Days numbered for birth-certificate border hops.

[jeffreyab]

By PAUL KORING

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Updated at 1:42 AM EST

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050406.wborder06/BNStory/National/

"Finally, on Jan 1, 2008, the passport or equivalent rule will be imposed at land crossings."

You might have to join the website to read the rest of the article but the basics are that I and anyone else who crosses the border on a regular basis will have to apply for a passport. From the Passport Canada website:

"A fee of $87 is required with your initial application for a Canadian passport. How long is a passport valid for? The period of a passport's validity will vary depending on the age of the passport holder: Adult passport (sixteen years old and over): Maximum of 5 years. Can a passport be renewed? No, you must re-apply by providing a completed application form signed by an eligible guarantor."

Which means people who do not attend church or know any other professional are going to have a hard time.
This is really going to hurt border cities I can see the bigger bars in town including the charity casino getting hit hard.

Comments

[kgkofmel.livejournal.com]

All it says is "know personally." By which I believe they mean "has seen you in physical form and has reason to believe that you are who you say you are."

I don't expect that your doctor should be able to recognize you on the street, but if you have been seeing him professionally for more than two years and bring a passport application to him at his office, possibly in the course of a regular appointment, then he does know you personally.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

By which I believe they mean "has seen you in physical form and has reason to believe that you are who you say you are."

Kim what makes you believe this?

[kgkofmel.livejournal.com]

In large part, because of the purpose of the guarantor. Also, based on the list of acceptable guarantors. The list includes persons with whom an individual is likely to have had some degree of routine interaction. Key word: routine.

The key reason I say "has seen you in physical form and has reason to believe that you are who you say you are" is because part of what the guarantor does is state that the picture you provide is a reasonable likeness of you.

But again, in the end it doesn't matter, because if you need a passport and can't get a guarantor, you can use the "in lieu of" process and form.

Of course, I don't work for Passport Canada, but the language on the website is pretty clear and the information pretty accesible. And I don't get the sense that it is obstructive at all.

Perhaps since Sarnia is a border city, it would be an idea to work out some kind of "we'll help you fill out your passport application" workshops at the library, kind of the way some places have tax workshops. You might even be able to get a grant for it...