Wpgjetse

Partly, Yes. It is always easier going through customs in your home country. Just like the way US agents treat Canadians over American's.

Wpgjetse

+1

Wpgjetse

Try entering the US with a different passport. You will find them not as friendly.

dand99

IIRC you have to prearrange an electronic visa - just a matter of paying for one (online).

Nothing too serious at immigration, just a lot of questions about where I was going and what I was going to do. I think they looked at my hotel reservation as well. The (now historic) civil war/terrorist problems they had might have made them more serious about border crossings.

drvannostren

I've got no issues with it, YVR or otherwise. I'm a white, 29 y/o male, Canadian. Sometimes at the border I get "where you been? go on through" other times I get "please open the trunk sir". None of them are particularly nice, that's not customs/border agents job. They are there to "protect" the border. YVR is a huge point of entry to illicit goods/cash/people coming from Asia. Just the other day it was reported millions of dollars were brought through YVR and that's just what was reported. The local law enforcement is also well aware of the Asian girls being brought over to work in mini-brothels, all are either on student/tourist visas.

I get pulled over for secondary all the time, because the agents take 1 look at my passport see like 10 Colombian stamps in 2 years and immediately flag me as a drug trafficker. I know I'm not so what's the harm in spending 5-10 minutes talking to the guy. My only beefs are small, 1) I wish I knew what they wanted to hear, I've been questioned as to why I have no duty free, or why I have so much duty free, why I have virtually no clothes/luggage or why I'm carrying 3 bags. If I knew that 750mls and 1 checked bag were the answer, I would just do it. 2) This doesn't always happen but usually they rifle through your bag, then just say "ok go ahead and pack it up". Excuse me...I already packed this, you took it apart, can't you pack it? In Colombia the agents have the courtesy to watch what they're doing and put the bag back together more or less the way they found it.

End of the day, if being an a**hole stops 1 bomb/drug shipment/illegal immigrant/human trafficker then by all means by an a**hole. I know I'm not doing anything wrong, a few minutes of inconvenience is worth it.

Badenoch

They remember it very well. The problem is you're not the "people" they are for. They aren't there to cater to the whims or meet the service standards of foreign nationals who present themselves at the border and have no right of entry.

The people they are there for are the 35 million or so Canadians who don't want foreign nationals taking jobs illegally, committing crimes or smuggling drugs, handguns, etc. into their country.

If you don't like it then stay home. Canada will get along just fine without you.

flyingcrazy

I have to agree, I have never experienced such unpleasant immigration experiences as I have in the US and Canada (never been to Australia but heard they are pretty awful too).

Ive been all over the world, and most of the time its as simple as showing them your passport, they stamp it, wish you a pleasant stay or welcome you to their country (the odd easy question is asked). But the US/Canada immigration is so OTT, they have so much space anyway and are countries filled with immigrants themselves, its silly. Especially when you are being sternly questioned by an unsmiling CBP official called 'Mr Shroder'. Shroder I believe is a german name enough said.

radnub

Taking the Eurostar Paris-London. UK immigration was very curious about my travel plans earlier this year. My boyfriend and I were just finishing up a 4 month long RTW trip and we really just wanted to get home. (with WS via Glasgow). We had no issues with any other entry point on our trip and the lady's questions just threw me off. I found her questions a bit confusing but we were honest and she let us through. It wasn't until afterwards that I realized she thought we wanted to stay! haha.... We did not.

I didn't take her questions personally because I can only imagine what kind of stories people make up in order to gain access to the UK or Canada or any other desireable place. It's their job to be suspicious and if you have nothing to hide just be honest and you'll be on your way.

I have found both Canadian and US agents to be nothing but friendly. Perhaps a lot of people get anxious before going up or get defensive prior to any questions being asks and it just goes downhill from there.

s0ssos

Yea, I am pretty sure Canada wouldn't be fine without your southern neighbor. But I am glad I didn't meet ignorant Canadians like you when I went to Vancouver.

flyingcrazy

Wow

flyingcrazy

I must admit getting a train from Paris to Glasgow (Scotland) to catch a flight to Canada is unusual. If you were flying from London she probably wouldnt have been bothered.

Its like me getting a train from Boston to Toronto then telling Canadian immigration I want to get a train to Yellowknife to catch a flight back to the UK.

My point however is that the US/Canada border agencies are always so aggressive and smug which is so unnecessary. Im there to spend my tourist money not to live there! Im perfectly happy in my house here thank you very much US/Canadian border agencies!

Was watching a tv programme about Canada Border Security and the CBSA agent was a female of asian origin. She was refusing entry to a Japanese gentlemen and was smirking and seemed so pleased with herself about it! Even though she herself was obviously of an immigrant background! That just irked me. Its hypocritical.

drvannostren

Yes, but being a tourist, while we want your money, we don't want your illegal drug money, we ALLOW you in our country, so to be honest I have no problems with the border guards being d*cks.

I say this FULLY prepared for any country to treat me the same. I'm for 100% deportation after conviction, but only because I expect the same. If you're privileged enough to be an immigrant or an expat, and abuse that, you deserve to be sent packing.

If I get to FRA and the border guard wants to interrogate me, by all means go ahead, because I know I'm not doing anything wrong. Would it get annoying if it happened repeatedly? Sure, but the only place it happens to me repeatedly is my home of Canada and their concern is that I'm trafficking drugs, I'm not, so it's no sweat off my back.

"Obviously of an immigrant background"...do you have any idea how many 1st and 2nd generation Canadians/Americans/Brits etc etc there are who are Asian, Black, Indian etc etc? Just because she's of Asian descent doesn't mean she's an immigrant at all.

Secondly anyone who arrives at a border, without proper documentation, or can't communicate and prove why they're there, should be turned around. I didn't see that segment, but there was a shady guy that got turned away, turned out he was basically a pedophile who was a busker who had just spent 6 months in the Philippines "performing" (yea right...) who was wanted in 2-3 states. They also question young 18-25 year old Asian girls because there is a major problem in Vancouver of girls being trafficked to work in mini-brothels. They claim to be here "to study" then never leave, or as tourists and up working in illegal industries. So do I cry when they question these girls and send some home? Not at all. Nor was I upset clearing customs at HND when they wanted to search my bag and the box I had with me...I even admitted it's suspiciousness as they were Christmas gifts being transported in February.

Badenoch

While you aren't planning to live and work here that doesn't mean there aren't thousands of people who make the attempt illegally.

Complicating matters are some Americans who believe Canada is a colony of the United States and all of their rights including the right to bear arms apply here. Americans coming to the border with a chip on their shoulder and/or a handgun in their pants will always have a tougher time than those who recognize and respect that Canada is a sovereign country with different laws.

ksu

Certainly not! Immigration: yes: that is easier when entering your home country. Customs: NO. Customs are looking for other things than drugs, and those are more likely to be found on those returning to their home country.

As for Canadian Immigration, I have never entered at YVR, only at YYZ and YUL (and by train many years ago). YUL a couple of years ago was friendly, but I was rather surprised when I entered at YYZ this May. The surprising question was how I intended to get around the city. My meeting was at the Convention Centre and I was staying at the Sheraton Centre, so I had really not thought about getting around at all... My rather confused answer about TTC and walking probably sounded sincere enough, as I was admitted.

gglave

I do. Tourism spending is discretionary - As is things like convention spending, which pumps many millions into the Vancouver economy. I want visitors to choose to return to Canada, and they won't do that if their first encounter is with a dick - Especially if their experience in other parts of the world to date has been with non-dick border officers.