I,ve been in Ont/Cananda 15 months now. I have PR status here and an Irish Passport....If I want to cross the border to the US for a visit. Do I need a visa or can I just show my passport and pr card..? Has anyone crossed over lately and what was your experience..?..

You would be treated the same as an Irish Passport holder travelling to the US. Your PR status in Canada is irrelevant.

My mother is Irish. IIRC she needed a different visa to Brits when travelling to the US.

Ireland is included in the VWP, you have no need for a separate visa.

Info here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wi...html#countries

Not to point out the obvious, but you need your PR card to get back into Canada.

Thanks lads for clearing that up,you know what its like,you get a different story from everyone you ask and thanks for the link too..

Unless you are driving. Or have the rules changed for that?

No idea what rules may or may not have changed. Each time I have crossed the border by car, the most recent time being this weekend, I have been asked about my status in Canada and they have checked the card.

Legally you didnt used to HAVE to have the PR card, it was just nicer for them if you did, but the paper form was OK legally. That might have changed as they have changed the requirements for citizens since than I think.

PR card was a must have for air or bus (Commercial) entry, but not driving across. Not sure about trains, but presumably a PR card is required on the same grounds.

As far as I can make out..I must apply online for a Electronic System for Travel Authorization form,which is valid for 2 years.

I applied for online for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization but that was because I was flying to the US.

If you are driving across the border you do not need it.

Can I tag onto this thread with a related question?

We're landing in late June and are driving to Oregon in August. As our PR cards are unlikely to have arrived by then, will we be OK coming back with our passports and COPR paperwork?

ESTAs are for Air travel only, although I've noticed that since I got mine my speed at the road boarder immigration has increased significantly

Thanks for the thread - you are the winner of my 1,000th post!

You need to get a travel document, which permits you re-entry without a PR card.

I landed in in August 2008 and had a vacation planned for the US in early September. My travel document permitted me to have 2 entries without a PR card - once from Buffalo when I had the travel document put in my passport, and one for my vacation.

You don't need to visit a visa office though, you can make an application with your passport and have your passport with the visa sent back to you.

If they are on a british passport and driving, (or in all likelyhood if flying too), then they dont need a travel document! How many times has this been discussed here now?

Driving across the border the ROLF form is legally enough.

Congratulations on the 1-0-0-0!

I was advised to get one...

By an idiot