Northern Tier: travel to Canada

[fgoodwin]

What to show at the border as of Jan. 31

 

 

http://tinyurl.com/28ae7a

 

By The Associated Press

Thu Jan 17, 5:25 PM ET

 

To cross the U.S.-Canadian border, a driver's license alone won't cut it anymore. Starting Jan. 31, you will need to have a passport or similarly secure document, or a combination of two other documents.

 

Single document option:

 

U.S. or Canadian passport.

U.S. passcard (these won't be available until spring).

So-called "trusted traveler card," which includes NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST cards (These are typically used only by people who cross the border frequently, often for work).

State or province issued "enhanced" driver's license (states are only beginning to produce these, so they are not available in most places).

U.S. military ID with travel orders.

U.S. merchant mariner document.

Native American Tribal Photo ID card.

Form I-872 American Indian Card.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Card.

 

If you don't have a passport or one of these other IDs, there is a two-document option, the most likely combination being a driver's license and a birth certificate.

 

Border crossers can present a driver's license or ID card, or a U.S. or Canadian ID card, along with one of the following:

 

Birth certificate.

U.S. Consular report of birth abroad.

U.S. Certificate of Naturalization.

U.S. Certificate of Citizenship.

U.S. Citizen Identification Card.

Canadian citizenship card.

Canadian certificate of citizenship without photo.

 

18 and under: U.S. and Canadian citizens 18 and younger need a birth certificate issued by a federal, state, provincial, county, or municipal authority.

 

Source: U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security

[ASM416]

Yea, We have a canoe trip to Algonquin planned this summer so we have been paying a lot of attention to this. With the way things are going these days with border security, we are encouraging participants to get a passport. The last thing we want is a problem with a group of scouts at the Canadian border on the way home.

[Beavah]

Yah, dat's what we're recommendin' to everyone now; kids as well as adults. Go da passport route.

 

One of the things to be alert for is that Canadian and U.S. officials play a tit-for-tat game. Every time U.S. border agents become more finicky about Canadians, the Canadians become more finicky about U.S. citizens. So you'll tend to get more grief goin' into Canada than vice versa.

 

Expect both sides to require a notarized birth certificate copy if yeh go that route.

 

So for sure da new rules are goin' to slow things down a bunch. Best to be prepared.

 

Remember that Canada also abides by the Convention on International Child Kidnapping. So yeh also need your permission slips handy and well-written. It really helps to travel in uniform (we all do that anyway, right ), because that's an instant explanation to da immigration folks why an adult has a bunch of unrelated kids in his car, which might otherwise be suspicious. Roll down your windows as yeh arrive at the immigration station so they can see everyone.

 

Oh, yah, and be aware that yeh should avoid fresh meats (like dat two pounds of hamburger in the cooler) and such. Da restrictions vary by province and state, but yeh can risk losin' your steak dinner to da agricultural customs inspector.

 

Beavah

 

[Gold Winger]

"Expect both sides to require a notarized birth certificate copy if yeh go that route."

 

If you're from Pennsylvania, notarized copies are illegal so you need to carry an original.

 

Orwell had it right but missed the year by 20.

[mtm25653]

Turn around time for passports is back to normal - applied for son's passport (for Northern Tier) 12/29/07 - received passport in the mail (normal delivery option) 1/15/2008.

[J-dawg168]

In 2006 I went to Northen Tier in Canada.

 

Before we hit the border we stopped at a gas station. made sure EVERYONE was in FULL class-A uniform. Made sure everything laying in the floorboard was all in daypacks, or the pockets on the back of the seats. All iPods, CD players, and DVD players were off and had headphones out/off of our ears. Had passports ready to go. Went through smooth at ice cream. Did the same on the way back into the US. We waiting at the gate for a few minutes longer, but no problem at all.