Canadians will need passports to enter U.S.

[KipWellsFan]

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpos...3a-c7e4bca5f53a

 

Broadcast News

 

 

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

 

Canadians may soon need new documents to take a trip south of the border.

CTV News says as of December 31st, the U-S will require all Canadian citizens to have a passport in order to enter the country.

 

CTV provided no details, but says the new measures will be announced in Washington Tuesday.

 

The National Post lays out a different scenario.

 

The Post says under new regulations, the U.S. could require Canadians to carry a document that has more security features than the current driver's licence or birth certificate.

 

It says that could include some form of biometric identifier.

 

Currently it's recommended that Canadians carry a passport into the U.S., but other photo I-D such as a driver's licence is acceptable.

 

What the hell is a passport?

[DBAHO]

You're not alone Kipper, you're not alone.

[TheBigHurt35]

I don't have a problem with that.

[KipWellsFan]

I don't have a problem with that.

 

Neither do I. Little bit of a hastle but if it could improve security which I assume is its purpose, then great.

[SuperSteve]

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpos...3a-c7e4bca5f53a

What the hell is a passport?

It's a kind of wild turkey...

[FlaSoxxJim]

I don't have a problem with that.

Nor do I, as long as Americans will require the equivalent documentation to get into Canada.

[KipWellsFan]

Nor do I, as long as Americans will require the equivalent documentation to get into Canada.

 

Hey as long as you got a baggie of weed, you're in.

[TheBigHurt35]

Nor do I, as long as Americans will require the equivalent documentation to get into Canada.

 

Well, that's up to the Canadian government. I would hope that they implement the same measures.

[Texsox]

The downside to this is millions of people everyday cross these borders for work and play. It hurts the local economies when shoppers cannot reach the stores. Tourism is one of the few areas of our economy that continues to be strong. Hotels, restaurants, airlines, and other tourism industries cannot outsource these jobs to China, Mexico, and other countries.

 

North American Travel Trends

 

The majority of U.S. international travel is with Canada and Mexico. It has been characterized by fluctuations during the 1990s, most recently since September 2001. In 2000, approximately 313 million visits, or roundtrips, were recorded between the United States and Mexico and the United States and Canada, an increase of 10 percent from 19907. Of this travel, U.S.-Mexico activity accounted for 72 percent (227 million trips) and U.S.-Canada travel represented 28 percent (86 million trips). Same-day trips accounted for four-fifths of all travel back and forth across the borders, with the remaining 20 percent involving an overnight stay. The vast majority of people cross the border in personal vehicles (tables 4 and 5). Other options for travel across the border are walking, flying, or taking a bus. Relatively few travelers use trains.

North American Same-Day Travel

 

Same-day excursions dominate travel between the United States and its two neighbors, accounting for about 87 percent of total travel between the United States and Mexico and about 66 percent of total travel between the United States and Canada.

 

About half of Canadian travelers cited pleasure as the most common reason for same-day travel to the United States in 2000. Another one-third traveled for shopping and other purposes. About 7 percent cited business as their main reason to travel, while another 11 percent visited friends and relatives (table 6). Same-day trip purpose shares for U.S. residents traveling to Canada are comparable, with a slightly higher proportion visiting friends and relatives and shopping; fewer traveled for pleasure and business (Statistics Canada 1998, 2000, Various years). Comparable data are not available for Mexico8.

 

Same-day travel between Canada and the United States declined dramatically between 1990 and 2000, dropping from 76 million visits to 57 million. Much of the decline is due to fewer Canadians coming to the United States, while the number of American visits to Canada has grown. The most pronounced decline is for pleasure and business trips, although all trip purposes have been affected. The drop in Canadian trips to the United States has partly been the result of unfavorable exchange rates for the Canadian dollar. For specific modes, same-day travel by personal vehicles from Canada to the United States shows the most decline, while same-day air travel by Americans increased over this period.

 

In contrast to the U.S.-Canada situation, same-day travel between the United States and Mexico increased markedly (by approximately 27 percent) from 1990 to 2000. Same-day travel in both directions increased at comparable rates. The rate at which same-day travel between the United States and Mexico grew was especially rapid toward the close of the decade.

 

The vast majority of North American same-day travelers cross the border in personal vehicles. Border-entry data show that 344 million land passenger crossings were made into the United States from Mexico and Canada in 2001-approximately 944,000 a day9. These data also show that the number of passenger and personal vehicle crossings into the United States has fluctuated since 1998 (table 7), with steep declines in the later months of 2001 (discussed in detail in the section on Border Issues).

More at link

[mreye]

Well, that's up to the Canadian government.  I would hope that they implement the same measures.

I hope so too.

[TheBigHurt35]

The downside to this is millions of people everyday cross these borders for work and play. It hurts the local economies when shoppers cannot reach the stores. Tourism is one of the few areas of our economy that continues to be strong. Hotels, restaurants, airlines, and other tourism industries cannot outsource these jobs to China, Mexico, and other countries.

More at link

 

That's true, but I don't see how having to own a passport will change that. Even now, one still has to go through customs. Hell, I've even been held for 20 minutes and had my car searched entering Detroit a few years ago.

 

I don't know what Canadian passports cost, but American ones are about $90 and take about two months to get. Not exactly financially-crippling. And they're good for a decade.

[KipWellsFan]

The downside to this is millions of people everyday cross these borders for work and play. It hurts the local economies when shoppers cannot reach the stores. Tourism is one of the few areas of our economy that continues to be strong. Hotels, restaurants, airlines, and other tourism industries cannot outsource these jobs to China, Mexico, and other countries.

More at link

 

I remember starting a thread on how from Canada to the US has reached new lows, cant' seem to find it though. I don't think making Canadians get passports will help that.

 

Oh here it is

US$ decline hasn't encouraged foreign shoppers

[TheBigHurt35]

I remember starting a thread on how from Canada to the US has reached new lows, cant' seem to find it though.  I don't think making Canadians get passports will help that.

 

Oh here it is

US$ decline hasn't encouraged foreign shoppers

 

Might that have something to do with the exchange rate being strongly in American's favor since the mid-'90s? :rolly

[KipWellsFan]

Might that have something to do with the exchange rate being strongly in American's favor since the mid-'90s? :rolly

 

That's the point in that article, even as Canada's dollar has been catching up travel has not proportionately increased.

[TheBigHurt35]

That's the point in that article, even as Canada's dollar has been catching up travel has not proportionately increased.

 

Perhaps that has to do with the fact that Canada's quasi-socialist government takes more and more money out of its citizens' pockets every year?

[Texsox]

That's true, but I don't see how having to own a passport will change that.  Even now, one still has to go through customs.  Hell, I've even been held for 20 minutes and had my car searched entering Detroit a few years ago.

 

I don't know what Canadian passports cost, but American ones are about $90 and take about two months to get.  Not exactly financially-crippling.  And they're good for a decade.

 

What it will do is stop the casual shopper. When Mexico increased their fee for an interior visa from under $10 to almost $60 person, plus a vehicle import permit, I decided I didn't need to bring the family to Monterrey anymore.

 

As a Canadian, using the American cost of $90 per person; $280 for a family of four is stupid to spend for a day in the US. It also adds $280 to the cost of a vacation for that family. Although I am certain American pharmacies are hoping Canada retaliates and requires Americans to buy passports as well.

 

I'm a pro business conservative and this stuff seems short sighted. We are harming ourselves more than helping.

[KipWellsFan]

Perhaps that has to do with the fact that Canada's quasi-socialist government takes more and more money out of its citizens' pockets every year?

 

Didn't stop me and my pa from heading to see the Baseball in Minneapolis last summer.

 

"Canada has been very much like the rest of the world in shunning the United States as a destination, despite the surge in several other major currencies against the U.S. greenback," the study's author wrote.

-are they all socialists?

 

also the new Canadian proposed budget will have tax cuts!

 

An increase in the basic personal exemption on income-from $8,012 in 2004 to $10,000 by 2009, allowing Canadians to earn more money tax-free.

 

A pledge to reduce the general corporate tax rate from the current 21 per cent to 20.5 per cent in 2008, 20 per cent in 2009 and 19 per cent by 2010.

 

A promise to eliminate the corporate surtax by 2008.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/budget2005/

[TheBigHurt35]

What it will do is stop the casual shopper.

 

Good point. Then again, it won't stop the person who has to cross the border to work every day. And both governments profit from passport fees.

 

Although I am certain American pharmacies are hoping Canada retaliates and requires Americans to buy passports as well.

 

Pfizer has already threatened to stop selling its products to Canada unless they crack down on illegal exports of their drugs. And many of the pharma companies simply refuse to sell certain products to countries whose "negotiated" drug prices are way below the drug's market value.

 

When one also considers that generic drugs produced in American are significantly cheaper than those produced in Canada (due to increased competition), the pharma companies don't need the Canadian government to fight their battles. They hold all the cards.

[Texsox]

Actually it could speed crossing for people who cross everyday. I know the Hidalgo Bridge has been scheduled to test out a kind of easy pass lane with an electronic indicator which would allow users to by-pass the Customs or Border Patrol stops. If they increase that program for frequent crossers, that would give them time to check the passports or US ID for everyone else.

 

Found this quote

Last year, more than a quarter of a million people a day crossed into the United States from Canada, according to Department of Transportation Statistics. Cross-border trade is estimated at $1.3 billion a day.

http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/12/12/rec.canada.border/ Edited April 5, 2005 by Texsox

[KipWellsFan]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050405/D899BTI80.html

 

Apparently by 2008 Americans will need passports to re-enter country from Canada, Mexico, Panama and Bermuda, and Canadians will need passports to enter.

 

More info at link.

[Texsox]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050405/D899BTI80.html

 

Apparently by 2008 Americans will need passports to re-enter country from Canada, Mexico, Panama and Bermuda, and Canadians will need passports to enter.

 

More info at link.

 

Yikes, that will make working in Mexico an even bigger pain in the ass. Currently it's a simple two question pass

 

"American Citizen?"

"yes"

"Anything to Declare?"

"no"

"Have a nice day . . ."

 

Border crossing could take anywhere from 5 seconds to an hour depending on the tourist traffic, number of bridge lanes open, if you were in a Customs (slow) or Immigration (fast) staffed lane.

[Texsox]

Transatlantic business relations risk being strained and billions of dollars of tourism revenue squandered unless the US delays tough new entry requirements to be introduced this year, a UK business leader has warned.

 

Sir Digby Jones, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said US demands for visitors to hold passports containing biometric information would cause “enormous problems” for UK business.

 

The UK is one of several countries expected to miss an October 26 deadline to start issuing the high-tech passports, which include a digital photo embedded with a chip.

 

Only six European countries Belgium, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg are expected to meet the deadline. People with passports issued after the deadline without biometric features will need a visa to enter the US.

 

The measures, designed to increase US security following the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, affect 27 countries whose citizens are currently allowed to enter the US without visas, including most of Europe and Japan.

 

Addressing a conference in Washington on Tuesday, Sir Digby accused Congress of squandering goodwill towards the US and failing to understand the realities of global business.

 

“Applications for US visas can take up to three weeks but global business just doesn't work in these old-style timeframes,” he said. “Vital meetings will simply not be possible without the freedom to enter the US without a visa.”

 

However, the spokesman for one of the legislators responsible for the rules accused critics of spreading “misinformation” and said the changes would affect relatively few visitors.

 

“Many people believe that after the deadline all European citizens entering the US will be required to have biometric passports but that is simply not the case,” said Jeff Lungren, spokesman for James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House judiciary committee.

 

The new rules apply only to new passports issued after October 26, meaning that people with documents issued before the deadline will still be able to enter the US without a visa or biometric information.

 

Sir Digby called for a further six-month extension to the deadline, which has already been postponed by a year. But Mr Sensenbrenner wrote to the European Commission last week that another delay was “highly unlikely”.

 

Mr Lungren suggested that Europeans whose passports expire in the next few months could avoid problems by renewing their document before October 26.

 

More than 4.5m British passport holders visit the US each year, spending nearly $7bn while they are there.

[southsider2k5]

affect 27 countries whose citizens are currently allowed to enter the US without visas, including most of Europe and Japan.

 

Damn are we racists. We make over 200 countries get visas at the expense of 27 favorites.

[Rex Kickass]

Yikes, that will make working in Mexico an even bigger pain in the ass.  Currently it's a simple two question pass

 

"American Citizen?"

"yes"

"Anything to Declare?"

"no"

"Have a nice day . . ."

 

Border crossing could take anywhere from 5 seconds to an hour depending on the tourist traffic, number of bridge lanes open, if you were in a Customs (slow) or Immigration (fast) staffed lane.

 

Its much tighter in Windsor. I almost didn't get let back in to the States because I didn't have my birth certificate with me, this law was changed and enforced in 2002, 2003. I also had cuban cigars confiscated... by a guy who wanted to obviously smoke them. Should have seen his face when I made them destroy them in front of me.

[KipWellsFan]

This is funny news our auditor general (like our 1 person appointed to overview everything) released a report on our security measures and here's what she had to say about our giving out of passports.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/20...rity050405.html

Fraser also said poor security controls may be allowing wanted criminals to obtain passports.

 

"There are clearly very serious weaknesses in the Passport Office," Fraser said. "And the potential is there for abuse."

 

She found the Passport Office has inadequate watch lists, outdated technology and poor record-checking to validate identification.

 

The office doesn't have the computer links it needs to weed out applicants who aren't eligible for passports, including people on parole or those charged with serious crimes, she said.

 

Doesn't sound like getting a passport really means anything anyways.

Edited April 6, 2005 by KipWellsFan