DizzyLizzy

My COPR arrived last Monday 15 months after first applying and a whole heap of hiccups along the way. So today Myself and Himself set off for Niagara Falls (from Toronto) It was a blustery rainy day and both the skyways we had to cross on the way were a bit dodgy to say the least!

We arrived at around 12.15 (let the dog out for a pee ) and then parked and walked over the Rainbow Bridge.

The US Immigration officer called us in and Himself handed over his Canadian passport, then he turned to me and are you a Canadian Citizen he asked? no, I said, I am a British Citizen but I am here to Land in Canada? Really? he said smiling you want to land in Canada? I do, I said, I married a Canadian, if I had married an American I would be landing with you guys. He laughed, he was great. He asked me how long I had been in Canada and I told him 4 years (which was obvious from the date in my passport.) Take a seat he said.

We went into the adjoining room and waited around 10 minutes and then he called us through again and passed me an administrative rejection on which he had written "Flagpole Landing" I laughed. Just before I go I said, will this have any effect on my re entering the states for a holiday. Not at ALL he said, we are not refusing you entry, we are just facilitating the paperwork for you to land. He shook our hands and wished us luck and we stepped back onto the bridge.

We arrive back on the Canadian side and told the officer there that I was landing. He checked our paperwork, filled out a yellow form and sent us over the road to the Immigration Building. Another older officer waved us forward and I gave him my paperwork. Take a seat he said.

We waited another 10 minutes and then he called us over. He asked if I was still living at the same address. He asked me to sign to say that I had not committed a crime and that I had no dependants. I signed. Then he told me where to go to get me SIN number and my Health card and congratulated me. DONE in just over 30 minutes!!! After ALL the stress and worry it will take a while to sink in. Meanwhile I am doing the happy dance and wishing EVERYONE the same happy ending.

Ailsa n Dave

Congratulations and good to know! We are waiting on our COPR to appear through the post and where contemplating crossing in Niagara... I quite fancy seeing it from the other side though and spending a few hours there... we were a bit concerned that actually just flagpoling might be troublesome!

Did you need an ESTA to do this or have to fill in the green form they want $6 for? (on the US side...)

scribe123

Can't comment on the process, but I did visit the American side of the falls for a few days back in 1999. It was such a contrast to the neat and tidy Canadian side.

Lots of derelict factories, an out of business water park, clearly quite a poor area.

We stayed in a hostel there and the kind lady who owned the place gave us a map of the US side and pointed out what we could do and where to get food and stuff. She then paused and said "NOW, after dark you don't want to go...." and then pointed out half of the area.

I hope they have cleaned it up as it was quite a shame to see a place so dependant on tourism for it's main income and then realise that the best way to see Niagara Falls is from the Canadian side.

JAJ

They got themselves refused from the United States (at least, the non-Canadian passport holder did).

It is better to visit the United States, normally. It has been discussed many times on this forum.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Trip_a...lagpole-Canada

GC44

Congratulations, sounds like you had a good experience. Keeping fingers crossed we are not far behind you.

ninaDGBCA

In the moment when you drive over you only need to fill out the I94 and pay the $6. ESTA is for flying, although they are changing the rules now that everybody needs the ESTA in the future so better check before you want to go. But like JAJ said the OP got an administrative refusal and didn't need to fill out the forms. There are contradicting views on this. Some say it doesn't affect any future entry into the States and some US border officers say that, too. Others say it could make things harder in the future. It is not a classic refused entry though. IMO for what it's worth, go over for a shopping trip fill in the forms, have a nosy, go shopping, come back and land.

Dizzy Lizzy CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

DizzyLizzy

Flagpoling is no trouble at all. I checked with the officer about weather it would affect further visits to the states and he said No we are not refusing you entry we are just facilitating a quicker landing for you. It cost us nothing as we never went further than the immigration building. I guess you can go in for a few hours, nothing to stop you, but you will have to pay the $6 and go through the whole finger print thing. Good luck and I hope you COPR's arrive soon!

DizzyLizzy

The officer told me we were NOT being refused entry, we could have gone in, but the weather was terrible and I just wanted to get it over with and it's done!