Urgent: Passport Question!
 

Hi!

I am a Canadian living in the USA with an alien card. My passport doesn't expire until Sept. but I need a new one because I am leaving for Argentina in Oct. I would also like to visit my cousin in Edmonton in August so I don't want to send my passport in because it will be months before I get it back!

I found out that I can get my passport much quicker if I drive up to Vancouver from Portland. I was planning to head up there on Sunday, stay with a friend for a couple of days and then start the passport process on Tuesday morning.

Here is the important question:

If I drive up there, will I be required to leave my passport up there while they work on my new passport? If so, how will I get back across the border on my way back home?

I ask this because when I have needed a new passport in the past I am required to send it up along with my paperwork. I am praying to the high heavens that if I do this in person they will take my paperwork, LOOK at my passport but leave it in my hands.

Can someone who has gone through this recently please confirm how it is done?

It would be much appreciated as I am planning on heading out in less than 48 hours!

Thanks in advance!

If they keep your old passeport (probably), they would not keep your drivers license or your green card, would they?
You still only need a drivers license as id to drive.

Reading my reply, I guess I should expound a bit.
You have always had to submit an existing passport when renewing unless you declare it stolen. If you do that, your name will probably be on the no-fly list in minutes.

When driving across the border a drivers license is all the id that is required. They do not take those. Imagine the chaos if thousands of Canadians could tell the cops, 'sorry officer, passeport Canada has my license'.

Your green card should be none of their business at this point, I would not even offer it as id unless they demand since you are giving an American address. You should certainly not surrender it as it is the property of the US govt, not ours.

Thanks for the reply.

So I do NOT need my Canadian Passport to drive from Canada across the border to the USA? Just my alien card?

Whew! I just found this online:

When does the WHTI come into effect?
The WHTI will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase affects travel to the United States by air only. As of January 23, 2007, Canadians require:

A valid passport; or
A NEXUS card when used at a NEXUS kiosk at designated airports.
Canadians planning to travel by air to the United States must obtain a passport or a NEXUS card.

The NEXUS program offers a simplified and expedited clearance process to pre-approved, low-risk travellers. NEXUS is currently available at Vancouver International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport and will be expanded to six other major airports before the end of 2007.

More information about passports: Passport Canada

The second phase will include travel to the United States by all modes of travel, including land and sea.

On September 29, 2006, the U.S. Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by President Bush on October 4, 2006. The Act includes, among other things, an amendment granting permission to delay the implementation of the WHTI for travel by land and sea.

This permission to delay is until June 1, 2009, or until three months after the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security have jointly certified that specific security criteria for travel documents have been established, including the following:

I'm not sure what the passport office situation is in Vancouver right now, but there are still lineups at the Victoria office; I walked past it a couple of days ago. The office is open until 4:30 PM and shortly after 3 there were still people lined up outside. I think they stop them from lining up at around 3:30.

When I went to get my passport we stood in line for 3 1/2 hours. I don't think it's as bad as that now, and I'm sure it's better in Vancouver (Victoria has the only office on Vancouver Island) but you might want to check and make sure you're allowing enough time for a lengthy wait, if that's still how things are going.

Thanks meesthare. I know that it will most likely be even busier after a long holiday weekend but this is the only opportunity I will have to go up within the next month.

I plan on getting to the passport office 45 minutes before they open so hopefully that will put me close to the front of the line.

Can anyone confirm if 45 minutes prior is sufficient?

Thanks!

I don't know what happened here but I posted a reply to your question and it was sent for "translation" so here goes again.

In early May I went to the Victoria passport office to get a new one. My old passport had not expired but I didn't want to take any chances by leaving it to the last minute. I was in line at 9:30 am. Someone from the Passport office came down and checked to see we had the right documentation and gave us an appointed time to come back. As it turned out we didn't need it as we were allowed to go up (this was now 10:30) There was a special wicket for those who filled out the forms on the Internet so I was able to go ahead of a lot of people. They just clipped my old passport and marked it cancelled but gave it back to me. I was out of there by 11:30. My new passport arrived by express mail (I had to sign for it) in 12 days. I think if you are in line as early as you say you will not have a problem at all. Vancouver is following the same procedure and making appointment times to come back. Good luck to you.

traveller69, I have all my forms filled out and all my ducks in a row regarding everything else as well (I hope!).

I think the passport office opens at 7:30 but I need to recheck the website to confirm.

It sounds like it is very beneficial to make the long drive up in order to expedite the procedure! Thanks for sharing your experience.

Regards,

Tamara

Check before going up re the terror alert level. If it is still as it is today, plan your drive very carefully to avoid the extremely long wait times entering the US - I'd say you'd best return at 3 AM or something like that. The waits this afternoon were 4 to 5 hrs at the Peace Arch, and 4 hours at Sumas. It took us 6 1/2 hrs to go from Tsawwassen to Seattle today and we are not happy.

Just checked on line and the US gov is saying they didn't raise the alert level....Also, it's now saying there is only a 30 minute wait at the Peace Arch. Hard to believe. Was it just the July 4 and Canada Day holiday that increased traffic? We saw plenty of vehicles being inspected. And we sat and sat and sat, and then some. The guard at Sumas told us it was 4 to 5 hours at the Peace Arch and we'd waited 4 at Sumas. Do you suppose we were just lucky?

Will I have to go through Peace Arch or Sumas to get to Vancouver? My friend actually lives in New Westminster. I have never been there so I don't know my border crossing or what to expect timewise.

Thanks!

There are a few border crossings and you can pick whichever you prefer. The Peace Arch is on I-5 and is the largest and most direct going between Seattle and Vancouver. We've always gone through the Peace Arch until yesterday. I can't say it did us a lot of good to go out of our way to Sumas and I doubt we will do it again. There's been some discussion of options on the US board. Here's a thread on this topic:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

Time for crossing normally vary from 10 minutes to 45 minutes. Sometimes it takes longer - 1 1/2 hours to yesterday's all time record 4 hours. Be sure you are aware if it is a holiday. I think that makes a huge difference.

Oops. That url didn't work. I don't know how to attach you to the thread on this. Go to the US board to Washington State. Then search for border crossing and you will find some good info in related discussions.