Bayleaf_01

OK peeps, I need your help.

I am going to take the kids back to England in the summer and I am starting to look at flights.
Myself and the 2 kids have L2 visa's valid till 2017, but stamped until 2015 (3 years from original entry).

Can I fly from Toronto?
What happens to our I94's in our Passports?
Will we still have to make an International flight from the US in order to get a longer stamp in our passports?

We live in Michigan and are only 4 hours from Toronto and the flights are MUCH cheaper!!!

Thanks

scrubbedexpat091

I can't answer your question, but this is probably not something said very often....lol

Canadian's tend to flock south of the border because flights from Canada tend to be so pricey.....

MarylandNed

Yes, you can fly from Toronto.

I assume you are driving to Toronto? If so, you should return the I-94 to Canadian immigration when you enter Canada. You'll get a new I-94 when you return to the US. If you're flying to Toronto, you would give the I-94 to the airline rep at check-in.

When you make short trips to Canada, you can keep the I-94 and just use it to return to the US. However, you're not making a sort trip to Canada.

robin1234

I've driven up to Ottawa for eighteen years to fly to LHR, usually the price is pretty good, although my main reason is it is my closest airport.

Steve_

Yes.

Nothing, they're multiple entry (or should be, have a look at what is stamped on them), DO NOT surrender them even if the check-in person tries to take them off you.

Nothing changes as regards your paperwork. You drive to Toronto, you get on the plane, you come back to Toronto, you drive to Michigan. At each POE you just show your passport with the I-94 in it.

Steve_

They're L-2, not visitors. No need to return the I-94. CBSA will ask when you enter Canada if you want to surrender it, to which the answer is "no".

MarylandNed

Actually now that I think of it, I thought I read somewhere that they wanted to collect all the old paper I-94s and have everyone use the new electronic I-94 upon re-entry.

Steve_

Well I'd ask CBSA at the POE if that's the case, but in the past I've found the surest way to annoy a CBP inspector is to ask for a multiple entry I-94 to be reissued because you surrendered it.

scrubbedexpat091

Maybe there isn't as huge a difference to Europe, but to the US it can be near double or more from a Canadian airport.

For my trip to California in September from Vancouver International (1 1/2 hours from me) the lowest fare was 785 per person round trip, with a connection in Seattle, San Francisco or Los Angeles (no non-stops available on the route)

From Bellingham which only takes me 30 extra minutes, the cost was 222 per per round trip. (connection in Seattle.)

I have only used YVR once because the premium to use it, is crazy insane price wise.

Bayleaf_01

Thanks everyone.

For us it will save (1 adult and 2 kids) over $1500 to fly from Toronto compared to flying from Detroit. The routes are different and we wouldn't have to pay mainland Europe taxes - although I have discovered that using Paris rather than Amsterdam saves $200 on it's own.
$1500 goes a long way towards car hire and days out whilst in the UK!!!

S Folinsky

Many years ago I flew to Israel from LAX via Air Canada. It involved a stop in Toronto.

On the way out, I had to clear Canadian immigration and customs and then caught my second flight.

Coming back, it was actually kind of weird. I landed in Toronto, cleared Canadian customs and immigration. Took my baggage upstairs, 20 minutes after entering Canada, I cleared US immigration & customs in PFI.

jmood

Canada is weird for flying "through". It doesn't recognize transit status. Unless you are a USC, US PR or an Indonesian, Thai, Filipino, Taiwanese, or Chinese AND flying in from only certain cities, you require a full Canadian visa even if only connecting. I discovered this the hard way once.
Sorry, off topic.

MarylandNed

You do not need a visa to visit or transit in Canada if you are using a UK passport.