Need advice

[aaron1104]

Hi All,
Ok I need some help – my sister was born in Montreal Canada – lived there till she was 22 and then decided to move to the USA for some guy – she got married but lived there off the grid so to speak – I guess she wanted to marry someone to get green card… Anyway YEARS later she is no longer with the guy and wants to come back home…
Here is the situation
She has NO PHOTO ID – she has her Canada passport which expired 7 years ago, she has her birth certicifacate , we called the government and we were told she could cross the border to come back to Canada with an old passport and Birth Cir… but here is the issue… She has NO OTHER ID! When she comes back to Canada it will be 12 years since leaving here, all she has is her birth certificate and expired passport… the question I have is HOW would she be able to get new ID’s if she has no old ID other than a birth C? she’s is Canadian so there has to be a way but I have no clue who to contact to get help… does anyone know any service the government has or maybe a lawyer who can help in this process… she’s a Canadian citizen who wants to come home

 

[Leon]

I am not even going to ask why she didn't keep her passport current but if she has been told that she can cross the border with her expired passport and birth certificate, why doesn't she? If she doesn't have a car and a drivers license (I assume not because you say she has no ID), she can take the Greyhound to the border and cross on foot.

She can cross on foot for example in Niagara Falls (Rainbow bridge), Buffalo (Peace bridge) and there is a list of more pedestrian crossings from the US at http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/border_crossing_entry_data/us_canada/index.html at the bottom of the list.

Once she is in Canada, you should go with her to the passport office to find out what she needs to renew her passport. With the expired passport, birth certificate and you there to verify her ID, it may be enough. If not, I am sure the passport office can suggest something. I am sure it happens that people show up with no ID. With a valid passport, she then shouldn't have a problem getting a health card or any other ID she wants.

 

[scylla]

Leon has given you good advice.

Your sister should be aware that since she has lived without status in the US for more than a year, she will technically and automatically trigger a 10 year ban from the US as soon as she leaves the country. US officials may know that she has overstayed or they may not. If they know and she tries re-entering the US before waiting out the 10 year ban, she will be refused entry and the ban will be doubled to 20 years. The US takes a harsh line with overstays.

 

[aaron1104]

Shes an idiot!! She got married there and thought things would work out , they never did - she can get home via land crossing but it's when she's back in Canada i'm worried about - the only 2 ID'S she has is her SIN and Birth Ceirticate - she has an old expiared passport ... so nothing with PHOTO id... does anyone know what to do if your in Canada ( born here ) and have no photo ID? how do you get PHOTO ID without having PHOTO ID?

 

[Leon]

Should I repeat my answer again? Tell her to get her butt back and then you will take her to the passport office and sort things out there.

If you want to, you can even go to the passport office on Monday and ask on her behalf how they would handle that. However, I am sure that without ID, she is better off in Canada than she is now in the US. After all, she does have her SIN so she can work legally, ID or not.

Or is the problem that you think she should come back but she doesn't really want to? Because other than that, I don't know what's holding her back. She was already told she can come so let her come.