South African Documentation

[jilllofalltrades]

My son's girlfriend will be going with us on the Valor in April. She and her mother have been in the states for 5 years and have green cards. I know Passports are now required for sailing so I called Carnival regarding what documentation she needs. They didn't have a clear answer and suggested calling the consulate. The consulate sort of read an answer that was vague Will her green card and drivers license be enough to board? It would be devastating for her to be denied embarkation.

[riffatsea]

Where are you cruising?

There is no rule for USA citizens on closed loop cruises(starting and ending in the USA) that they need a passport.

Foreign nationals like your son's girlfriend can leave the country and return with their green card . Here is the info from our immigration /border agency:

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/kw/permanent%20residents%20cruising/suggested/1

IF the link doesn't work just put :

closed loop cruise with green card into Google to find the info.

IF this is NOT a closed loop cruise then you'll have to check with the country to which you are flying and from which you are cruising for their requirements.

[jilllofalltrades]

Our ship embarks and debarks at Port Canaveral. The stops are Belize Roatan Cozumel and Costa Maya. Belize may be ok but I am still unsure about Honduras and Mexico.

[riffatsea]

It appears that the green card + driver's license will be OK:

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1401

Mexico doesn't require anything extra for USA green card holders. I think she will be OK.

[jennifur25]

My husband is a New Zealand citizen but US Resident and he travels with his New Zealand passport.

[dioxide45]

Do they not have their South African passports? I traveled on many cruises with my green card and Canadian passport. Being a Canadian citizen living outside of Canada, I would never have thought to let my Canadian passport expire. I always renewed it.

[jilllofalltrades]

They do not have South African passports. I just want her to be sure that she's sure about her docs.

[xxoocruiser]

They do not have South African passports. I just want her to be sure that she's sure about her docs.

 

They had to have South African Passports to originally be admitted into the USA as well as file for USA resident card. Beleive they still have to keep their South African Passport current. So that appears it might be a whole other issue in and of itself. So did they loose their passports, let them expire or did they enter the USA initially on a Refugee Travel Document ?

Edited December 27, 2015 by xxoocruiser

[dioxide45]

They had to have South African Passports to originally be admitted into the USA as well as file for USA resident card. Beleive they still have to keep their South African Passport current. So that appears it might be a whole other issue in and of itself.

 

While they had to have it to enter the US and obtain a resident card, there is no requirement that they keep their foreign passport current unless they wish to travel and such travel requires a passport. The resident card is all they need to be able to stay in the USA.

[dioxide45]

It appears that the green card + driver's license will be OK:

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1401

Mexico doesn't require anything extra for USA green card holders. I think she will be OK.

 

Actually, just the green card would be fine since it also doubles as a photo ID.

 

I think that the OP really needs to check with the embassy or consulate website for each country they are visiting to make sure that there are no special visas required for them. I never had a problem as a Canadian citizen traveling on cruises to the Caribbean, but countries have different rules depending on one's citizenship.

 

Text from your link:

Guests are required to carry a valid, unexpired, Alien Resident Card (that includes a Photo I.D.). In addition, U.S. Alien Residents must contact the appropriate Consulates, U.S. Embassy and U.S. Immigration office to inquire about necessary travel documentation. Carnival assumes no responsibility for advising guests of Immigration requirements.

Edited December 27, 2015 by dioxide45

[SadieN]

While they had to have it to enter the US and obtain a resident card, there is no requirement that they keep their foreign passport current unless they wish to travel and such travel requires a passport. The resident card is all they need to be able to stay in the USA.

 

 

Even in a closed loop cruise the issue is having a passport JIC you need to fly mid cruise (illness, missed ship)

 

Friend is a green card holding Dutch citizen. Even going to Ensenada (four hour drive from home) he makes sure his Dutch passport is up to date.

Edited December 27, 2015 by SadieN

[spookwife]

They do not have South African passports. I just want her to be sure that she's sure about her docs.

 

 

until they are US citizens they are required to keep their home country passports CURRENT.

 

they can be denied re entry back into the US if they do not have all the necessary valid documentation

[6rugrats]

Please come back and post what happens. It is amazing to me that they do not have passports.

Edited December 27, 2015 by 6rugrats

[dioxide45]

Even in a closed loop cruise the issue is having a passport JIC you need to fly mid cruise (illness, missed ship)

 

Friend is a green card holding Dutch citizen. Even going to Ensenada (four hour drive from home) he makes sure his Dutch passport is up to date.

 

I would agree. I was a Canadian holding a permanent resident card and any time I traveled I was sure to have my Canadian Passport and green card with me. It was always kept up to date and will continue to be kept up to date even though now I am also a US citizen.

 

until they are US citizens they are required to keep their home country passports CURRENT.

 

they can be denied re entry back into the US if they do not have all the necessary valid documentation

 

The first part is not true. There is no such requirement. The second part is true, but not necessarily for what you are alluding to. Take a look at this link from the Customs and Boarder Protection.

 

Lawful Permanent Residents of the U.S. must present a Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card", INS Form I-551), a Reentry Permit (if gone for more than 1 year), or a Returning Resident Visa (if gone for 2 years or more) to reenter the United States. U.S. LPRs do not need a passport to enter the United States as per (8 CFR 211.1(a)), however, they may need a passport to enter another country. Please contact the embassy of the foreign country you will be traveling to for their requirements. While CBP does not require the passport as noted above, the airlines may have their own requirements, please check with your airlines prior to travel. Also, travel documents for LPRs do not need to be valid for any certain amount of time. Your LPR card only needs to be valid on the day that you are entering the US.

 

The item in red above is my formatting. The important documentation that they would need is their green card when reentering the US. If they were to be driving to Canada, I believe Canada requires them to have their SA passport. Cruising to Caribbean countries may or may not be different.

 

It is important to note that while they don't need the passport when reentering the USA, the cruise line may not let them travel without it. Even if they have their SA passport, they still need to make sure that none of the countries they are visiting require a visa based on their SA citizenship. Even though they are a US LPR.

 

Edited to add: There is also no requirement to have a current foreign passport to naturalize as a US citizen.

Edited December 28, 2015 by dioxide45

[sail7seas]

Please do not depend upon any rep answering the phone at the Cruise Line. Far too often they are poorly trained and ill-experienced and give wrong or misleading information. Those of us who have been around cruising for years have learned that is true through most of the cruise lines.

 

You should be getting your answer to such an important question from Official sources.

Girlfriend needs to get dependable information before attempting to cruise/leave the country assuming she wishes to return.

[sail7seas]

Is girlfriend a minor?