So, I live in Canada, I have a British passport and I am driving to Oregon Coast. What form will I need, I filled one out at the crossing last year and it cost me $6. I have an ESTA but that is only valid if travelling by air. Anybody know if I can fill out that form and what it is called before I arrive at the friendly border crossing

Thanks
D

I don't believe so. I believe you have to do it at the US border again.

Hi, I have done this quite a few times and everytime its the same. They will see the British Passport and advise you to drive into one of the bays get out and go inside and fill out the form. I have waited anything from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. Have still yet to be charged the $6 fee though, dont know if its because I had a valid ESTA or not but never been charged it.

Pretty sure you have to fill out that form in front of the officer.

Thanks guys, I was led to believe by the happy customs guy that I should have completed this form before arriving at the border and now I am wasting his time...but now I know it's a load of BS...lol

Thanks again
D

They just give you an I-94W to fill out, they do US-VISIT on you (fingerprints and photo) and then you pay them at the till. Pretty much the same procedure as arriving at an airport pre-ESTA, except the fee was included in your airline ticket.

If you can get your hands on an I-94W before you go it saves you a little bit of time because you can hand it to the inspector at primary inspection.

I have done this only twice. $6 each time.

AFAIK it is important to return the ticket which will have been stapled into your passport when you cross back into Canada unless you anticipate crossing again before the expiry (3 months?). Give it to the Canadian border guards on your way back in. Or ask if you are in doubt.

The US officials use it as proof of exit. If you keep the ticket and were to visit again say next year, they could "assume" that you have overstayed in the US.

That's my understanding anyway, I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm wrong

You are right

Although there are ways of rectifying it if you accidentally kept the I-94/I-94W by mailing CBP evidence that you left. Details here:https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/752

Obviously much simpler to hand it to the Canadian Border Service Officer though. (Or airline/shipping agent if leaving my air/sea - or a US CBP officer if leaving by land to Mexico).