Diz01

Having just got back from a trip which took us from Canada to the US and back again I thought I would post on our border crossing experiences for the benefit of future UK or EU visitors. We had looked at earlier postings on this and reviewed the relavant authorities websites but were nonetheless a little unsure on what would happen. So this is our story.

We (UK passport holders) entered Canada at Calgary airport where we submitted a Canadian customs declaration form (white) and had our passports stamped.

Five days later we crossed to the US at Chief Mountain Crossing (East of Waterton/Glacier Parks) on the Alberta/Montana border. This is a small border crossing and I don't know how many UK or European passports they see. There was nothing to do on the Canadian side - you just drive up to the US border point. We had picked up the green US visa waiver cards at Heathrow in the UK and completed them in advance. This seemed to make the guard at the barrier point suspicious with several questions about where we had got them from. At this point we were still sitting in our car. We then moved on to any firearms we might have (no), whether we were bringing anything into the US that we inted to leave there (no), whether we lived on a farm in the UK (no) or had visited any farms in Canada (no). We were asked if we had any UK foodstuffs (no) or any Canadian fresh fruit (yes). In response to this question the guard asked "Can I have it?" with no explanation as to why. Rather than question it we handed over the oranges we had. He asked me to remove my sunglasses and then told us to drive our car into a parking space and go into the office.

In the office we were asked by a diffent official where we had obtained the visa waiver cards. We were then charged $6 for each card. I had understood that this was only charged when you had to get a card at the entry point (one of the reasons we had obtained them in advance). We paid up despite this seeming wrong. The official then entered our details manually into his system, fingerprinted and photographed us, stamped our passports and stapled the detachable part of the visa waiver form into our passports.

All told it took around 15 minutes. There is a "not applicable" box on the visa waiver form for land entries being question 9 as I recall - something to do with journey start point.

We returned to Canada at Roosville entry port (West of Glacier NP) on the Montana/BC border. This is much busier road. If you read the back of the detached portion of the US visa waiver form you will see it says it must be surrendered to a Canadian official. You cannot get to the US offices heading this direction. At the Canadian barrier we were asked where we had got our car (Calgary airport hire car). He then asked if we wanted to surrender our visa waiver cards. We said yes so he took these - hopefully they get matched up before we return to the US! And then he returned our passports and said we could go. He did not stamp our passports which seemed odd. We also asked if he wanted a customs declaration form that we had filled in (having got a spare one on our flight) as we had needed to do at the airport. He seemed completely mystified as to what the form was and said no.

The process took around 3 minutes.

Whether this is typical treatment in both directions I have no idea but hopefully this will help others.

Diz01

bob_brown

To say that TSA is paranoid is an understatement.

The port where your crossed is staffed by people who seemingly don't know anything.

As an American citizen I drove up to that post, handed the man my passport, and then had to go through a quiz session. I told him that I had entered the US many times from Europe and that a valid passport was all I needed. Why all this extra stuff.

I further informed him that I would write my congressman about the matter.

I did as promised and later I got a crappy call from some TSA official who was annoyed at being sent a letter through channels from a Congressman.

We have come to a very poor situation where border crossing are concerned.

I would apologize, but I did not help put that government in power, so I feel no need to.

Gavin

I am very happy that that I can travel around Europe without that kind of hassle.

Orcas

Hey, Just be grateful we let you in. Can't trust them fur'ners, especially Brits!

The border guards are not about etiquette, that's for sure. Citrus is not allowed into the US from abroad for fear of contamination (I think the Mediteranean fruit fly is the primary concern). If you hadn't surrendered your orange and they'd found it, you could have been fined $300. (maybe even been barred from entry)

cdnyul

"He asked me to remove my sunglasses"

Was that the last straw? I can't imagine why he would be so unreasonable.

Actually, despite your attitude and the usual Bush haters notwithstanding, you were treated in a professional manner. All the questions were appropriate, there is a fee when crossing into the US, and, unless you have a machine readable or an e-Passport, you will be fingerprinted. All this is clearly explained on the Homeland Security web site.

European passports are more common than you think. In fact they are so common that there is an unflattering expression to describe their holders.

Mark

traveller69

I must say that we always remove our sunglasses before we get to the official. We carry passports (Canadian) and it is impossible to match the face on the passport if you have dark glasses on. I think its reasonable. I still think that we are fortunate to be able to go back and forth between countries so easily.

Orcas

Ditto here on the sunglasses. (Didn't read that closely first time around)

We always take off our sunglasses before we get to the border and speak with the guard. Also it is advisable when stopped by a cop for a traffic violation. It's not just for identification. Sunglasses hide your eyes and people read each other's eyes to communicate. If you leave your sunglasses on, they wonder if you are hiding something.

The border between the US and Canada is very tight at the official crossings. If someone wanted to get across the border illegally, they'd have to have a pretty good scheme.

cdnyul, Keeping a Redcoat at the border for 15 minutes does not give me a sense of security. Nor does having to sit in the border in my car for 4 hours waiting to get across. If we are goign to be so tight at the border, the government should open more lanes and hire more guards....If they are serious about bad guys not getting into the country, the government should be spending more time in other areas that are far more vulnerable and obvious to anyone who flies or lives near a port.

NorthwestMale

I am a U.S. citizen and not someone with a UK passport, but I have been to that rinky-dink border crossing east of Glacier. (barely big enough to cook "Top Ramen" for lunch)

I've gotta say that I read the original post with interest and, aside from the six-dollars-each charge, I don't find any of it out of the ordinary.

And of course you would have more scrutiny while trying to enter the U.S. than while leaving.

Don't forget the words of your fellow contryman Winston Churchill, who said: "You can tell a lot about a country by noting the difference between how many people are trying to get into it, vs. how many are trying to get out of it".

Had I been erroneously charged $6 per person on an international vacation for some border-related reason, I would just write it off and never worry about it again.

Thanks for sharing an example of how it is for others - that part of your experience cannot be created in textbooks.

oliverandharry

"The border between the US and Canada is very tight at the official crossings. If someone wanted to get across the border illegally, they'd have to have a pretty good scheme."

Well, maybe. Several months back, an American attorney being married in Greece was discovered to have a particularly virulent form of TB. The US Center for Disease Control ordered him NOT to fly, and to instead stay in Rome for treatment. He ignored that order, flew from Prague to Montreal, rented a car and proceeded to cross the border into NY where, despite being flagged on the computer's central system, was permitted into the US because the border guard thought he 'looked fine'. Fortunately he quickly surrendered to the CDC and was on a prison watch at a hospital for several months. We want to think the borders are very controlled, but it seems to depend all too often on the caprice of what ever inspector is on duty at the time, and how much of a power trip they engage in.

Orcas

How true, Oliverandharry. That fellow with TB had no trouble getting across the border. That's because TSA is looking for terrorist, foreigners with criminal records, citrus fruit and illegals sneaking across the border to work, not Americans coming home with dread diseases.

icithecat

Actualy Diz01, your experience sounds incredibly benign. Fruits, vegetables and mad cows are frequent sticking points between countries. Would you try to take a cow from the UK to France this week?
$6 for a visa? Cheap at twice the price. After all the US fought a war with the UK, Canada didn't.
As to the sunglasses, they come off before you approach a boarder guard.

Period.

I am happy to read that this was the worst experience of your visit.

LJ

Yes, I was going to add that remark about sunglasses: it is considered a must to remove them before meeting the border guard.

And, if you are ever lucky enough to cross on a motorcycle, push up your face guard!

Oh, and if you have a dog, and are trying to enter the US, bring the paperwork showing it has had its rabies shots!

The things you learn through personal experience!

ShelliDawn

<<
After all the US fought a war with the UK, Canada didn't.
>>

Hmmm, was the War of 1812 an American/British war or an American/Canadian war?

laverendrye

"Hmmm, was the War of 1812 an American/British war or an American/Canadian war?"

Essentially, it was a war between the USA and Britain, fought on the British side largely by regulars of the British Army and by the Royal Navy.

The Canadas (Upper and Lower) were wholly British colonies. The British regulars were supplemented by small numbers of Canadian militia and by Tecumseh's Indian forces. Oh, and let's not forget Laura Secord.

icithecat

I find it amazing that someone could come out of school thinking that Canada and the USA fought a war in 1812. Canada was a British colony until independance in 1867. Hence there was no Canada in existance in 1812 to fight.

ShelliDawn

icithecat:

Although I'm fully aware that Canada was a colony and not a country until 1867, it was still Canada geographically and politically (Upper Canada and Lower Canada). Hence, my joking question.