Passport for Permanent Resident of USA?

Question

Hello,
I am a Permanent Resident of the USA since 1997, I was born in Canada, and married a US citizen. I am needing to travel to Canada June 9th 2007 til June 24th. I have purchased a plane ticket thinking I would just fill out a passport here in the USA. I had problems today trying to get a Passport, one place said I needed all this info from my birth parents, and the other place said I didn't need a Passport to fly to Canada since I am a citizen but may have problems flying back to the USA where I have lived for over 10 years. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? PLEASE HELP. I AM SO CONFUSED????

I am a Permanent Resident of USA. For the last 10 years. I just need to know do I need a US Passport to Travel to Canada by Plane or do I need a Canadian Passport? I AM A CANADIAN CITIZEN living in the USA as a Permanent Resident of the US.


Please help.

Answer 1

Passports are offical documents issued by a nation to regulate its citizens. This means you have to actually meet the citizenship criteria (not simply permanent residency) to obtain one.

Since you're Canadian by birth, are legally a permanent US resident and are not either a naturalized resident or a citizen of the US, you're going to need to have a Canadian passport.

To obtain one, you MUST appear in person either to submit your application or to pick it up (preferably both). This is Canada Customs' way of verifying the passport is actually given to a real person - the intended recipient.

For air travel, you WILL require a valid passport (either US , Canadian, or otherwise) to re-enter the US. If traveling by other means (car, train, boat, etc), you only need to prove your citizenship (birth certificate or passport, and - in your case - valid permanent residency documents), and photo ID (driver's licence, military ID, or passport). As of January 2008, you will require a valid passport to enter the US BY ANY METHOD.

You do not REQUIRE a passport to fly to Canada, but it is strongly advised that you have one. It makes for one simple document that contains both proof of citizenship and photo ID, and is recognized internationally (many drivers' licences and birth certificates and/or naturalization and residency papers are not recognized in foreign nations).

Answer 2

You CANNOT get a U.S. passport if you're not a U.S. citizen. I'm in the same situation as you - Canadian by birth married to a U.S. citizen, living in the U.S. currently holding permanent U.S. residency.

You will need a passport if you hope to get back into the U.S. upon return from your trip to Canada - definitely if you're coming back by plane. And, very soon you will need a passport just to get back into the U.S. crossing the border by car.

You are still a Canadian citizen (like me) because you were born there. You will need to obtain a Canadian passport through Passport Canada (it may take some time so plan accordingly) and use it until you become a U.S. citizen, at which point you'll be able to apply for a U.S. passport.

Don't expect to be able to get back into the U.S. just on your 'green card' (permanent residency card) alone - that would be a big mistake. Get a Canadian passport. Good luck!

Answer 3

You need to have a Canadian Passport. You are not eligible for a U.S. Passport unless you are a U.S. Citizen. If you were traveling by car ... then you would be okay until Jan 2008 or later.

However, by plane, as I understand it, you need a passport to both leave AND enter the US.

Highly recommend that you either get a Canadian Passport asap, or change your travel itinerery to landing near a border town on the U.S. side then driving across and either driving to your destination, or taking a bus across and catching a Canada domestic flight.. Be aware that if you rent a car, you need to check in advance about driving it across the border.

Answer 4

As long as you have your valid green card and don't plan on traveling out of the US, yes, you don't have to have one. But bear in mind, if there's some circumstances that you have to go home in an emergency( emergency happens when you least expect it) and you don't have a valid passport, it will cause a problem as it takes a while to get a passport. It is better to be prepared than wait in the last minute.

Answer 5

You need to call your local INS office.


As a permanent resident, you no longer need a separate visa to enter the US in most circumstances. You will be able to enter the US with your passport and an unexpired I-551 stamp in your passport or your passport and your green card. If you are going to be outside the US for between one and two years, you will probably need to apply for a reentry permit.

You are likely to get your green card in just a few weeks or months. If you do not get it before your I-551 stamp expires, you will need to file an I-90 form with your local INS office to extend your I-551 stamp. The INS will also make inquiries about your green card at that time.