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**chezp** · 04-04-2004, 04:43 AM

I don't know if you were aware of the changes for international travellers entering the States, but from 30 September, tourists who do not need visas, will also be digitally fingerprinted and photographed.

It's a compromise, as US authorities originally wanted biometric passports to be introduced by the deadline of October 26, but the 27 countries affected said they couldn't do that.

Real the full story here: Brits to be fingerprinted

GoofyMom · 04-04-2004, 11:08 AM

Thank you Chez. I had to do a little more investigating because I didn't know if that change also meant I would require a passport to enter the US when this takes effect. So far it looks like Canadians travelling for pleasure do not fall under this program. There's a list of the 27 countries this applies to in this article You have to scroll down 11 paragraphs.

As for the Canadian passport, all I've found is that "it's strongly recommended, but not required".

**chezp** · 04-04-2004, 11:20 AM

[ QUOTE ]
As for the Canadian passport, all I've found is that "it's strongly recommended, but not required".

[/ QUOTE ]

That's really interesting Donna - I didn't realise Canadians could enter the States without a passport. That really surprises me and I'm sure with the increased security measures, that it's probably only a matter of time before passports will be required for every non-American heading to the States.

BritDisFan · 04-04-2004, 05:03 PM

We were talking about this in the car this morning whilst Allan and I were driving my sister Laura to work. Laura and Allan were angrily stating they had made their last visit to the US. Allan said he has never been fingerprinted before and doesn't want to start now.

I kept fairly quiet as usual (they are both pretty vocal), whilst I don't necessarily agree with it, I wouldn't want to let it stop me going anywhere. I am sure Allan and I will be back to the US, he is all talk

.

Karen

**CRCrazy** · 04-04-2004, 05:25 PM

Yes Cheryl - Canada and the US have an open border policy - while everyone must go through the customs checkpoint - you only need your ID to go through, and even that isn't always checked. No birth certificate, no passport required. The border between the two is so enormous - coast to coast along the entire continent, and many people live in the vicinity of the border, living in one, but shopping/working/eating etc. in the other that this would be unworkable.

I would be very surprised to see them require stamping of a passport every time you crossed the border!

AmyJune · 04-07-2004, 04:30 PM

the US and Canada have an open border. Our border with Mexico is a little tighter. You have to have a birth certificate to go thru but not a passport. Several of the carribean island are the same.

As for the fingerprinting it's a case that if you want to fingerprint all the folks that come in from one country you have to do them all countries. The civil rights folks are very sensitive to what they call racial profiling. You are not allowed to isolate on one ethnic group more than another. For example when they first started doing random passenger searches at airports there was a big stink raised by americans of middle eastern heritage that they were being singled out.

I was trying to think what I had to do when I went to England. I had to tell them where I was staying and for how long. I remember because I didn't know where we were staying the first part of our trip (it was business) and they were not too happy about it - but they let me in anyway! I have an Irish last name, so I don't really blame them for wanting to know where I was going!!