Passport for International Meet in Albany

Kim McDonald

Kim McDonald

I thought I would remind some our Michigan members to get your passport for the drive to and from Albany. The fastest way for those of us that live in the Flint area is through Canada. :biker: It is taking 4-8 weeks to receive in the mail (depending on which type you order). I am sure that most of you have already taken care of this.
 
Take heed!

Excellent advice Kim!

I recently renewed my passport, but I thought I'd mention that it took from January 11th until June 24th for them to process a renewal!

I would not have even had it by the end of June, without calling Senator Arlen Spector's office a week before I was supposed to travel. Fortunately, his office was able to grease the wheel and expedite the process. I received my passport the following day, hand delivered to me by one of his staffers!

Previous to this, I spent at least 2 hours on the phone (waiting and pressing numbers) on at least 10 occasions (over 2 1/2 months)... and when I finally was able to speak to the "live" voice, I was told it was being processed, but could not tell me when I would receive it! A VERY frustrating process!:beatdeadhorse5:

Hope you receive better service if you are re-upping your documents.


Onwward and Upward!

Rick

The other candidate for PCS President:D
 
MI Enhanced Driver's License

Michigan residents are eligible to apply for an "Enhanced Driver's License" that eliminates the need for a passport or other documentation for Canadian border crossing. http://michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1627---,00.html

I am applying for one of these since I do not have a passport. The cost for a standard Enhanced License is $40.

I hope this helps those of you who live in the Water Winter Wonderland. :)

Horizontal_EDL_sample_web_275930_7.jpg
 
Here is the link from the Canadian Border Services Agency regarding entry to Canada.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5082-eng.html#s2x1

It says :"If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need a passport to enter Canada; however, you should carry proof of your citizenship such as a birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization or a Certificate of Indian Status, as well as a photo ID. If you are a permanent resident of the United States, you must bring your permanent resident card (i.e. green card) with you."
 
Jean-Marc Dugas said:
Here is the link from the Canadian Border Services Agency regarding entry to Canada.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5082-eng.html#s2x1

It says :"If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need a passport to enter Canada; however, you should carry proof of your citizenship such as a birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization or a Certificate of Indian Status, as well as a photo ID. If you are a permanent resident of the United States, you must bring your permanent resident card (i.e. green card) with you."
Click to expand...

You don't need the Passport to enter Canada, however, you need the Passport to re enter the US. I don't know how they deal with people that don't have a Passport when they return, but I'll bet that you will be jumping through a lot of hoops to get back in without one. I got my Passport in 10 days a year ago this past Fall, in anticipation of going to the Flint Mid Winter Meet.

New travel document requirements are now in effect. If you arrive in the United States by land or sea, you will need one of six approved documents. Learn more about this initiative and about making your border crossing more efficient.
Click to expand...

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
 
The Michigan Enhanced Driver's License is considered to be a "Federally Approved Document" to enter the United States when coming from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean. (See link in my first post)

Although it may work well for entry from Canada to Michigan, you do bring up a good point when entry from Canada to New York is considered. Although the Enhanced License is a valid document, I would not rule out the possibility of an issue, especially since it is so new. I have discussed this with other Michigan residents, and they have not had an issue.

Since there is time, I may also apply for a passport as a backup. That would be a good way of testing whether the Enhanced License works at border crossing time. If for some reason they are not happy with the license, then I can still present my passport.
 
There is also a US "Passport Card", which is similar in size to a drivers license but looks like a passport. It's good for border crossings while driving, on a train, or on a cruise ship, but is not valid for air travel. A guy I worked with got one pretty quickly before his cruise to the Caribbean, and it worked fine in the various countries he visited. They even let him back into the US!
 
Steve Lichtman said:
There is also a US "Passport Card", which is similar in size to a drivers license but looks like a passport. It's good for border crossings while driving, on a train, or on a cruise ship, but is not valid for air travel. A guy I worked with got one pretty quickly before his cruise to the Caribbean, and it worked fine in the various countries he visited. They even let him back into the US!
Click to expand...

This is what I did prior to the Nationals in Flint last year as Dave Maple and myself traveled into Canada to visit with Len and see his museum before I went on into Flint. By the time I applied for my border card I had it within about four weeks or so and it is good for ten years.
 
An enhanced Michigan license will work just fine at a Canada / New York border. I go back and forth through Buffalo many times a year, entering back into the US upwards of 10 times a year. They have signs up all over the border area listing the acceptable IDs that you can use to enter the US. Enhanced drivers licenses are on the list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top