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Any of you Americans going north for this match need to be aware that you wiull need a passport to get back inthe U.S.



May 31, 2009


Questions and answers on new passport rules

By BRIAN TUMULTY
Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - The acting head of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency expects the June 1 implementation of new documentation requirements for land crossings from Canada and Mexico will be smooth.

The reason?

U.S. citizens who don't have the required documents will be given a sheet of paper telling them they are not in compliance and waved through. But the Customs and Border Protection agency won't say how many days or weeks it will issue just a warning.

Question: Why are the changes being made?

Answer: Under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Congress required that all international travelers must prove their identity and citizenship. The new rules already are in effect for air travel. The requirement will extend to land crossings and sea ports on June 1.

Question: What documents are required?

Answer: There are several options. Travelers may use a passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver's license or one of three trusted traveler documents. Those three programs are Nexus, Sentri and Fast. The Fast program is for commercial truckers. Sentri is used only at the U.S.-Mexico border. Nexus is used at the U.S.-Canada border.

Question:How do I get a passport?

Answer: Applications for passports and passport cards are available at U.S. post offices and at www.travel.state.gov.

First-time passports cost $100 for applicants 16 or older, $85 for children. (Renewals are $75.) They are acceptable for travel worldwide by air, land or sea. Processing takes one to two months. Expedited passports are available for an additional fee.

Wallet-sized passport cards cost $45 for those over 15, and $35 for those younger. (Renewals are $20) They are not valid for international air travel, but may be used at U.S. land and seaports.

Question:Why would someone get a passport card instead of a passport?

Answer: These wallet-sized cards have radio frequency identification technology imbedded in them that allow them to be swiped on a machine, shortening the time it takes to pass through a land border crossing.

Question:Where can I get an enhanced driver's license?

Answer: Only four states - New York, Michigan, Vermont and Washington - are offering enhanced driver's licenses at this point, although more are planning to do so. Michigan issues them through the Secretary of State's office. The others do it through their Department of Motor Vehicles. Applicants must wait two to three weeks in New York, Michigan and Washington. Vermont takes five to 10 days.

Question:What about children?

Answer: Children age 16 and under can satisfy the requirement with a birth certificate.

Sources: U.S. State Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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Lets see...right click>select all>right click>select copy>left click>left click>select paste>left click....exhausting Richard, exhausting. My mouse fingers now need a back rub!!!

Richard,

You need to put up a poster here on the board annoucing your shoot so those coming to froim out side Canada will have documentation to show Canada Customs. Canada Customs did ask me for this information last year when I went north.

Grant I got your email and will get you what you asked for.

Richard,

Canada Customs wanted some way to verify that I was bringing guns into Canada to go to a legitimate shooting event. After some discussion I offered to show them the post about the shoot here on the board and they gave me a were convince I was not up to no good.

A flyer like I made for my shoot would meet that request and simply makes things smoother crossing the border.

In order for Canadians coming down for my shoot to apply for an ATF Temporary Import permit they must submit this flyer with their permit application. See page 3 of the post on my shoot. Of course Canadians coming to my shoot who are bringing firearms made before 1899 do not need a temporary import permit. But if they have a copy of the flyer as well as a copy of the letter from ATF that I posted about pre 1899 weapons it should make it simpler to cross the border. They also need somethng verifies the firearm was made befroe 1899.

I am going to write a letter to the U.S. Customs Port Director at Sweetgrass and advise him of our shoot, as well as provide him with copy of my Flyer and the ATF Letter. I will also tell him how to date the rifles. He will also have my contact numbers if there are problems.

Any Canadian coming down for my shoot who want a specific invitation, please drop me an email at ddgofer@hotmail.com and I will send you one.