POE Windsor/Detroit, Ambassador Bridge

[AddyG 0]

Border: Windsor/Detroit, Ambassador Bridge

Processing was very easy, pretty quick, polite.

We waited in our car in the queue for about 10 min, drove up when it was our turn. The guy in the booth talked to us for about another 10 min. He asked when we were married, what we had in the U-Haul (I told him I had a list and he said to keep it handy), whether I was bringing any pets over, which type of visa, etc etc and then gave us a yellow paper to take to the office. The officer actually joked with my husband about where he works and asked him some questions about the company he works for pertaining to the some stuff that was been in the media. They had a little giggle together. I had no idea what they were talking about. He then told us to drive over to the building (he had radioed his colleague to expect us) and we would be told where to park.

We drove over and where met by the next person. My husband was trying to park where the officer was yelling he wanted us to be. He was a bit rude. We were told to park and leave everything unlocked and to take only our ID, sealed envelope from interview/papers, wallets/purses and keys into the office. Once in we had to be signed in with our passports and they took our keys. We were then told to "take a few steps back" and wait for a counter to call us. I went to sit down and another officer yelled at me to listen to what I was told and stand there. Yikes.

Our name was called by a lady behind the desk. She was being trained by another officer who was very nice. As he went through and explained the step to her she asked us a few questions (which type of visa, which one of us was going where, etc.) and then asked for our passports and then the envelope. I had to verify the address I would be moving to and then we were told to sit down and they would call us back. After a while they called me to put my finger print in a little box (with ink) and sign my signature in another box. She told me these would be for my green card which I would get in the mail. I sat down again.

They called another time to ask my about the K-3 I had also applied for as they had papers for both in the mysterious sealed envelope. I told them it was the CR-1 I was activating because they were both approved at the same time. They laughed and said "Really???" Yea. They looked sorry.

They continued going through everything together and I listened from where I sat. He sounded like a good teacher. They were very courteous and polite when they called me back and told me all the info about renewing before the 2 yrs are up or I will get in a lot of trouble, about crossing back and forth, about being able to work with the stamp in my passport, about the green card coming to me in the mail... the regular info... then they said "Welcome to the United States of America". I giggled, thought it was funny.

We went back over to where we had signed in and got our keys and went outside. I thought they would still want my list and to have a quick peek inside the U-Haul but they didn't ask for anything and we got to leave! Super easy!! Nothing at all to be stressed about. Took 45 min in all and that was mainly because the lady was being taught the process.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Congrats!!

[OBX 51]

Thanks for the review. It's nice to have some idea of what to expect.

[July09Bride 1]

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

HAHA...why do they scare you? For me, the scariest part to crossing there is AFTER I get across the border & have to drive through the streets to get to the highway!!

[Moosker 7]

Thanks for your post!!!

[Nagishkaw 510]

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

HAHA...why do they scare you? For me, the scariest part to crossing there is AFTER I get across the border & have to drive through the streets to get to the highway!!

Scenic view, isn't it? *cough, cough*

Anyway, congrats to the OP !

[July09Bride 1]

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

HAHA...why do they scare you? For me, the scariest part to crossing there is AFTER I get across the border & have to drive through the streets to get to the highway!!

OMG... the stories!!! My favorite (read: WORST) was I was coming back over from London, ON and I had taken the train, due to horrible weather and the fact that I was going in the middle of the week b/c of my fiance's great-aunt's funeral. So, the train got back to Windsor late, due to stopping to clear the snow from the front of the train a couple of times. We get in at 11, and by the time I get to the border tunnel, it is 11:30ish. I'm exhausted, emotionally drained (I went home the same day as the funeral), and just want to get home (another 45 minutes AFTER I clear the border).

Anyway, the guy at the booth was a complete a$$ and basically harassed me for going over to Canada for a funeral - for my boyfriend's (at the time) great-aunt and coming back so late. He's questioning why I crossed there this time. Asked where I normally cross. Why I cross there. Where is the second most popular place where I cross and why I cross there. Then, after the 9-10 minute (literally) questioning at the booth, he sends me on my way. But, the guys who do the inspection at secondary come walking over. Did I mention it was the middle of January, blizzard weather, and these guys look like they're from the SWAT team????!!!! Yeah, one guy is beating his baton on the palm of his other hand and the other guy comes up to my car and holds up his hand motioning me to stop.

They both come up with Mr. Baton-man standing all mean-like at my front bumper. The other guy walks up to my window and motions for me to put my window down while YELLING at me to put the window down. Also, did I mention I could barely see their eyes through all the BLACK??? Yeah, think Ninja/SWAT team type clothing. So, I put my window down and he grills me even more/longer than the guy at the booth. Wanting to know why/what a girl like me was doing in Canada crossing into Michigan at such a late hour. What was I planning on doing while I was downtown... and on and on. Meanwhile, Mr. Baton-man is circling my car telling his buddy to tell me to put my windows down. So, now it is blizzard-ing IN my car, I'm freezing, and now it is almost midnight.

FINALLY, they let me go. I can honestly say, I haven't been back. That was January 23, 2008. When I've crossed at the Ambassador Bridge, I also get hassled to the extreme. Now, mind you, I haven't tried since we've been going through this immigration process. But, to be honest, I haven't wanted to try.

That's why they scare me!!!

[SomberCat 0]

Thanks so much for the review!

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

July09Bride, please give us a review when you go as we will be crossing at Port Huron/Sarnia also and I'd love to read it.

[July09Bride 1]

Thanks so much for the review!

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

July09Bride, please give us a review when you go as we will be crossing at Port Huron/Sarnia also and I'd love to read it.

Absolutely! He's coming over here on Monday, June 22... so, soon it'll be a while!

[TimandJoyce 1]

wonderful!! I hope my experience is as good!!

[chadlaure 2]

Great review! We're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. The Windsor/Detroit crossings always scare me!!! lol

Nice, we're crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron as well probably around July 22nd-23rd as we're coming back to Toronto on the 20th. Time to pack a few things here and let's move to Americaaaaa.

We've done the Windsor/Detroit going to Canada and it was fine but i don't know how easy it will be going the other way. So I don't know which bridge to take.

[Tankgurl38 0]

Congrats on your crossing!

[Krikit 1,164]

We drove over and where met by the next person. My husband was trying to park where the officer was yelling he wanted us to be. He was a bit rude. We were told to park and leave everything unlocked and to take only our ID, sealed envelope from interview/papers, wallets/purses and keys into the office. Once in we had to be signed in with our passports and they took our keys. We were then told to "take a few steps back" and wait for a counter to call us. I went to sit down and another officer yelled at me to listen to what I was told and stand there. Yikes.

Wow. How rude.

Anyway, the guy at the booth was a complete a$$ and basically harassed me for going over to Canada for a funeral - for my boyfriend's (at the time) great-aunt and coming back so late. He's questioning why I crossed there this time. Asked where I normally cross. Why I cross there. Where is the second most popular place where I cross and why I cross there. Then, after the 9-10 minute (literally) questioning at the booth, he sends me on my way. But, the guys who do the inspection at secondary come walking over. Did I mention it was the middle of January, blizzard weather, and these guys look like they're from the SWAT team????!!!! Yeah, one guy is beating his baton on the palm of his other hand and the other guy comes up to my car and holds up his hand motioning me to stop.

They both come up with Mr. Baton-man standing all mean-like at my front bumper. The other guy walks up to my window and motions for me to put my window down while YELLING at me to put the window down. Also, did I mention I could barely see their eyes through all the BLACK??? Yeah, think Ninja/SWAT team type clothing. So, I put my window down and he grills me even more/longer than the guy at the booth. Wanting to know why/what a girl like me was doing in Canada crossing into Michigan at such a late hour. What was I planning on doing while I was downtown... and on and on. Meanwhile, Mr. Baton-man is circling my car telling his buddy to tell me to put my windows down. So, now it is blizzard-ing IN my car, I'm freezing, and now it is almost midnight.

Double wow. In fact.... wowzers. How unnecessary. What a bunch of losers. They obviously watched too many action flicks growing up. Morons.

[trailmix 77]

I hope everyone who gets treated like that is complaining to someone!