Border crossing with children

I did two drives last year (long story but a good one). One trip was with my two boys but my wife stayed home. We all had passports and I had the forms (even notarized but some say that is not necessary). courtous and quick boarder crossings.

I feel that the boarder is not a place to see what you can get away with. Do everything you can and eliminate all the questions you can before you get there. If they (boarder agents) wonder they will keep looking.

Hope you have a great trip

garyhaupt wrote:

Grey Mountain wrote:
If you don't have proper documentation, they will keep your kids.
I haven't seen mine since a visit to Winnipeg in 2002.

GM

Because they asked us to keep them...Political Asylum.



Gary Haupt

Sleeper cells.

GM

NHDad wrote:


Thank you very much. I will bring their original BC.

The wording on the CBSA site isn't very clear. You need a birth certificate (or other approved ID) AND photo ID.

If traveling by water or ground passports are not required. Actually getting back into the USA could be the hardest part.

dieharder wrote:
To come into Canada, although passports are best, they are not required, even for adult US citizens. Going back to the US, they might give you some grief about the adult not having them, but you do so it's not a problem. If you are traveling with children BC's, it's best to do so with the originals. If, for any reason whatsoever, the officer feel that your photocopies might have been altered, you're going to see lengthy delays to confirm and might even be refused entry if they can't. Originals will be the surest way for you to gain entry. It's always best to make sure you're not giving an officer a potential reason to turn you around.

As mentioned previously, if both parents are not traveling with the child, a letter authorizing travel will be needed, even if only to give the border officer no reason to think he might be dealing with an abduction situation.

Thank you very much. I will bring their original BC.

To come into Canada, although passports are best, they are not required, even for adult US citizens. Going back to the US, they might give you some grief about the adult not having them, but you do so it's not a problem. If you are traveling with children BC's, it's best to do so with the originals. If, for any reason whatsoever, the officer feel that your photocopies might have been altered, you're going to see lengthy delays to confirm and might even be refused entry if they can't. Originals will be the surest way for you to gain entry. It's always best to make sure you're not giving an officer a potential reason to turn you around.

As mentioned previously, if both parents are not traveling with the child, a letter authorizing travel will be needed, even if only to give the border officer no reason to think he might be dealing with an abduction situation.

k9jadon wrote:
Passports are required to re-enter the U.S. however we can not, if we believe that you are a U.S Citizen (USC), deny a USC entry back into the U.S. That being said, there are no fines or administrative punishments toward the traveler if they forget to bring a passport, and will ultimately be allowed to enter the U.S.

Let me qualify my above statement, and state that if we believe that you are indeed a U.S. Citizen you will ultimately be allowed into the U.S. Again if you have time just get a passport for the kids. It makes everyone happy.

Passports are required to re-enter the U.S. however we can not, if we believe that you are a U.S Citizen (USC), deny a USC entry back into the U.S. That being said, there are no fines or administrative punishments toward the traveler if they forget to bring a passport, and will ultimately be allowed to enter the U.S. As far as the children's parents they could sign a document stating that they allowed their children to travel with you. We look at the totality of the circumstances to determine if the kids belong or are there against their will, or do not know the people they are traveling with. You should not have any issues other than potentially being sent to secondary inspection, and have to wait for a while to be cleared. If you have time, I would get them a passport or passport card, if they are not planning on flying internationally anytime soon, a passport card is the cheapest and best option in my opinion. The main reason for a Passport is to establish citizenship, if we can establish your citizenship quickly by using an official passport you would avoid any annoyances of a secondary inspection for immigration purposes. You will if you are traveling in or with a camper most likely be sent in for Agriculture inspection, check out the "Know Before You Go" site, http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/agricultural-items, this should direct you to the appropriate information regarding food. Hopefully this will help you guys have fun and minimize your potential problems in entering and exiting our fine country.

shum02 wrote:

icanon wrote:
Passports are required, birth certificates are not. If you are travelling with children and your spouse is not with you, you may need a form stating your spouse is allowing you to travel abroad with children.

Have s look a Canada Border Services for REAL factual information.

Canada Border Services

I travel a lot believe me that a birth certificate Is NOT sufficient, due to no photo i.d. just a name and birth place. Get a passport if travelling outside your country, don't want to be turned back.

OMG GM, that's great, there were a couple of times I wished I had done that. Now that they are happy well adjusted human beings in their fifties, they're pretty cool.

Now for my belief, we travel with our DGKs and follow to a "T" what our government says about taking them out of and back into the country. We have AAA insurance and their agents have always done a good job too.

We got their parents together and sent them to the PO with the kids, photos of the kids and copies of their birth certificates to purchase Passports. Saves time and trouble on the ID side. In addition to their PPs, we use a Immigration Service online form that gives us permission to travel out of the country with them.

Even when we flew up to AK with them we took PPs and non-parental travel forms, did not visit Canada but gives ID for our convenience.