Passport questions

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Okay, these are going to sound like REALLY stupid questions. But bear with me. I've never renewed a passport or anything like that.

1) My passport expires in 2015. For this reason, I'm planning to get my passport renewed before my interview in Montreal. Will I receive my old passport with my stamps showing entry to the US back so I can keep that for evidence of having visited my wife?

2) I was going through my passport and I saw something that kind of weirds me out and I don't know if it's going to be a problem later. I went down last November to meet my now-wife face to face and decide if we wanted to marry, after two years of online dating (she's a student and I work retail--visits are expensive). When they stamped my passport, it had a date of November 13th, the day I flew down. I came back, we decided we couldn't live apart, decided to marry March 13th. I went to meet up for our wedding with a date of entry into the US of March 8th and a date of return of March 18th. The passport stamp for that entry is dated September 6th. Why is this? The guy who stamped my passport on the 8th seemed very disinterested and literally didn't even look at me, just stamped paper and motioned me through.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Not a Tailor

[PickleChips 56]

There is a box to check on the passport application if you want your old passport back, free of charge.

[Exocet 88]

Yes, as Katmedic said when you fill out the forms to renew, there is a box to check if you want the old one back. They punch holes through it to make it invalid.

As for the dates, the Sept one was written because that's when you were allowed to be there until (the 6 month visitor rule).

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

As for the dates, the Sept one was written because that's when you were allowed to be there until (the 6 month visitor rule).

So the stamp that was dated November 13, with that being the date of my arrival, was incorrect? Sorry, I'm just trying to understand, not be a pest. I want to make sure all of my information will be in order when the time comes and that something I should have gotten fixed/applied for more information about or dealt with now won't come up later and delay us.

[britishdakota 18]

Do you have a picture of the stamp in question?

[Exocet 88]

So the stamp that was dated November 13, with that being the date of my arrival, was incorrect? Sorry, I'm just trying to understand, not be a pest. I want to make sure all of my information will be in order when the time comes and that something I should have gotten fixed/applied for more information about or dealt with now won't come up later and delay us.

It's really just up to the discretion of the officer as to how they stamp your passport (if they do at all!). They also have different stamps that they use...

For example, they have a B1/B2 stamp that has the date you are crossing and the 6 month date as part of the stamp.

Another stamp is just the entry stamp with the date on it, and then they write in B2.

Another stamp is a B1/B2 entry stamp, and then they write on the current date. I suppose the 6 month date is implied with this one.

There's no rhyme or reason to it that I can tell. I did cross once to stay with my husband for the summer.. and when the officer realized I was staying for a couple months, he switched from the stamp he had in his hand to the one that had the current date/B1/B2 mark/6 month date all as part of the stamp.

I wouldn't worry at all about your passport stamps.

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Do you have a picture of the stamp in question?

November 13th entry

March 8th entry

[britishdakota 18]

IMG_20140323_163213.jpg

November 13th entry

IMG_20140323_163236.jpg

March 8th entry

I don't see an issue. Under the black ink is faint red ink saying March 2014. Looks like they have just put the date your entry would expire on top.

Edited March 23, 2014 by britishdakota

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

It's kind of amazing--the red ink barely shows in person but actually shows better in the photo. I thought it was just a smear in my passport. Okay, feeling better. Thanks, guys. You're all so helpful!

[Shelbym 2]

My fiance had to update his passport because he washed the old one, making it invalid, and he was told that he could not keep his old passport. His interview is on Friday, so hopefully it's a non issue since it happened after sending in P3.

Being that he's the Canadian, not me, I'm not a first hand source, so it could vary between the provinces?

[pro_star 52]

Take a photocopy of your old passport before you send it in for renewal, just in case.

Passports aren't a provincial thing - it's done by the federal government. There could be a reason they don't return damaged passports, but I know when I got mine renewed they hole punched and returned it to me. If you have the option of going to a passport office to get it done - do it that way and you don't have to worry about the old one getting lost in the mail

[floridaboundcanuk 7]

Don't know if this helps, but the lady who took my documents made her own copy of my passport in a flash. I had a nice color copy of it and my 129f in front of her had one, but it seemed to be a non issue. I suspect if you have a photocopy of the old one and explain there shouldn't be an issue.

Edited March 24, 2014 by floridaboundcanuk