Children need passports! and everyone else by Oct 1

[MaMudduck]

Hi everyone: My TA (whose also a friend) called me today, to tell me about the ruling regarding passports being required for eveyone entering the U.S. from Canada, this includes Kids. I asked her to type something out so I could post it here. This is what she sent me:

Quote: "US Tightens Passport Regs....Again

As of October 1, new passport rules issued by the US State Department require all children entering the country (including babies) to have their own passports. Travellers to the US from 27 (mostly Western European) countries also must have the newer machine-readable passports or a visa will be necessary. Canada has already introduced both machine-readable passports and the requirement for all children to have their own passports. However, for parents who hold a valid Canadian passport that lists the name(s) of their children, the passport will remain valid for both parties until it expires."


Wendy

 

[cslittle999]

I went to the US government visa site and read the original new release http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/visanews/index.html. This ruling only applies to 27 countries belonging to a visa waiver program. The information on the visa waiver program specifically excludes Canada saying that Canada is covered under other immigration laws.

That said it is a good idea to get passports for everyone.

Chris

 

[CindyAnn]

Wow! That will cause a scrum at the passport office! I'm glad we got ours last year.

MaMudduck - Is there any chance that your TA is referring to people who get into the US on the Visa Waiver program? (that includes Australia and several European countries who only require Passports, but not visas to enter the US). For those people, there has been a change, but I didn't think Canada was included in that grouping ??? The emphasis of the quote seems to be on the new requirements for children and Machine Readable Passports, rather than rules that apply to all Canadians. Just wondering if it really applies to us, that's all.

 

[MaMudduck]

Chris & Cindy Ann

When she called me, she was concerned beause of my upcoming trip Oct 3. She had just received a letter/fax from IATA, with a whole bunch changes happenning.
She knew I had a passport but wanted to make sure my daughter, Sister-in-law & her son ALL had passports and she knows we are all Canadians.( We're all coverd anyways)
I'm not sure if it's "machine read only" passports or anything else, that she's taking about.
She did say she would try & get more info. Maybe the other TA's here could clarify?

Chris- after reading the website you posted, I too would draw the same conclusion (that CDN don't need it) but I thought I'd post the little I'd heard, I'd hate a diser to get turn back at the border because their kid needed a passport

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

I aalso heard that starting in November ( I think) that your passport photo must be expression free. Smiles or anything else will not be allowed on you photo. Natural expresions only.

 

[robsawatsky]

That's "neutral" expressions not "natural". I hope smiles, smirks, frowns and grins are still all natural expressions.

Existing passports are still valid until they expire.

Canadians don't require passports to enter US but do require proof of citizenship and identity (a passport is still recommended however).

Canadian passports should all be machine readable now since the older ones would have expired by now.