Man Shows Scanned Passport on iPad When Entering the U.S.

When preparing to cross the border into the United States, travelers are prepared with their various forms of identification – most notably, their passport. This stringent requirement was recently tweaked for a Montreal photographer coming to the U.S. to deliver holiday gifts in Vermont. Martin Reisch, 33, forgot his passport at home and was able to get past the Customs and Border Protection guards by showing them his driver’s license and a scanned copy of his passport on his iPad. Reisch reflected on the moment he handed the guard his iPad, saying that “there was a slight hesitation; he didn’t really seem like he was impressed”. Although there was the great chance that he would be turned away, Reisch was allowed to pass through. While this event is an exciting development, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has confirmed that its policy is to not accept scanned images of passports.
This exception has proven to be a breakthrough for iPhones and technology. Apps seem to be taking over and replacing the longer processes of yesterday. Today people use their iPhone apps for everything – from handling personal finance to travel. Private jet company, Magellan Jets, has recently released a brand new Private Jet Search app. Clients can conveniently search one-way and round-trip options, book and sign for their trip in minutes! Many people are now questioning if we are about to enter an age where paper forms of ID are not necessary and are digitalized instead. Do you think that a complete transfer to relying on digitized documents is a secure plan for our future travel policies?