Margaret

My daughters are coming to U.S. to visit from Canada, in January. My
daughter is in a panic as she said she was told by her boyfriend's mom
that as of January 1, Canadians will require passports even travelling
into the U.S. Has anyone heard of this? I don't believe it's true.

Thanks

Rete

Don't know if it has been enacted yet, Margaret. Will try to find out for you. But yes, there has been talk that it will be a requirement at some point in the not too distant future. Canadian non-citizens will have to show their passports and Canadian residency cards which are now being manufactured instead of driver's licenses.

Will it be very difficult for the kids to obtain passports?

Rita

Rete

It always has been a law that Canadians must use passports to enter the US and USC must use passports to enter Canada. It is on the books but has not been enforced. It has been a courtesy given by both sides that allows you to enter either country with only photo id (driver's license) and a birth certificate if demanded.

Rita

Margaret

This is an odd situation. Please bear with me. My oldest daughter
who is panicked is in a common-law relationship where her and her
boyfriend have been careless with money and have found themselves
owing lots on credit. They both work. My husband and I paid for her
and her younger sister's airfare over in January. This is all we can
do for them as we have our own money situation to worry about. My
daughter was complaining that if she has to put out money for a
passport, then she's left with $5 U.S. to spend (exaggerating). The
younger one works and is a careful money manager. She originally
wanted to pay her whole flight. The oldest has had 3 months to save.
Even though we are paying for her flight, we are I guess you could say
in a way trying to accept some responsibility on her own as she was
told upfront that whatever costs there were, other than the airfare,
were to be looked after by her. She had agreed to this.

Hope I explained this o.k.


Rete wrote in message news:...
    > Originally posted by Rete
    > > Don't know if it has been enacted yet, Margaret. Will try to find out
    > > for you. But yes, there has been talk that it will be a requirement
    > > at some point in the not too distant future. Canadian non-citizens
    > > will have to show their passports and Canadian residency cards which
    > > are now being manufactured instead of driver's licenses.
    > >
    > > Will it be very difficult for the kids to obtain passports?
    > >
    > > Rita
    >
    > It always has been a law that Canadians must use passports to enter the
    > US and USC must use passports to enter Canada. It is on the books but
    > has not been enforced. It has been a courtesy given by both sides that
    > allows you to enter either country with only photo id (driver's license)
    > and a birth certificate if demanded.
    >
    > Rita

Rich Wales

"Rete" wrote:

> It always has been a law that Canadians must use passports
> to enter the US and USC must use passports to enter Canada.
> It is on the books but has not been enforced.

It really isn't a case of laws not being enforced. Rather, the
administrative regulations controlling immigration for both the
US and Canada contain exceptions which, generally speaking, allow
Americans and Canadians to cross the border as visitors without
passports.

References:
US: 8 CFR 212.1(a)
Canada: Immigration Regulations (1978), 14(4)(a)

These regulations could, of course -- at least in theory -- be
changed at any time by either the US or Canada.

And it might also be worth noting that the actual statutes (acts
of the US Congress and the Canadian Parliament) are worded in a
sufficiently general manner as to permit the regulations not to
demand passports. That is, this is NOT a case of the regulations
contradicting the applicable statutes.

Rich Wales [email protected] http://www.richw.org/dualcit/
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, professional immigration consultant,
or consular officer. My comments are for discussion purposes only and
are not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice.

The Princess

Having just returned from Canada, as of Dec 26, 2002, a passport was
not required when I was getting my boarding passes from the airline
check-in counter nor was it specifically asked for by the US Customs
agents. The only ID I needed was a government issued picture ID such
as my driver's license.

I brought my passport along with me anyway, but I saw others using
their driver's licenses.

Hope that helps.

[email protected] (Rich Wales) wrote in message news:...
    > "Rete" wrote:
    >
    > > It always has been a law that Canadians must use passports
    > > to enter the US and USC must use passports to enter Canada.
    > > It is on the books but has not been enforced.
    >
    > It really isn't a case of laws not being enforced. Rather, the
    > administrative regulations controlling immigration for both the
    > US and Canada contain exceptions which, generally speaking, allow
    > Americans and Canadians to cross the border as visitors without
    > passports.
    >
    > References:
    > US: 8 CFR 212.1(a)
    > Canada: Immigration Regulations (1978), 14(4)(a)
    >
    > These regulations could, of course -- at least in theory -- be
    > changed at any time by either the US or Canada.
    >
    > And it might also be worth noting that the actual statutes (acts
    > of the US Congress and the Canadian Parliament) are worded in a
    > sufficiently general manner as to permit the regulations not to
    > demand passports. That is, this is NOT a case of the regulations
    > contradicting the applicable statutes.
    >
    > Rich Wales [email protected] http://www.richw.org/dualcit/
    > *DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, professional immigration consultant,
    > or consular officer. My comments are for discussion purposes only and
    > are not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice.

Margaret

Thanks all.

My daughter does not drive so I had asked the travel agent who I dealt
with on what other government issued I.D. was acceptable and he told
me the Ontario health insurance card was sufficient along with the
birth certificate.

I have no idea where the daughter's boyfriend's mom got this info that
as of January 1, all Canadians will require passports travelling into
the U.S.

Rich Wales

"Margaret" wrote:

> My daughter does not drive so I had asked the travel agent
> who I dealt with on what other government issued I.D. was
> acceptable and he told me the Ontario health insurance card
> was sufficient along with the birth certificate.

I assume this would be true only if it's one of the newer, green
Ontario health cards with a photo. I can't imagine that an older,
red and white OHIP card (without any photo) -- even if it's still
valid for health care purposes -- could possibly be considered an
acceptable ID at the border.

More info on Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) ID cards, for
whoever might be curious, is available online at:

http://www.gov.on.ca/MOH/english/pro...p/ohip_mn.html

Rich Wales [email protected] http://www.richw.org/dualcit/
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, professional immigration consultant,
or consular officer. My comments are for discussion purposes only and
are not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice.

Margaret

My daughter has the newer Ontario health insurance card with the
photo. I had also asked the travel agent if the "Age of Marjority"
photo card would also be acceptable and his response to that was yes.
Anything that is government issued photo ID is accepted. I can
understand the older red and white cards not being valid.


[email protected] (Rich Wales) wrote in message news:...
    > "Margaret" wrote:
    >
    > > My daughter does not drive so I had asked the travel agent
    > > who I dealt with on what other government issued I.D. was
    > > acceptable and he told me the Ontario health insurance card
    > > was sufficient along with the birth certificate.
    >
    > I assume this would be true only if it's one of the newer, green
    > Ontario health cards with a photo. I can't imagine that an older,
    > red and white OHIP card (without any photo) -- even if it's still
    > valid for health care purposes -- could possibly be considered an
    > acceptable ID at the border.
    >
    > More info on Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) ID cards, for
    > whoever might be curious, is available online at:
    >
    > http://www.gov.on.ca/MOH/english/pro...p/ohip_mn.html
    >
    > Rich Wales [email protected] http://www.richw.org/dualcit/
    > *DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, professional immigration consultant,
    > or consular officer. My comments are for discussion purposes only and
    > are not intended to be relied upon as legal or professional advice.