My Gran doesn't want to be American

[Imran Siddiqui]

Weird that all of a sudden the US government decided that your gran couldn't travel on a UK passport. I wonder what triggered that?

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Weird that all of a sudden the US government decided that your gran couldn't travel on a UK passport. I wonder what triggered that?

Apparently she bought the tickets on Amazon with a credit card that wasn't hers that she claimed some guy gave her after a fender bender.

[Zkribbler]

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by TheStinger
She was even half thinking about seeing whether Immigartion would actuaky refuse her entry. ( we talked her out of that though)

If she IS USAian, on what grounds can they refuse her entry to her own country.

If she is NOT USAian then on what grounds do they deny her entry given she has a valid UK passport.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Dauphin
If she IS USAian, on what grounds can they refuse her entry to her own country.

If you're a USAian, coming back into your country, you need to show a passport.

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Weird that all of a sudden the US government decided that your gran couldn't travel on a UK passport. I wonder what triggered that?

There was a report in a newspaper over here of a bloke being refuse entry because he was born in the US in the 50's.

My Gran then rang the US embassy who confirmed the position and said she would need to come to London once she had completed her application for a passport

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Weird that all of a sudden the US government decided that your gran couldn't travel on a UK passport. I wonder what triggered that?

Your government has phased in ever tighter controls over your ports of entry even from friendly countries.

You now need a passport to drive over the Canada-US border and back to go shopping.

I would imagine Grans situation is part of the higher level of regulation.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Wow! Two threads in one week where I can be a local expert.

Here's the deal: your gran's an American citizen, and federal law has long prohibited American citizens from entering or exiting the US on anything other than American passports. In the past this has probably been somewhat laxly enforced, but anybody who's taken off his shoes and belt in an airport lately knows that lax enforcement is a thing of the past.

Your gran has two choices, one of which she should find very satisfying:

1) She can go get an American passport; or

2) She can march on down to the US embassy and renounce her US citizenship. This is relatively easy, it's free (unlike the passport), and it will give her teh thrill of saying "screw you, America" straight to a representative of teh US government.

We process citizenship renunciations in Singapore all the time; there's not much to it. Recommend that route to her.

[TheStinger]

Thanks for the advice,

She may well renounce her US citizenship (although it would not be of the screw you America variety)

She has no problem withe US as such, it's just she was brought up to be a british citizen and in her own head she just isn't american.

If this had all happened 20 years ago she would have taken it in her stride but old age makes you stubborn

[DanS]

There you have it. Your granny's an American. The IRS will now send her a bill for all of the taxes she's been avoiding.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


If you're a USAian, coming back into your country, you need to show a passport.

Only to prove you are American, right? They are already saying she is American.

[Lancer]

Royalists

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Dauphin


Only to prove you are American, right? They are already saying she is American.

Basically to prove who you are. From what I've read the Yanks are looking for a secure document to prove who you are and your citizenship (and maybe some other stuff). I've heard they are working on drivers licenses that will satisfy at customs.

[Lord Avalon]

And the states aren't happy about that, because they're not getting any funding.

Plus there's the worry that it'll make identity theft much easier.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by notyoueither





You now need a passport to drive over the Canada-US border and back to go shopping.

This is not correct at this time as that requirement has not yet been phased in for driving. Source??-- I travelled to Montana 8 days ago-- Birth certificates with photo id was sufficient for 4 adults and we had birth certificates only for the two children(long form that identified us as the parents)-- Canadian government does recommend a passport though

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Or this source http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/sos/ci/...asp?txt_ID=852 which provides in part

Air Travel

Since January 23, 2007, the WHTI requires Canadian citizens to present one of the following documents when entering or transiting the United States by air:

A valid Canadian passport;
A NEXUS card when used at a NEXUS kiosk
Canadians should obtain the appropriate required documentation before leaving Canada, keep this documentation up to date and carry it with them when travelling.

Passport Canada is experiencing a sharp volume increase in passport applications in all of its offices, by mail and through its receiving agents.

Canadians who are permanent residents of the United States, must comply with special entry requirements. For more information, see the U.S. Department of State Web site.

Land and Sea Travel

The implementation of these measures for all land and sea travel to the United States will come into effect at a later time. Canadians can continue to use such documents as their birth certificates and drivers’ licences to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea until the WHTI is fully implemented.

The Government of Canada continues to recommend that Canadians carry a valid Canadian passport when visiting all destinations abroad, including the United States. A passport is the only universally accepted identification document, and it proves that you have a right to return to Canada. Please note that Canadians are not required to have Machine Readable Passports to enter the U.S., even if the passport was issued abroad. Canada is not a participant in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

More information is available from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Web site.

Assistance

In case of WHTI-related problems abroad, please contact the nearest Canadian Government Office for advice and assistance.

For advice on travel to the United States, see our Travel Report.


Date modified: 2007-08-21
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They did have a bunch of questions for my 64 year old father though. Real stumpers too like what his job was-- (school teacher)-- what grade and subjects he taught. Maybe it was his beard