Husband is a green card holder

Old Apr 3rd, 2017, 07:40 PM
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Husband is a green card holder

We are booked on a cruise for may 2017 and his home country is slow in processing his renewed Passport. Our questions are can he cruise with just his green card, birth certificate and driver license. If those documents aren't enough is there anything else we can do?
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 04:47 AM
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Can you get an expidited passport?

We usually preregister for our cruises online so have you done that? What does it require.

Beyond that ask the cruise line or if necessary consult an immigration lawyer.

Good luck!
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 06:15 AM
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There are two issues.

1. Can you return to the US with just a green card? I suspect the answer is no, as your passport is stamped on entry. You may be able to research this on the State Dept. website. Given the current attitude of US border agents I would not risk it myself.

2. Can you enter the country or countries you will visit without a passport? The answer is almost certainly no, and for the Bahanas is definitely no, see:

http://consulateofthebahamasdc.com/faq/faq_visa.php
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 06:55 AM
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I doubt an 'expedited' passport is a possibility -- but it does depend on which country you are talking about. A friend of mine has a Mexican passport and a green card but had to cancel on me for a planned trip because it would take months to get her passport renewed.

I am almost certain your husband will need a valid passport to board AND to return to the States.

Best plan domestic vacations . . . until he gets his passport renewed.
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 08:51 AM
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What country is he from and how long have they had his renewal application?
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 08:52 AM
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Also have you contacted the consulate about this?
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 11:40 AM
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Check and double check with the cruise line.
US citizens may do closed loop cruises from the US without a passport if they have a US birth certificate.
Non citizens must have a passport to board the cruise, and may need a multi-entry visa as well to re-enter the US.
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 11:51 AM
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Do you have trip insurance? I would contact the cruise line NOW and see if they can accommodate you or give a credit if you have to re-book your cruise. Don't wait until you find out the passport won't arrive in time.


(my only experience w/ this sort of thing are w/ two friends, one from Mexico and one from the Philippines - and both countries were very slow processing ex pat passports.)
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 12:38 PM
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So is India. It's a glacial pace.
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 05:10 PM
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Very good advice from janisj and others. Just returned from a western Carib cruise. No problem boarding with a drver's license.

Returning to Miami, we went through formal immigration process same as airport arrival from outside US. Passport a must.
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 05:44 PM
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I did a little research and it looks like green card holders do not need a passport to leave or enter the US. Still doesn't help with ports of call.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...-take-a-cruise
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 05:58 PM
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Very good advice from janisj and others. Just returned from a western Carib cruise. No problem boarding with a driver's license and no passport checks at the ports of call.

Big "however", on returning to Miami, we went through the formal immigration process same as an airport arrival from outside US. Passport a must.
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Old Apr 4th, 2017, 06:21 PM
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I guess what the CBP says and what it - or a particular member - does are not necessarily the same. Just like the TSA. Or maybe the paperwork hasn't caught up to the policy.
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Old Apr 12th, 2017, 05:09 AM
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While you may not need a passport if you are a US citizen, you will have to provide proof of identity and citizenship. The people who reenter the US from a Caribbean cruise must generally provide a driver's license PLUS a certified copy of a birth certificate (or a passport or passport card).

But in my experience, back when my partner had a green card, you have to have a foreign passport that matches the green card in order to board a cruise; the green card itself is not sufficient. The CBP web site says as much in that the requirements for travel TO many destinations in the Caribbean may be different for US citizens vs. US permanent residents. We went on several cruises in the Caribbean, and the cruise line always required my partner to have both a passport and his green card.
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Old Apr 12th, 2017, 06:26 AM
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The OP hasn't been back to the thread (may be waiting for notification of activity from Fodors - we do lose a lot of newbies that way)

But I sure hope they have a plan B because I doubt the husband can travel w/o a passport.
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