Passport ????

GRH · May 23, 2009

When do you need them to cross over by land. Is it June 1st? Any Idea if the card is faster to get than the passport. I have my passport but my Dad needs to get his and we are heading up june 13th. Thanks

Hoffer · May 23, 2009

I dont know which is faster...but I applied for my card on april 14th and just got my card about 2 days ago...so better hurry!

i did mine at the DMV and my brother did his at the post office in his smaller town...my brother got his almost 2 weeks before I got mine.

benelli_dude2002 · May 24, 2009

I was told that it would 4-6 weeks to get a passport card. May vary a bit depending on how many are in process. kids under 16 can still get across with just their birth certificate. But yes June 1st is when you are required to have them to get back into the U.S

OIF_Veteran_21B · May 24, 2009

I got the card and the passport. I went through the post office. Had them within two weeks of applying at the post office. Got them both on the same day in two different envelopes.

BobT · May 25, 2009

Good luck getting it by June 13th now. It can take a few weeks under normal circumstances but with the law change taking effect in one week I'd say they are backed up even further than normal. I'd still try though. You just might get lucky. Remember, the problem won't be getting into Canada. The problem will be getting back into the US.

harvey lee · May 25, 2009

Times really vary by amount of applications in at the time yours hits. A year ago I waited for 4 months.

SimilarIsland · May 25, 2009

I talked to an outfitter about a member of our group who will be unable to get his passport because of "issues". His response was similar to this, which I found posted on another sight:

______________________________________________________________

Returning from Canada gets tougher June 1

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection say they will be ready on June 1, the day the United States fully implements the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

By: Peter Passi, Duluth News Tribune

As of June 1, you’d better pack a U.S. passport or passport card if you’re planning a trip to Canada.

The new border rules originally had been scheduled to take effect in January 2008, but they were delayed to give people more time to come into compliance.

Don’t count on a second reprieve.

“We expect full implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative to occur June 1. It’s not going to be delayed again,” said Joanne Ferreira, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Anyone who has travel plans to Canada in the early part of June and who hasn’t already applied for proper documentation could face problems. Obtaining a passport currently requires four to six weeks of lead time. Expedited service is available for a charge, but even this option currently takes two to three weeks.

“The biggest issue is with people making short-term bookings. You won’t be able to do that anymore without a passport,” said Gerry Cariou, executive director of the Northwest Ontario Sunset Country Travel Association.

While he anticipates some short-term travel hiccups, Cariou said, “We don’t expect any significant long-term impact.”

Cariou and others in the Canadian tourism market have a lot riding on Minnesotans clearing the border with minimum difficulty.

“Any time you put up a barrier to travel, that’s a concern,” said Cariou. “Minnesota is our No. 1 source of tourists, so obviously we want a very smooth-operating system.”

A U.S. passport costs $100, is good for 10 years and allows the bearer to travel by land, water or air.

The newly created passport card costs $45 and remains valid for 10 years, but is good only for ground travel.

Some states also are set up to issue special chip-embedded driver’s licenses that can be used to cross the Canadian border. Minnesota does not yet offer this option, but a bill introduced by Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, would make such a license available to residents in the future at an additional charge of $15.

Ferreira said four states currently offer these enhanced licenses: Michigan, Washington, New York and Vermont.

Patrizia Giolti, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Border Service Agency, said U.S. citizens will not be turned back at the Canadian border for lack of passports or passport cards as long as they can produce other sufficient forms of identification.

“Our policy has not changed,” Giolti said. “A passport is still the best tool, but we do look at other forms of ID, too.”

The harder part could be for U.S. citizens lacking proper passport or passport cards to return home from Canada.

Ferreira said American border agents will try to be “flexible.” She said Americans trying to re-enter their home country without proper documents will not be turned away as long as their citizenship can be confirmed. But delays should be anticipated in such cases as agents work to verify citizenship.Lisa Sticca, chairwoman of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, said she used to see more U.S. license plates in Thunder Bay parking lots. “We used to have lots of people coming up to enjoy the outdoors, to go fishing or to go shopping,” she said. “We don’t see that happening as much any more.”

But Sticca doubts border issues are to blame for decreased tourism activity from the U.S. She suspects the economy has played a larger role.

__________________________________________________________

kodiac1 · May 25, 2009

Frankly, your dad is really cutting it close and I would hate to rely on getting the passport card in time for your trip, but you can try it. One outlet you do have is to use an "expedited passport service", these work and can get you a passport in less than a week, but obviously that costs money. The cheapest expedited rate is $99 and that gets you a passport in 10 business days (as I recall). For $199 you can get it much faster--but that fee does NOT include the passport fee, which is (I forget)somewhere around $140 or so, so it's pricey. But it works. If you want to go that route, go on "google" and type in "expedited passport service" and you will see a bunch of services come up--but whether you try to get the card or the expedited passport, you need to do it right now.

computerboy · May 26, 2009

There's no real difference in turn around time for the card vs. a standard passport. Either way, he'll definitely need to do expedited processing (and it still may not make it in time). However, all may not be lost. There are going to be thousands of U.S. citizen crossing into Canada and Mexico on June 1st who will have no idea they need a passport. While they may get a stern lecture upon their return, it's highly unlikely that they are going to be denied admission back in the U.S. because they don't have a passport. If your dad has copies of his passport application and receipts for passport fees, he'll at least has proof that he's done his part.

Now, here's where it may get complicated. Border agents from Mexico and Canada may be instructed to deny entry to U.S. citizens who do not have their passports. If that happens, then your dad is going to be out of luck when he gets to the border. Just plan for the worst and hope for the best. Make sure he applies for his passport and makes copies, and have a contingency plan in place in case he is denied entry into Canada.

Good luck!

Outfitter17 · May 26, 2009

Where did you get info that canadian officials may have been instructed to deny US citizens if they don't have passports? I check at the CA customs about a week ago, because I read that rumor on another fishing site. The 2 officers that I talked to said that was completly false. For getting into Canada by vehicle you just need to show proper ID, Drivers lic, birthcert., passport, etc. They told me they don't require a passport to get into their country, so why would they turn people away who don't have one? Besides the officers also stated that US born citizen's have to be admitted back to their home country, they cannot be denied entry.

On a second note, the US customs in I. Falls said as long as you can provide proof a citizenship when crossing back you will be fine. They stated that they want to make this transition as smooth as possible and those without passports they will inform them that they need to get them to comply with the new rules.

Regarding expiditing them to try to get it before your fishing trip on June 13, I would just fill out the normal paperwork (save the money) and send it in, but also carry a receipt that shows you paid and the paperwork is processing and you will be just fine.

computerboy · May 26, 2009

I didn't hear that or read it anywhere, and I didn't say U.S. citizens would be denied entry into Canada if they didn't have passports. What I said in my post was that Canadian/Mexican border agents MAY be instructed to deny entry to U.S. citizens that don't have passports. If I were a Canadian border agent on/after June 1st and a U.S. citizen attempted to cross the border without a passport, I would at least ask them how they plan to get back into the U.S. knowing full well that they need a passport to get back in.

I highly doubt U.S. customs is going to deny someone entry who is clearly a U.S. citizen and can prove that they have applied for a passport. It is also unlikely that Canadian customs is going to deny entry to U.S. citizens that don't have passports. However, no one can guarantee what either side is going to do (or be instructed to do) come June 1st. What I do know is that on June 1st, 2009 the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is going to be implemented. If you don't have a passport on/after that date, don't expect to be able to cross the border on either side of the line.

Good luck!

Outfitter17 · May 26, 2009

Computerboy,

Why would you post: (If you don't have a passport on/after that date, don't expect to be able to cross the border on either side of the line.) when you started you post by saying: (I didn't hear that or read it anywhere, and I didn't say U.S. citizens would be denied entry into Canada if they didn't have passports.)

If you havn't called to check with the border officials why would you post an opinion that's not true, when I posted that I talked to both US and CA Customs within the past few weeks and the CA customs said not having a passport wasn't and issue because their law states all you need is a legal form of ID and the US customs can't turn you away if you are a US born citizen, plus they said they want to make it a smooth transition, so they are going to inform those that don't have a passport that they need to get one to comply with the new laws, but again they have to let you return to your home country - it's the law.

I think you may be confusing some people with your posts the way you have them worded.

computerboy · May 26, 2009

My apologies for any confusion Outfitter, that certainly isn't my intent. What I am trying to clearly explain is that on June 1st, 2009 the law changes here in the U.S. regarding land/sea border crossings. On that day, all U.S citizens crossing over a land/sea border are required to have one of the following DHS approved documents in order to enter/re-enter the United States: