No passport into Canada?
 

My friend is traveling into Canada via private aircraft tomorrow. He is 1/2 Korean, but is a USA citizen.

He forgot his passport at home, but has a valid USA drivers license, and will have a copy (fax) of his USA passport. Furthermore, he has been to Canada 15+ years ago (i.e. should be in their systems).

Will he have any problems going into Canada? (He knows he will need his passport to come back to the USA...he will get it overnighted to Canada).

Any other advice will be appreciated.

According to the Canada Border Services Agency:

http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/security-securite/admiss-eng.html

Crossing by land one can still use a photo ID plus proof of citizenship (birth certificate or naturalization papers) but I think they are now requiring passports or passport cards for air crossings to re-enter the US.

There's some variability at the land borders - some have been demanding passports for years, while others seem less stringent. We drive a car with Washington plates, live near the border, look & sound "American" and have a plausible story (forgot my birth certificate that day), they have usually let us back in the states with a "reminder". Now I routinely carry my passport.

Point Roberts, Washington is a part of the US that is a peninsula which borders British Columbia at its northern edge. Kids who live there have to cross both borders twice daily to attend school in the US. You can imagine all the challenges that poses.

If he was flying commercial, he'd likely run into some serious questions assuming he'd be allowed on the plane in the first place - might be admitted but pretty iffy. Private, really depends on the border agent. I'd say bring as much original proof as possible of his US citizenship along with the fax and hope for the best.

Please follow the discussion to our Travel->Canada forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.