Hello,
I arrived in Canada from France a few weeks ago and planned to spend a few days in the USA (I have many reservations: hotels, activities, etc.). However, my passport got wet, and I'm very concerned about not being able to cross the border due to its condition. The pages are all wrinkled, and there are stains on the document (everything is readable, but apparently, it might be enough to be rejected).
Since my return flight is departing from Canada, I am afraid of not being able to cross the Canada-USA border, losing all my reservations, and having to make new ones in Canada. I am also concerned about crossing the border but not being able to return to Canada for my return flight.
France can only provide me with a document to depart from the country I am in, but they can't assist me if I decide to cross the border and cannot return to Canada (as far as I understand).
Now I know it's better to carry a duplicate of my passport to avoid damaging it, especially in the rain. Have you ever had a similar experience? How can I determine if my passport will allow me to cross the border in both directions? I heard there are devices to test the passport chip, but even if it's readable, it depends heavily on who we have in front of us.
Note: I have a sworn translation of my French driver's license to try to prove my identity; I don't know if it will help. I ordered it here: https://wordely.ca/en/certified-translation-services/. I'm not sure about its effectiveness for proving identity during border crossings.
Thank you for your help. I still have a week before my first reservation in the United States (which is preventing me from fully enjoying this long-awaited trip!).
I arrived in Canada from France a few weeks ago and planned to spend a few days in the USA (I have many reservations: hotels, activities, etc.). However, my passport got wet, and I'm very concerned about not being able to cross the border due to its condition. The pages are all wrinkled, and there are stains on the document (everything is readable, but apparently, it might be enough to be rejected).
Since my return flight is departing from Canada, I am afraid of not being able to cross the Canada-USA border, losing all my reservations, and having to make new ones in Canada. I am also concerned about crossing the border but not being able to return to Canada for my return flight.
France can only provide me with a document to depart from the country I am in, but they can't assist me if I decide to cross the border and cannot return to Canada (as far as I understand).
Now I know it's better to carry a duplicate of my passport to avoid damaging it, especially in the rain. Have you ever had a similar experience? How can I determine if my passport will allow me to cross the border in both directions? I heard there are devices to test the passport chip, but even if it's readable, it depends heavily on who we have in front of us.
Note: I have a sworn translation of my French driver's license to try to prove my identity; I don't know if it will help. I ordered it here: https://wordely.ca/en/certified-translation-services/. I'm not sure about its effectiveness for proving identity during border crossings.
Thank you for your help. I still have a week before my first reservation in the United States (which is preventing me from fully enjoying this long-awaited trip!).