Need some passport advice

[donaldsc]

On 7/21/2019 at 8:01 AM, clo said:

THIS!  Definitely this.  This is likely getting medical advice from an amateur.

 

People on CC practice medicine w/o a license all the time.  LOL!!!

 

DON

[MicCanberra]

I will take that comment with a grain of salt and come back in the morning.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

On 7/21/2019 at 1:21 PM, martincath said:

Since we're talking about a 13 year old child, cruising one-way into Canada, unfortunately the Canadian rules do trump the US ones so a passport is indeed required AND a copy of their birth certificate. You always need to comply with the tightest set of rules whether that's one of the countries visited or the cruiseline or airline conditions of carriage.

 

Direct from the horses mouth info can be found on the Canadian government website here. Note the lack of any 'or' statement in the lists, it's BOTH passport AND copy of birth cert, then the potential additional documentation required for single parent/non-parent/solo-traveling-child circumstances as required. Canada tightened up rules on one parent bringing kids over the border a few years back, as we were the most common first-stop country for parental kidnappings of US kids and that's not the sort of rep anybody wants!

 

It's possible that an RT Seattle cruise might allow the normal WHTI requirements to apply - i.e. that a Minor who's <16 years old only needs their birth certificate - but I'd want to verify that directly with Canadian CBSA, since they're the folks responsible for allowing people over the border or not (on an RT cruise with a short Victoria stop folks who are denied entry usually just have their ship card flagged so they can't sneak off though, so changing to this type of cruise might remain a viable possiblity).

 

As to the custody thing and how it impacts the trip - that definitely needs knowledge of exactly what the paperwork states! If OPs sister does have sole custody, then she alone should be able to sign for passport application and assign appropriate rights to OP/the grandparents to ensure the kid can have medical matters dealt with and of course has approval to travel, but I personally wouldn't assume that just because Mom says that Dad only has supervised visitation rights that he does not also retain some other rights - I'd want to see the paperwork myself, and if it's not completely obvious then consulting with the relevant attorney is definitely the way to go on that front.

 

Of course if you have all the paperwork sorted in advance no doubt CBP and CBSA won't ask for any of it, but if you fail to have it and somebody does demand paperwork showing that a minor can be taken out of the country by aunt/grandparents expect to be denied entry. Each cruiseline usually has their own preferred form that covers permission to bring a Minor along without their parent/guardian too. I have friends in both the sole- and joint-custody after divorce camps, as well as widowed, who have crossed the US/Canadian border with their kid and all have had major hassles from agents on both sides of the fence including being denied permission to cross until documents were acquired - now they always travel with the complete package of paperwork and while they don't get checked every time it still happens occasionally.

 

Id assume a copy of the custody agreement would be needed to justify the single signature on a passport, too.   And I’d probably carry it anyway as like you said proving there is no kidnapping is becoming normal!  Along with the parental signature that gave me permission to transport the child. 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Benthayer Gonbak

[Benthayer Gonbak]

17 hours ago, SRF said:

See, the cruise lines rules, if more stringent, rule.    Or more globally, the most stringent rules apply.

 

When we did our NE/Canada cruise, we all had passports.  But I do not remember any requirements to have passports.  And I have not heard of any requirements mentioned here on CC for a cruise with stops in Canada.

 

Here is what Royal Caribbean says:

 

 

 

 

I believe one of the tours in Scagway, to the Tundra, may have needed passports.  At least ids.    Not sure if enhanced drivers licenses were just left off or not permitted. 

[SRF]

Yes, there is one excursion from a US port that enters Canada.  So one would need a passport (book or card), or a NEXUS card, or an Enhanced (NOT REAL ID) ID.  But in that case you are entering Canada by land, not by cruise ship.

 

Same thing if you took an excursion from Helsinki to Tallinn.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

40 minutes ago, SRF said:

Yes, there is one excursion from a US port that enters Canada.  So one would need a passport (book or card), or a NEXUS card, or an Enhanced (NOT REAL ID) ID.  But in that case you are entering Canada by land, not by cruise ship.

 

Same thing if you took an excursion from Helsinki to Tallinn.

 

We did that tour but never experienced a checkpoint!  I’d still be prepared, of course! 

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

 

We did that tour but never experienced a checkpoint!  I’d still be prepared, of course! 

 

We've done the train to Fraser, British Columbia twice (2012 and 2018) and on both very pleasant Canadian immigration officers came on board and went from car to car comparing passport photos to each passenger.  Our excursions were booked through Chilkoot and they made a point of notifying passengers on both their website and their payment confirmation that passports were required.