Hurlabrick

Made CTV news.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/canadian-told-he-can-t-board-flight-home-from-jamaica-because-of-rule-he-didn-t-know-existed-1.4822598

Tough on people if they don't know!

Former Lancastrian

Well its not like its a brand new rule (2016) and that the information isn't available on numerous websites. Sort of like people who are PR's travelling without PR cards. Before booking flights did they bother to check the current regulations? They booked with Air Canada well surprise its not like they don't have that information on their website

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...documents.html

OK so he has done it before but hey many years ago you didn't need a passport to fly to certain countries so can I use that as an excuse? Again another story which is one sided but no mention of their personal responsibilities and granted if it was just him yes I would have more sympathy but his daughter looks capable enough of looking into this.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/canadian-...sted-1.4822598

OK I will go and have my 1st cup of coffee

Grimnorth

Soon after being made citizens, we had to travel back to the UK.

We left using our Canadian passports, proud new citizens.

Got to Gatwick and saw the international queue and the empty biometric gates and immediately became proud Brits again.

When we returned to Halifax the CBSA officer inspected our once again proud Canadian passports, looking for evidence of landing abroad.

Having not found a corresponding landing stamp, she looked up and said, "you saw the queues in the UK and used your UK passports didn't you"

In a child like haze I said "esss officer"

She then let us know her husband was from the UK and when they had gone back he had done exactly the same leaving her and the kids to go through international. I never asked what his fate was.

DigitalGhost

Well to be fair, why wouldn't you? Especially if you had your UK passport on you. It would make boarding a flight to the UK easier as well. IMHO it's only going to be a matter of time until the UK follows Australia, the US and Canada and requires all citizens to enter on their UK passport anyway since the UK is introducing it's own eTA system next year.

I'd wager most people on here who have and routinely renew both passports likely only use their Canadian one for Canada and the US. Canadian citizenship offers pretty much zero advantage over British once you leave those two countries.

Hurlabrick

Aaaahh! I am Canadian, my wife a Brit. When we go back to the UK, we do the same, BUT the UK border guys told us that it is fine for me to go through the UK only line as long as it is with my wife, so actually, no need to separate!

DigitalGhost

Lucky you. My previous partner had UK ILR and I was always forced to go through the 'other passports' section if I wanted to go through with her. I haven't actually tried it with my current partner who has a less 'favourable' nationality.

In any case it shouldn't be an issue now anyway for you since Canadians are on the e-gate whitelist in the UK.

Hurlabrick

Huh? Wazzat?

DigitalGhost

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-the-uk-border

DigitalGhost

Interesting that they hooked that up so quickly. Aren't you supposed to apply for an ESTA at least 48 hours in advance of travel to the US?

catweazle

DigitalGhost, maybe he already had a valid ESTA on that passport?

The elderly gentleman's British passport (shown in the article) does not have the words "European Union" on its cover. Meaning it has been issued within the last year. What an interesting decision for a Canadian living in Canada - applying for a British passport and using it as the sole travel document.

Gozit

How long ago was this? I've never had a CBSA officer look through my Canadian passport for entry stamps. A lot of places (including the UK now that Canadians can go through the eGates) don't stamp Canadian passports.

Besides, there's nothing illegal about dual citizenship in Canada so if asked i'd just pull out my Maltese passport.

Gozit

Agreed. In general if you are going to maintain 2 citizenships you should keep both passports valid just in case regulations change - like this one.

Agree with FL - the regulation has been in place for almost 5 years now, people need to read up and know the rules. But if they were sensible and just had both passports valid and on them at all times while travelling then it wouldn't be an issue.

DigitalGhost

I think it's just more that the UK has a reputation for insane waiting times at international airports these days, especially LHR, LGW and MAN. That's one of the reasons why they expanded eGate use beyond the EU to a small number of other low risk nationalities. Two years ago wait times of 2.5 hours were acknowledged for non-EU passport holders at Heathrow.

scrubbedexpat091

I like how she places all the blame on the airline, and who travels without sufficient medications in event of a delay? I always travel with at least 1 week extra of medication.

Glad I only have to fuss with 1 passport...

cheeky_monkey

if you fly BA terminal 5 ..is the best terminal in the world no queues easy to get in and out if arriving and departing.