R I C H

We successfully got our PR visa's authorised on Thursday by visiting the Huntingdon/Sumas border crossing in the Fraser Valley, near Vancouver.

You should be aware, though, that US Customs no longer permits flag-polling. They're concerned that admitting individuals into the States, albeit only for the purpose of turning straight back into Canada leaves them open to the possibility that Canada has the right to refuse entry, and then the US is left with individuals that they possibly don't want either.

The process now involves having to be formally interviewed, fingerprinted (14 prints - palms and all), photographed and then documentation being produced that indicates you were officially refused entry to the US. Canada then has no choice but to allow you back in.

This took us 2hrs with US immigration - one guy working through the paperwork solidly on his own. If you're traveling with a family, expect it to take longer. In one respect it means that you don't officially leave Canada, so departure and landing never really occurs in order to meet immigration requirements for the PR visa, but the Canadian immigration officer we dealt with just said it was US immigration paranoia, and they were unconcerned about the legal technicalities. Including the line up to leave Canada, then re-enter, plus 30mins of paperwork with Canadian immigration, in total it took us over 4hrs to get everything dealt with. That was late morning on a mid-week day.

I asked the US immigration guy if it would have been simpler for us just to have paid the $6 each for a visa to visit the US and then dealt with the PR landing on our way back into Canada. He was adamant that we'd have been committing an offense by not declaring our real intentions for visiting the US, and that he'd rather have the correct paperwork drawn up than risk us being arrested. There was a very marked contrast in attitude between the US and Canadian immigration personnel - cold, impersonal and intimidating vs welcoming and friendly.

bodgerx

Yep, according to most US Immigration officials you are a terrorist/deadbeat/freeloader until proven otherwise. I haven't experienced a single one who was anything approaching civil. Not a good advert for the US really.

bazzz

Just say you're going for a day out visiting some place. They're not going to know what you do with Canadian Immigration on the way back.

G77

If you've now been officially refused entry to the US, doesn't this mean that next time you try to visit the US you'll find yourself in a rather fetching orange boiler suit?

R I C H

Yep, that's about the only way to avoid all the paperwork. The only risk is a search of your vehicle (which we had), and they find the paperwork you're going to use later on - then they'll apparently get quite upset that you hid the truth from them.

bazzz

Blimey. That's unlucky. We've never had that and I look like a terrorist.

R I C H

They said (several times) that there was no implication for future visits to the US. In fairness to the US immigration staff they were happy for us to see all the data entered and tried to explain why it was necessary. Why they needed details of our employment, where we'd purchased our vehicle from etc etc seemed a little excessive, especially as we weren't officially ever let into the US.

Not sure orange is this year's colour, is it I'd be devastated to commit a fashion faux-pas

R I C H

They looked through the trunk of every single vehicle in the line up (approx 20 cars in front of us). Several had their interiors checked too.

Judy in Calgary

How disappointing. But thanks for the heads up, R I C H. I have added a notation to the Wiki article called Trip around the flagpole.
x

dbd33

At Port Huron I pulled the Mustang to the booth, a daughter and I were in the car, the top was down, there was a cooler on the back seat.

"Where you going?"

"Vegas"

"Got any apples in the cooler?"

"Nope."

"Have a blast."

He didn't even ask to see our passports. OK, that was five years ago but last year I crossed there very many times and often just offered my passport without the officer taking it and opening it. Overall I'd say there's the same chance of getting a friendly or obnoxious officer at either side.

Still I wish they'd get rid of the border, it's a silly affectation for Canada to pretend independence.

stepnek

This is really no different to our experience back in 2004. Because my daughters arrived in Canada before I did they weren't able to do their immigration landing ahead of me as I was the principle applicant. I did my landing at Ottawa Airport and a few days later we took them down to the bridge crossing at Cornwall and spoke to the officers at the Canadian border crossing to confirm that my daughters could still land by crossing into the US and then come back. They told us it was fine but part of the procedure was that they would be refused entry into the States and that we would need to bring that paperwork back with us to prove that they had left even though the US wouldn't technically let them in. All a bit bizarre really.

Anyway occasional subsequent trips into the US meant admitting to having previously been refused entry but after a bit of paperwork, a fingerprint and six dollars each the 90 day visa's were still issued.

R I C H

When my WP was issued (at the same border crossing in Nov '05), US immigration just asked my to swing the vehicle round and join the line to re-enter Canada. That's the procedure they apparently will no longer allow.

Biiiiink

I never understood why visa waiver nationals didn't go shopping in the US/have lunch and come back to land... I'm sorry this happened though Rich.

Only once had our car checked by the US people and it was just a cursory check whilst we were getting Mr B's papers done, not the full take-apart I've seen happen to others in the "inspection bays" or whatever they call them.

Today we were an hour at US border services on the way out to get Mr B his latest I94W, they were pathetically slow. And then we were about 2hrs in Canada customs on the way back because of an unaccounted for patio umbrella in our boot! That was a full car search, handbag emptied and rooted through, wallet, etc. It sounds ridiculous but could have been rather serious On this occasion the Canadians were friendlier but it's the other way round 9 times out of 10.

Butch Cassidy

I agree, Canadian immigration are always cold, impersonal and intimidating when we deal with them as well.

R I C H

That would be the ideal thing to do, but when you live a good distance from the border, and even further for anywhere worth visiting regarding shopping on the States side, there's just not enough time in the day to do both.