"In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child’s travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian if not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure."
of course, the notary stamp often does not work across boarders. I found out that with some instances, one must obtain an "Apostile," or a deaper, more formal version of the seal. In the states, these are obtained only in one location. In Massachusetts, up until recently, they used the same stamping device that had been in place since the state was founded a bunch of years back./ It's more official so they want it to look that way and yes, I have one with ribbons on the gold seal. I feel like the wizard of Oz gave it to me!
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I've had far more problems with Canada Customs and Immigration than US...and keep in mind I'm still a Canadian citizen with an undeniable right to enter Canada.
When returning to the US, the range of experiences goes from completely nonchalant, to very pleasant (welcome home!), to just curt/formal. No arguments, never a secondary (in my entire life) and no hostility.
Coming back to Canada...another story altogether.
Incident 1 - Fort Erie Land Crossing - Secondary search of my car looking for who-knows-what, but they just about burst a capillary when they found my radar detector. Made me lock it in my trunk.
Incident 2 - Fort Erie Land Crossing - While visiting family in Toronto, we took a day trip to Buffalo. Stopping at a local mall, I picked up a portable stereo for very cheap, planning on bringing it home with me. My Dad decided to buy it as a gift - something which would be a big mistake later.
At the border, we were sent to secondary even after I declared the stereo and stated I was a US resident and would be taking it home with me. While searching the car, a dweebish inspector thought he hit the jackpot when he found the stereo. I explained that it was already declared at the booth, but he would have none of that. He demanded the receipt, which of course had my father's CC number on it. At that moment, he told my mother, father and I that were now 'detained' for attempted smuggling and my mother and I were ordered to wait inside the car while my father was taken away to basically buy the release of the car, the stereo and us.
Since Customs had the legal right to demand 'current market value' for his rather new Caddy, we were not amused at all. While sitting in the inspectors office, literally surrounded by foot-high stacks of seized pornography (they have a porno fetish there), my father successful bargained our release for a small penalty and some duty on the stereo.
Incident 3 - Peace Arch Land Crossing into BC - While on a trip to northern Vancouver Island for sea kayaking with wild Orca, I was given the third degree by the Canadian inspector - where are you going? who are you meeting? do you have a tour guide? how many other people are on the trip? do you know how to kayak? who is your guide? ...on and on and on...until I finally had enough and told her that I was a Canadian citizen returning to Canada and I had a right to enter. That ended it, but the experience was highly annoying.
Incidents 4, 5, 6 - YYZ T-3 Customs Hall Using Birth Certificate and Photo ID (this is all that is required of returning Citizens) - The first incident involved some bubble-brained inspector insisting I 'created my own drivers license' and I was sent for secondary immigration. The secondary inspector looked at my Ontario birth certificate and asked why I was sent to see him. When I told him what the Bubble-brain said, he rolled his eyes and sent me on my way after admitting he had no legal right to detain me.
Second incident was in the same place - another Bubblebrain inspector told me my drivers license expired. I told him to turn it over - the renewal sticker was on the back. He went on a tirade about how its impossible for a document to have two expiration dates - whereupon I told him that I didn't care what he thought, that Florida can issues drivers licenses any way it chooses without his permission and that I was a Canadian citizen returning to Canada and I'd like to be on my way. He wasn't happy, but let me in.
Third incident in the same place again (I'm beginning to hate YYZ T3) - inspector demands my passport. I don't need one to enter Canada, and it's packed deep in my carry-on and I'm not going to fish it out to let him have his way, when the rules clearly state that I can re-enter Canada with my BC and photo ID (this time I use my GC for the ID, since they seem to hate my license). He starts grumbling about my lack of passport, why don't I have one, I need one to travel - and again, I end up reminding him that the rules clearly state I can enter with the documents I've already shown him.
Yes, I'm abit hostile at this point, because after all these problems, and getting fed up with their militant attitude and the supremely stupid looking flack-jackets they all wear (US inspectors don't have the same need to hide behind body armor), I just decided that since I have an undeniable right to enter, I'm just going to let them huff and puff over whatever disturbs them because in the end, I'm going to get in.
On the way home, going through US immigration is a pleasure in comparison. I've actually decided that a NEXUS card is in my future and I'm filling out the application - I'd rather converse with a touch-screen and have a machine scan my iris than deal with these black-shirted flak-jacket-wearing buffoons any more.
__________________ Rich and 50 is the same as middle-class and 30
thanks I will look, but I bet there are fees because thats a great way to collect more money, and also, it is a great backdoor way for big brother to get alllll your info, and then you offered it up completely voluntarily anyway!
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I did my last BUH ticket a few weeks ago which required overnight in YVR each each way. I surprisingly didn't have any problems. They only asked the basics and I was on my way unlike my HNL-YOW run of May '06 where I was grilled inbound at three stations for maybe an hour+.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bocastephen
Fort Erie Land Crossing
(...)
Fort Erie Land Crossing
I think that in a nutshell is your problem. I have had nothing but grief from the Fort Erie crossing, including grillings on why I drove across at Buffalo instead of Niagara Falls. Hmm, how about "it's none of your damn business why I came this way or not."
"Nicest" customs inspectors in Canada, for sure. I work with someone who once worked there and they told me that pretty much most of the booth inspectors arrive at work cheesed off. Great. Wonderful!
I have decided to brave the traffic and annoyances at the Rainbow Bridge from now on. Better than these jerks!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
thanks I will look, but I bet there are fees because thats a great way to collect more money, and also, it is a great backdoor way for big brother to get alllll your info, and then you offered it up completely voluntarily anyway!
They don't really get 'all' your personal information...not that much more than a credit card or job application. They want to verify your citizenship (or permanent residency) in either country, and know your work and residence history for five years..that's about it. I've given out the same information on plenty of job applications.
__________________ Rich and 50 is the same as middle-class and 30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billybob123
I think that in a nutshell is your problem. I have had nothing but grief from the Fort Erie crossing, including grillings on why I drove across at Buffalo instead of Niagara Falls. Hmm, how about "it's none of your damn business why I came this way or not."
"Nicest" customs inspectors in Canada, for sure. I work with someone who once worked there and they told me that pretty much most of the booth inspectors arrive at work cheesed off. Great. Wonderful!
I have decided to brave the traffic and annoyances at the Rainbow Bridge from now on. Better than these jerks!
I had one interesting experience that turned out good at Ft Erie. My cousin used to work as an inspector at the Detroit/Windsor crossings. After a big shopping trip at the Walden Galleria outside Buffalo, where my mother loaded up on clothes for my parent's New York trip, the merchandise was declared and we were sent inside to assess and pay duty.
When the inspector collecting the duty saw our family name, it turned out she was a former colleague of my cousin, and we had a nice chat - during which, she substantially 'knocked down' the duty charge (she had to collect something, since we already made the declaration) and then we were on our way.
That remains about the only pleasant interaction I've had crossing there.
I actually prefer the Queenston/Lewiston crossing at 405/I-190 - although it's been awhile since I tried crossing there, so perhaps it's not as easy as it once was.
Most of my land crossings will be made at the WA/BC border for the foreseeable future...can anyone recommend which crossing offers the best balance of short lines, reasonable driving time to/from I-5 and reasonably pleasant inspectors (from both countries)?
I will be traveling with a non-Nexus person, so I have to use the regular lanes.
__________________ Rich and 50 is the same as middle-class and 30
Most of my land crossings will be made at the WA/BC border for the foreseeable future...can anyone recommend which crossing offers the best balance of short lines, reasonable driving time to/from I-5 and reasonably pleasant inspectors (from both countries)?
What is your likely timing (Friday nights/Saturday morning/mid week) and where are you going to/coming from? I'd be very tempted to avoid the Peace Arch entirely given the construction. At the minimum, avoid south-bound on weekend ams, and north-bound in the evenings. I'm expecting the traffic to get worse, not better, because of the drop in the dollar. Apparently Friday nights aren't ridiculous assuming it isn't a long weekend from what a co-worker told me based on her fortnightly trips.
Truck crossing is the next option going east. But apparently it too is undergoing construction (although less intrusive), and finally Sumas.
I will be traveling with a non-Nexus person, so I have to use the regular lanes.
The non-Nexus traveller can exit the car and take all his/her belongings and cross on foot. Much faster if more than a 5-10 minute wait. Let them off just before the stop sign where the camera is.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YVR Cockroach
The non-Nexus traveller can exit the car and take all his/her belongings and cross on foot. Much faster if more than a 5-10 minute wait. Let them off just before the stop sign where the camera is.
I'd do that, but they are a H1 visa holder in the US and have a Canadian visitor visa - so without a right to enter either country, I'm concerned they could get into a pickle trying to explain how and why they're crossing on foot when they live in Seattle. English is not their first language, and trying to explain things is not their best skill.
I suppose there is nothing wrong in just saying "the driver is a NEXUS member and asked me to go through on foot while they used the special lane so we didn't have to wait in the longer line"...but the result of saying that could be ok or not ok depending on the inspector's reaction.
__________________ Rich and 50 is the same as middle-class and 30
I'd do that, but they are a H1 visa holder in the US and have a Canadian visitor visa - so without a right to enter either country, I'm concerned they could get into a pickle trying to explain how and why they're crossing on foot when they live in Seattle. English is not their first language, and trying to explain things is not their best skill.
I suppose there is nothing wrong in just saying "the driver is a NEXUS member and asked me to go through on foot while they used the special lane so we didn't have to wait in the longer line"...but the result of saying that could be ok or not ok depending on the inspector's reaction.
Yes, that is a potential problem but easily adverted. You could be through, parked and meeting them at the immigration line before they get to see an agent. I did that last year after picking up my U.K. citizen sister from SEA.
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Last edited by YVR Cockroach; Sep 23, 07 at 2:34 pm.
Coming from Seattle, heading into BC mid-morning Saturday (rarely late eve Fri) and back into WA either Saturday late evening or Sunday afternoon.
I'd venture to say those could be ugly times (just a matter of degree) at any lower mainland border crossing these days. The Saturday late evening southbound would be the most promising.
Late in the evening was always good northbound in the past but I'm not so sure these days. A near-midnight northbound crossing at the truck crossing Saturday 2 weeks ago took 10 minutes with cars clearing at about 1 / minute through the 2 open lanes. Previously (well, 2 years ago and longer), it'd be just drive right up.
