Passports for sale in Islands on 60 MINUTES

[JMorris271]

We always have made copies of our passport and carry that on our person. Just in case we need it. Your sign and sail card is usually what you will need to enter and exit the port area when not in a group tours. This depends on where you're going to however.

[ducklite]

It was actually a really interesting story. I knew about the scheme in St. Kitts but didn't know so many other countries offered it as well.

 

Basically you are buying citizenship in another country with good diplomatic ties to about 100 countries. Using this passport you can more easily cross a lot of borders if you hold a passport from a country that tends to raise a lot of questions--or even bars you from entry into certain other countries. So for example it would make it easy for a US citizen to visit Cuba because you would simply use your Dominica passport. Or if you were Israeli you might not want your passport stamped entering Iran (or vice versa) so you could use your alternate passport to keep the one for your primary country of citizenship "clean."

 

They are issued by the government, not stolen black market passports.

 

 

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[Flatbush Flyer]

See, I don't understand leaving it in your safe-- it's what we do but what good is it if you miss your ship? Not that we ever would because my husband is a nervous Neil and usually wants to do ship excursions or get back to the ship three hours early.

 

LOL Trucker Dave!

 

 

Carry port agent contact info with you. Think you'll miss the ship? Call port agent and your passport will be retrieved by port agent. This is one of the main reasons why premium/luxury lines most often require that you surrender your passport to the purser at embarkation (also to avoid the hassle of passengers needing to get up at the crack-of-dawn for clearance at certain foreign ports).

 

 

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[Husky61]

Some people take an expired passport thinking it will be a savior if something happens -- or a copy -- both can be considered illegal passports

 

An expired passport is not illegal, it is invalid, big difference.

[CPT Trips]

Hey, for half a million your foreign friend can get a US "green card." Just one step away from citizenship. That seems like a bigger story than Dominica.

ETA: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-through-job/green-card-through-investment

Edited January 2, 2017 by CPT Trips

[ducklite]

Hey, for half a million your foreign friend can get a US "green card." Just one step away from citizenship. That seems like a bigger story than Dominica.

ETA: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-through-job/green-card-through-investment

 

That site doesn't give all of the in's and out's. In addition to the financial investment of the business, they must employ a minimum number of US citizens and/or green card holders, must show at least a specific minimum profit, and must meet a number of other of other qualifications. It's actually not as easy as it sounds. I know of three couples who immigrated under this scheme to the town I live in, invested their life savings into businesses here and worked 70-80 hours a week, but were unable to meet the minimum profitability and employment criteria and were non-renewed and forced to return to their country of origin. It's definitely not risk free, and they start with a visa--the Green Card takes a number of years to obtain unless you are lucky enough to live in a country which participates in the country and your name gets picked through the diversity lottery.

Edited January 2, 2017 by ducklite

[zqvol]

I have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America, on several cruises each.

 

All of these cruise lines have held my passport for some cruises, but not for others. In my experience, it is the itinerary that has been the deciding factor.

 

Try the luxury lines, they all hold it for all passengers for all cruises. For the mass market lines which you mention it is itinerary dependent.

[Travelcat2]

Try the luxury lines, they all hold it for all passengers for all cruises. For the mass market lines which you mention it is itinerary dependent.

 

Actually, it is itinerary dependent - even for luxury lines. With the terrorism threats around the world, it seems that countries are taking extra precautions with security. In Israel last year, we had to meet "face-to-face" with immigration in the theater. The same happened in Russia (not a surprise), South Africa and a few other countries that we have visited.

 

Generally, the cruise line will hold your passport - unless it is needed by authorities onshore. I'm wondering how people creating "illegal" passports can get passport numbers into the U.S. computer system whose names and other details match up. In any case, I prefer having a copy of my passport. If I missed the ship (I cannot imagine that happening), at least I would have the details required to either get another passport of a document that would allow us back into the U.S.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Travelcat2

[FlyerTalker]

In any case, I prefer having a copy of my passport. If I missed the ship (I cannot imagine that happening), at least I would have the details required to either get another passport of a document that would allow us back into the U.S.

Take a scan or photo of the passport page and store it on your phone. Now, you'll have it with you, in color, and not have to keep searching for/losing/misplacing a paper copy. I do the same with my drivers license and insurance docs, along with my Global Entry card.

[ducklite]

Take a scan or photo of the passport page and store it on your phone. Now, you'll have it with you, in color, and not have to keep searching for/losing/misplacing a paper copy. I do the same with my drivers license and insurance docs, along with my Global Entry card.

 

I email it to myself. I figure if my passport is gone, my phone likely is as well, but email is pretty easy to access anywhere.

 

I also have a list of credit card phone numbers (including the outside North America #'s) to call in case I need to report cards lost or stolen.

[bUU]

I'd be concerned about emailing it; not secure enough for me. I'd rather log into the web mail application, create an email and save it as a draft (and leave it there). That way it is available but hasn't been sent across an unknown number of other servers.

[PaulMCO]

You can always get a second US passport. The are good for 4 years. I travel to both ME countries and Israel and have 2 American passports. Makes life easier with cruise ship and other IDs when traveling abroad.

[ducklite]

I'd be concerned about emailing it; not secure enough for me. I'd rather log into the web mail application, create an email and save it as a draft (and leave it there). That way it is available but hasn't been sent across an unknown number of other servers.

 

On a secure server that requires VPN to access.

[Travelcat2]

You can always get a second US passport. The are good for 4 years. I travel to both ME countries and Israel and have 2 American passports. Makes life easier with cruise ship and other IDs when traveling abroad.

 

When I run out of pages on my passport and request another one, I have to submit my "full" passport. When it is returned to me with it has a hole punched in it to indicate that it is no longer valid. What's the secret to getting two valid passport?

 

Thanks!

[bUU]

There is a second passport requisition, but approval requires a reason beyond mere convenience.

 

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/obtain-second-passport-legally-61904.html

Edited January 6, 2017 by bUU

[BruceMuzz]

Many countries - including the USA - sell passports to those who can afford them.

If a foreign immigrant can afford to invest US$500,000, and/or provide employment for a few dozen people in the USA, a US passport is very quickly issued.

[Bonnie J.]

In the old days, the ship held your passport until the end of the cruise if you were not a US citizen. We have over 100+ cruises and always leave our passports in our safe. Before we had them our birth certificates were there to. Did anyone without a passport take a birth certificate with them off the ship? The CDs will tell all not to take them ashore as a thief can make BIG bucks stealing a US passport. I do have a copy of passport page will all the info we can take ashore with us.

[ducklite]

Many countries - including the USA - sell passports to those who can afford them.

 

If a foreign immigrant can afford to invest US$500,000, and/or provide employment for a few dozen people in the USA, a US passport is very quickly issued.

 

 

 

Depends on your definition of fairly. It's definitely not an overnight process. It starts with a Visa, and they typically need to meet various standards for at least three years.

 

 

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