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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | With the new law coming out in june that you now have to have a passport for reentry back into the U.S i have a question. If i am leavin the states going into canada by land then coming back into the states by land which form of identification do i need, a passport card or a passport? I was wantin to know cause the passport card is about half the price of the passport. Thanks for any info guys! |
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Location: Sun Prairie, WI | muskie_man - 4/25/2009 4:59 PM With the new law coming out in june that you now have to have a passport for reentry back into the U.S i have a question. If i am leavin the states going into canada by land then coming back into the states by land which form of identification do i need, a passport card or a passport? I was wantin to know cause the passport card is about half the price of the passport. Thanks for any info guys! You can use either. I got the passport card. The passport card allows you everything a regular passport book does except you can't travel by air with it. For air travel, you'll need the passport book. With the passport card, you can travel by land or sea (sea travel to US territories in the Carribean, etc), just not air. This link explains things, but I've summed it up for you. http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html |
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | Thanks man! Thats what i was lookin for! |
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Posts: 1270
| I just applied for my passport card but this does beg one question. If you don't have a passport is US Customs really not going to let a US citizen back into the country? |
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Posts: 1529
| oh my god. that means if your refused entry back. all the new canadians will drink our beer factories dry. . im running out right now to stock up EH |
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Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | All of these questions over the last few years of whether you need or not need a passport?!?!?! Just get the regular passport and be done with it. "Be prepared" to travel to an fro anywhere, anytime, by land by sky, whatever. For the cost of a cheap musky rod, just get the passport, and set your mind at ease. I have wasted much money on unused fishing tackle, but IMO, the money spent on a passport was wisely used. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Agreed Johnnie!!
Wife and I had our passports last year....could not have been any smoother going through and coming home. Still had the traditional boat check coming back to the states, but I have never had any problem with that whatsoever...it's being done for my safety, and if that is what they do, that is what they do. I'm delayed 5 minutes to untie a corner so they can look under and see what is there.
Get the passport...then, if and when you get the chance to go abroad other than Canada, you are all set. Good for 10 years.
Steve |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I deal with Passports and Visas everyday at work. If you have a Passport Card, that is all you will need. The Passport Card was made specifically for travellers who go by land between Canada/Mexico with frequency. It's a lot easier to carry around the small card vs. you actual Passport. Currently you can enter/exit Canada via land with just your drivers license and an official copy of your birth certificate. Come June 1st the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) goes into effect and then you will be required to have a Passport Card or regular Passport to enter/exit Canada via land/sea. Keep in mind that is already required you need a regular Passport if you are travelling outside the U.S. (including Canada, Mexico, Caribbean) via air. There are no exceptions to this rule. You will not be allowed to enter the US without it.
While this doesn't apply to Canada, one of the most common Passport/Visa issue's we come across is a person who has a Passport that will be expiring within six months of the day of travel. Most countries will not let you get a Visa if your Passport expires within the six months.
If any one here on MuskieFirst ever has any travel related questions please feel free to send me a PM or email at [email protected]. I am a Supervisor for American Express Global Assist and we help all our card members who have travel related emergencies. We can trouble shoot anything. I would be more than happy to help any of you out. |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I deal with Passports and Visas everyday at work. If you have a Passport Card, that is all you will need. The Passport Card was made specifically for travellers who go by land between Canada/Mexico with frequency. It's a lot easier to carry around the small card vs. you actual Passport. Currently you can enter/exit Canada via land with just your drivers license and an official copy of your birth certificate. Come June 1st the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) goes into effect and then you will be required to have a Passport Card or regular Passport to enter/exit Canada via land/sea. Keep in mind that is already required you need a regular Passport if you are travelling outside the U.S. (including Canada, Mexico, Caribbean) via air. There are no exceptions to this rule. You will not be allowed to enter the US without it.
While this doesn't apply to Canada, one of the most common Passport/Visa issue's we come across is a person who has a Passport that will be expiring within six months of the day of travel. Most countries will not let you get a Visa if your Passport expires within the six months.
If any one here on MuskieFirst ever has any travel related questions please feel free to send me a PM or email at [email protected].
I am a Supervisor for American Express Global Assist and we help all our card members who have travel related emergencies. We can trouble shoot anything. I would be more than happy to help any of you out personally outside of work. Of course, if you have an AMEX card you can call Global Assist at 1-800-333-2639 too. Here are a couple excellent links below.
Most current Foreign Entry Requirements: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html
All US Embassy's/Consulates:
http://www.usembassy.gov/
Innoculation Information:
http://www.cdc.gov/
Foreign Currency Conversions:
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic
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Posts: 1270
| Medic, Thanks for the info. Are you saying that US Customs will actually keep a US citizen from getting back in to the USA if they don't have a passport? |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Reelman, you are correct. Immigration and Naturalization will detain you if you do not have a valid Passport. You then have to go through the process of entering the US as an undocumented citizen. You are then at the mercy of the government pace of processing you. It may take a few days since you have have copies of your documents sent to them. They usually require tax statements, payroll stubs, birth certificate, etc. to complete their investigation. Not a fun process to go through. If you ever lose your Passport or Visa outside the US the ONLY option is to go in person to the nearest consulate or embassy. They will make you a temporary one valid for one year. It's almost always same day service abroad as long as you can get them the proper documentation. You absolutely need a police report, copies of your Passport, DL, Birth Certificate, SS card. It's always a really good idea to make copies of all of these before your trip and give them to one of your most trusted family members or friends before you leave on your trip.
9 out of 10 times we work with people who lost or had their Passports/Visas stolen it would have been completely preventable. I could go on and on with this. |
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Posts: 95
Location: LOTW every chance I get | Say you have a medical or other emergency requiring you to fly back to the States. Might as well just get the passport and be done with it IMO! |
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Location: Oswego, IL | Just an FYI, the card is nice, but doesnt last as long as the passport. I just went to go get mine, and desided to get the actual passport so I didnt have to go through all that crap again. The card will work great, but you will soon eventually renew it. Not to mention you do all that for the card and you deside to Fly somewhere, you have to go through all that again anyways. |
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Posts: 134
Location: (South of the 218) | Just got my Passport App. done last week too.... I got the book instead of the Card... I grew up on LOTW and regular travel between Canada and the US was nothing out of the ordinary. If that was still the case, I would consider the card. However the County Auditor I was talking with brought up the example of going on a Cruise or whatever, traveling abroad, and say you were to get injured or sick and need air transport "HOME" - that wouldn't be a possibility if you only possessed the Card.
Something to think of.....
Be Careful in Canada... they look like us, try to talk like us and want to steal all of our women.
out |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | You guys are correct, you are really better off getting a regular passport. I think the only good use for the Passport Card is if you live in a border town and go back and forth all the time. |
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Location: Oswego, IL | MuskieMed, exactly. That is what that card is really supposed to be used for. It even has examples on the passport site. You save money at first, but once you have to renew again, which I believe is every 3 years, the passport is the same cost. |
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Location: Sun Prairie, WI | Check the link. It's good for 10 years. Like I said above, the only difference is you can't fly with it. I checked it out thoroughly before I got the card. I have no need for the passport book so I got the card. http://travel.state.gov/pdf/ppt_pptCard.pdf |
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| I got the papers to fill out for the card today. I don't ever plan on flying to another country, so the card works fine for me. I thought it was strange that you need to fill in the date of your trip and how many days you'll be in the country you're going to. Since the card is to be used multiple times over many years, why do they need that? Kind of wierd. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Got the book last month. Didn't take long at all to get everything taken care off. Good to go anywhere now..........The sky is the limit. |
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | I tell the truth about an american issue and the post gets pulled! weird |
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Location: Oswego, IL | gtp888 - 4/27/2009 5:07 PM
Check the link. It's good for 10 years. Like I said above, the only difference is you can't fly with it. I checked it out thoroughly before I got the card. I have no need for the passport book so I got the card. http://travel.state.gov/pdf/ppt_pptCard.pdf
Darn it, I swear I didnt think it lasted that long! I shouldve just got both at the same time. Maybe I will go ahead and get one too, better to throw that in the tackle box when im out on the H20. Thanks |
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| I stopped in at the local Post Office to see if they really needed the day you'd be leaving on the trip and the number of days you'd be in another country. The guy there said he didn't need that info at all and didn't know why they even have that on the form. The card will work perfect for me, as I have never been to nor do I have any plans on going anywhere other than Canada. The main problem is that nobody I know has been able to use their own photo to save the $15.00 they charge. They are extremely nitpicky about that, as the guy I talked to said they really want that $15.00.  |
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Posts: 134
Location: (South of the 218) | I got my Passport photo taken at WalMart for $7.50
Good Ole' Sam Walton gets my money before Uncle Sam again but Sam Walton rolled the prices back for me, the consumer. I couldn't resist the WallyWorld temptation.
Just in the remote case that anyone out there is a teacher.... I also was told that the School Photos that are taken for yearbooks and whatnot, meet the Passport requirements. I know I usually just throw my copies away - my momma was tired of me sending them to her once I hit 25 years old.
Out |
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | The problem with using your own photo is due to the fact that there are specific requirements for size, background, and size of the head in the photo. The requirements are that the photo is 2"x2" and the distance from the chin to the top of the hair is between 1" and 1-3/8" on the photo. I don't remember the exact background requirement off the top of my head but most people try to do their own but simply do not meet the requirements of the photo itself.
Save yourself the time and just pay the $8 - $10 it will cost you at any of a million instant photo places. I did mine at a Thrifty White drug store for about $9 last year mand literally took 5 minutes to take the pictures and then go back 20 minutes later to pick them up. |
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Location: Sun Prairie, WI | brmusky - 4/28/2009 12:40 PM The problem with using your own photo is due to the fact that there are specific requirements for size, background, and size of the head in the photo. The requirements are that the photo is 2"x2" and the distance from the chin to the top of the hair is between 1" and 1-3/8" on the photo. I don't remember the exact background requirement off the top of my head but most people try to do their own but simply do not meet the requirements of the photo itself. Save yourself the time and just pay the $8 - $10 it will cost you at any of a million instant photo places. I did mine at a Thrifty White drug store for about $9 last year mand literally took 5 minutes to take the pictures and then go back 20 minutes later to pick them up. br nailed it!! Don't take a chance on the photos. The requirements are strict. Shoot, you're already spending anywhere from $45-$100, so the other $8-$10 is worth it to get it right the first time. Got mine at Walgreen's for $8.50. Regarding the questions on the app, fill them all in regardless of how stupid it may seem. Here's why...I phoned the number the State Dept. gives on their web site to ask about crazy questions like the info for my parents, who are both deceased. I asked if it was really necessary to fill that in and the answer I got from them was "you don't have to fill it in if you don't want your application processed." Needless to say, I filled everything in. I'd get your application in ASAP. It's gonna start to take longer to get your app processed since more and more people will be waiting til the last minute to apply. Mine took 20 days from the day I got the app processed at the Post Office til the day it arrived in my mailbox. I applied in early March this year. Don't chance it if you have a trip coming up rather soon. |
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| Got my card application in today. $60.00 total and I should have it in a couple weeks. |
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Location: Northern Illinois | Just got asked to go on trip to the Bahamas for work. Passport expired a few weeks ago. Sent in all the stuff to one of those superfast passport expeditors on the internet. Paid the extra $150 to the passport company------had my passport in 3 days. Expensive yes- but pretty hassle free and I had the thing in 3 days.......
Edited by Chibigboy 5/1/2009 1:20 PM
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Location: Oswego, IL | I had mine taken at the post office, they took two, got my passport and the next day got my birth cert back, as well as the extra photo they didnt use for it, so if you do go to post office, they take two and send them both, you will get one back. I will be using my on my FOID card or the passport card! Yeah baby! |
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| Just a word for Charter Captian's(Merchant Marine Officers License),you are required to have a T.W.I.C. Card,Transportation Workers Credential that will cost you $132. That same T.W.I.C. Card will work as your Border I.D. Card,no need for Pasport,Passport Card or Enhanced Drivers License unless your traveling by air. |
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U.S Passport Question?