Driving to Montana with a 16 year old with a 3 day expired passport....

[Thaco]

So, that's my situation, planned to drive south next weekend to pick up some stuff at the border storage and go shipping in montana, just realised my 16 year old's passport expires 3 days before we planned to leave? i know OFFICIALLY its a denial, but has anybody been in a similar situation and what was the outcome? I'd be prepared with his birth certificate which is the large one with both parents listed as well as his ABDL so there will be plenty of proof, but not the "required" passport...

[mazdavirgin]

Go down to Harry Hays tomorrow morning aim for like 6am and try to get them to get you a expedited passport. They can turn one around in a single day or less... You'll pay for that service but that's your best bet. Otherwise I wouldn't try my luck with US customs.

[Thaco]

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Go down to Harry Hays tomorrow morning aim for like 6am and try to get them to get you a expedited passport. They can turn one around in a single day or less... You'll pay for that service but that's your best bet. Otherwise I wouldn't try my luck with US customs.

yeah its really not that critical, we can just not go, don't wanna chance things,,, and i don't know how that'd work if it would still be a kids passport or an adult, and also if i need to find a guarantor and photos and all that shit

[ThePenIsMightier]

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yeah its really not that critical, we can just not go, don't wanna chance things,,, and i don't know how that'd work if it would still be a kids passport or an adult, and also if i need to find a guarantor and photos and all that shit

Don't bother with expedited, iMO. Give it a try and if you get turned back, well, bummer. I don't believe that there's anything official in this "expires within 6 months" thing. It's a guideline and a potential hurdle for you and that should be it. If you've traveled to USA multiple times in the past with zero issues and you're not an ex-con, they should be able to use some judgement & discretion to let you in... SHOULD bring the operative word.
We're neighbors and we're friendly. That's the simple facts. They can certainly ignore those facts but they're just being cunty if they choose to ignore those facts.
Are you Caucasian and your kid? Are you estranged or divorced from the kid's mom? If you're Latin and the kid is in a custody dispute, forget everything, now.
What a pain in the ass that country has become. I've personally spent roughly $10k less in US holidays since the Cheetos Man became their leader. It's been years of touring my own country instead of Vegas trips and San Diego relaxation because it's no longer relaxing to go to a place that hates my money.

[Thaco]

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Don't bother with expedited, iMO. Give it a try and if you get turned back, well, bummer. I don't believe that there's anything official in this "expires within 6 months" thing. It's a guideline and a potential hurdle for you and that should be it. If you've traveled to USA multiple times in the past with zero issues and you're not an ex-con, they should be able to use some judgement & discretion to let you in... SHOULD bring the operative word.
We're neighbors and we're friendly. That's the simple facts. They can certainly ignore those facts but they're just being cunty if they choose to ignore those facts.
Are you Caucasian and your kid? Are you estranged or divorced from the kid's mom? If you're Latin and the kid is in a custody dispute, forget everything, now.
What a pain in the ass that country has become. I've personally spent roughly $10k less in US holidays since the Cheetos Man became their leader. It's been years of touring my own country instead of Vegas trips and San Diego relaxation because it's no longer relaxing to go to a place that hates my money.

yeah that's kinda what i am hoping for, we're the textbook fam, married once, 2 kids, still together, both kids are both of ours, squeeky clean, been travelling 1/2 dozen times together without issue...

just a 6 hour drive for nothing would suck.

[Misterman]

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Don't bother with expedited, iMO. Give it a try and if you get turned back, well, bummer. I don't believe that there's anything official in this "expires within 6 months" thing. It's a guideline and a potential hurdle for you and that should be it. If you've traveled to USA multiple times in the past with zero issues and you're not an ex-con, they should be able to use some judgement & discretion to let you in... SHOULD bring the operative word.
We're neighbors and we're friendly. That's the simple facts. They can certainly ignore those facts but they're just being cunty if they choose to ignore those facts.
Are you Caucasian and your kid? Are you estranged or divorced from the kid's mom? If you're Latin and the kid is in a custody dispute, forget everything, now.
What a pain in the ass that country has become. I've personally spent roughly $10k less in US holidays since the Cheetos Man became their leader. It's been years of touring my own country instead of Vegas trips and San Diego relaxation because it's no longer relaxing to go to a place that hates my money.

Expired is expired, time frame does not matter to the border guards. They just follow the rules they have, and the rules are, no passport no entry. Sounds like you're thinking of the other way around with the 6 month deal. They recommend that your passport still be valid for 6 months to cross the border, but that is not a recommendation that works on both sides of the expiration date.

[ThePenIsMightier]

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yeah that's kinda what i am hoping for, we're the textbook fam, married once, 2 kids, still together, both kids are both of ours, squeeky clean, been travelling 1/2 dozen times together without issue...

just a 6 hour drive for nothing would suck.

Oops... I misread! I'm coming off a vacation time change and apparently it has made reading > me.
I thought it said it expired 3 days after your return so the kids would be valid the while time.
I take back everything I said.
Do not even bother going with an expired passport.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Just leave your kid on the Canadian side for an hour while you scoot across.

[botox]

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yeah its really not that critical, we can just not go, don't wanna chance things,,, and i don't know how that'd work if it would still be a kids passport or an adult, and also if i need to find a guarantor and photos and all that shit

If he's already 16, it's a new adult passport, not a child renewal so yeah you'll need all that fun stuff. I just went through this with my 16 year old and you can sign him up for 10 years now.

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Just leave your kid on the Canadian side for an hour while you scoot across.

Or put him in the trunk.........

Leave him home, you will get turned around for sure. Hell even if you make it across somehow, good luck explaining it on the way back. Get a new passport for him asap if you guys travel a lot.

[Kijho]

I've been stuck in the USA before with someone who's Passport was having some troubles (They were traveling with a British Passport, which seemingly allowed us to go from Canada -> USA without any troubles) but they left their Canadian Passport at home. Well, you'd think it would be okay, but it's a big hell fucking no. One of the craziest and scariest experiences I think I've ever had. I've never in my life felt a lack of 'freedom' as a Canadian than being told you cannot come back into the Country because of a paperwork issue.

We had to make about 15 phone calls over the span of two hours while standing in the Vegas Airport. Our flight now boarding in 20 minutes. The Westjet people wouldn't even talk to us and said they couldn't do anything. Their system physically would not accept her, therefor no boarding pass could be printed. Finally, we managed to get some type of special clearance applied to her name and they said it would show on the flight system. Walked back up to the Westjet booth with about 10 minutes left, and it literally scanned us in and put 'advance clearance - expedite security' or something along those lines. Next thing we know another Westjet person is taking us behind everyone, past the lines, to the bagged checking and we walked in and boarded our flight with 5 mins. to spare.

When we got back into Canada at the YYC Airport we were fearful of another problem; Getting past OUR customs. She walked up, explained what happened, they laughed about it and let her past in 1 minute LOL.

So TL;DR - Don't get stuck in the USA. It sucks.

[dirtsniffer]

Why on earth would your friend use a GB passport when she has a canadian one and is travelling to/from Canada?

[Kijho]

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Why on earth would your friend use a GB passport when she has a canadian one and is travelling to/from Canada?

Her Canadian one had expired just 3 days prior, like OP, and the GB was not expired (dual citizenship, Canada born). When we asked while leaving Canada at the YYC Airport, was totally acceptable without anything else required. Coming back was the problem and we ofcourse take partial blame didn't do enough research and probably should have asked (perhaps a post here on Beyond to inquire migth have saved us the trouble haha).

In the end, we needed an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization), here's a CBC article from 2017 on it (which was the year we had this happen to us): https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ele...iner-1.3921453

Not sure if this eTA thing could help with your 16 year old's situation, might be worth a quick phone call to inquire though!!

[you&me]

As others have said, don't bother.

If the passport is already expired, they'll need another one eventually, so why not go for the expedited one now, and still make the trip?

Personal anecdote -

A few years ago, we had just moved and I had a friends wedding in Seattle. The night before my flight, I pack my stuff and then... "Ummm, where's my passport?"... Could. Not. Find. It. And wouldn't you know it, my birth certificate must've been hiding with passport. So, the next morning, I'm at Harry Hays at 7AM to get a replacement... I get photos, some signed affidavits, a replacement birth certificate, a new passport and still make my 3PM flight!

[D'z Nutz]

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Her Canadian one had expired just 3 days prior, like OP, and the GB was not expired (dual citizenship, Canada born). When we asked while leaving Canada at the YYC Airport, was totally acceptable without anything else required. Coming back was the problem and we ofcourse take partial blame didn't do enough research and probably should have asked (perhaps a post here on Beyond to inquire migth have saved us the trouble haha).

In the end, we needed an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization), here's a CBC article from 2017 on it (which was the year we had this happen to us): https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ele...iner-1.3921453

Not sure if this eTA thing could help with your 16 year old's situation, might be worth a quick phone call to inquire though!!

I thought you were supposed to use the passport you came in with when you leave? That way the country has a record of both the entry and exit? Your friend's experience would contradict that.

[Thaco]

yeah i went and got his new one ordered, paid the $50 extra and it'll be here wednesday