Identification to visit Canada next year while I-751 pending...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Ok, this might be a silly question, but I have to ask it anyways, especially so, if I have to make arrangements other arrangements ahead of time, in case my I-751 is still pending then:

Being a Canadian Citizen now living in the US as a Permanent Resident, can I visit Canada next year (after Jaunary 2009) with any/all of the following identification, and not have any problems at the border from both the Canadian and the American sides?:

1) An expired Canadian passport (I don't want to renew my old Canadian passport, yet, as I need the extra money to pay for US immigration expenses here first)

2) An expired 2yr conditional green card, with an NOA1 one-year extension letter

3) A very outdated Canadian Certificate of Citizenship Naturalization card

Any thoughts, ideas, and suggestions, appreciated. Thanks

Ant

P.S. To anyone in New York State or any other state that offers enhanced driver's licenses (only issued to US Citizens): Have you ever gotten one of those, or considered getting one of those? If you have one, how much is it and did you have any problems crossing the border with it? (I'm asking this, because my husband, the USC, might consider this option, instead of getting a US passport)

Edited August 15, 2008 by AntandD

[blooberry 3]

Ok, this might be a silly question, but I have to ask it anyways, especially so, if I have to make arrangements other arrangements ahead of time, in case my I-751 is still pending then:

Being a Canadian Citizen now living in the US as a Permanent Resident, can I visit Canada next year (after Jaunary 2009) with any/all of the following identification, and not have any problems at the border from both the Canadian and the American sides?:

1) An expired Canadian passport (I don't want to renew my old Canadian passport, yet, as I need the extra money to pay for US immigration expenses here first)

2) An expired 2yr conditional green card, with an NOA1 one-year extension letter

3) A very outdated Canadian Certificate of Citizenship Naturalization card

To enter Canada you must have a current, valid passport, period. An expired passport is no good for that. To go to any country, even your home country of Canada, you will need a current one.

You really should get it renewed. It costs 92$ (plus picture costs, and mailing costs). It really doesn't take TOO long to get it processed. We renewed Lisa's in February and we were prepared for it to take several months but it turned out to be less than a month (this was after an initial rejection because of the strict photo requirements).

Hope this helps (I'm not an immigration person...just my observations)

-Brian

[antda 13]

Hi Blooberry,

Thanks for your reply and helpful observations. I can't believe though, that I might have the possiblity of having problems going into Canada, especially with an expired passport, which for me kind of serves as a Canadian birth certificate. Lol...oh why can't Canada issue passports for 5 years instead of 10 years, like they do here in the US and other countries, or some sort of affordable passport card or something? Maybe they'll also take into consideration too my US green card and extension letter that I have, and not cause any problems with that.

I figured that "having an expired passport" is better than having no passport at all, but I guess they must have changed the rules recently about having valid passports to cross the border. As for renewing/getting a new Canadian passport, $92+ doesnt sound like much, but when I factor currently paying for the US immigration process here (lol...there goes $1000+ out the window), and for other household expenses, well, I can honestly say that I'm not sure in my situation it's 100%worth the expense now, especially when I don't go to Canada or travel non-locally too often. Time-wise isn't a problem, as a few weeks wait, is not too long. Rather, it's finances in affording a new passport and trying to find a guarantor is the problem. Nevertheless, if I have to renew/get a new passport, I'll consider it then.

Glad that your wife had few problems renewing her Canadian passport, even though you had problems with the photo requirements at first. By the way, did you have any problems finding a guarantor for your wife's passport renewal? That's another problem I was having before, as I couldn't find a guarantor (either here in the US or Canada) to sign for that. Oh well, worst case scenerio: I don't go to Canada for the next 1-2 years and until I get my US Passport to do so.

Congratulations too, in getting your I-751 case approved recently.

Ant (Canadian passport-less, Another 3 days until I sent in the I-751...)

To enter Canada you must have a current, valid passport, period. An expired passport is no good for that. To go to any country, even your home country of Canada, you will need a current one.

You really should get it renewed. It costs 92$ (plus picture costs, and mailing costs). It really doesn't take TOO long to get it processed. We renewed Lisa's in February and we were prepared for it to take several months but it turned out to be less than a month (this was after an initial rejection because of the strict photo requirements).

Hope this helps (I'm not an immigration person...just my observations)

-Brian

Edited August 15, 2008 by AntandD

[Cassie 8]

Ant, they have been cracking down on needing valid passports to travel between the US and Canada for a long time now. You have to have a valid Canadian passport to travel by air, and by I think it is April or May 2009 you will need a valid passport to travel by land. No ifs, ands or buts.

If the I-751 approval drags on as long as it did for me and many others on VJ (one year plus wait), you will need a valid passport available to receive a I-551 stamp, which will extend the the extension letter once it expires. I personally would apply for it sooner rather than later, as in 2009 there will be another repeat of the passport application backlog so that people will have their passports before the new travel regulations.

[antda 13]

Hi Cassie,

Thanks for your reply. I guess it would make sense that they are cracking down on identification needed to cross the border, since the stricter regulations come into play next year (June 2009). I won't be travelling by air, so I don't have to worry about needing a passport that, as I do my travelling to Canada by land, which for now doesn't require a passport.

Hmm...I never really thought about the I-751 process dragging on for more than a year. Is the backlog really that bad in Vermont? Did you end up getting that I-551 stamp after the extention expired? Will I be "out-of-status/illegal" if I don't get this stamp (after the extension letter expires) in my passport? Did you get your Canadian passport renewed from here in the US? If so, how was it? That definately puts another spin to the "getting a new passport" debate for me. And if that is the case, you're right in saying that it's better to get it earlier than later, in case of the backlog, though I'm not in too much of a hurry for it. But then again, there might not be as much of a backlog, as some people got done during the last backlog.

Well, in the worst case scenerio, as I said before: I don't travel back to Canada for 1-2 years, until I get US Citizenship and get a US passport...

Good luck on your immigration journey, Cassie.

Ant (3 more days until I send in the I-751, and hoping they don't take more than a year to approve my case)

Ant, they have been cracking down on needing valid passports to travel between the US and Canada for a long time now. You have to have a valid Canadian passport to travel by air, and by I think it is April or May 2009 you will need a valid passport to travel by land. No ifs, ands or buts.

If the I-751 approval drags on as long as it did for me and many others on VJ (one year plus wait), you will need a valid passport available to receive a I-551 stamp, which will extend the the extension letter once it expires. I personally would apply for it sooner rather than later, as in 2009 there will be another repeat of the passport application backlog so that people will have their passports before the new travel regulations.

Edited August 15, 2008 by AntandD

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Just a clarification - it is the US that is stamping down on having passports. As long as you can prove your Canadian citizenship at the border they will let you into Canada - you can use your birth certificate or your passport or expired passport. You will need to have a valid passport and immigration documents, however, to re-enter the US effective June 2009 for land and water borders and currently require them now for airports. A lot of people confuse the increased border security proposal as being both ways - but it isn't - it is an American initiative only. Entering Canada will be the same as ever it was for a Canadian citizen - that has not changed. It is a good idea, however, to have a valid Canadian passport whenever you are not residing in Canada.

And Ant, yes, if your I-751 is going to be at Vermont, you can expect a minimum of a year for it to be processed and possibly longer. And even if you do apply for US citizenship a year from now without your I-751 approved, they are saying citizenship applications are also taking about 14 to 18 months. That is a long time to be without a passport. and the ability to return to the US if you ever had to leave for an emergency. Renew your Canadian passport as soon as you financially can and you will save yourself a load of potential future worry.

Edited August 15, 2008 by Kathryn41

[antda 13]

Hi Kathryn41,

Thanks for your very reassuring reply. What a relief it is to know that it is only the US that is increasing their border security, as I thought before that it was an issue on both the American and Canadian sides. For a moment there, I was worried that I would have a difficult time getting into Canada, despite being a Canadian Citizen. I’ve always assumed too, that “once a Canadian Citizen, always a Canadian Citizenâ€, which shouldn’t cause any problems in Canada. I’ve never really had any problems going into Canada before, as they are more relaxed about their border security there. The US on the other hand, well, I’ve had my share of problems there, and I know that they are tougher on border security and immigration. Now that I’m in the US as a resident, it’s odd to think I would actually have problems the other way around going back into Canada as a citizen.

Based on my situation, on the US side of things, I’ll have a US green card (whether it is the 2yr one expired with the 1 year extension letter, or the 10yr new one), so I should be ok coming back home for the time being before US Citizenship. As for the Canada side, as you said, I can prove my Canadian Citizenship with an expired passport and a very outdated Canadian Citizenship/Naturalization Certificate Card (I don’t have a Canadian birth certificate, as I wasn’t born there), and I have my US green card, so I hope that I won’t have any problems on the Canada side of things (unless they tighten up security like the US and cause problems for everyone regardless).

I’ve never thought about it before, that the I-751 would actually take that long, more than a year or so, and that the US Citizenship would take equally as long. I hope that there won’t be a backlog for too long, and that everything will go quicker for everyone soon. I’m sure that you and everybody else who is waiting for the I-751s and other immigration paperwork definitely understand the frustration of waiting so long for their case to be completed. Lol…it looks like I’ll be joining that boat next week too. Grrr…..

Yes, it is a good idea to have a valid passport, in any country that one is a citizen of. In my case, the problems in getting a new Canadian passport are financial related and in finding a guarantor to sign for it. If those weren’t the issues, believe me, I’d be getting a new Canadian passport right away. Nevertheless, if I have no other choice though, and to ease my concerns (especially if the I-751 doesn’t get approved within a year), I’d somehow have to find the means and the way to renew my Canadian passport right away. I don’t think though, that I’d leave the US for an emergency, as my immediate family is located here in the US and not in Canada or in any other country, so that’s not much of an issue there.

Oh well. Meanwhile, I’ll travel to Canada as much as I can before I run into any paperwork problems with expired documents later on (Hmmm…a trip next week perhaps?). The inability to travel out of the US for awhile isn’t too much of a sacrifice for me, as I don’t mind having 1-2 years or more without traveling to Canada to go to any other country. The important thing, in the end, is that all the immigration paperwork clears up in a timely manner here in the US, so that I don’t have any problems later on for the rest of my life when I travel internationally.

Funny, I was stuck in Canada before, and now I’m stuck here in the USA…lol…

Ant (Stuck in the USA? 2 more days until I-751 submission…)

Just a clarification - it is the US that is stamping down on having passports. As long as you can prove your Canadian citizenship at the border they will let you into Canada - you can use your birth certificate or your passport or expired passport. You will need to have a valid passport and immigration documents, however, to re-enter the US effective June 2009 for land and water borders and currently require them now for airports. A lot of people confuse the increased border security proposal as being both ways - but it isn't - it is an American initiative only. Entering Canada will be the same as ever it was for a Canadian citizen - that has not changed. It is a good idea, however, to have a valid Canadian passport whenever you are not residing in Canada.

And Ant, yes, if your I-751 is going to be at Vermont, you can expect a minimum of a year for it to be processed and possibly longer. And even if you do apply for US citizenship a year from now without your I-751 approved, they are saying citizenship applications are also taking about 14 to 18 months. That is a long time to be without a passport. and the ability to return to the US if you ever had to leave for an emergency. Renew your Canadian passport as soon as you financially can and you will save yourself a load of potential future worry.

Edited August 16, 2008 by AntandD

[GregS 0]

Just for informational sake, I just renewed my Canadian Passport last month. Overnighted application on July 2nd from Chicago to Gatineau, and recieved new passport via DHL on July 14th. So less then two weeks to renew.

Also as for the Guarantor, all you need is another Canadian Citizen with a valid passport over the age of 18 now. They changed the guarantor rules last year, so even your own family members can sign for you if they meet to above criteria. If you want a US citizen to sign for you then they still need to follow the old guarantor system, ie only people of certain occupations can sign.

[antda 13]

Hi GregS,

Thanks for your reply and for telling me about your experience in renewing your Canadian passport. Glad you had no problems there, and that you got your passport so quickly, within two weeks or so. Did you have any problems finding a guarantor to sign for your passport?

As well, I found the following information online (on the passport Canada website) about guarantors. Gee, I guess I'm getting old and have been out of Canada for so long in not realizing this change. I guess I can do this instead then in the USA (as I don't have anyone in Canada that can sign for me) if I do apply for a new Canadian passport:

"An applicant who is unable to obtain the signature of an eligible guarantor is required to complete Form PPT 132, "Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor". This form must be completed and signed before a Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public, Justice of the Peace or another official who is qualified to administer the oath. In this instance, it is not necessary for the official to know the applicant personally.The form is available from any Passport Canada office or by contacting our call centre"

I also found out too, like you mentioned before, about the new rules for guarantors, which is that they now don't require guarantors to be only of people with certain "professional" careers, like they did before. Before, it doesn't seem fair really, that just because someone has a certain "professional" career that they are better at proving someone's identity or not.

By the way, would you (or anyone else) happen to know too, if that US Citizen guarantor, in addition have to be a Canadian citizen too? Or can they just be only a US Citizen to sign? Lol..in that case, going to the notary public at the bank here in the US shouldn't be too much of a problem for me. Now, all I have to do then, is to get the "Lieu of Guarantor" form...

Ok, now that I got the guarantor issue out of the way, I wonder if I can gather up enough money to pay for a new Canadian passport...

Good luck on your immigration journey too.

Ant (Tomorrow=I-751 Submission Day)

Just for informational sake, I just renewed my Canadian Passport last month. Overnighted application on July 2nd from Chicago to Gatineau, and recieved new passport via DHL on July 14th. So less then two weeks to renew.

Also as for the Guarantor, all you need is another Canadian Citizen with a valid passport over the age of 18 now. They changed the guarantor rules last year, so even your own family members can sign for you if they meet to above criteria. If you want a US citizen to sign for you then they still need to follow the old guarantor system, ie only people of certain occupations can sign.

Edited August 17, 2008 by AntandD

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I had similar success in getting my passport renewed last February - got it back in 10 days after couriering it to the Passport Office.

By the way, would you (or anyone else) happen to know too, if that US Citizen guarantor, in addition have to be a Canadian citizen too? Or can they just be only a US Citizen to sign? Lol..in that case, going to the notary public at the bank here in the US shouldn't be too much of a problem for me. Now, all I have to do then, is to get the "Lieu of Guarantor" form...

Ok, now that I got the guarantor issue out of the way, I wonder if I can gather up enough money to pay for a new Canadian passport..

.

I am not quite sure I understand what you are asking . . . but to clarify there are now three options that you can use - there used only to be two:

a)You can have a Canadian citizen who is over the age of 18, who has known you more than 2 years, and who has a valid Canadian passport so that they can check their own records to verify the information to be your guarantor (use the NEW passport application);

b)You can have a Canadian or US professional who belongs to one of the recognized professional classes whose credentials they can verify through a professional organization and who has known you more than 2 years to be your guarantor (use the OLD passport application form);

c)Use the form PPT132 Statutory Declaration in lieu of Guarantor - I haven't found Commissioner of Oaths in the US (I used to be one) but you can find Notary Publics all over the place, including your bank and UPS stores to quote two. This person has to administer the oath, witness your signature and then stamp and seal the document with their official seal and signature. This person can be either a US or a Canadian citizen. This option may slow down the process somewhat and you may find that they contact your references for further verification. Since you have already had a passport once, though, it shouldn't cause any real delay as it might if you had never had a passport previously.

Good luck on your submission tomorrow - remember to make sure you send it priority mail with delivery confirmation and, if you want, return receipt:-).

Edited August 18, 2008 by Kathryn41

[antda 13]

Hi Kathryn41,

Thanks for your reply. Glad too, that you got your passport in February, with no problems. What I was asking before, was if a US Citizen guarantor had to also be a Canadian Citizen too. Lol…I don’t think I could have found anyone here with dual citizenship if that was the case. What a relief though, that isn’t the case, and that if a person is a US Citizen only, it should be ok as a guarantor too.

Thanks too, for clearing up the situation about who is eligible to be a guarantor. Yes, I’m glad that they changed the rules, and made it easier to find someone to be a guarantor. Personally though, I don’t see a point to this guarantor business and I have to wonder why as to Canadian passports requires such. Couldn’t they just look up your information in their database or something to verify people’s identities, like they do here in the US? And by signing the passport form, doesn’t it already say that already prove that one is not lying about their identity, as if they did so, they would get fined?

Based on what you said, I’ll explain how it relates to my circumstances:

Option a) Unfortunately now I don’t know anyone in Canada who for more than 2 years. I used to know people, but well, let’s just say that things got really sour with them since I’ve moved here (long story there), and I don’t have contact with them anymore. So now when I go back to Canada to visit, it seems like a foreign country to me, as I don’t know anyone there anymore and I feel as though I’m just visiting as an American (well soon to be American), like my husband, a USC, is visiting Canada.

Option B) Had the same problem the last time around, finding a professional (it was mandatory back then) to sign for may passport. That person too, I don’t have contact with them anymore. Lol…back then it was a mad scramble trying to find a “professional” to sign for it. Frankly, as I mentioned previously, I didn’t understand before as to why “professionals” are deemed more able to sign for a passport more so than the non-professional. Doesn’t seem fair, really. Thank goodness they did away with that rule now. Funny though, the last time around, the reason why I got my passport, was not to travel, but rather it was because my graduated driver's license expired, and I had no other photo identification at the time. But I guess it turned out well that I got my Canadian passport, as who knew that it would be useful when I travelled here to the USA. I guess I was thinking somewhat ahead then, without knowing it.

Option c) Worst case scenario, I have to go this route, and ask some US Citizen Notary to sign it. The problem here is not finding the person, as I can probably go to my local bank or town office to find a notary. But the problem instead here is getting this specific form. I remember I asked for it last time I was at the passport office (I was there to add my married name to my passport), and they said that I should come back again another day to ask for it. Maybe I’ll ask a different passport office this time around, or call passport Canada to send one over to me in the mail. I wonder though, does anyone every really use this form? And if so, does it really work? It doesn’t matter to me though, if it slows down the application process, as I’m not in a really big hurry to get a Canadian passport. But as long as if I need to, I get a Canadian passport whenever that is, then so be it. Not sure though, how the notary would feel about being contacted by passport Canada, but I’ll have to tell them about it beforehand, just in case. Lol..I’m sure I’m not too hard to identify, and they’ll probably remember about me as I'll be the only one asking them to sign/notarize a Canadian passport, when passport Canada does call them. By the way, does passport Canada call all guarantors, regardless, when they do sign for passports? If so, what questions do they ask the guarantor? Do they just ask “Did you sign the form for Mr./Ms. XYZ on this date?” Or do they ask for more? Lol…I think I might have to prepare the guarantor for a round of 20 questions with passport Canada. Ouch.

Speaking of notaries, and the like, what was it like for you, Kathryn, to be a Commissioner of Oaths? What was it like having such a job? Was it hard to do? What was the strangest/oddest thing that you had to sign and/or administer an oath for? Do you still work as a Commissioner of Oaths? If not, is it because you have to get recertified here in the US, as job regulations are different than in Canada?

Yes, I’ll be sending the I-751 in a couple of hours, and I’ll make sure to send it priority mail, with delivery confirmation (skipping the return reciept, as I don't want any further delays). Hope everything goes well there. I’ll update later on about that in another message topic.

Ant (Today=I-751 Submission Day! Waiting for the USPS post office to open in a few hrs….)

I had similar success in getting my passport renewed last February - got it back in 10 days after couriering it to the Passport Office.

I am not quite sure I understand what you are asking . . . but to clarify there are now three options that you can use - there used only to be two:

a)You can have a Canadian citizen who is over the age of 18, who has known you more than 2 years, and who has a valid Canadian passport so that they can check their own records to verify the information to be your guarantor (use the NEW passport application);

b)You can have a Canadian or US professional who belongs to one of the recognized professional classes whose credentials they can verify through a professional organization and who has known you more than 2 years to be your guarantor (use the OLD passport application form);

c)Use the form PPT132 Statutory Declaration in lieu of Guarantor - I haven't found Commissioner of Oaths in the US (I used to be one) but you can find Notary Publics all over the place, including your bank and UPS stores to quote two. This person has to administer the oath, witness your signature and then stamp and seal the document with their official seal and signature. This person can be either a US or a Canadian citizen. This option may slow down the process somewhat and you may find that they contact your references for further verification. Since you have already had a passport once, though, it shouldn't cause any real delay as it might if you had never had a passport previously.

Good luck on your submission tomorrow - remember to make sure you send it priority mail with delivery confirmation and, if you want, return receipt:-).

[GregS 0]

Hey Ant;

If you use a US Citizen they still need to be a Professional and you need to use the older application (PPTC 140A). I used my Chiropractor for mine, as he is also a good friend of mine, so I see him quite often.

In regards to phone calls, neither my Guarantor (used same one last two renewals), or my references (used Co-workers) have ever been called by passport Canada.

As for the form 132, I am sure if you contact them they should be able to mail one to you, or you can try to contact your Canadian Consulate in your area as they might have it aswell.

One last thing you will want to note, is that US Passport Photos do not meet the criteria for Canadian Passport applications, so when you go to get your photos done be sure to take the photo requirements with you to ensure they are the proper size, with NO SHADOWS. Best to call places to find out if they can do Canadian Passport Photos before you go. I made the mistake of not calling and went to four places before an Employee at Wolf Camera pointed me to the photographer that could do them.

Good Luck with this and also your I-751.

GregS

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Greg's information is right on track about the guarantors and the photographs.

No, Passport Canada does not always phone Guarantors. There is another feature on the passport application called references. When I got my 2nd last passport, 2 of my references were called. This time, when my Dad was my Guarantor, none of my references were called. My US Chiropractor also agreed to be my Guarantor and when it looked like my signed application coming back from my Dad was lost in the mail (don't use USPS for important stuff like this even certified - use a courier), he completed the application form for me and signed my photos. He thought it was kind of cool to be asked, VBG.

Regarding the "In Lieu of Gurantor" form, yes, people do use it. As Commissioner of Oaths, I signed a number of them. If you use this form, they are not going to contact the Notary - they are going to contact your references for confirmation so you won't have to worry about that. Make sure your references do know you and can identify you physically. Most of the questions asked are along the lines of 'how long is her hair' 'what colour are her eyes"; "how tall is she", etc.

I was a Commissioner of Oaths as part of my job as Assistant to the Member of Parliament for our Riding. I ran his local Constituency Office and was required several times a day to use my Commission. The biggest part of the job was certifying documents as true copies as many government agencies, including Immigration, required certified copies or originals.

My most unusual or interesting experience? We were assisting a Canadian mother with the retrieval of her US born daughter (the mother had full legal custody and they resided in Canada), who had been kidnapped by the US father and taken without permission to the US one Christmas, and who then went into hiding with the girl. Under the Hague Convention for International Child Abduction she obtained a US law firm who successfully tracked down the child and took her into protective custody while the father was arrested for abduction. There was a hearing in a US court, but because the mother and her witnesses were not able to travel to the States to attend the Court hearing, they 'attended' over the phone at our office. Before they gave their testimony to the Judge I had to administer the "Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth' oath. As there was no question that the US father had abducted the child, the court ordered her return to Canada. The US Child Protection Agency (can't remember the correct name now) turned over the girl to the mother who flew down with a representative of the RCMP Bureau for Missing Children and they returned to Canada. I was very proud of our ability to help out in this situation - it was very messy and there were lots of other side issues involved which were handled in other courts of law.

Edited August 18, 2008 by Kathryn41

[antda 13]

Hi GregS,

Thanks for your reply about the guarantors and the passport photos. You’re lucky to have such a great chiropractor friend who signed as a guarantor for your Canadian passport. It’s good too that your chiropractor guarantor and co-worker references haven’t been contacted by passport Canada about you passport application. The last time I got my passport in Canada, they didn’t contact my guarantor and/or my references then either. Maybe it was because I was in Canada then that they didn’t contact such, but I don’t know if they would still contact such for passport applicants who live in the US.

I guess the non-professional guarantor rule doesn’t apply passport applicants who live in the US if they want to use US Citizens as guarantors? That doesn’t seem fair at all that they would indirectly discriminate against Americans this way. Just because that person is a US Citizen, then they have to be a professional? And if that person is a Canadian Citizen, then they don’t have to be a professional? Oh well. As I said before, I will probably skip the option of finding a “professional” guarantor, as I can’t find one here in the US where I am in now that I have known for that specified two year period of time and I’ve lost contact with the last guarantor that I had in Canada years ago.

Yes, I’ll have to contact Passport Canada if ever I need to get that “In Lieu of a Guarantor” form. As for dealing with the Canadian Consulate, well, the last time I dealt with them for a passport matter, they were kind of rude to me and directed me to go deal with Passport Canada instead. So chances are, I’m probably better off dealing with Passport Canada directly.

That’s good to know about the passport photos and I’m sorry that you ran into problems before because of not meeting their strict criteria. Wow, I can’t believe you have to go to 4 different places to get the proper size of photos with no shadows. Note to self: use the right size (I think the US ones are bigger than the Canadian ones, or is it the other way around?) and remember no shadows. I remember too, that the photos had to be stamped by the photographer and signed by the guarantor too, which I don’t think is required for US passports. I’ll be sure to call though, as you suggested, to make sure they do Canadian passport photos. Maybe I’ll have better luck there by finding a photographer that’s close to the border and does more Canadian photos.

Good luck too, on your immigration situation and your I-751, GregS.

Ant (Waiting for the I-751 at the VSC…)

Hey Ant;

If you use a US Citizen they still need to be a Professional and you need to use the older application (PPTC 140A). I used my Chiropractor for mine, as he is also a good friend of mine, so I see him quite often.

In regards to phone calls, neither my Guarantor (used same one last two renewals), or my references (used Co-workers) have ever been called by passport Canada.

As for the form 132, I am sure if you contact them they should be able to mail one to you, or you can try to contact your Canadian Consulate in your area as they might have it aswell.

One last thing you will want to note, is that US Passport Photos do not meet the criteria for Canadian Passport applications, so when you go to get your photos done be sure to take the photo requirements with you to ensure they are the proper size, with NO SHADOWS. Best to call places to find out if they can do Canadian Passport Photos before you go. I made the mistake of not calling and went to four places before an Employee at Wolf Camera pointed me to the photographer that could do them.

Good Luck with this and also your I-751.

GregS

Hi Kathryn41,

Thanks for your reply about the guarantors and about your passport and job experiences. It’s good to know that passport Canada does not call guarantors and as I said before, from my experience the last time I got my passport in Canada, they didn’t contact my guarantor and/or my references then either. Maybe it was because I was in Canada then that they didn’t contact such, but I don’t know if they would still contact such for passport applicants who live in the US.

I almost forgot that there was a difference between guarantors and references. Gee, so it looks like I have to find three people just to renew a Canadian passport. Lol...I might as well just submit my resume with my passport application and apply for a job at passport Canada, if they wanted to check out my guarantors and references too. What else do they want? An intelligence test? A psychological test? A blood sample? A drug test? A urine test? A DNA sample? Fingerprints and a background check (wait, the USCIS already covered that one)? Just kidding about these tests, of course, but I do have to wonder what exactly do they want? Gee, whatever happened to the “fill out the form, take the photos, pay the fee, and get your passport” type of service for Canada, like they do here in the US and other countries? Why do they make it so difficult for Canadians to get a passport?

Glad to hear that you had no problems renewing your passport and that your guarantors were not contacted. It’s odd though, that they would contact your references for one of your passports, but they didn’t for the next time around. Was it because of the type of references that you used? Or was it just some random thing? That was lucky and nice of your Dad to be your Guarantor, and for your US Chiropractor to be a Guarantor instead when your application was lost in the mail. I wonder, if they ever did find your original application? Yes, I remember I (actually it was my husband) had problems before mailing stuff to Canada using USPS, as somehow it got lost and redirected. So now I know, from experience, and from your reminder again, not to mail packages and important documents to Canada via USPS anymore. I guess that’s the way it is when dealing between USPS and Canada Post.

Well, if they make a “In Lieu of a Guarantor” form, it would make sense that people would use it. It’s interesting to know too, that you signed some of those forms and had no problems with them. It’s a relief to know that the Notary won’t be contacted if they do use this form, but if I do ask one to sign it, I’ll prepare them, just in case. As for references, do you know as to what criteria they have to be in order to be references? For example, do they have to be professionals, or have known me for a certain period of time, or not be related to me, or do they have to be Canadian citizens only, or can they be US Citizens too? I can’t remember what the criteria were, as I haven’t signed a passport form for awhile. Are they as strict with references as they are with guarantors? From what I remember, was it two references (or is it more now) that they need? And yes, when I do find the references, I have to prepare them too. I’m sure the references or anyone else will be able to physically identify me, as I’m probably the only one around here that looks a certain way...lol…

Wow, what an honourable job you had working for the government as a Commissioner of Oaths. I’m sure you must have met a lot of fascinating people and dealt with all sorts of cases when you were assisting your local MP by certifying documents. Long ago, I remember in school we took a trip to Ottawa and met our federal MP (and the Prime Minister too) there and it was quite the learning experience. For government jobs like that, did you also have to know French too, as I’ve heard that French is required for most Canadian government jobs? Did you ever end up finding a job similar like that here in the US to work in? Or are you working in another similar field, as sometimes job qualifications might not be totally transferable here?

Wow, what an unusual interesting work experience you had, indeed! Thanks for sharing that story here on VJ. I’m glad that everything turned out well for the Mother and the Daughter and they were reunited back here safely in Canada. It’s unfortunate that children like this are kidnapped, all because of the selfish intentions of the non-custodial parents. Yes, Kathryn, you should be proud of yourself in helping out through your hard work in the legal process, in order for justice to be served. Way to go, Kathryn, the Canadian Commissioner of Oaths!

Ant (Waiting for the I-751 at the VSC…)

Greg's information is right on track about the guarantors and the photographs.

No, Passport Canada does not always phone Guarantors. There is another feature on the passport application called references. When I got my 2nd last passport, 2 of my references were called. This time, when my Dad was my Guarantor, none of my references were called. My US Chiropractor also agreed to be my Guarantor and when it looked like my signed application coming back from my Dad was lost in the mail (don't use USPS for important stuff like this even certified - use a courier), he completed the application form for me and signed my photos. He thought it was kind of cool to be asked, VBG.

Regarding the "In Lieu of Gurantor" form, yes, people do use it. As Commissioner of Oaths, I signed a number of them. If you use this form, they are not going to contact the Notary - they are going to contact your references for confirmation so you won't have to worry about that. Make sure your references do know you and can identify you physically. Most of the questions asked are along the lines of 'how long is her hair' 'what colour are her eyes"; "how tall is she", etc.

I was a Commissioner of Oaths as part of my job as Assistant to the Member of Parliament for our Riding. I ran his local Constituency Office and was required several times a day to use my Commission. The biggest part of the job was certifying documents as true copies as many government agencies, including Immigration, required certified copies or originals.

My most unusual or interesting experience? We were assisting a Canadian mother with the retrieval of her US born daughter (the mother had full legal custody and they resided in Canada), who had been kidnapped by the US father and taken without permission to the US one Christmas, and who then went into hiding with the girl. Under the Hague Convention for International Child Abduction she obtained a US law firm who successfully tracked down the child and took her into protective custody while the father was arrested for abduction. There was a hearing in a US court, but because the mother and her witnesses were not able to travel to the States to attend the Court hearing, they 'attended' over the phone at our office. Before they gave their testimony to the Judge I had to administer the "Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth' oath. As there was no question that the US father had abducted the child, the court ordered her return to Canada. The US Child Protection Agency (can't remember the correct name now) turned over the girl to the mother who flew down with a representative of the RCMP Bureau for Missing Children and they returned to Canada. I was very proud of our ability to help out in this situation - it was very messy and there were lots of other side issues involved which were handled in other courts of law.