHLFAN]

Go Canucks!

 

[afehrman]

I actually experienced a similar experience last Thursday at the Minneapolis-St.Paul airport. I checked in without an issue and went thru security no problem, however when boarding the plane the gate agent,employee of United (it was an air canada jazz flight to Toronto) would not allow me to board the plane without a passport, I had to disagree with him for a good 10 minutes that it was not a requirement for me to enter Canada before he checked with someone else, who assured him I could indeed board the plane with my drivers license and birth certificate. He was not very friendly about it when he returned to let me know I was right and could board the plane.