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Hopefully someone can give me a straight answer. Or better yet, someone who has been in the same situation w/ the same problems chime in.
My current situation is that I am a permanent resident of the U.S. I have a valid green card. Been here most of my life. Since 1984. However I do no possess a passport because I have no idea what my country of citizenship is. I have no documents otherwise that says so either. My parents were refugees during the Khmer Rouge regime. And I was born between our travels from Cambodia and on our way the Khao-I-Dang camp in Thailand. My parents told me I was born after we crossed the border into thailand. However, during those times and in the refugee camps. No birth certificates were issued by the Thai government for refugees. So I have no "birth certificate". Therefor I am unable to acquire a passport from the Thai Consulate here in the US.
Now that you know my back story a little bit. My main question here is. I'm planning to travel in May to Toronto. Can I travel by air to Canada and back to the US with just my Green Card (I will have my drivers license, marriage certificate, utility bill and anything else to help my cause if border patrol gives me problems).
I've gotten mixed answers from what I've been able to find online. Some says you can't, some says you can. But I've got some info below that says it shouldn't be a problem. Has anyone ever traveled to Canada and back to the US with only a green card???
This is the information provided by numerous travel and government sites.
"U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents may use their I-551 ("Green Card") -- instead of a passport -- for travel between Canada and the United States, by air, land, or sea. The I-551 is accepted for entry to Canada, from the U.S.; a U.S. permanent resident does not require a visa to visit Canada, regardless of citizenship. When re-entering the U.S., permanent residents must present their I-551."
I did some research, and it seems like you can travel to Canada with the Green Card, but when you return from Canada to US, you will need a US passport.
Thanks for your reply! However I see this on the USCIS website.
Quote:
"A permanent resident usually needs only a valid Permanent Resident Card to re-enter the U.S. after a trip abroad. However, most foreign countries require
a passport to enter. A Permanent Resident should check with the destination country to see if a passport is required. Permanent Residents can also apply
for a re-entry permit before they leave the U.S. A re-entry permit is valid for two years. "
Thanks!
Racks
Last edited by racks11479; 03-24-2015 at 10:18 AM..
I did some research, and it seems like you can travel to Canada with the Green Card, but when you return from Canada to US, you will need a US passport.
Incorrect. The GC guarantees you entry into the US as a permanent resident alien and you don't even need your passport if you have one. Canada also accepts entry with a US permanent resident alien (GC) card.
So the answer is yes - you don't need a passport in either direction and your GC alone will give you entry to Canada and back into the US.
Thank you for your reply and I believe you are correct. I've done some more research and came upon the questionnaire below from the Gov't of Canada website: Do you want to come to Canada, or extend your stay?
It asks you some basic questions and then determines what and if any documents you would need to visit Canada. Looks like I should be OK to go. Here's the answer to my inquiry.
Quote:
Visitors/Tourists (No temporary resident visa)
Based on your answers, you may be eligible to travel to Canada as a visitor without a visa.
Note: you must:
Have a valid passport. Under Canadian regulations, the following travel documents are considered unreliable and are not acceptable to enter Canada:
any passport claiming to have been issued by Somalia,
non-machine readable passports issued by the Czech Republic,
temporary passports issued by the Republic of South Africa, and
provisional passports issued by Venezuela.
If you are a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, you do not need a passport or a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. You must, however, provide proof of citizenship or permanent residence, such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.
Satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay.
Be in good health and meet criminal admissibility requirements. If you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, you may not be allowed to enter Canada. Learn more about how criminal convictions may affect your entry to Canada at: Overcome criminal convictions
Double check but I use my I551 green card to travel between both countries and was told they accept that in lieu of a passport, and the Canadians actually prefer it as they can swipe it and see everything. Make sure you have the current I-551 green card and call customs in both countries to make sure, just call customs at respect airports. Best of luck
Just a small point, but important to remember.........
Customs officers are ONLY interested in goods entering a country, while IMMIGRATION officers deal with people and their baggage , who are entering a country. They may work together, but they have different jobs to do, and different uniforms as well.
Hopefully someone can give me a straight answer. Or better yet, someone who has been in the same situation w/ the same problems chime in.
My current situation is that I am a permanent resident of the U.S. I have a valid green card. Been here most of my life. Since 1984. However I do no possess a passport because I have no idea what my country of citizenship is. I have no documents otherwise that says so either. My parents were refugees during the Khmer Rouge regime. And I was born between our travels from Cambodia and on our way the Khao-I-Dang camp in Thailand. My parents told me I was born after we crossed the border into thailand. However, during those times and in the refugee camps. No birth certificates were issued by the Thai government for refugees. So I have no "birth certificate". Therefor I am unable to acquire a passport from the Thai Consulate here in the US.
Now that you know my back story a little bit. My main question here is. I'm planning to travel in May to Toronto. Can I travel by air to Canada and back to the US with just my Green Card (I will have my drivers license, marriage certificate, utility bill and anything else to help my cause if border patrol gives me problems).
I've gotten mixed answers from what I've been able to find online. Some says you can't, some says you can. But I've got some info below that says it shouldn't be a problem. Has anyone ever traveled to Canada and back to the US with only a green card???
This is the information provided by numerous travel and government sites.
"U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents may use their I-551 ("Green Card") -- instead of a passport -- for travel between Canada and the United States, by air, land, or sea. The I-551 is accepted for entry to Canada, from the U.S.; a U.S. permanent resident does not require a visa to visit Canada, regardless of citizenship. When re-entering the U.S., permanent residents must present their I-551."
Hope I was clear in what I'm trying to ask and appreciate any help or responses!
Thanks!
Racks
Passports are mandatory for international air travel. No exceptions. Airlines will not issue a boarding pass without a passport for international air travel. Even only to Canada.
Incorrect. The GC guarantees you entry into the US as a permanent resident alien and you don't even need your passport if you have one. Canada also accepts entry with a US permanent resident alien (GC) card.
So the answer is yes - you don't need a passport in either direction and your GC alone will give you entry to Canada and back into the US.
The airlines have their protocols for checking in passengers for flights to the US and if no passport is produced, no boarding passes will be issued. CBP preclearacne in Toronto will not interfere with the airlines protocols.
However driving across to/from Canada only a green card is necessary. Google Western Hemisphere travel initiative.
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