Published In The Great North Arrow, October 1, 2024: Passport Fraud

- jim Young

“If you see fraud and do not say fraud, you are a fraud.” - Nassim Talib

My passport says it expires in November. Of course it can take some time to have a new passport processed so I have to apply for it well in advance of the expiry date. And I have to pay for it in full, up front when I apply for it - not when I get it. 

And then some countries such as the U.S. won’t allow you entry unless your Passport is valid for 6 months AFTER the date you are LEAVING their country.

Why is that anyway? If my passport is valid when I go INTO the country - what difference does it make if it expires AFTER I’m there?

My personal data doesn’t change just because my passport expires. I don’t change just because my passport expires. 

I don’t suddenly become a terrorist as of midnight on the day my passport expires and even if I did, I would still be in your country anyway. My birth date doesn’t change, nor does my social insurance number or eye colour. 

My height, weight and hair colour may have changed over the past few years - but certainly not since I was admitted to the country I am visiting - at least not that much.

My passport costs $120 and it’s supposed to be good for 5 years. But if I have to renew it after just 4 ½ years then I’m getting ripped off for 10% of the cost of my passport. 

It would be different if my New passport didn’t take effect until the day after my Old passport expired. Then I would be getting the full value of my passport. 

But it doesn’t work like that. Over the course of my lifetime I could end up paying for a full 5 year’s worth of passports that I never get to use.

If you signed up for a five year gym membership and the gym only allowed you 4 ½ years use of their gym - that would be fraud, wouldn’t it?

I think the government should be charged with false advertising. 

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