Photo showing an iPad with the scanned Passport of Martin Reisch from Montreal. Reisch used this photo of his passport to cross into U.S. when he forgot his passport at home.
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.
Ms. Burke says Mr. Reisch had both a driver’s license and birth certificate.
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.
Ms. Burke says Mr. Reisch had both a driver’s license and birth certificate.
MONTREAL — A Montreal man managed to cross the U.S. border by showing just a scanned image of his passport on his iPad.
Photographer Martin Reisch was driving down Highway 55 to visit friends in Vermont on Friday, when 30 minutes from the Stanstead crossing, he remembered that he left his passport at home.
He thought of turning around when he remembered that he had a scanned copy of his passport on Dropbox, an online file storage service. It was a backup he kept in case he lost his passport while travelling.
“When I explained my story to the American guard, he looked kind of indifferent. He was a pretty serious border guy,” Mr. Reisch said.
AFP/Getty Images/file
The Canada-U.S. border on Highway 55 at Vermont where Martin Reisch used his iPad showing a scanned copy of his passport to cross into America.
The officer took his tablet computer and went inside the border office. “I guess he looked me up in the computer and saw I’m not a criminal or a terrorist or anything.
“He didn’t say much besides ‘Merry Christmas.’”
Mr. Reisch said if iPad creator Steve Jobs was still alive he would have something to say about that.
“He’d probably say: ‘Here’s something to work on for the future.’ Maybe have some kind of digital certification or encryption to let people travel like this,” Mr. Reisch said.
Although he’s sure the U.S. border guard made an exception for him, Reisch hopes the event will be “a catalyst to change the rules”.
Scanned copies of passports are not accepted forms of ID to cross the American border by land, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Canadians must present a passport, a NEXUS card, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card, an enhanced driver’s licence, or a Secure Certificate of Indian Status.
When crossing back into Canada, Mr. Reisch was received with more enthusiasm.
“(The Canadian guard) was a really young guy. We had a cool chat about iPhones and technology. He was really interested and didn’t make a big deal that he was letting me through,” Mr. Reisch said.
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