Passports

[Austin Carl Largan]

I had the misfortune to live in Trinidad, I was stuck there for over a year, it was terrible there and I couldn't get away from there fast enough. During my stay my passport expired so I had it renewed at the embassy there. The information page says 'Issued by the British High Commission, Port of Spain' My photo was studio posed, and showed a clean cut, shirt and tie photo of me sporting a white dinner jacket and I was rather proud of it, I thought I looked like James Bond. I was proud of it until I showed it to the wife. "James Bond?????" she squawked out "James H freaking Bond????? You look more like a shirt lifter. And thus she deflated my balloon.
I was in a sticky situation there though, my company's joint venture partner was supposed to obtain a work visa for me and he promised that he had contacts in the Immigration ministry but it failed to materialize so I was there on a business visit visa, which is vastly different, I was not allowed to live and work there and the authorities were very strict about it. So when it came time for me to go home his great idea was for me to 'lose' by current passport, report it to the police and get a letter stating such from them and get a new passport from the Embassy. Then when I was leaving I would say to Immigration that my visa was in the old passport. Problem solved. I told him that my next trip would be to the British Embassy however I would request a chat with one of the vice consuls there and tell him exactly what his suggestion was and also ask for advice on my predicament. He panicked but came up with a workable solution. He told me that when I was passing through Immigration on my way out I was to locate a certain Indian looking female officer and wait until she was free, which I did. I slid my passport under her window and she did not even look at me, she took my tax form, gave me an exit stamp and still without any eye contact whatever, I passed through. I was still nervous though until I heard the wheels bang up into the bay. I was wondering just what sort of threat they had given that poor woman though, by that time I knew something of their operating tactics and some of them are not too nice. She may have received a backhander but not of the type that would have been financially rewarding.
Another passport incident was when I was in Cuba. I got too close to Guantanamo Bay, and the approaches are roadblocked. The military pulled me over and the Cuban I was with warned me not to speak any Spanish to them and to let him do all the talking. At that time my passport had been issued in Mexico City as I was living there at the time, and my photo made me look like a military type as I had a marine style buzz cut,(short back and sides and crew cut on top) The moron who was trying to grill me thought that the combination of having a marine style haircut and a passport issued in Mexico made me an automatic C.I.A. agent and he was really convinced of it. He yelled and yelled and yelled and I was there for about an hour before saner minds gave him a release order over the radio. Not until they had tore the car and all my belongs apart first though. The joke of it all was that if I were an actual C.I.A. man the last thing I would be doing is going around looking like what they think a C.I.A. man looks like, I would have been a) Hispanic and b) dressed like a Cuban. Oh well, I thought, that's why he is in the middle of nowhere sweating in the dust and heat manning a pointless roadblock and I'm heading off for a cool one in a fancy car.

Austin

[happy daze john in oz]

On a cruise a few years back and one port of call was in Vietnam.
The local police came on board, any one wishing to go ashore must do so only on an organized tour.
So for those of us who were so fitted our passports were taken away.
We were allowed on the coaches and completed the tour, and very good it was as well.
Arriving back at the ship our pass ports were returned to us with a visa stuck in.
Fine but the bloody visa was like a piece of carboard twice as thick as normal.
No way could you close the passport in a normal way.

[Peter Gill]

Think yourselves lucky that you all qualified for a passport. What about those folk , born in a country of persons born in the same country who, because of either ethnic or religious reasons, are denied the right to travel out of their country. Yes, this does happen today. If I were to mention the country, the post would probably be removed.

[Austin Carl Largan]

All animals are equal......except that some animals are more equal than others.

Now who said that???

Austin

[Noel Kelly]

I just renewed my British Passport online with no problems and I'm not altogether sure why unless it's mental. I'm 91 and have not been back to the UK since 2015, and very much doubt I will go again. Most of my close family and close friends are gone and there is no longer any great pull to go 'home'.
I have lived in Southern California since 1959 and have never become an American citizen. The reason I have not taken out citizenship is because of the Oath of Allegiance one has to say as the last step in Naturalization, again I think it may be mental.

Here is the opening part with which I have a problem.
Oath of Allegiance (in part)
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen.

As far as I know, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom's oath of allegiance does not require renouncement of anything or anyone.

[j.sabourn]

I can’t remember really the Australian one. There might be something on the certificate of
Citizenship, will have a look if can find. We had done privately in the mayors office only us the mayor and a witness present. But as already British only had to confirm was still loyal to the king/queen , as they are still recognised as monarch of Australia whether one agrees or not. JS
Found. Australian citizen Pledge….From this time forward, I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey.

The cert. itself John William Sabourn born 28 January 1937.
6 lines of lecturing and granted on June 16, 1994

Issued by the authority of the minister of immigration and Ethnic Affairs.
A lot of people frame them, those who are not used to democracy and must make them feel safer.

In the envelope I found a long lost Tiger certificate…this is to certify that John Sabourn flew in a 1930’s De Haviland “ Tiger Moth” Biplane, recognition
Of this achievement is hereby given on the 1st December 2007 Call sign VH FAS.
See anything is possible in Oz. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes Oz oath is very simple compared with that of USA.

Have a very good friend who had her son go to work in USA over 20 years ago, went on a Green card.
For 20 years he never left USA as he was told if he did he would not be allowed to return.
But a couple of years ago working for the biggest weather TV station there his boss stepped in.
He now has a passport which allows him to come and go as he wishes.

[Austin Carl Largan]

I think the rules for the green card mean that you must return within a 12 month period or the card is revoked and you have to re-appy for a new one.
That's how it was when I had one but the immigration rules change all the time.
Austin

[Austin Carl Largan]

I was sworn in at a private ceremony held in the large impressive office of the director of Immigration for the state of Louisiana, she was the 'top dog'. I was the only person present and it was a very moving occasion for me. Before she began the ceremony she said to me "I love doing these". Then she swore me in and I have to admit that it was the proudest moment of my life.

Austin

- - - Updated - - -

John,
does the Tiger certificate make you an official 'Flying Tiger'?

Austin

[Austin Carl Largan]

I did some flying myself when I was younger. It was either a Spitfire or a Cessna , can’t quite remember these days ��