Child Travel Consent: Fill & Download for Free

US citizens cannot be denied entry to the United States. A citizen who appears at the border with an expired passport will nonetheless be admitted to the United States as long as CBP cannot find any reason to believe that the person bearing the passport is not the person to whom the passport was issued. An expired US passport is still proof of citizenship.Given all this, how likely is it, do you think, that CBP will accept a passport that has not yet expired?However, the child will need to be accompanied by both of its parents, or have documentation that the absent parent(s) consent to the child travel; otherwise, the child will be held in protective detention until it can be determined that the child is not being kidnapped.

Yes, you can definitely get in trouble.But if you will get in trouble, hard to say. You might get lucky with a CBP officer that doesn’t ask too many questions, assumes that what you are saying is the truth, sees the resemblance and similar last names between you and your niece, etc.CBP officers are trained, among other things, to watch for child abduction, so you are most likely going to be asked detailed questions of why you are traveling with an American minor.Let your niece know the CBP officer may ask her a couple of questions about her visit, her family and the relationship with you. Both of you need to be ready.It’s better to be safe than sorry so make sure to have, besides the passport and birth certificate of the minor, the following with you:Child travel letter of consent. There is no specific format and the letter doesn’t need to be notarized but it’s better if it is. Example: Child Travel ConsentFamily photosCopy of ID of the minor’s father and mother

Many professional women in the US keep their (birth) names in their careers, but use their husbands’ names privately.Some couples hyphenate their last names. In my first marriage, I would have been either:Ms. Mary Kay Pitts-FrankOr:Ms. Mary Kay Frank-PittsI was Pitts and he was Frank. Both combinations were horrible. And which of you gets to go first?And this could happen:Or this:Then suppose your daughter, Jane Pitts-Frank marries a man named Samuel Smith-Smejkal….(Smith-Smejkal being the real name of a friend and Smejkal being pronounced like putting an S before Michael)Then the happy couple would become:Jane and Samuel Pitts-Frank-Smith-Smejkal.Your grandchildren would hate you.Children of the Hyphens, the Next Generationhttp://www.bustle.com/articles/118071-7-things-that-happen-when-you-hyphenate-your-last-nameAlso some women use their original name as a middle name with her husband's following.Example: Hillary Rodham Clinton.In 1979 interview, Hillary Rodham explains why she didn’t use Bill Clinton’s last name'Hillary Clinton' Is Back, But Will There Be A Return Of The Rodham?A Short History of Hillary (Rodham) (Clinton)'s Changing NamesI kept my maiden name in my first marriage (no kids) but changed it in my second with 2 children. As a parent, sometimes it's just easier having the same name for everyone in the family.Traveling across international borders with children who have a different last name can be very challenging. Before attempting it make sure have more documentation than you think you will ever need.Child Travel Consent Form FAQ - United StatesYour surname doesn't match your child's? Good luck at border controlFor me switching from Pitts to Lewis (second husband's name) was a net gain.No more Hairy Pitts, Smelly Pitts, It's the Pitts, and my favorite from a smart-ass 13 year old boy in 7th grade, “Mary Kay Pitts has cute tits.”So I kept the second husband's name “Lewis” even when I, happily, lost him.