UKNeil

Hi,

I hope this is in the right forum, if not I'm sorry.

We are in the US on a VWP from the UK, we are here for a total of 88 days. Our plans have changed and we would like to head into Canada after our stay in CA then head home after some time in Canada. Is this possible to drive into Canada or do we need to do anything to be allowed to do this in terms of visa's etc?

Thanks

Pulaski

So long as you leave the US within 90 days of your arrival the US doesn't care how or where you depart to. If I remember correctly, after "using up" your whole VWP time allotment and departing to Canada, you can't return to the US for thirty days.

I have never crossed the land border into Canada, so I don't know how it works but be sure that you are recorded by the CBP as having left the US.

Jerseygirl

You do not need a Canadian visa to visit Canada.

Are you planning to fly back to the UK from Canada? If so are you planning on driving from the US into Canada by rental car?

UKNeil

We are travelling over on a cheap car we bought here, it was cheaper to buy than rent for the amount of time we were here. We will be flying back to the UK from Canada and just leave the car with the family that we have in Canada.

Thanks for the replies, seems we can do it ok, just wanted to make sure we would be noticed as departing before the 90 days on the VWP

Thanks

RoadWarriorFromLP

Once you've arrived in the US, the US counts time spent anywhere in North America against the 90 days allowed under the visa waiver. Going to Canada does not stop the clock - the clock stops when you leave North America. http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wi...90.html#canada

If your plan is to visit the US for 88 days, then travel to Canada thereafter for more than two days, then you are technically violating the provisions of the visa waiver and will require a visa to visit the US. (In practice, this may not matter, but you should be aware of the technicalities.) If your entire trip in North America is for a total of 88 days, then there is no problem.

UKNeil

Yeah thanks for that, I didn't realise that but thats a bit of a nightmare. I may have to rethink, so if we left the US after 88 days and went to Canada could we not be in Canada for a couple of months before we head back to the UK. I thought as British citizens we could enter Canada without a visa for 6 months, this may only be if we travel from the UK to Canada but I'm not sure.

Thanks anyway, gives me something to look into.

Jerseygirl

I am a UK citizen living in the US and I can stay in Canada for 6 months out of 12.

RoadWarriorFromLP

The issue isn't with the Canadians, but with the US and the rules of the VWP.

The US policy is designed so that you can't use a border run in order to restart or stop the clock on your 90 day US visa waiver. This policy is independent of the Canadians, who have their own rules.

UKNeil

Ok cool, but I'd guess you have some form of visa here in the US and not here on a VWP for only 90 days? I did think we could go to Canada after the US but the last reply says different. I think if we are going back to the UK after Canada it may be different but we just don't want to overstay our VWP

Thanks

UKNeil

Yeah Roadwarrior I understand that Im sure people do that and head over then back to try and get another 90 days. I don't think we could come back into the US for a good few months, especially if we had just crossed into Canada. I'll look into it and see what the scenario is with a return ticket from Canda to the UK. I haven't changed the tickets yet anyway so its not certain its just that we are able to do it financially and it would be a great trip to see family in Canada.

Bob

Have you looked into the kind of ball ache that might be involved in importing a car into Canada? The family might not to be happy with it.

HDWill

The way I read that rule is, if you were to stay 80 days in the US, then go to Canada for two weeks, you couldn't be readmitted to the US on the same VWP entry. I.e., it's about readmission; if you stay in Canada and leave from Canada there's no problem.

UKNeil

Thanks HDwill, I kind of thought that myself but still I wasn't sure.

Yeah Bob, I've just started to research that, just another part of the adventure!!

RoadWarriorFromLP

In theory, the US would consider that to be a visa waiver violation --you're supposed to leave the North America zone within 90 days of entering the US.

In practice, it may not matter. What might help is turning in the I-94 upon or after entering Canada (you can mail it in), then try to enter the US under a new visa waiver from Canada. This is not strictly legal, but you may get away with it. (Then again, you may not.)

UKNeil

We don't have the I94 in the passports now, I remember we used to get them but we only filled in the blue form, I don't know the name of it but it is the one to declare any agricultural products you may have brought in. I took it that the passports are all scanned and on a database of leaving and arriving but I may be totally wrong.

We don't plan in coming back to the US once in Canada, then it'll be time to head back to sunny Scotland!!