ralfkrippner

What awaits me on entering the US by car for a two weeks vacation.

We are a german couple and plan to drive from Vancouver to WA and OR.

YVR Cockroach

You'll definitely have to get out of the car at the border to visit U.S. immigration. Fill out a I-94/94W and pay an immigration/customs inspection fee ($6 p.p., IIRC). Should be fairly routine but the wait can be long depend on time of day and day of week you cross.

If you are coming back, you have to get out of the car to visit Canada immigration but ther's no fee to be paid on our side.

Make sure your car rental allows you to go to WA and OR. Some rentals are for adjacent states and provinces only.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 08-06-2003).]

B747-437B

Although I haven't done the land border route into Canada for almost 18 months now, they very rarely request you to get out of the car. About 50% of the time they just check that your documents are in order and wave you through without anything more. Sometimes they will stamp your passport at the booth itself, but usually they don't even do that unless you specifically request it. Only about 10% of the time have I been asked to get out of the car and visit the office.

airoli

Ralf, last week I crossed the land border between Montréal and Burlington VT (I think it`s called Highgate Springs) as a bus passenger. I had to go to a special area, fill in the well-known green form (no customs form though), pay $6, and that was it. No problems at all.

On the way back, the Canadians let my green form stub in the passport as I will go back to the States again soon. That way I can apparently avoid going through the hassle again, since I have not officialy left the US anyway. (Everything is well within the 3 month max.)

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truly yours. airOli.

bocastephen

All bus passengers (with some exceptions for private 'school charters') must get off the bus and walk through a screening room.

secondary inspections (US or Canada) for either Immigration or customs are at the discretion of person in the booth, unless there is an existing rule requiring special inspection based on your nationality, so chances are they will just peek at your passport, verify your documents, ask some questions, and then wave you on your way.

Even as a Canadian, I have had more trouble and hassle getting into Canada, then crossing back into the USA by car.

opushomes

Ralf: What is your travel time frame. The border is very crowded until about September 1. It is often faster to go thru "Truck Customs" approximately 2km east of the Peace Park crossing. Just follow signs. In the past, German passport holders did not have to get out of the vehicle. The check was the same as for us U.S. Passport holders. Be sure to get machine readable passports if your passports are older.

You should have little difficulty with the crossing as a German citizen.

If you get to PDX, let me know and perhaps we can get together. E-mail is in profile.

pinniped

I have found that crossing into the US from Canada between YVR and SEA is the single most difficult border crossing I've ever been involved with. Main crossing or truck route - doesn't matter. I'm a US citizen.

I will never attempt this crossing again.

(Entering Canada from the US was painless at the Peace gate - took around 3 minutes both times I've done it.)

Non-NonRev

The US Homeland Security's Department of Customs and Border Protection (that's a mouthful) provides a website with estimated border wait times:

http://forms.customs.gov/nemo/border...ordertimes.asp

From Canada Customs:

http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/g...es/menu-e.html


And here is a non-official site with Western Canadian crossing times:

http://www.borderlineups.com/

Another private site:

http://www.quickdrive.com/Borders/BorderCrossings.asp

Rudi

I do this every year (sometimes twice a year) but starting with going by rental car from Seattle going to Vancouver/Whistler and back (weekly car rental fees are much cheaper from SEA airport than from YVR airport, and I like to visit Punki/Joe when arriving/departing from SEA).

When starting from SEA I have already immigrated to the USA before and have the green immigration card in my Swiss passport. Leaving the USA to Canada goes without any inspection and I keep the green US immigration card attached to my passport. The Canadian authorities always ask me to park the car and go into the immigration office (never did I have to wait there for more than 5 minutes - no fees).

When driving back, from Vancouver to Seattle, Canadians don't ever stop me when leaving Canada, and the US immigration officer sometimes looks at my passport (but it happened also twice, in 2000 and 2001, that he just waived me through, may be because of my US plates on the car ...) and sees the still attached to my Swiss-passport green immigration card from my original first entry - never did I have to leave my car and never have there been waiting times (in my car) of more than a minute and no fees have been asked for. This is probably very different, if that entry into the USA is your first entry opn that trip.

My last experience is dated april 2002.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 08-06-2003).]

Xyzzy

When going from Vancouver to Seattle I've always found the "alternate" crossings a few miles east of the main I-5 one to be MUCH faster.

Aviatrix

Correct - you only pay for your visa waiver once. You don't notice it when you arrive by air because the fee is part of the fees that get added to the price of your ticket. When they issue your I94W on the land border you have to pay for it there.

fcrit

The last few times I've crossed, the wait at Peace Arch and the truck crossing have been hours - it will be all over the radio (this is typical for weekends, in my experience). I personally hate to sit in traffic, so I started using the crossing at Aldergrove, about 20 miles (?) east of Vancouver. My last trip, waits at the two western crossings were 2-3 hours, but Aldergrove was 10 minutes.

Instead of taking 99 out of Vancouver, which turns into I-5 at the border, take Canada 99 east out of town to Highway 13 south, which turns into Highway 539 at the border. Highway 539 brings you due south to I-5 at Bellingham, and then it's I-5 to Seattle.

Using Mapquest.com, run a map for Lynden, Washington to get a look at the roads (the crossing is called Aldergrove if you're coming from the Canadian side, but Lynden is the closest US town).

[This message has been edited by fcrit (edited 08-06-2003).]

YVR Cockroach

A word of warning, the inland border crossings (Huntigdon-Sumas and Aldergrove-Lynden) can get long lineups too especially on Friday afternoons as there's a rush hour and very few agents.

Another border cam site is:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/nort...ic/bordercams/

goodo

Well I can't answer your question exactly because I'm not European but I have done the crossing a number of times in late 2001 on a student (F1) visa as an Aussie. The first time was on a bus from NY to Montreal. We arrived at around 3 or 4 am. We were made to get out and go through the whole process, but it didn't take long. (I was told by a Canadian that does the trip often that sometimes, depending on the officials, they'll just get on board and check passport without making everyone get off).

Then I crossed back by car from Canada to USA at Niagara Falls. I was with a Canadian, and with a couple of Aussies who were students in Canada. No getting out of the car, just looked at passports and away we went.

On the return to Canada at Niagara Falls, we also had no problems, although the Canadian official reminded me to make sure I have my I-20 with me or I won't be allowed back in to the USA (I had left it in my hotel on the canadian side). It's a good thing the American officials never asked for it.

Then on the way back to NY, we crossed the border on the Niagara Falls - Buffalo route. only 3 people on the bus, but we had to get off and take our luggage off. Passport check, and away we went.

goodo

Non-NonRev

Last year in San Diego I was able to use a phone number which provided a recording of estimated crossing times for both the Tijuana and the Otay Mesa crossings. Is there a similar phone service for the Washington-to-BC crossing(s)?