jis
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Passport CARD Okay On Maple Leaf?
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BCL
Engineer
That's the case for entry to pretty much any country.
If one is returning to the US, there's never a legal case for denying reentry to a US citizen or permanent resident. But they're mostly checking for proper identity and trying to determine if someone has brought in contraband. Ironically this is one item that can result in big fines for attempting to smuggle into the US.
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/tourists-detained-on-way-home-from-vancouver-after-discovering-kinder-surprise-eggs-are-illegal-in-u-s
The article is wrong though. The company that makes them is Italian.
jis
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But remember in the early days of Trump regime certain permanent residents were denied entry for a short while. If a country chooses be capricious, including the US, there is very little recourse immediately at the border.
BCL
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Come to think of it, I've heard of some US passport holders who were denied entry on the rationale that they weren't US citizens based on the possibility of fraudulent birth records. It apparently got really tricky because some parents would get fraudulent birth certificates of Mexican birth so they could send their US born kids to public school in Mexico.
https://www.vox.com/2018/8/30/17800410/trump-passport-birth-certificate-hispanic-denial-citizens
Right of a citizen is different than that of a permanent resident. There are also cases where naturalization can be revoked based on fraudulent immigration application information. That has happened with a couple of ex **** war criminals. A natural born citizen can not have their citizenship revoked involuntarily, that is covered under the 14th Amendment.
jis
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But it is a birth certificate that proves natural bornness. If that is claimed to be fake capriciously then even a truly natural born person can have citizenship rights taken away involuntarily, 14th Amendment or not.
BCL
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That's the problem - especially in Texas. Apparently massive fraud in the border region where licensed midwives (and even a few doctors) would attest to a Texas birth for a baby who was actually born in Mexico. And it got really nasty because they actually attended births in Texas and it's near impossible to determine if a record was accurate. Some with Texas birth certificates have even gone into deportation proceedings.
Previously the issue was that the State Dept might not issue passports on the premise that they had to prove with supplemental documentation (such as early hospital records or school records) that they were in the US at an early age. But more recently they've been looking at those who even had US passports with suspicion and have subjecting some to deportation proceedings. And I have heard of at least one case where a guy was adamant that he was born in the US, but in court his mother admitted that he wasn't. She had a Texas midwife sign off on a birth record that he was born in Texas.
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While it is true that Canada will deny admission on the basis of prior criminal record, my experience is that they are much more reasonable in general than US immigration officials. I've crossed the border frequently, and the few times I've had an issue, it's always been on the US side. Here's one example: not long after you could no longer cross the Canadian border with just a driver's license, but you could use a birth certificate as well as a passport to prove citizenship, I had occasion to enter Canada from Washington state. I had to set off around 4 am to get to the meeting I was going to in Vancouver, and stupidly left my passport sitting on my desk at home. I didn't realize it till I was nearly to the border, so I thought there was no point in going back and missing the meeting--I'll just try my luck. I fessed up right away to the Canadian officials, who looked at my various government-issued IDs in my wallet and said, "You're good to go, but next time, be sure to have the proper documents when you come."
Fearing that coming home to the US might not be that easy, I had my husband scan the face pages of my passport and my birth certificate and fax them to the place where my meeting had occurred. Armed with these fax versions, I tried my luck at the US border. Just as before, I immediately fessed up and admitted that I'd forgotten to bring my passport. Long story short, my car was torn apart, I got a very intense patdown search, and the customs official told me that I could not be admitted to the US, and that I would be in detention until I arranged to produce a valid passport. Failing that, he said, I would never be let into the US again. Well, that didn't seem right--after all, without landed immigrant status in Canada, at some point they would want to deport me. And the US and Canada are both parties to a compact that ensures the deportees will not be refused admission.
In the end, after telling me that they were arranging my jailing and to sit tight, some supervisory type arrived on the scene and told me I was free to go, but that they had made a record of my misconduct and that it was possible that my passport could be revoked.
It never was. I suspect that it was a slow day in border-land and somebody needed to prove who was boss to somebody.
Fearing that coming home to the US might not be that easy, I had my husband scan the face pages of my passport and my birth certificate and fax them to the place where my meeting had occurred. Armed with these fax versions, I tried my luck at the US border. Just as before, I immediately fessed up and admitted that I'd forgotten to bring my passport. Long story short, my car was torn apart, I got a very intense patdown search, and the customs official told me that I could not be admitted to the US, and that I would be in detention until I arranged to produce a valid passport. Failing that, he said, I would never be let into the US again. Well, that didn't seem right--after all, without landed immigrant status in Canada, at some point they would want to deport me. And the US and Canada are both parties to a compact that ensures the deportees will not be refused admission.
In the end, after telling me that they were arranging my jailing and to sit tight, some supervisory type arrived on the scene and told me I was free to go, but that they had made a record of my misconduct and that it was possible that my passport could be revoked.
It never was. I suspect that it was a slow day in border-land and somebody needed to prove who was boss to somebody.
caravanman
Engineer
A few years back I flew to Canada from the UK. Yes, of course I rode the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver, why else would one go... 
Despite having paid online and obtained an ESTA for entry into USA, I was told at the border by US officials that I had to pay again, my online ESTA was not valid for a land crossing into the States!
No idea if this was correct, one just says "yes sir, no sir, whatever... sir" !
Ed
Despite having paid online and obtained an ESTA for entry into USA, I was told at the border by US officials that I had to pay again, my online ESTA was not valid for a land crossing into the States!
No idea if this was correct, one just says "yes sir, no sir, whatever... sir" !
Ed
BCL
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Isn't that $7?A few years back I flew to Canada from the UK. Yes, of course I rode the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver, why else would one go...
Despite having paid online and obtained an ESTA for entry into USA, I was told at the border by US officials that I had to pay again, my online ESTA was not valid for a land crossing into the States!
No idea if this was correct, one just says "yes sir, no sir, whatever... sir" !
Ed
Sorry - I was looking up the cost for Canada and missed that it was about a US travel authorization.
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First hand experience in 2017. I never had a passport before, and needed one to enter Canada (last time I went to Canada it wasn't required). So I jumped through all the US government's obstacle courses enroute to getting a passport and actually had mine about 10 months later. You really have to cross ever y T and dot every i, or it will be rejected and you'll have to resubmit from the back of the line. This happened twice for me. The plastic wallet US passport card, photo ID, I received on the third try is all you need to enter Canada and re-enter the US by train, bus, foot, car.
It was explained to me that if I only wanted to travel from the US to Canada and back -- not by air -- that the wallet card would suffice. Travel involving any other country (see possible exception, below) requiring non-land transportation I would need the more expensive book. Since I never fly, I opted for the less expensive card. It's good for 10 years from issue date.
The passport card was also good for land travel to/from Mexico as of May 2017. I hope it still is, but can't personally vouch for that given current political hyperbole.
caravanman
Engineer
The cost of an ESTA to enter the US is $14. It is only a travel permit, the final say is with the immigration folk when one arrives, just like any regular visa I guess. I was just surprised that they insisted I pay the $14 again to enter by land.
I didn't need any visa at all, last time I flew to Canada, but in future I would need a $7 CAD e-visa to arrive by plane. No e-visa required to arrive by train, just the passport.
Good value, an e-visa to India costs me $100 US each time!
Ed.
That card is a cute item and should work in most cases that it's intend for. That being said, its completely worthless in some situations that for God only knows pop up on a trip. Going through customs in Canada, along with proper credentials, good behaviour is a must.
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Not if you are a US citizen entering Canada from the US. The US Passport suffices. You may be asked additional questions at the discretion of border agents tho.
jis
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As long as you do not plan to stay for more than 180 days, or work etc. In all such cases you do need a visa, so Dutch’s statement is accurate even for US citizens.
Maverickstation
Lead Service Attendant
All things considered, a traditional Passport Book remains the best document to have if you travel to and from Canada on a regular basis. I say this in part as you have to have the Passport book to fly, and you never know when an emergency could arise where you want to get back stateside fast.
The number of your book is required when booking a flight, but as someone who travels often between Boston Logan and Toronto City Airport, I have never had any custom issues other than very standard questions.
Ken
The number of your book is required when booking a flight, but as someone who travels often between Boston Logan and Toronto City Airport, I have never had any custom issues other than very standard questions.
Ken
crescent-zephyr
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The card is very handy for me. I keep it in my wallet so it’s one less thing for me to lose when traveling. In most of the cases where I travel the passport card works (arriving by vehicle to Canada, cruise ships, trains). I travel with my passport in a separate passport wallet that I keep in my carry-on luggage along with another credit card. This way if I lose my wallet when travelling, I have ID and a method of payment.
If you’re only going to get one, the book makes the most sense. But I really like having both.
BCL
Engineer
Given that it's only an additional $30 (was $20 when I got mine) and expires in 10 years, it's an excellent value even if someone already has a passport book. Right now many states are dealing with RealID issues and it's also a pretty cheap hedge against problems. I've used mine for everything from employment verification (didn't need anything else) to buying a drink.
jis
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In my thinking these days it is most prudent to carry a proof of citizenship in your pocket even while traveling within the US, unless you your skin color meets certain requirements. The Passport Card is convenient for that as does the Global Entry or similar cards (e.g. Nexus). The Passport Card is the cheaper than most other choices available, specially in states that do not provide a Driver's License that is equivalent to a Passport Card.
BCL
Engineer
I still don't understand why California hasn't implemented the enhanced driver license/ID. Texas was supposed to but their Governor blocked it back in 2008 even though he signed the law that said the state was to implement them. He cited the availability of passport cards as the reason why they wouldn't be necessary.
NW cannonball
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Don't forget what has been discussed here before several times. "Border" agents claim jurisdiction for a few hundred miles from the border, and also from all international airports. It is possible, but not likely, that a citizen of the US could be detained and deported from, say, Cincinnati, or Saint Louis, or Kansas City.
I always used to secretly snicker when the Border Patrol walked the aisles of the Empire Builder asking "are you a citizen". I figured they liked their north border job, and did what they could to show they did "something" useful and not get transferred to the hellish hot southern border.
I like the Schengen thing. I like that within the USA I can go anywhere without a passport. (If my face isn't brown and I speak perfect Minnesota English) and I don't go too near the southern border.
I always used to secretly snicker when the Border Patrol walked the aisles of the Empire Builder asking "are you a citizen". I figured they liked their north border job, and did what they could to show they did "something" useful and not get transferred to the hellish hot southern border.
I like the Schengen thing. I like that within the USA I can go anywhere without a passport. (If my face isn't brown and I speak perfect Minnesota English) and I don't go too near the southern border.
Devil's Advocate
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A passport doesn't guarantee anything. Even a visa doesn't guarantee anything. Actual entry remains at the discretion of the duty officer and his/her superiors. Therefore, there is no limit to the number and type of documents that may be required for admission.
This is incorrect. You can book an international flight without a passport or even any indentification at all. You won't be able to secure a valid boarding pass, but you can book as many international flights as you like, with or without a valid passport. In fact booking an international flight a week or two before departure is an easy way to qualify for same day service with the State Department. Otherwise you might be waiting months to receive your passport even if you pay the rush service fees.
Maverickstation
Lead Service Attendant
When we book our regular flights to and from Toronto, Porter Airlines requires your passport information when you make your flight reservation. but before you pay.
Your asked to confirm the information again, before you print your boarding passes.
Ken
That may be as a result of the implementation by TSA of "Secure Flight" as relates to international travel. The rules have gotten tighter over time..They are looking for lists at 72 hours. Some airlines (as an example, Southwest -no, Porter - yes) are looking for it up front, but it is not a government mandate, they will accept information from airlines later, walk ups still exist
The State Dept now says that in order to get a "72 hour or less passport" you need proof of a life or death emergency in addition to your international itinerary. Probably looking to cut down on the number of folks trying to game the system.
The State Dept now says that in order to get a "72 hour or less passport" you need proof of a life or death emergency in addition to your international itinerary. Probably looking to cut down on the number of folks trying to game the system.
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Devil's Advocate
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Sounds like a Porter Airlines requirement rather than a US government regulation. I suppose it could be a Canadian requirement as well. After Canadian immigration gave me the third degree about trying to marry a Canadian (sorry, I don't believe in marriage) or make use of their healthcare system (been insured my entire life) or find a job (already have one, thank you) I promptly removed them from my future tourist list. Since then I've heard many similar stories from people I trust. A few years later I was connecting in YVR and even though I was never setting foot outside the connecting gate I had to go through the whole rigmarole all over again.
It's not gaming the system if you actually board the flight you referenced. If you need a passport for a trip two or three months out there is no dependable option other than simply waiting until you get within two weeks of departure and handling it in person. That's not my doing, that's the State Department's broken passport service system, and if you have a problem with your experience good luck trying to find someone willing and able to talk about it. When I did things the "right way" it took four months for me to receive a passport in the conventional manner and another seven months to get my rush fees refunded. The carryover from my last passport was never added to my new one. Attempting to communicate any of my issues with anyone who cared was nigh impossible. Screw that noise.
