Originally Posted by
heraclitus
On what basis can a Canadian go into the American line? Canadians aren't Americans.
I've always queued up in the foreigner line and no one has ever told me that I had an option. Believe me, if I could use the American line I wouldn't avoid transiting in US airports like the plague as I currently do.
Canadians generally get away with it because the process for checking them is identical to an American. Swipe passport, ask question, make approve/refer decision. Some small visa stuff occasionally, but normally we're as easy as they are. So the agents just really don't care as it doesn't affect their throughput.
OTOH, if a visa-required national went into the US line, you can bet they'd be sent back to the other line as the officer has no interest in holding up his booth for 15 minutes.