A question to US westcoast Residents near Canadian Border?

we spend a lot of time crossing the border between Calais Maine, and st Stephen New Brunswick. The US customs (on the way back) can be a pain in the ass if you have large loads of stuff. We carry raw wool into Canada to get spun and we have a gooseneck trailer. So our problem is not typical. Outside of that , just remember to have at least 2 forms of ID. drivers license and , believe it or not, I used my BJs shopping card. Canadians were fine . Dont carry any small weapons or smokes or liquor into Canada (thjey want you to buy there).
Shouldnt have any problems

We found the border INTO Canada quite tight - we were questioned pretty closely about our intentions etc. People near us were taken from the train, because their US visas were close to expiry.

We are Australian - thus not especially known for terrorism/illegal immigration.

Hi Ricardo,
Road trips are fun... you can drive in snow, right?

I haven't been over the crossing in a while, but all reports are that it is tight. If you have all your paperwork, you and the gf should be fine. The problem is sometimes there is a long wait (summer weekend traffic is the worst). There are other crossings, see map. Sumas on highway 9 is my favorite, but the I-5 route is impressive. If you take that route, please be sure to get off in Bellingham and take the alternative route along Chuckanut Drive. You will not be sorry.

Sumas






There's also the route from Vancouver Island and taking the Victoria ferry, entering at Port Angeles. In any case you'll have to go through customs and they will quite likely stop every car to ask for ID, but as long as you're not a drug runner or terrorist, you should be fine.

This map of webcams shows the current lines at the border (just click on the little cameras):

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/

Have a great trip! If you decide to come through Seattle, tell us and we'll round up some NW hospitality for you.

A fella at another website I frequent got turned back at the border (by the canajuns) about 2 weeks ago, as he didn't have a birth certificate or passport in his possession.

jeez beth, where was that crossing? sounds like my Chuckee Cheese card ID would be a problem eh?


This summer , when we were docking at a number of Maritime towns, we had to radio ahead to customs , but after about 2 pOCs the rCCG and customs would look for us at the next port and they did much of the work for us. We found them very courteous. i sometimes have to cross around ANADARKO (Montana) area and those people are just happy to see anyone

He was going from a Seattle get-together to a meeting in Vancouver. The rest of the group got through.

Canajun customs gave Setanta a bit of a hard time at the Port Huron crossing at about the same time. Again, no birth certificate or passport. They finally let him in when I convinced them I was taking him to the airport in Toronto later that day to fly back to Ohio. They checked there was a flight to the location I told them, with an approximately correct departure time.

Birth certificate! I have never travelled with a birth certificate! Now I need a birth certificate? Isn't it OBVIOUS that I got born?

Reminds me that I need to find my birth cirtificate. I'll be headed to the states soon myself.

Last fall I went into British Columbia from Washington on I-5. Getting in was a breeze. All we had to do was show our drivers licenses. However, I wasn't sure I was going to get back into the U.S. I showed the man my drivers license and birth certificate. He told me my birth certificate IS NOT a legal document. I had to stifle since I really did want to go home, but I really wanted to ask him if that meant I'm not really a person. I felt that we were badgered some - then all of a sudden he just waved us on and said "get going." He did, at one point, say I should get a passport next time I went to Canada. A passport is not required, and I thought his behavior was very rude.

In September of this year I went back to British Columbia. I didn't get a passport - my independent/rebellious spirit took over. Going into Canada, I showed my birth certificate and was asked if I had any firearms or liquor. Coming back, all I did was show my birth certificate. Evidently, I am a real person.

Ricardo, since you are from the Philippines, I assume you have a passport. I think that's probably the best documentation you can have when you cross into Canada. I hope you enjoy your trip, and I also hope you don't meet up with "Mr. Rude" when coming back into the states.

They also do random car searches, so expect that as well. I'm a duel citizen, so I've never had any problem either way, but I also haven't been to the states since 9/11.

I hate to say it, but there is a possibility you'll face much tighter scrutiny because of your nationality. That crossing is kind of a hot point, and enforcement-type authorities in Washington state have been known to over- or under-respond. Doesn't help that they nabbed a guy on one of the ferries into WA from BC (going to Port Angeles, I think he was) with a trunk full of bomb-making supplies not long before New Year's 2000. (Seattle's New Year's festivities were largely cancelled as a result.)

I'd definitely have my passport with me, even as a U.S. citizen. Give 'em as little reason to bother with you as possible, as far as I'm concerned. Otherwise, long wait times at the border are the biggest inconvenience.

Ricardo,

What's really going on?

You asked virtually the same question in another thread about the US-Mexico border. In that thread, you said your plans were:



In this thread about the US-Canadian border, your plans are:

The wife I am talking about is the same girl. we are not yet married but it looks like that she might be going to Canada before we get married. We are both Catholics and she came from one of this really big clan family in fact there are 13 of them brothers and sisters. Aside from the big expense in getting married here. I am almost as old as her father. I am 41 years old and she is 26. Some complication on her side of the family so we are thinking that she should accept the job offer in Canada and I can return to Los Angeles. We haven't decided yet if we should get married first before she goes to Canada or after. She prefers to be married in the Philippines because there is no divorce in that country. I on the other hand do not care where we get married. It is just that I have to jump to so many hoops if we do it in the Philippines because of her family.

I am a US citizen if you are concerned that I might be terrorist trying to get in. I am also a registered real estate agent. You can find my name registered at the California Department of Real Estate if you go to www.cdre.gov.ca an look under licensee.

When I said I plan to bring a wife through Mexico that is true. I know its a violation of the law but a 6 months wait is just too long for me. The Canadian scenario I think is less of a risk. The problem is that the job contract if she signs is for two years.

Hmmmm. Well, you must PROMISE you're not a terrorist....

I promise. Other than the illegal act on immigration I am about to commit, I'm as American as apple pie. Smoked marijuana in college but did not inhale, finagled my taxes sometimes with the help of H&R Block, commited some traffic infractions and got away with it, very critical of the presidency but sometimes forgets to vote, and spent some time at able2know.com for some intellectual interchange.

OK then, that sounds good... as long as you don't know any but the first verse to the Star-Spangled Banner.

I hope it works out well for you, R.T. Good Luck to you and your bride. Since this sounds like a clandestine trip, I guess we won't be seeing you. Vaya con Dios.

The first verse of the Star Spangled Banner according to my Mexican Friends:

Oh Jose can you see!

You definitely don't want to mess with Canadian immigration, Ricardo. If there is a contract of employment for a single person, and there is a status change to married, the whole thing may have to start from scratch. Canada is, well, a bit infamous in some circles for putting people into detention - sometimes for periods of more than a year - without hearings.

The idea of trying to work around American as well as Canadian laws does not bode well. Far too many ways to be tripped up.

I agre with you ehBeth, but people are known to do stupid things in the name of love.