Hi All,

I am a UK passport holder eligible for the Us visa waiver program. I'll be flying into Vancouver, crossing the Canada / US border by road, and flying out of Seattle. For the road entry to the US from Canada, does the visa waiver program still apply?

The reason I ask is that the online application website (ESTA) makes regular references to my flight and carrier, but in this instance I'm not flying into the US.

Any advice / experience of entry to the US by road under the VWP, or indeed the Canada / US border crossing appreciated.

Thanks

ESTA is only for people arriving by air, see

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs....i=&p_topview=1

You will have to do the normal ("old") VWP procedures, i.e., fill in an I-94 at the border.

Yes.

ESTA not required for land border entry. But by all means bring your clearance printout anyway if you have it. Otherwise, don't bother with it.

Here's a tip that will save you more time. There are numerous places to cross the BC border. Some not advertised. The Peace Arch crossing is the main one and is usually very busy with a long line up. You can duck off and take the truckers route right next to it. I forget the name of the crossing. It's 5 minutes from the peace arch and usually half the time. If both of these have long lines, drive east parallel to the border and cross at one of the smaller crossings.

I have no input on what to do when crossing, but at least if you're stuck there for 15 minutes doing immigration stuff, you'll have saved a bunch of time beforehand.

Enjoy the Pacific Northwest.

What thegeneral said. There is an electronic sign a couple of miles before the border crossing with the wait times for the Peace Arc and the truck crossing. The exit that you have to take for the truck crossing or the next one further east (Lynden is the city on the US side, it's somewhat southwest from Abbotsford on the Canadian side) is right after the electronic sign.

You'll also have to pay the inspection fees to obtain the forms. Don't know what would happen though if you for example got the US forms at the airport in the UK or on the YVR-bound plane (and they do have them is stock sometimes).

We returned to the US from Canada, having already 'immigrated' to the US from the UK and driven to Canada. My wife still had her I-94W receipt (and I still had my I-94).

No problem, except that we came back into Idaho. I guess they don't have too many Brits driving US-registered cars re-'immigrating' into the US and we had to wait on the side while they did something or other, then we were on our way.

Otherwise, no problem.

Your use of "immigrating" and "reimmigrating" is confusing. You claim to have an I-94. That means you have a B1/B2 visa in your passport and an I-94 for 6 months, correct?

And your wife came to the US on the visa waiver program and has the I-94W, correct? 90 day validity.

Be careful how you use that "immigrating" term to officers on the border. Use that term with me and you would have a hard time convincing me you are in the US to just visit and not stay permanently violating your visitors status. Your visa would have been cancelled, I-94 pulled and a whole host of problems can descend on you.

As for Brits driving US tagged cars, thats more common than you think. Especially RV's. Brits come over for 6 months, buy an RV and tour the US, sell the RV and depart to the UK.

Not to me. We have to go through Immigration. That's what it's called. I put the words in quotes to ensure that it wasn't regarded as naturalisation.
No, I don't claim this. I had an I-94.
No, I have a visa, not an I-94 in my passport. Those who understand these matters know that I-94 and I-94W receipts are surrendered on exit from the US.Perhaps, but see previous comment.
I made these comments in a friendly way to support the other posters in this thread. Why would I use that term on the border? I wouldn't use that term with you unless I knew who you were, and probably not then.
On what basis are you making these threats?
I do of course know that it is common. Why do you suggest I don't? I commented on crossing the border from Canada to Idaho, not the most established of crossings.

Normally - the term "immigrating" is used to indicate arriving to stay permanently. The term that would apply to your situation would be "entering" the US. Not "immigrating" to the US...

In general, if you indicate to a US border agent that you are "immigrating" to the US - on a non-immigrant visa - your visa will be cancelled and you will be refused entry.

Sure, except I didn't, I wouldn't and it won't. I already explained that to Centurion 210 in post #9. Please read that post for more info, explaining why I used quotation marks.

Just to make it clear, I didn't, I wouldn't and it won't.

[Gosh, all this because I tried to help other posters. I'll think twice next time. ]

I made no threats. And I am as subtle as a bull in a china shop, though. The terms you used can leave you wide open to various problems.

My concern was that you should realize that people who do that job are on these boards and take seriously what some people say and might temper your terminology.

Thats all. ^