Scribble

As I understand it, the ESTA is only needed if you enter USA by air or sea.
I will be entering USA by car from Canada and already have the VWP from entering Canada.
Are there any fees to pay at the border or can you just go through with a passport verification?

Almost Canadian

$6, unless it is less than 90 days since you travelled through the US and you did not hand over your I-94 when you did. I have inferred that you did but your post is not very clear about this.

Mikeypm

I was rencently over in Vancouver networking and looking for work and I went across the border with my sister.

It was quite an easy process the border official gives you some paperwork directs you to the main office.

You queue up answer a few questions do your eye scan and finger print. Pay 6 dollars in US cash or by credit card, you get an IW94 card stapled into your passport which is valid for 90 days I believe and then your on your way.

Make sure to hand back your IW94 though as this may cause issues next time you want to pop over the border.

ninaDGBCA

Only if you don't want to go back to the States within the 90 days. We go once a month and always leave the I94s in until we know we won't make it back in that time frame that's when we return them to CBSA.

The US border officers would also take the I94 out if you would fly out of the States within the 90 days. Between Canada and USA you can go back and forth for 90 days before they expire hand them in.

ultrarunner

On a somewhat same token.....for those that live in Canada, and are close to a US border town, if you haven't applied for the NEXUS card yet, you should.

I applied for myself and my young lad (his was free, mine had a fee). The card has a lot of security on it, and you don't need a passport to cross the border if you have one. You also get to by-pass the sometimes long lines

Best money have ever spent, and the last crossing couple of weekes ago was a breeze

wolstie

Not many people will know this, but:

If you are from a visa waiver country and fly to Canada from the UK (or anywhere else internationally) via the States on an ESTA (e.g. Manchester – Philadelphia – Ottawa), you can cross the border by land, back into the States as many times as you like within 30 days from your initial entry by air and not need to pay for the green I94W form.

I don’t think even many CBP officers at land crossings know about this either. We crossed the border by land, a week after coming home from the UK, to do our grocery shopping. We were sent in the office to get green I94Ws. I pointed out that we had US entry stamps from only the week before, and they said that’s fine for 30 days and to go on our way.

Scribble

So air and sea fill in an ESTA
but land fill in an I94

Why don't they just make it consistent and have everyone fillin the same form?
Can I fill in the I-94 in advance or does it have to be done at the border?

Also, does this mean that Canadians now have to pay $6 as well?

bats

No, we just sail on through.

Almost Canadian

ESTA is required for flying. So is the I-94. The cost of the I-94 is included in your ticket price when flying.

The I-94 will need to be completed at the border as far as I am aware.

Scribble

I forgot to add that I now have permanent residence in Canada even though I have not received the card yet (it takes 8 weeks or so). Will this enable me to skip the $6 I-94 process?

The4BellsLondon

Nope - still need it

paulandsophia

Both Peace Arch and Aldergrove have told me that anytime soon an ESTA will be required for land crossings also and to get one when my I94 expires (on the 28th of this month).

They told me to bring the paperwork in and they'll stamp my passport and there will be no requirement to complete the I94 card.

Paul

Scribble

So,how come Canadians don't need it but permamnent residents in Canada (from other countries) do? visa rules?

JB0591

This is changing................we crossed into the USA by car two weekends ago and as we had an ESTA in place we had a white visa waiver form put into passport rather than I94. This had same validity period. We didn't need to fill in any paperwork but we did pay $6 each.

wolstie

Was this at Ogdensburg?

Did you have to show them a print out of your ESTA in order for them to do this, or did it just pop up automatically that you had a valid one?