Passports for driving in to canada 2008?

Question

OK, I have been getting the run around from numerous places!! We have a hockey team that goes to Hamilton Ontario driving from Michigan every May for a weekend hockey tournament... Will the law be in effect for passports by Jan 2008 like I have read? Then I read somewhere else that by Jun 2008? I really need a definant answer, because if so the guys really need to get on getting there passports!! Since MI.GOV can't tell me crap nor can secretary of state or the passport hotline!! Where else can I call?

Thanks!! The team is actually made up of adults!! But I will let them all know to start applying now just to be safe better I guess to just have tha passport then not... A lot of the guys were just complaining about having to get one if it was not needed yet!!

Answer 1

Take a look at Juan's link (or the one I attached below). As he said, the requirements are changing almost weekly.

I just drove down to Boston from Montreal last weekend. I did NOT have a passport. All I used was my driver's license and birth certificate. I had no problems at all, other than the expected 90 minute wait at the border crossing (Derby Line/Stanstead) due to so many travellers for the long weekend.

Coming back into Canada at the end of my trip was another 90 minute wait, but again no problems and not even a comment about not having a passport.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, they will want all travellers to have a "WHTI-compliant" document or a valid government-issued photo ID and birth certificate by January 2008. By Summer 2008, you will be expected to have a valid US passport. In my opinion, start applying now to avoid the headaches because there are long processing times for passports and it could take a while.

What does that mean for your hockey tournament in May 2008? It means that (the way I read it) your players and coaches must have the following with them:

EITHER
- A valid state driver's license
- A birth certificate or citizenship card
OR
- A US passport

AND
- A letter signed by the player's parents or legal guardian authorizing the team officials to take their child to Hamilton, Ontario for the duration of the tournament.

Also remember that these are requirements for US citizens who want to re-enter the States, not US citizens entering Canada.

If you do not have the proper documents to re-enter USA, you will probably still be allowed in, but you will have to go through a secondary screening process, which means the entire bus will have to wait for one or two people to go through this extra process that could take hours!

Canada does not currently require a passport from US citizens. All we require is a "valid travel document" according to the website. To find out what qualifies as a valid document, I would call them at 1-800-622-6232.

Answer 2

howdy there, i'm a Canadian married to a US citizen living in Montana. We bypass to my kinfolk regularly in Saskatchewan so am particularly as much as this factor with the border concern i've got faith. additionally we only back from Canada on Monday. Acutally, this is no longer in spite of in case you decide on a passport to circulate into Canada, this is which you extremely choose a passport to reenter the U. S., whilst a US citizen. We asked the border reliable on our before living house and this is no longer until June of 2008 (now no longer Jan 2008) now which you will shuttle to Canada without passport, and that date could desire to nevertheless be moved back furthur (the date has been prolonged two times already because of the fact they could't agree on specifics yet). So now may be the optimal time to shuttle to Canada and shop the cost of a passport. additionally the previous poster reported that a US resident of yet another nationality do require a passport to re-enter the U. S., yet that's no longer authentic. i'm a Canadian citizen and all i wanted replace into my eco-friendly card and my drivers license to re-enter the U. S..

Answer 3

The problem with it is the dates and rules keep changing. It was suppose to be January, but with the fiasco this summer they postponed it (again). Websites are unreliable unless you know when they were updated. The start date is currently expected to be close to your travel time making it even harder. This currently says Summer of 2008 with 60 days notice before the exact date. May should be okay, but you need to stay on top of it and keep checking.