Will need passport to cross the US-Canada border in 2007-8.

[Tony Crocker]

My passport expired in May. I applied for renewal April 11, and for my younger son Andrew on April 16. We leave for Peru August 27. Should be enough time, but with some of these stories you never know.

Are the Homeland Security passport requirements reasonable? IMHO yes. But the passport bureaucracy needs to be competent enough to process the passports in a reasonable time. Same for the overseas visa applications.

 

[Admin]

Are the Homeland Security passport requirements reasonable? IMHO yes. But the passport bureaucracy needs to be competent enough to process the passports in a reasonable time. Same for the overseas visa applications.

My thoughts exactly.

As for the quoted articles, those are two of the worst examples of one-sided reporting that I've read in a while, particularly the one from the Star. But that shouldn't surprise me given their clear editorial and political agenda that they exhibit time and time again. Re-read that article, and show me where the balanced reporting is. It reads like an editorial, not like a news article.

 

[Patrick]

My passport expired in May. I applied for renewal April 11, and for my younger son Andrew on April 16. We leave for Peru August 27. Should be enough time, but with some of these stories you never know.

Are the Homeland Security passport requirements reasonable? IMHO yes. But the passport bureaucracy needs to be competent enough to process the passports in a reasonable time. Same for the overseas visa applications.

I can't speak of what is happening in the US, but I know that the Canadian Passport Office was extremely swamped earlier on this year and are still swamped. Although it took only two weeks to get my passport (I brought it in-person at the end of day before a long weekend in late May - so the wait wasn't to long (30 minutes). The wait around lunch was over 3 hours). I've read story of delays and the system being swamped (at the worst of the crunch - the office hours were extended on Saturdays). I've heard of some longer than extended delays on this side of the border, so don't take anything for granted. I brought my passport renewal 3 months ahead of a potential trip, to be safe, if you need a passport, I would bring it in as fast as possible and don't take anything for granted on the usual delays

There is one thing to talk about Passport Bureaucracy competency, but it's another if their political masters make a policies changes and underestimates the needs for extra resources due to the influx of demands.

Okay Marc, I choose the Star story because it was part of a newsblog (generally rightwing). This might not be making the news in Utah or California, but it is news here. I found the article from the National Post, which the editorial board is clearly right-wing.

U.S. may ease passport restrictions for visitors by land. (In today's National Post)

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story ... 0a&k=25095

I've selected a few quotes...

But the U.S. State Department is struggling to meet a sharp rise in demand for American passports and last week agreed to waive an existing rule requiring the document from Americans travelling to and from Canada by air this summer.
(...)

On average, the State Department says it now takes three months to deliver a passport to Americans, double the usual wait time.
But some applicants have faced much longer delays. The State Department expects to process 18 million new passports this year, up from 12 million in 2006.

Faced with the possibility that thousands of Americans would be forced to cancel summer vacations, Homeland Security announced it would allow U.S. travellers to return to the country by air if they presented border agents with a receipt showing they had applied for a passport.
But even that decision has caused chaos of a sort, because many travellers showed up at the airport with receipts only - not realizing they still needed either a birth certificate or driver's licence to gain entry to Canada.
(...)
The passport mess has caused alarm among Canadian and U.S. businesses that fear chaos on a much greater scale when the passport rule for land borders takes effect, because the sheer number of travellers is far greater.

"Even after they delayed the air rule, they were saying they were ready to go with the land rule in January," said Jennifer Morris, deputy director of the Canadian-American Business Council, a Washington-based lobbying group. "It is troubling because they have obviously had issues with air travel, and the land border is a much more complicated issue."
Canadian and U.S. firms support the principles of the WHTI but support delaying its implementation until the Bush administration proves it has the capacity to do it right.

So in short, if you need a passport...do it now. I can only imagine as the end of the year comes closer, Passport Offices on both side of the border are going to be extremely busy again.

 

[Geoff]

So in short, if you need a passport...do it now. I can only imagine as the end of the year comes closer, Passport Offices on both side of the border are going to be extremely busy again.

If you aren't traveling, the summer passport crush is the slowest time to apply-for or renew a passport.

 

[billski]

I've traveled back and forth all my life, starting when I was a baby and we lived smack on the border. Now that I have little muchkins, (er, not so little any more) there is one more thing other than a passport that you and your kids that you need.

If you are traveling as the lone parent with your child, you will need a notarized letter from your spouse giving permission for you to travel with your children and the valid dates. They have really cracked down on child abduction monitoring. Both my wife and I travel with one or more kids cross-border for fairly routine stuff, so it's second nature to prepare one of these letters. And yes, they always ask for it.

Contrast this to a friend of ours who was detained for hours at the border because the patrol couldn't reach his wife by phone.

 

[Patrick]

there is one more thing other than a passport that you and your kids that you need.

If you are traveling as the lone parent with your child, you will need a notarized letter from your spouse giving permission for you to travel with your children and the valid dates. They have really cracked down on child abduction monitoring.

Now you tell us!!!

Actually, I've crossed the border twice alone with oldest daughter this April.

The first time was for a trip to Whiteface on April 15th. Which became a bit of a nightmare (prior to the ski day - lucky here and at the end of the day).

Whiteface April 15th report

To make a long story short (I don't think I mentioned the first part). After 45 minutes of driving, I realized that I didn't have any ID for my daughter. I was 15 minutes from the US border and the border guard didn't ask for any ID or questions like that. An oversight on his part, like the one of me forgetting to get the ID from my wife that morning.

After a wonderful day (see report) we ended up having to drive toward Montreal instead of Ottawa because of the road closure and snowstorm. I got in trouble at the Canadian border. :x

After supper at Plattsburgh, we ended up waiting 40 minutes at the border, also got a second degree from the border guard because I didn?t have any ID for my daughter (I had forgotten for once).
8-[ :x

I almost lost it... "what were you thinking, crossing the border without papers" as she was shaking her head. "I forgot, you never forgot your wallet? You never made a mistake?" :x

"They let you enter the US like this?" Yes.

"Sorry, I've been driving in this storm for 5 hours, road-closures, hungry kid, etc". She answered back, I don't care, you can spend a few extra hours here...anyway, I got back on my way at driving 20-30MPH to Montreal in the deep snow covered road.

The following weekend, we went back to Whiteface with ID for my daughter. No problem, right? Crossed the US border, border guard asked for my daughter ID...up to Whiteface. Coming back, I hit the Canadian border ...after a discussion, I was asked if I had a letter from my daughter child? What, but we all live together and still married. Address on ID is the same and where coming back to Ontario?

Anyhow, before this April, I don't think I was ever asked for ID coming back to Canada. I had a mini argument with SuperNat coming back from MRG on this because she was getting her papers ready. "There don't asked you for ID when you come back", I said. Well they did. One week later, Lucky Luke and SuperNat were driving back from Whiteface together and Lucky had the same comment...well, they asked for IDs. He was surprised, as this was a first for him.

I don't even think they asked questioned when we came back from MRG with his son in January. I guess, they're starting cracking down on stuff like this, which is a good thing.

I have to give a call to an old University friend that works at a well traveled Quebec-Vermont border patrol. I haven't talked to him in a long time, I should get some stories. :lol:

Contrast this to a friend of ours who was detained for hours at the border because the patrol couldn't reach his wife by phone.

That's why I didn't want to piss the border patrol off. I think that the fact that I was coming back to Canada. I offered them to call my wife. She would have been home, it was late enough. Now the question, I have...how do they know they know that it's your wife speaking on the other end of the line? :?

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have run into the travel with one child issue, but only occasionally. It is interesting that it's perfectly OK for Adam to fly by himself to Vancouver at age 14 (with a passport) and I pick him up there to go to Whistler, yet a year later we fly to Calgary together and now they want a note from Mom.

In 2003 Mom and Andrew did an L.A. to Mexico cruise. I got a frantic phone call. They would not let Andrew board the ship without a letter from me. I finally persuaded them to let him on (it was a Sunday) but they insisted that I fax the cruise line a letter the next day or Andrew would not be allowed off the ship for port calls.

So needless to say I had a letter from Mom in 2004 (we were in process of divorce) when Andrew flew by himself to Rome, where we spent a couple of days and then did a Mediterranean cruise. Neither airline or cruise ship asked for the note.

If I were in Patrick's situation, I'd have a generic permission note stashed in the car.

 

[Patrick]

If I were in Patrick's situation, I'd have a generic permission note stashed in the car.

I'm thinking about it.

The funny party is that I've only crossed twice into the US alone with my daughter. US customs never asked for a note (as mentioned above, once they didn't ask for ID for my daughter - might have been on oversight on their part (lucky on our part )). Canadian custom asked me twice (although I'm coming back into Canada).

I'm intrigued, I'll have to ask Lucky's experience with crossing the border alone with his kids (not sure how often he's done it?).

 

[Tony Crocker]

http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-t ... rts20jun20

They were clearly unprepared for the increase from 12 million to 17 million per year. If you're one of the drive-across people who will need a passport in 2008, demand is expected to go up to 26 million, so I suggest you apply now.

 

[Patrick]

What I don't like about this story is that their apparently waiving the passport requirements for US citizen to re-enter the country. I'm not aware if Canada followed suit and requires a passport to come in the country. However I read this someone (maybe in one of the stories) is some of the US citizens were told that receipt of the passport will do for now, however you still need a passport to enter must other countries (they don't give a damn about Passport's fiascos of another country).

Some the system is overloaded with people waiting a passport to go to Canada or anticipating travelling...while so people NEED a passport soon to go to Europe, Asia, Africa or South America.

We leave for Peru August 27.

Planning any skiing in Peru? :mrgreen: I heard that the highest ski area in the World is no longer in operation (not sure). Yes, it's only a ropetow, but it would be a great addition to your collection of areas.

 

[Tony Crocker]

http://insurance.essentialtravel.co.uk/ ... altaya.htm

That "world's highest ski area" is in Bolivia, not Peru. It is of limited interest due to small size, decrepit facilities, and the fact that its season is November-March (our winter/their summer). It's also only 19 miles from La Paz and its glacier is melting.

Yes, the passport waiver with receipt is only for Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Peru and Chile definitely require passports.

 

[Patrick]

That "world's highest ski area" is in Bolivia, not Peru. It is of limited interest due to small size, decrepit facilities, and the fact that its season is November-March (our winter/their summer). It's also only 19 miles from La Paz and its glacier is melting.

Thanks, I got those mixed up. Still there is some snow in Peru and you can probably get some backcountry if you really really wanted. :lol: (adding another area and country to your list) :mrgreen:

Yes, the passport waiver with receipt is only for Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Peru and Chile definitely require passports.

About the waiver, you still need ID like a driver's license etc. to get into Canada. A waiver on it's own isn't enough (unfortunately, some people thought it was :roll: )

 

[Tony Crocker]

In Peru and Ecuador you're going to have to get up to 18,000-20,000 feet for skiing. Probably a 2 week commitment including acclimatization time, though for some people the week in Cuzco/Inca Trail at 10,000 to 14,000 might qualify. I did read somewhere about someone skiing the 19,384 foot Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador.