Which POE is the best one from Toronto Area tru CA,USA

[redBlue 1]

I was wondering if there is any difference between the POEs in Toronto area in terms of activating the visa;the easier one or with the less hassle one etc....We haven't decided which route to use to get to the california ,but I'm more concerned about the POE....

any suggestion would be great...

[lilacvioletiris 11]

Is your fiance' going to fly or drive to California from Toronto?

[redBlue 1]

Is your fiance' going to fly or drive to California from Toronto?

we will be driving my car together

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Are you driving? If so, then you might find the most direct route to take then would go through the Blue Water Bridge POE at Sarnia/Port Huron. You would travel west on Highway 401 to Highway 402 just past London, then take 402 to Sarnia where you would cross into the US. You could then take Highway 69 to BattleCreek where you would join up with I-94 or take I=94 directly down to Detroit and then head west. It is generally faster going through Sarnia than through Windsor even with the southern drive from Port Huron to Detroit. Port Huron is a big POE with a lot of transport traffic and knowledgeable staff. It is where I activated my K-1 in 2004 and there have been other Canadians who have used that POE more recently. You definitely don't want to enter the US in the Buffalo area and drive the southern Lake Erie route west due to the condition and types of roads involved. You would put on more miles.

[antda 13]

Hi redBlue,

I don't know about the route to go to Calfornia...But....

I live close to the border in NYS and go to back to Canada (especially Toronto), and have travelled a lot between these three land crossings. So here are my thoughts, based on my border crossing experiences:

Here is the breakdown, based on border/customs checkpoint booths:

Rainbow Bridge - 2-5 booths

Queenston Lewiston Bridge - 5-10 booths

Peace Bridge - 10-20 booths

I would definitely not recommend the Rainbow Bridge, at Niagara Falls, unless you want to be harassed at the border for 2hrs or so...lol...(as that's what happened to me at my POE there...what a nightmare!...see my VJ timeline for more information).

From my experience, I would highly recommend for the Peace Bridge for you to cross at, as the many times I have crossed there and I've had no problems crossing there between the USA and Canada, and vice versa. They also have a lot of booth/checkpoint lanes there, and experience the least amount of delays. In and out in 10 mins, with a few minor questions (ID, country of citizenship, reason for going, anything to declare...just be truthful there when being asked, and have all of your paperwork ready beforehand)....then simple and easy in and out between the two countries...

Before you cross the border, just in case, you should also look at the following website too, to double-check on the traffic conditions on the day you are crossing over:

http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/index.asp

As well, make sure that you do not drive on the QEW during rush-hour...What a nightmare!

And likewise, check for weather conditions when driving across too....Yeah, the winter weather storms can be nightmare-ish at times too!

Hope this helps. Happy POE crossing! Good luck on your immigration journey and your upcoming move!

Ant

P.S. Once you are in the USA, don't forget to drive in Miles, instead of Kilometres....lol....as you don't want to get a ticket for driving at the wrong speed!

I was wondering if there is any difference between the POEs in Toronto area in terms of activating the visa;the easier one or with the less hassle one etc....We haven't decided which route to use to get to the california ,but I'm more concerned about the POE....

any suggestion would be great...

[JlovesA 109]

Are you driving? If so, then you might find the most direct route to take then would go through the Blue Water Bridge POE at Sarnia/Port Huron. You would travel west on Highway 401 to Highway 402 just past London, then take 402 to Sarnia where you would cross into the US. You could then take Highway 69 to BattleCreek where you would join up with I-94 or take I=94 directly down to Detroit and then head west. It is generally faster going through Sarnia than through Windsor even with the southern drive from Port Huron to Detroit. Port Huron is a big POE with a lot of transport traffic and knowledgeable staff. It is where I activated my K-1 in 2004 and there have been other Canadians who have used that POE more recently. You definitely don't want to enter the US in the Buffalo area and drive the southern Lake Erie route west due to the condition and types of roads involved. You would put on more miles.

This is great to know...thank you! I grew up a few blocks away from that bridge and plan to use it to activate my K1. I'm glad to hear it's a good place to cross.

[redBlue 1]

thank you all

[Danu 19]

I recently did the Blue Water POE, and I found them to be really friendly and although the gentleman obviously hadn't done a K1 in a little while it was still fairly painless, just a bit of a wait. I have a review in my timeline of it if you want to read it.