Hi Joy,

About a month ago I ordered a birth certificate online; it showed up  
in a week. I have no idea if it's as easy as that in the US. To get a  
passport here you have a MUCH longer form, that also requires a  
photograph and  personal and professional references that affirm you  
are who the passport says you are. And the passport offices are a  
nightmare at the moment.

As I said; if you have a passport then use it. If not: don't sweat  
it. You have until the end of the year before a passport is a  
requirement for crossing the border.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
www.pottsfamily.ca

On 11-Feb-07, at 12:23 PM, Joy Hecht wrote:

> Who has a birth certificate, though?  I sure don�t!  And getting  
> one of those would be harder than getting a passport, I suspect.   
> Though I suppose folks who have had a passport need a birth  
> certificate in order to get one � the rest of us just bring an old  
> passport to get a new one.  Preferably done at a US consulate  
> overseas, it�s much quicker!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Joy
>
>
>
> From: Greg Potts [mailto:greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA]
> Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:05 PM
> To: Joy Hecht
> Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: [BP] Reminder: True Canadian Winter Bus Campout is  
> coming up Saturday February 17th. (Border Crossing)
>
>
>
> Hi Joy,
>
>
>
> Really, the process is the same at the Canada/US border; passport  
> or not. The border guards there have been working with birth  
> certificates and photo-ID for years.
>
>
>
> They ask your citizenship. You answer. They ask for paperwork, you  
> hand it over. They look at it. They ask additional questions, or  
> don't. Once they're happy, they wave you through.
>
>
>
> If you already have a passport it won't hurt to bring it; but if  
> you don't then STAY AWAY from the passport offices for a month or  
> two. Federal (US AND CANADA) passport offices are so busy dealing  
> with the sudden overload that on the US side they're having to stay  
> open on Sundays.
>
>
>
>
>
> Happy Trails,
>
>
>
> Greg Potts
>
> 1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
>
> www.pottsfamily.ca
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 11-Feb-07, at 11:36 AM, Joy Hecht wrote:
>
>
>
>
> But getting back into the US is likely to be easier if you do have a
>
> passport.
>
>
>
> Relevant for the grand Labrador excursion, too!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>