British Expats

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-   -   Weekend in USA from Canada!!! (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/weekend-usa-canada-456111/)

Sutherlands Jun 5th 2007 3:05 pm
Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Hi all,

Looking to get away this weekend and was thingking of crossing the boarder and having a night in the USA..
We have permerment residence, and only been here in Canada since 31st of Jan 07..

Can we go into USA with our BPP or do we need to get some sort of visa? if so where do we get it?

Thanks in advance Sutherlands:thumbup:

JAJ Jun 5th 2007 3:05 pm
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Originally Posted by Sutherlands (Post 4878118)
Hi all,

Looking to get away this weekend and was thingking of crossing the boarder and having a night in the USA..
We have permerment residence, and only been here in Canada since 31st of Jan 07..

Can we go into USA with our BPP or do we need to get some sort of visa? if so where do we get it?
Are you British citizens?

Mr Lee Jun 5th 2007 3:18 pm
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Originally Posted by Sutherlands (Post 4878118)
Hi all,

Looking to get away this weekend and was thingking of crossing the boarder and having a night in the USA..
We have permerment residence, and only been here in Canada since 31st of Jan 07..

Can we go into USA with our BPP or do we need to get some sort of visa? if so where do we get it?

Thanks in advance Sutherlands:thumbup:
You can get a visa waiver at the border. Be prepared to be held up though.
Cost US$6 back in 2005 per person. May have gone up, I'm not sure.

lof Jun 5th 2007 4:19 pm
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
interpreting bpp as british passport i guess you may go to the us under the visa waiver program:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id...us/vwp/vwp.xml

make sure you have the "right" kind of documents requested by vwp: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id...tal_photos.xml

SarahBC Jun 6th 2007 2:20 am
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Hi there,

Regarding road border crossings into the US:

Our English neighbours have recently received their permanent resident's cards (the process began in 1968, but that's another story). When they crossed the border they showed their passports as they're not Canadian citizens, and were directed into the immigration office. They have to pay for the 90 day visa waiver.

We also regularly cross into the states. We also pay the $6 each for the visa waiver. We're on a work permit. The visa is good for multiple visits within the US. That saves time as you only have to queue up in the office once at the beginning of the 90 days.

Points to Remember:
  • Have some US currency or a Visa/Mastercard ready to pay for your visa waiver.
  • Be very precise what your intended destination is in the states. E.g. your first night accommodation address. An activity you will be doing there. Speak clearly, and give them a reason the immigration officer can understand.
  • Find out how much alcohol & goods you can bring back into Canada, for the time period you are there. We visited for only 24 hours recently, and offered to pay the sales tax at the Canadian border. It was more than the beer cost.
  • Avoid Saturday mornings! If your area is like BC, Saturday morning crossing will be a hilarious 3 hour wait. We often cross at 11pm on a Friday night so there is no waiting.
  • Be ready to be fingerprinted and photographed.
  • Act courteously. They can keep you there as long as they like!

    We have seen some interesting things in the immigration office at Peach Arch Crossing in BC. During a recent visit we saw a nervous British woman in her early twenties trying to explain to a massive southern immigration officer that she was going into the US to "demonstrate some internet equipment to a client in Washington". We struggled to understand what she was going to do, and the immigration officer was looking at her like she was a terrorist. This was 11pm at night, and we had the feeling they were going to turn her around and send her back to Canada. We had to leave before we found out her fate.

    So, we've never had any problems - apart from occasional long line-ups.

    Hope this helps,

    Sarah

Sutherlands Jun 6th 2007 10:10 am
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Thanks all for the links and advice.... yes we are British citizens, and yes bpp stands for British passport..:thumbup:

JAJ Jun 6th 2007 3:07 pm
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Originally Posted by SarahBC (Post 4880328)
Our English neighbours have recently received their permanent resident's cards (the process began in 1968, but that's another story). When they crossed the border they showed their passports as they're not Canadian citizens, and were directed into the immigration office. They have to pay for the 90 day visa waiver.
How on earth have they not got around to becoming Canadian citizens yet? They would have a more straightforward time on the U.S. border if they had Canadian passports.

Donald&Tanya Jun 6th 2007 10:14 pm
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Hi

Just to let you know i have been in Canada twice now on holiday from the UK and both times crossed the border to the US with no probs other than maybe a half hour wait. Pay the $6 visa fee and your away never had any probs.

Thanks
Tanya

SarahBC Jun 7th 2007 7:25 am
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 4882869)
How on earth have they not got around to becoming Canadian citizens yet? They would have a more straightforward time on the U.S. border if they had Canadian passports.
Well, if they hadn't left Canada in the early seventies after having their Canadian daughter, they may very well have become Canadian citizens by now. They have been in Canada for approximately 3 years this time.

dbd33 Jun 7th 2007 8:59 am
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 4882869)
How on earth have they not got around to becoming Canadian citizens yet? They would have a more straightforward time on the U.S. border if they had Canadian passports.
You must know that it's very common for British passport holders to have lived here for decades without becoming Canadian, I guess I know more long term residents (>20 years) of British origin who are not citizens than who are. After this came up here before I asked a few in the pub why they were not citizens "haven't got around to it", "seems a bit off, sort of disloyal" were the common answers.

You're right, of course, my reason for getting a Canadian passport was improved access to the US.

yorkshirepud Jun 11th 2007 12:57 pm
Re: Weekend in USA from Canada!!!
 
Originally Posted by Sutherlands (Post 4878118)
Hi all,

Looking to get away this weekend and was thingking of crossing the boarder and having a night in the USA..
We have permerment residence, and only been here in Canada since 31st of Jan 07..

Can we go into USA with our BPP or do we need to get some sort of visa? if so where do we get it?

Thanks in advance Sutherlands:thumbup:
We get the visa waiver form at the airport when we fly for free. We drive over to Montana every year and have never had any problems. They are more concerned as to whether or not we have any meat or fruit. I was very upset that I had to hand over a container full of grapes !! Oh well, such is life.
As for the PR cards. They are barely looked at on the way back. What a waste of time they were.


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