user#7

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone would be able to give me some advise on how the Uturn actually works. I will go through Niagara - Buffalo... do I need to cross the border to US or I can make the U-turn just before that?

Also I know there are 3 bridges -- any of them I should rather choose?

Can I go at any time of the day?

Thank you so much guys for any tips..

Mans

Not sure whether u can just leave canada and U-turn .... We crossed at the Rainbow bridge.

At US side, stated we just want to re-enter for landing purposes. The US immigration asked many questions then let us through to turn around.

However, this did result us in a decline to enter...which worried me as you hear stories of being declined once at a US border and never being allowed to re-enter without appealing....However they assured me this was routine as they had to refuse entry as we had no intention of entering and this would not cause any problems in the future....With hindsight....might be better to keep quiet about wanting to re-enter and state you want to enter US maybe for shopping and will re-enter later???

Good luck
Mans

user#7

wow, this is a story.. I'm afraid I can't say I would go shopping since I'll have to go at night. But what did you have to do for appealing? did it take long or.. what are the consequences??

Seamus73

When I landed I did the exact same thing, drove down to Niagara, walked across the bridge, told the US Immigration I was just looking to get my PR status and headed back. all nice and simple.

A year later I drove to Detroit to catch some baseball and got some minor grief from the immigration guy there because I said I had never been refused entry (it never even occured to me that I had!). As soon as I figured out what he was talking about and told him that I had just crossed over to complete my PR process he lightened up and let me in.

I've crossed into the States a few other times since then and its never even been mentioned by the immigration staff.

When my girlfriend went down to Niagara to complete her landing process last year we crossed over into the States and spent an hour walking around before coming back because she didn't want the "refused entry". We were up front with the guy and told him the main purpose was to complete my gf's landing process, but that we also wanted to see the falls from the US side. he had no issue with that at all. I left the "Have you ever been refused entry box" blank and explained my situation to him. He ticked the "No" box for me and told me "Wow, you're honest! Just tick No!" (he also told me I had really clear fingerprints and advised me not to get into any trouble while I was in the States... but all with a smile on his face)

I guess there is the vague possibility the "refused entry" could cause you problems in the future if you get an immigration officer who is having a bad day, but in my experience its not been an issue. That said, had I known that I was being officially refused I probably would have crossed into the States, grabbed a coffee and then come back again.

Good luck with it

- Seamus73

JAJ

The U.S. authorities expect you to "re-enter" Canada (as you won't be staying in the U.S.).

If you have a visa waiver passport or a U.S. tourist visa and are not inadmissable to the U.S. there is absolutely no reason to make things complicated by getting a "refusal" of entry from the Americans. Just go for an hour's sightseeing, shopping, or whatever.

Some border posts don't demand you get an admission or refusal from the U.S. before allowing you to "land" but this does seem to be more of a problem now compared to in the past.

Jim Humphries

Many border crossing points have a "return to Canada" sign with a turn off to do just that. They are located just before the US border service windows and are in the USA so you are actually re-entering Canada when you take them. That way you do not need to report to the US officials and they are not forced to show you as having been denied entry.

JAJ

That's what people used to do, but anecdotally some Canadian border posts are refusing to allow people to land if they do not have either an admission or a refusal stamp from the Americans.

It's not clear how widespread this problem is.

dimon237

Well, I landed like this in 2004. Canadian immigration ask me (although they didn't apparently ask everyone) for the refusal letter from the states. Since I didn't have a US Visa and my nationality is not on the VWP, I did just that. After some light abuse and rudeness on the American side, i got that paper and landed in Canada. About 4-5 months after that I successfully applied for US Visa and received one for 10 years. To be on the safe side though, I indicated on the application form that I was refused entry and attached a cover letter indicating the circumstances. So unless something changed from that time, it's not a big deal.

Jim Humphries

The Canadian BOrder Service making up its own rules! I have landed many clients at the Peace Arch border station south of Vancouver but that was some time ago - pre-CBS or course. At that time they just asked if I was sure we had crossed the border and I said yes. Requiring a US refusal of entry letter is just plain silly.

PMM

Hi

Actually CSBA is following the rules, you have to either leave Canada and be admitted to another country, or be refused. It was never followed in the cases where there was a return to Canada lane. With a "return to Canada lane" under the Act, the person never left Canada. But when CBSA took over the Immigration function at POEs, especially in the East, they insisted that prospective Immigrants either enter from another country or were refused admission and then were again subject to examination.

user#7

Thank you all for sharing your experience or insight!

After I read the first reply I got a little [a lot!!!] anxious about this whole thing and knowing the repeated experience of one of my friends who had to stay up to 8 hrs at the US border because they refused entry for God knows what reasons (too many short trips in US, probably).. I chose to have a different reason for crossing the border.

At the US border... as someone mentioned before... rudeness and arrogance... I have 10 yrs US visa and my friend who was driving is Canadian but born in a country not much on US taste for political reason, of course. The guy happily reported "I have a 'blue' car" and we've been shown the way to take for... interview and investigation?!

Fortunately the lady who interviewd us (separately) seemed to be more able to differentiate between 'suspicious' people and regular people and we didn't have to spend more than 5 minutes there. I've been taken fingerprints and asked again my purpose of visiting US. As it was about 9PM the only reason we could think of was to say we want to go to the Casino on US side, for a couple of hrs. Indeed, they limited my visa to 3 hrs: from Aug 25, 2006 to Aug 25, 2006... but multiple entries!!!
She actually appologized to my friend for being asked to come in that room but "we have to follow certain procedures when people visit some countries in the last 5-6 yrs" -- that's after he said last time he's been in his country of origin was 6 yrs ago.

Anyways... it's not here the place to discuss American attitudes but the truth is... one way or another they seem to make the U-turn less pleasant.
The worst it could happen anyways would be to refuse entry and that means only that You're asked to make a u-turn.. which is the only thing you really wanted anyways

I took the Rainbow bridge and on that one you can't make a U-turn before getting through the US custom anyways, simply because there is an island separating the lanes.

All in all... that's why I love Canada!!!

Good luck everybody!