Canada - Dual citizenship... USA/CAD - which to use?

We'll be flying into YVR in Sept... staying a few days and then boarding a cruise ship, where we'll be sailing down the coast and disembark in California (I've lived in the U.S. for several years). The cruise ship has my US passport because I do have to use that passport to re-enter the U.S.

So... can I use my CAD passport when we enter YVR by air? Would like to use it because I figure the customs/immigration lines will be shorter. But, will I mess myself up using my CAD passport to enter YVR?

Thanks for any input.

The US expects US citizen to use a US passport when entering.

Pretty sure Canada has the same rule, i.e. that you must enter Canada using your Canadian passport.

Brazil has the same rule. In contrast, most European countries don't care.

Pretty sure Canada has the same rule, i.e. that you must enter Canada using your Canadian passport.

Yes, you should use your Canadian passport to enter Canada.

It won't, however, speed up your entry, as immigration at YVR is divided by 'residents' and 'non-residents.'

A Canadian citizen not living in Canada is a 'non-resident.'

Standard is always to use the passport of the country that you are entering.
Most countries require this of dual citizens.

Coming into YVR, it makes no difference, since Canada is just about the only
country that does not have express lanes at immigration for its own citizens/residents. You are in the same line regardless.

Coming into YVR, it makes no difference, since Canada is just about the only country that does not have express lanes at immigration for its own citizens/residents. You are in the same line regardless.

Thank goodness for Nexus. ;)

Canada is just about the only
country that does not have express lanes at immigration for its own citizens/residents. You are in the same line regardless.

Huh?

When's the last time you arrived at YVR Customs and Immigration? There absolutely are separate queues for residents & non-residents.

Huh?

When's the last time you arrived at YVR Customs and Immigration? There absolutely are separate queues for residents & non-residents.


Not in quite a while, I think the last time I arrived at YVR from overseas was about 3 years ago. My last time through was SEA-YVR-ICN, using the
sterile connection lane.

A great improvement if now done as you say

I hold dual CAD/USA and I always use my American passport when travelling to the US and my Canadian passport when travelling to Canada. Never an issue!

I hold dual CAD/USA and I always use my American passport when travelling to the US and my Canadian passport when travelling to Canada. Never an issue!
There is an article in the National Post (July 5) about the issues of US citizenship and passports. If you are a US citizen by birth, then your Canadian passport has that information and a US border agent will expect you to use a US passport. Because the US requires tax filing by all citizens, regardless of residence, they use the border to check for those who have renounced their citizenship to avoid the tax requirement and so on. If your birthplace is elsewhere, it is unlikely to be detected. Entering Canada, if you are a resident then you need a passport that shows that you are entitled to live in Canada, if you claim it is your residence.

When entering Canada the CBSA agent has two questions to ask:

1) do I let this person in Canada or send them on their way?
2) do they have to pay duty/are the brining in something they shouldn't?

A Canadian citizen has an automatic right of entry into Canada. Nobody else does (except the Queen). That means the agent will only care about what you're bringing in.

If you identify as a US citizen then the agent must still concern themselves with whether you should be let into the country.

All that is to say all the other posters are correct :)

Strictly speaking Canada does not require dual citizens to enter using their Canadian passports but as others have pointed out there are practical reasons for doing so in almost all cases (the only exception I can think of is if one was traveling on official government business for the other country).

I've had an expired Canadian passport for a long time (dual citizen, US resident, haven't live in Canada for well over a decade). Whenever entering Canada, I use my US passport. No problems. I've had more problems coming back into the US with customs/border protection, despite being a US citizen. I think that as Bytepusher says, there's no official policy for entering Canada as a dual citizen.

The US demands that you enter/leave the US on a US passport.

A Canadian citizen has an automatic right of entry into Canada. Nobody else does (except the Queen).
Well, technically any member of the Royal Family as recognised by the Department of Canadian Heritage is considered Canadian, whether they have ties to Canada or not. HM is Canadian. :p Of course, it's all pretty irrelevant in real-world terms.

When entering Canada the CBSA agent has two questions to ask:

1) do I let this person in Canada or send them on their way?
2) do they have to pay duty/are the brining in something they shouldn't?

A Canadian citizen has an automatic right of entry into Canada. Nobody else does (except the Queen). That means the agent will only care about what you're bringing in.

If you identify as a US citizen then the agent must still concern themselves with whether you should be let into the country.

All that is to say all the other posters are correct :)

I'm curious - if a Canadian citizen on a US passport tries to enter Canada but the agent decides to send them back, what happens if the Canadian then whips out his Canadian passport? Do they then get admitted as they can't be turned away?

I'm curious - if a Canadian citizen on a US passport tries to enter Canada but the agent decides to send them back, what happens if the Canadian then whips out his Canadian passport? Do they then get admitted as they can't be turned away?

Yes, with a tongue lashing.