| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 9/23/2007 7:51:00 AM | I'm debating whether to pay that $60 extra "expediting" surcharge to get my just-expired US passport renewed. I have heard horror stories of renewals taking 4 to 7 months yet also heard that some folks who simply paid the $67 renewal got their new passport within less than 6 weeks. Has anyone paid the expediting fee and, if so, how soon did you get your renewal?
Also, I had been thinking of traveling to the Banff Mountain Film Festival in early November -- I understand I could not fly into/out of Calgary w/o a current passport, BUT could I fly to Montana or Seattle, WA, and drive into and out of BC or Alberta if I don't get my renewal back in time for the trip? I realize Canadian customs is not the problem (never has been) but I've had hassles upon return at US customs several times in my life over ludicrous trivialities, like being detained, strip-searched and cavity-checked because some rookie agent using a new test kit erroneously identified one of my companion's prescription allergy meds (in the properly labelled bottle!) as amphetamines -- at least the supervisor apologized to us in that instance (he had been out of the office at a meeting when the "big bust" went down) but not until after we'd endured 4 hours of terror and had our car partially dismantled. For good reason, I am always scrupulous about having evrything in order when I make transborder trips.
Can anyone offer their experiences and advice? | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 9/23/2007 8:38:39 AM | | You know what American Customs is like from personal experience. Pay the $60. It's a small part of the overall cost of the trip and definitely worth it for peace of mind. Border guards here were great before 2001; friendly, smiling and relaxed. There's a little spit of America close to me that is disconnected from the rest of the US mainland so it's traditionally part of our local community. Then they brought border guards in from other parts of the states. Horror stories - Canadians having their passports ripped up, abused, just drunk on power. All because someone was going down to buy gas or pick up some groceries we don't get in Canada. In order to get to the rest of the States, a person would have to go back through Canada anyway. | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 9/23/2007 9:16:29 AM | Sorry to hear about your experience with the Homeland Security bunch.
I used to travel back and forth from Canada every week and sometimes twice a week in the trucking industry.
By and large, the customs folks on both sides are pretty decent. However, they are all under a lot of pressure from their political masters and bureaucrats.
Some handle it well, and, others, not so well.
Get your new passport, make sure that all of your belongings are in order and don't bring any medications with you, unless you absolutely must.
I've seen these guys force drivers to throw out their groceries and even lunch sandwiches! So...no food items either.
I've now got a nice local- type job and get home every day. I'm just one of the many who don't want to be bothered with the hassles of border crossings any more. From what I hear, the trucking companies are having an awful time finding people to do Can/US work.
Who needs the grief? | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 9/23/2007 1:02:42 PM | Hi Pygalgia,
I recently flew to Canada from the states. All I needed was proof that I had issued a passport and had to have my birth certificate to show customs. Everything went smooth as silk. Have a great trip and enjoy Canada! | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 9/23/2007 1:11:01 PM | Pygalgia, I just recieved my new passport this last Friday. To expediate it was $157.oo total and I recieved it in 13 days exactly...and I was expecting it to take much longer...up to four months. It is my understanding that they have been so inundated with requests for passports that they added additioinal personnel, thus the much faster processing time!! Hope this helps!!
Good luck to you,
Myrlan | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 9/23/2007 7:16:09 PM | Brandish, if I understand you correctly, you had your birth certificate and a copy of your passport renewal form (even though you did not have the passport yet?) I was wondering about that. I already filled out the on-line renewal form and got the new photos. As I said, I have been hesitant to mail everything in because it would mean surrendering the expired passport til the new one comes back. I wondered if my copy of the application would be acceptable in the interim. But, as others have advised I guess I'm better off just biting the bullet and paying the extra $60 (ouch!) to get it back quickly.
By the way, the "strip-search" episode I encountered at the Niagara Falls crossing happened long before "Homeland Security" -- in fact it was in the 1970's! Even though my friends and I were pretty straight arrows, back in that era young people (college age) were often subjected to unnecessarily overscrupulous searches and temporary detentions due to federal hysteria about the recreational drug trade. We were held for several hours on another occasion at an Ontario/New York crossing when an agent claimed to have found a single cannabis seed under the mounting track of the passenger seat (it looked like a piece of pea gravel to me.) The agents pulled up the carpet in the car and sliced open one of the leather seats and part of the headliner before letting us go with no contraband detected nor charges filed and several hundred dollars worth of damage inflicted on the vehicle (it was an antique Jaguar and, ironically, one reason we had driven to Toronto was to buy parts to restore the car!)
I've had no trouble yet with "Homeland Security" but then I always show up at the airports prepared -- slip-off shoes, passport and driver's license in hand and I don't even bother with toiletries any more (it's easier just to buy travel sizes when I get to my destination.) But then I have not had the opportunity to travel beyond US borders since 2001.
Thanks for the feedback, folks. | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 10/26/2008 3:32:50 PM | Have a look at the Government of Canada web site below for the current official requirements for entry into Canada.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp
By the way, interesting pseudonym! | |
|
| US passport renewals (how quick?) and Canada travel
Posted: 10/26/2008 10:21:15 PM | The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is coming into full force June 1, 2009. Some light reading for those travelling next year.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html | |
|
Home
login 
