Canadians Crossing Borders Without a Passport

Loosened Rules and a Streamlined Passport Process

A summer reprieve on passport rules was issued for Americans on June 8, 2007. It permits U.S. citizens who have applied for, but not yet received a passport to travel by air without a passport to Canada, Bermuda, Mexico and the Caribbean until September 30, 2007. Now, given this temporary flexibility in the rules, U.S. officials are affirming that they will be more flexible with Canadian air travelers who don't have passports. This does not yet mean a waiver for air travelers without a passport, as there has yet to be a clear, official announcement, but it does mean that American officials will take the Canadian passport backlog into account.

The rules that required all Canadians to have a passport in order to fly into the United States came into effect on January 23, 2007. Prior to that date, Canadians were able to travel without passports across the border, provided that they had adequate government issued identification to prove their citizenship.

The Canadian government has promised to streamline the passport process for Canadians, given the increased wait times for these travel documents. The new measures to simplify obtaining a passport include: a simplified renewal program so that Canadians who currently hold a valid passport, and who meet eligibility criteria, are able to renew without submitting proof of citizenship or a guarantor declaration; extended passport office hours where required; and several other measures.