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Entering Canada as a US citizen
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Super-quick question. I'm a US citizen with no criminal record or anything like, and I'm going to be visiting Canada in July. The last time I went (several years ago), all I needed was my license and a birth certificate. I've been advised that a birth certificate is still adequate to get across the border into Canada, but that I'll now need a passport to get back into the United States. Is this accurate? I figured I should ask now so that I have time to get an (expedited) passport if I need it, but I'd really rather not pay the extra $rape if a birth cert is still fine.
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If you want to go home, take your passport. They may still be lax about Canadians entering the US without passports, but the US Customs/Immigration does not trust it's own citizens.
Edit: You probably won't be able to get the passport, expedited or otherwise before July. There's a huge backlog as the result of new laws requiring passports for travel to and from countries that never required them before (Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas were on the list among others).
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/jun/86241.htm
you still need to prove that you've applied for one, though.
I could have sworn that's why they aren't requiring Canadians to have passports to get into the US yet (our Passport system became massively overtaxed recently)
The current rule is that if you are flying to the states from Canada you need a passport. If you are drivinig, then a birth cert + valid government ID will be sufficient. At the end of 2k7 AFAIK it goes to passport for everything.
Now, you are in the states, so hopefully your passport system is not as strained as ours is up in canada. Just before the new rules took effect, people would line up at our passport office in our city for 8 hours and not get in that day. if you weren't in line by 6am, you weren't getting in. it was pretty bad.
It's not called being lax if you've opted not to require it in the first place. Having valid photo ID that establishes your home address, like a driver's license, will be enough. They've also recently changed the laws to allow Americans back into the USA without a passport. Which isn't even necessary at all if you're driving anyways.
But it's good to have a passport, so go get one. You never know when it'll be handy.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
It is better not to give advice at all when you don't know what's going on.
If you are driving, whether you are Canadian or American, you do not need a passport. They will likely request two pieces of ID though and they'll expect everyone in the car to have at least one piece of photo ID unless maybe if they're children.
If you are flying and are an American, you do not need a passport to enter Canada. Nor will you likely ever. You did need a passport to re-enter your own country by air though, until very recently. That requirement has been dropped for the time being and you may re-enter your country by air travel without a passport. But you'd better get one because you'll need it again soon.
If you are Canadian you will need a passport to enter the USA by air. They only made it easier for their own citizens because guess what we don't get to vote there anyways. You will not need a passport to re-enter Canada, by air or otherwise.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
No, you're wrong. Before you post in a thread, actually read it, and know a thing or two about what you're talking about.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
I actually worked at work on Saturday. Also I went out on a date with a real life girl.
Can you like, permanently break the forums?
uh, pheezer, he's somewhat right: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3254.html
WHTI is the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative," which basically mandates that U.S. citizens have passports in order to travel in and out of the U.S. the State Department is trying to have this go into effect for January 2008. regardless of whether government agencies get their act together fast enough, Jan 2008 is the stated goal.
for now, if you're a U.S. citizen returning from Canada or Mexico, determining if you are a U.S. citizen and can be granted entry is at the complete discretion of the wonderfully-intelligent Customs and Border Protections officials at the land border crossings/ports of entry. fortunately they let even XDR TB-carrying assholes into the U.S. without problem, so you should be good until 2008.
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I believe that if you don't have a passport, it's birth certificate + photo ID (like a driver's license).
True you don't need a physical passport but you now need proof that you've applied for it.
So it's...
1. Birth certificate
2. Valid ID
3. Proof of submitted passport application.
So, go ahead and apply but don't expedite it.
I didn't say he shouldn't apply for one. I said that it wasn't required. Which is exactly what your link says for travel by land or sea. And you can get in and out by air if you've submitted an application.
So a driver's license and a printout of your application is enough.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH