http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/news/040605_nw_passport.html

Passports Required To Canada, Mexico
Apr. 6 (ABC7) — If you don't have a passport, you might want to consider getting one soon.

The Homeland Security Department wants Americans traveling to Canada and Mexico to show a passport when they return to the US.

The guidelines would be phased-in by 2008, to give people a chance to apply for passports. Only about 20-percent of Americans have one.

The rules would also apply to Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Panama.

Do I need one to go to Washington DC? That is a very foreign place.

It use to be that if you did not have a passport, a notarized US birth certificate was acceptable. That is, if you're a US citizen wanting to get back in the states.

It that no longer acceptable?

Steady :rokk: "Hook-Em-Horns"

You want to try and get into the U.S with a criminal record :blink:

Even before you apply for the visa interview at the Embassy in London you have to apply to New Scotland Yard for the arrest file and gather the case notes from the court that heard the case :angry:


Going state side isn't worth the hassle if you ask me...

The funny thing is, As goofy as this sounds, It's not worth the hassel even if you're a US citizen.

Steady :rokk: "Hook-Em-Horns"

It won't be if their plan goes through.......

was reading a few quotes and one government official stated this is a good thing because "passports have your photo on it and that can't be faked"... :blink:

Right now, to go between the U.S. and Mexico or the U.S. and Canada, all you have to do is show a valid drivers license, which also has a photo on it.

So, what is the diference other than the passport is issued by the feds and the drivers license is issued by the states.

Hillary in 08
so all that is wrong can be put straight!

i thought Brits didn't need a visa?

i thought Brits didn't need a visa? [/b][/quote]
Well it seems that as of last October if you've already got a U.S stamp in your passport then your fine, however if you don't or it's a new passport then you have to apply to the U.S Embasy in London.

We were told this by a travel agent when we said that we've been looking into getting my son Dan a passport for doing the whole Disney thing.

I mean as if my 13 month old child is going to start burning down the U.S... :unsure:



But I've been told by friends that flew out in Decenber that they never applied to the embasy for thier child and just filled in the usuall card on the plane for him, they had a little trouble at Newark but just played dumb, with no major problems.








I know Nick... even before you say it... like father like son

Well it seems that as of last October if you've already got a U.S stamp in your passport then your fine, however if you don't or it's a new passport then you have to apply to the U.S Embasy in London.

We were told this by a travel agent when we said that we've been looking into getting my son Dan a passport for doing the whole Disney thing.

I mean as if my 13 month old child is going to start burning down the U.S... :unsure:



But I've been told by friends that flew out in Decenber that they never applied to the embasy for thier child and just filled in the usuall card on the plane for him, they had a little trouble at Newark but just played dumb, with no major problems.








I know Nick... even before you say it... like father like son [/b][/quote]
To be honest Trev, as an American, I am embarrassed to be seen walking into US Emabassies and Consulates everywhere. Long lines of people standing on the street, no clue whats going on, no clue what the rules or if there are any at all and if they will be declined or not and so on. Its pretty bad to treat people like cows when you are the guest in THEIR country. Plus, its definately a fucked way to plan a trip.

The one in London i think has to be one of the ugliest i have ever seen. Looks like a soviet building from the 70's and the post 9/11 concrete barricades and added security complimented it well to round off the look.

What better way can there be to yell out "we are a bunch of assholes" to the world, than when you own embassy looks like it is in the middle of a war zone... and they almost all do.

To be honest Trev, as an American, I am embarrassed to be seen walking into US Emabassies and Consulates everywhere. Long lines of people standing on the street, no clue whats going on, no clue what the rules or if there are any at all and if they will be declined or not and so on. Its pretty bad to treat people like cows when you are the guest in THEIR country. Plus, its definately a fucked way to plan a trip.

The one in London i think has to be one of the ugliest i have ever seen. Looks like a soviet building from the 70's and the post 9/11 concrete barricades and added security complimented it well to round off the look.

What better way can there be to yell out "we are a bunch of assholes" to the world, than when you own embassy looks like it is in the middle of a war zone... and they almost all do. [/b][/quote]
We'll the fact it looks like it's in a war zone does come down to the fact it's in London... I mean did they rebuild that city after the blitz or just leave it as it was :D


I do know of people trying to enter the UK that are unable without a professional invitation. I was running a machinery company when I fell offline and certain customers that I personally have known for close to 15 years could no longer enter the UK without being invited by our company and with specific reason...

The letter to the customer’s local British embassy usually went along the lines of:

Our Ref.: TJEM####

F.A.O: British Embassy Visa Section

Re:

Mr ##### ########
Jl #### #####
Jakarta
Indonesia
#####
Tel: #############
Fax: #############
Passport Number: M######




I would like to take this opportunity to invite Mr. ##### ######## to the United Kingdom in order to inspect envelope production machinery that we currently have for sale with the intent to purchase and ship to Malaysia.
Mr. ##### ######## is looking to travel to the United Kingdom on or around the 14th of November and will be here exactly 14 days from his arrival.


Yours sincerely


Mr T Jenkins
Director


I'd say 90% of the time the customer got his visa... but that didn't help us because it was the 10% that didn't that really wanted the machinery and not a 2 week holiday...

Itll bring in the feds a shitload more $$$ each year to spend ;)

So far as Brits entering the US, you dont need to have a Visa to enter so long as you are only entering for vacation purposes, you have an automatic 3 month stay on the tourist Visa however, after that you need to apply for and be approved for, a business visa which is valid for 3 years consecutively after which time, you need to either re-apply for the visa or, apply for a residency visa which takes anywhere from 18-24 months to get i have just been told LOL

I actually just got my business visa renewed whilst the residency visa paperwork is being sorted out, it gives me another 3 years to decide if i want to stick around or not... Right before the next election is due ;)

well from panama going back you need a passport anyways cause you have to get in with a passport in panama. caribbean i believe dominican republic you could go with just id. Puerto Rico will never happen i dont know about the other islands.

It won't be if their plan goes through.......

was reading a few quotes and one government official stated this is a good thing because "passports have your photo on it and that can't be faked"... :blink:

Right now, to go between the U.S. and Mexico or the U.S. and Canada, all you have to do is show a valid drivers license, which also has a photo on it.

So, what is the diference other than the passport is issued by the feds and the drivers license is issued by the states. [/b][/quote]
passports record ins and outs. drivers liscenses dont. and every so often you have to renew passport cause you used up all the stamps that pulls up a warning saying that you go in and out a lot. etc etc etc.

Joe you are my partner however i have to disagree and yes i am going to get chavanistic (i think thats how it is spelled)......


you do not want a woman as president.

trust me we went through one puerto rico went through a woman governor and it is hell and getting back from it is worse.

i can make a big list but i wont.

get me a democrat male and we will settle hell if you say bill clinton i wont be that upset.

shit and i dont even live overthere but hell it hurts the world when USA hurts and thats a fact.

Strictly speaking, thats not true.

They report 'in' i have left the US several times in the last 8 months on various business and personal trips and have never had my passport stamped when i have 'left' the country yet.

I have however, had it restamped when coming back 'in' to the country :)

Strictly speaking, thats not true.

They report 'in' i have left the US several times in the last 8 months on various business and personal trips and have never had my passport stamped when i have 'left' the country yet.

I have however, had it restamped when coming back 'in' to the country :) [/b][/quote]
well now you know how 9/11 happened security sucks. but needless to say it is a good effort to try to have more control.

what would suck bad would be to carry passport all over the place.

That's what it was as of October, when I went from Seattle to Vancouver...took me long enough to get that damned thing....the old birth certificate....I don't want a passport....and I'm just saying that to whine...

Too much damned government.

Won't be long before the subcutaneous ID chip.

Planted 5mms from the carartic artery with a nano-explosive charge ...

Joe you are my partner however i have to disagree and yes i am going to get chavanistic (i think thats how it is spelled)......


you do not want a woman as president.

trust me we went through one puerto rico went through a woman governor and it is hell and getting back from it is worse.

i can make a big list but i wont.

get me a democrat male and we will settle hell if you say bill clinton i wont be that upset.

shit and i dont even live overthere but hell it hurts the world when USA hurts and thats a fact. [/b][/quote]
what could be the worst to happen?

the world needs a change in how it is ran. :D

Planted 5mms from the carartic artery with a nano-explosive charge ... [/b][/quote]
maybe it will be like Logans Run - when the gem goes red... time to be dead... er... ummm... "renewed" that is.

maybe it will be like Logans Run - when the gem goes red... time to be dead... er... ummm... "renewed" that is. [/b][/quote]
"Sanctuary!"

There's a dirt highway that goes right from Mexico to California with no checkpoints.

Canada is more foreign that it used to be.

That's what it was as of October, when I went from Seattle to Vancouver...took me long enough to get that damned thing....the old birth certificate....I don't want a passport....and I'm just saying that to whine...

Too much damned government.

Won't be long before the subcutaneous ID chip.[/b][/quote]
I agree!!