Published: Wednesday, January 4, 2012, 1:54 p.m.
U.S. says Canadian man didn't gain entry on iPad
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Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press
Martin Reisch holds up his iPad, displaying a scanned image of his passport.
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TORONTO — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is disputing the assertion that a Canadian man gained entry into the U.S. by only using a scanned photo of his passport on his iPad.
Martin Reisch says a slightly annoyed border officer let him cross into the U.S. from Quebec after he told the officer he forgot his passport and he presented a scanned copy. He says that and his driver's license helped him get through last week.
But agency spokeswoman Jenny Burke said Wednesday scanned documents are not accepted. She says if an individual does not have a passport, an enhanced driver's license or an expedited travel pass the border officer must determine identity and citizenship using a variety of other means, or deny entry. Burke says Reisch had both a driver's license and birth certificate.
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TORONTO -- A Canadian man who realized he forgot his passport as he approached the U.S. border found a new way to gain entry -- his iPad.
Martin Reisch said Tuesday a slightly annoyed U.S. border officer let him cross into the United States from Quebec after he presented a scanned copy of his passport on his Apple iPad. Reisch was a half hour from the border when he decided to try to gain entry rather than turn back and make a two-hour trek back home to Montreal to fetch his passport.
He told the officer he was heading to the U.S. to drop off Christmas gifts for his friend's kids. He said that true story, the scanned passport and his driver's license helped him get through last week.
He said the officer seemed mildly annoyed when he handed him the iPad.
"I thought I'd at least give it a try," Reisch said. "He took the iPad into the little border hut. He was in there a good five, six minutes. It seemed like an eternity. When he came back he took a good long pause before wishing me a Merry Christmas."
Reisch said the officer made an exception.
Canadians began needing more than a driver's license for identification for U.S. land border crossings in 2009. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it only accepts a passport, an enhanced driver's license or a Nexus pass from Canadian citizens entering at land crossings. The list doesn't mention facsimiles, like scans and photocopies.
A spokesman for the department did not immediately respond to questions on whether scanned passports are also commonly accepted at U.S. points of entry.
Reisch, 33, said he took a scanned photo of his passport years ago in case it was over lost or stolen while traveling. He said he also successfully used the passport on his iPad to get through Canadian Customs on the way home later that day.
He said he doubts he'd get away with it again and will bring his passport next time. But he hopes border officials will eventually make digital identification an official form of travel document.
"I see the future as 100 percent being able to cross with your identity on a digital device -- it's just a matter of time," he said.
Martin Reisch says a slightly annoyed border officer let him cross into the U.S. from Quebec after he told the officer he forgot his passport and he presented a scanned copy. He says that and his driver's license helped him get through last week.
But agency spokeswoman Jenny Burke said Wednesday scanned documents are not accepted. She says if an individual does not have a passport, an enhanced driver's license or an expedited travel pass the border officer must determine identity and citizenship using a variety of other means, or deny entry. Burke says Reisch had both a driver's license and birth certificate.
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TORONTO -- A Canadian man who realized he forgot his passport as he approached the U.S. border found a new way to gain entry -- his iPad.
Martin Reisch said Tuesday a slightly annoyed U.S. border officer let him cross into the United States from Quebec after he presented a scanned copy of his passport on his Apple iPad. Reisch was a half hour from the border when he decided to try to gain entry rather than turn back and make a two-hour trek back home to Montreal to fetch his passport.
He told the officer he was heading to the U.S. to drop off Christmas gifts for his friend's kids. He said that true story, the scanned passport and his driver's license helped him get through last week.
He said the officer seemed mildly annoyed when he handed him the iPad.
"I thought I'd at least give it a try," Reisch said. "He took the iPad into the little border hut. He was in there a good five, six minutes. It seemed like an eternity. When he came back he took a good long pause before wishing me a Merry Christmas."
Reisch said the officer made an exception.
Canadians began needing more than a driver's license for identification for U.S. land border crossings in 2009. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it only accepts a passport, an enhanced driver's license or a Nexus pass from Canadian citizens entering at land crossings. The list doesn't mention facsimiles, like scans and photocopies.
A spokesman for the department did not immediately respond to questions on whether scanned passports are also commonly accepted at U.S. points of entry.
Reisch, 33, said he took a scanned photo of his passport years ago in case it was over lost or stolen while traveling. He said he also successfully used the passport on his iPad to get through Canadian Customs on the way home later that day.
He said he doubts he'd get away with it again and will bring his passport next time. But he hopes border officials will eventually make digital identification an official form of travel document.
"I see the future as 100 percent being able to cross with your identity on a digital device -- it's just a matter of time," he said.
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