[hwacker]

IceOwl IceOwl:

Right now, the main issue is the fact that the sole person who could give me a guarantor's signature is on vacation till June, which obviously does me no good at all. So I've got an appointment to see a notary public on Thursday for another $70 on top of the $87 and the additional $20 I'll need for expidited service.

All I want to do is leave my country for a few days, why do they have to make it so difficult?

Ha, i could sign it for you, but we know thats not going to happen

[Riyko]

Until December 1st, 2006, you do not need a passport to travel to the US from Canada and vise versa. You'll just need a birth certificate to show proof of your idenity. I'd say if you want to be on the safe side definately get a passport.

[WestieLee]

I was wondering the same thing. I'm going to Texas in three days and when I did everything for my passport got it all set, i got screwed for that stupid guarantor part. I would have had to send my passport application back to my high school and get one of my former teachers to sign it for me and have them send it back to me.

But now that I have updated ID, just got it yesterday I hope I'll be ok. Cross your fingers and toes for me.

[Canadaka]

at the pastport office you can just pay $30 to get a laywer to sign it.

Well the passport office in Vancouver and Surrey, both have lawyers in hte building. But you can goto any lawyers office.

[WestieLee]

yeah i could do that, but that would make the application process a lot longer. I already enquired about that.

So when I'm back in town, I'm just going to send my application back to my high school anyway, and get this passport bullshit over and done with for 5 years. Hopefully someone there will sign the damn thing.

[Canadaka]

a lot longer? the lawyer is instant, they just charge a fee.

Took me maybe 15min to get the lawyer to sign it, was in the same building. I had my passport all done within hours

[USA-AOK]

LOL San Francisco huh...

Make sure he covers up

[Yank-in-NY]

IceOwl IceOwl:

Right now, the main issue is the fact that the sole person who could give me a guarantor's signature is on vacation till June, which obviously does me no good at all. So I've got an appointment to see a notary public on Thursday for another $70 on top of the $87 and the additional $20 I'll need for expidited service.

What's a guarantor's signature?

And a notary costs $70?

[Blue_Nose]

A gaurantor is a notary public... Lawyer, or some other professional. Incidently, I'll be a potential guarantor in a few years

[Yank-in-NY]

Blue_Nose Blue_Nose:

A gaurantor is a notary public... Lawyer, or some other professional. Incidently, I'll be a potential guarantor in a few years

Really? In NY a Notary Public charges $2 for signature verification. You don't need to have a law degree.

[Blue_Nose]

Blue_Nose Blue_Nose:

or some other professional.

But yeah, I don't know by whom Iceowl's getting swindled.. $70 sounds a little off.

[Blue_Nose]

Jeez, apparently it's not that special of a title... basically anyone can be a guarantor:

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/can/guarantor.aspx?lang=e

$1:

Eligible guarantors
Your guarantor must:

Be a Canadian citizen residing in Canada and must be accessible to Passport Canada for verification.
Have known you personally for at least two years.
Be one of the following:
Chiropractor
Dentist
Geoscientist
Judge
Lawyer (member of a provincial bar association), notary in Quebec
Magistrate
Mayor
Medical doctor
Minister of religion authorized under provincial law to perform marriages
Notary public
Optometrist
Pharmacist
Police officer (municipal, provincial or RCMP)
Postmaster
Principal of a primary or secondary school
Professional accountant (APA, CA, CGA, CMA, PA, RPA)
Professional engineer (P.Eng., Eng. in Quebec)
Senior administrator in a community college (includes CEGEPs)
Senior administrator or teacher in a university
Veterinarian

[Jaime_Souviens]

I don't know if they'll ever be able to require a passport. They have had several deadlines for this, but it's been postponed again and again.

In the real border areas, people go back and forth all the time. There are even people who live on one side and work on the other.

That doesn't mean that any border guard for either side can't opt to be a jerk and send you off to the proctoscope on a whim.


Airlines can have their own regulations and decline to let you board if you paperwork isn't in order.

I remember hearing that there's an obscure treaty provision that allows Americans to cross Canada at any point in the border if they're headed to Alaska. ---But I have never researched this.


But getting a passport is a good idea in any event. It's just a good idea to have a second form of ID, and should the mood ever strike, you can always leave without hassles.

[WestieLee]

$1:

a lot longer? the lawyer is instant, they just charge a fee.

Took me maybe 15min to get the lawyer to sign it, was in the same building. I had my passport all done within hours

I understand about getting that paper signed Trev. I am talking about the actual application process. Doing this will make the application wait time a lot longer than the 10 days it normally takes. If i already had a guarantor, my passport would be done already. but i don't have one and i couldn't afford to send my application back to hope and have that all done on time.