Adrian7

I almost have my passports returned from Buffalo.

QUESTION: Can I drive down to the U.S. border and, with no intention of entering USA, become a resident, then drive back home?

Another question, do Canadian border officers OR U.S officers have a problem with that?

PMM

Hi

1. At most border points you will be required to either get a rejection from the US Immigration, or enter US and then return to Canada.
2. Thousands do it every year.

Jim Humphries

US immigration have a special form for this. They call it the "flag pole". You report to them and tell them you are to be landed and they will fill out the form and give it to you to present when you go back (usually right away) to Canada for landing.

Linda P

We have been told that we can " land " by going to the immigration office in Canada Place here in Edmonton.

If this is the case...could you do this in Calgary???

This is only what we were told by Canada Place, we haven't actually done this ourselves, but apparently a colleague of Mr P has. Hopefully our paperwork will be through very soon, and we will give it a go.

Linda

Adrian7

Interesting. There is an Immigration office in Calgary called Harry Hays building. However I was told that I have to go to a border/port (i.e. airport/ US-Canada border). Jim? PMM? Can I "land" in Calgary?

Adrian7

Sounds like a good idea and if it's a common thing to do then I am in.
PMM, you mention US Immigration will serve me a rejection. However I don't want my name to be flagged as being rejected from U.S. Will this hurt my chances of getting into U.S.A in future?

PMM

hI

Has absolutely no effects on future admissions.

Biiiiink

I wouldn't want that on my record either, regardless of what anyone says. Can't you tell the US people you're going shopping or sightseeing or whatever and avoid a refusal completely?

louisasurreygirl

When I went just this Saturday over to Buffalo, I just told the US immigration officer we were going shopping for the day, I was afraid of getting a rejection stamp in my passport and we frequent the States a fair bit, so didn't want to even chance it, esp. since I had read previous threads here that people have been given rejection stamps by the US by doing a complete U-turn before.

We just went to the Cheesecake Factory at Walden Galleria, had a bit of a drive around downtown Buffalo (albeit the latter really wasn't worth it if you get what I mean!!) and then came back over the border so I could "land".

Adrian7

I think I may as well enter the U.S. can't to any harm. I can spend a few hours driving around then come back later in the day. Plus I can then say I have been to Montana which makes me sound well travelled.
Thanks PMM, Jim, Biiiink and louise for your help.

JAJ

Also known as a refusal, I would have thought.

Until a few years ago, it was possible to do a proper "flagpole" and land by leaving Canada and doing a U-turn before entering the U.S.

When the CBSA took over the frontier posts, this became much harder to do. As a result, anyone with a U.S. tourist visa or visa waiver passport should think hard before getting a refusal from the Americans - if admissable to the U.S., why not take the opportunity to do some shopping/sightseeing before returning?

Jim Humphries

I asked the US Border Service officer at the Peace Arch how they interpreted the "flag pole" situation and he told me it is not considered as a refusal for later visa purposes. I hope that applies elsewhere. It certainly makes sense anyway.

JAJ

Why should someone admissible to the U.S. take the risk?

Jim Humphries

If the person is admissible then they are admitted but the form is still issued. I observed this procedure with my father-in-law who was a pr of the USA and admissible. He was admitted and allowed to travel further in the USA if he wished before returning for landing in Canada, but he still got the "flag pole" form showing he actually left Canada. There seems to be no risk of later refusals based upon this routine procedure.

JAJ

How on earth are U.S. immigration going to know what your plans are on return to Canada?

All the Canadians want to see is that you have been admitted to the U.S.