HI, now that I have my passport after a lengthy wait to renew, I am planning on going to the US. Having been many times before, I know this can take several hours waiting at US customs and immigration to get an I94 visa. I live in St Catharines Ontario. I have got my visa at the Lewiston bridge (1 hour wait) Niagara falls (3 hour wait depending on how many toursit buses are going through) and Port Huron (worst place, no seating and rude people)
Has any one applied though Fort Erie and Windsor? Are these shorter wait times?
Cheers
Alan

If you are referring to the temp visitor crap, you do it online now.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

If not, apologies and carry on.

ESTA is only if you're flying though, if it's a land border crossing you don't need ESTA, just the $6 for a I-94...presuming you aren't Canadian citizens.

You can use ESTA at land crossings. It saves filling out that Green I94 form and the approval lasts 2 years. You still get dataraped with the fingerprint scanners and camera but at least there isn't the awkward filling out the card while the immigration officer waits.

That's what i was referring to. I did it in preparation for a land crossing at the end of August into Maine. And I believe it was just shy of $14.

I think time of day and day of the week is a factor too, and this of course may vary crossing by crossing. I've crossed in a number of places (and some of them multiple times) - but time has varied from 5 minutes to 2 hours.

You can, but - according to the FAQ - you don't have to. Given that it takes all of 90 seconds to complete an I-94W I'd be doing this and spending the $8 I'd saved on beer and loose women.

Yep, my post was directed at Bob.


Except I94W only lasts 3 months, whereas ESTA is 2 years, so if you live near the border and make crossings often you save money in the long run.

Get the ESTA. My father-in-law (who lives in the UK) used his ESTA to drive into the US from Canada.

By the way, here are 2 useful web sites for border crossing wait times. They have saved me lots of time:

US bound:
http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/

Canada bound:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html

On my last trip up to Canada a few weeks ago, I avoided delays at Fort Erie/Buffalo and Queenston/Lewiston on the way back to the US. I had the fastest border crossing I've ever had at Niagara Falls (Rainbow Bridge). There was 1 car in front of me and I was through in about 3 minutes total.

This is true. So in that scenario you would actually have more money spare for beer and loose women if you went for the ESTA instead of the I-94W. Maybe you also need to factor in the relative cost for those two commodities in Canada vs. the US to come up with a true cost comparison...

Can't comment on the loose women but the beer is cheaper in the US. Just don't forget that the Canadian customs officers can nick you for DUI just like policemen.

My mother visited in February this year and we drove to the US for a visit. At Peach Arch we were sent for secondary inspection. She showed the CBP officer her ESTA and he said, to quote, "we don't take much notice of those here." He made here complete the I94W and relieved her of $6.

When did you do this? http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1212501117599.shtm - says at the bottom ESTA is not used for land border entries. When I asked at Sweet Grass in 2009 they said it could not be used for people arriving in their own vehicle because ESTA is a programme that the carrier enrolls in. I was definitely in ESTA and they made me fill in the I-94W.

If you actually have a visa, they swipe it and the I-94 is automatically generated.

If they've changed something it must be quite recent.

Thanks Tangram, but I think that is for people flying or cruising into the USA.

Okay, now that is good to know. Thanks

How are you travelling in then ?

$8.00 for beer and loose women, I am crossing into the US, not Tijuana.