Entering US on K1 at US/Canada border....?

[Jo Amelia Finlay 20]

Apologies if I should have put this on the Canada forum boards?! I wasn't quite sure where it belonged most. Mods please feel free to move if necessary.

Anyway, Bob and I have started looking at flights etc, not booking anything but too excited not to look!

Ideally he wants to come over and get me. Now, Plattsburgh where he lives is right by the NY/Canada border, so him driving to Montreal flying from there is an option. Obviously the reverse for the journey back with me.

I was just wondering if there are any special considerations or anything I ought to be wary of, if my POE is by land driving back across the border to Bob's/my new home, from having landed in Montreal first??

You hear so many people talking about POE's at airports but never land. Opinions, thoughts? It makes me nervous slightly as it isn't the norm, and there's only one old review on the POE review bit of this site.

What say you, VJ!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Click on POE in the menu bar and find CDN-USA border in the drop down for Port of Entry. They process the visa and packet of papers at the land crossings.

[Sheems87 4]

Are you a Canadian citizen or British? I see that your profile says UK? If it is British, why would your fiance fly out of Canada? Just because it is the nearest airport?

I am doing a land POE from Canada but I am a Canadian citizen. I would imagine it would be fine to enter that way for you too and the same documents are required.

[S & P 10]

Do you know where in NY you will be crossing into the US? My husband crossed at Ogdensburg and although he didn't have any trouble with his POE, they weren't real familiar with the process and had to pull out the binder with instructions . You may want to call ahead to make sure they can process you there without any trouble.

[canadian_wife 1,827]

It is the norm for Canadians, many of us POEed at land crossings

Agreed, look at the POE reviews.

good luck

[S & P 10]

check out www.cpb.gov you can find what office to call ( I'm guessing Champlain) they even list phone numbers for immigration questions.

[Jo Amelia Finlay 20]

Thanks everyone. I will have a looky at everywhere you have suggested.

Are you a Canadian citizen or British? I see that your profile says UK? If it is British, why would your fiance fly out of Canada? Just because it is the nearest airport?

I am doing a land POE from Canada but I am a Canadian citizen. I would imagine it would be fine to enter that way for you too and the same documents are required.

Thanks for your reply. I am British. His nearest airport is either Montreal (as he's that close to the border) or Burlington, VT. But Montreal flights can come straight to London, rather the short-haul + long-haul journey of using Burlington. As I say we are just looking at all possibilities right now, cheaper/easier flight options.

check out www.cpb.gov you can find what office to call ( I'm guessing Champlain) they even list phone numbers for immigration questions.

Excellent, thank you so much.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Jo Amelia Finlay

[Jo Amelia Finlay 20]

(I guess I feel a little silly now, not factoring of course Canadians would enter the US this way But it took this post for me to realise that, haha. Too long in the UK part of the forums?! Anyway, will endeavor to read up on it all, should we decide to take this route.

To be honest I'm not sure where we'd enter, I will ask Bob this evening! Champlain sounds right but I will check with him.

Thanks again all! )

[Bob Bever 11]

If we do end up doing the flight into Montreal and then doing a land POE it would be at the one at the Champlain border (I-87/A-15) with the cost of flight tickets it looks like this might be the most economical route without factoring in gas and airport parking of course. Our interview is coming up soon so we can start evaluating things a bit more. I do wish the POE reviews were a bit easier to sort through/always had a location included but so far it looks like that one is a pretty good place to enter. We will be leaving a review of our experience as well to help any future Champlain POE prospects too.

Cheers!

[Jo Amelia Finlay 20]

If we do end up doing the flight into Montreal and then doing a land POE it would be at the one at the Champlain border (I-87/A-15) with the cost of flight tickets it looks like this might be the most economical route without factoring in gas and airport parking of course. Our interview is coming up soon so we can start evaluating things a bit more. I do wish the POE reviews were a bit easier to sort through/always had a location included but so far it looks like that one is a pretty good place to enter. We will be leaving a review of our experience as well to help any future Champlain POE prospects too.

Cheers!

Yay my baby posting

It would be nice to have just one flight for once as well, rather than two (and associated worry with layover times etc).

[diamondfloor 10]

Hi Jo!

I am looking at doing this also - flying to Calgary from Gatwick and then driving down to the Montana border. I have travelled this way before as its cheaper and quicker than the three flights through the US to get to my fiance's Montana home.

I am just wondering about entry to Canada with a one-way ticket, but I guess if we have K1 visas and ongoing travel plans to the US Canadian immigration will be good with that?

Keep me updated on your progress

[Jo Amelia Finlay 20]

Hi Jo!

I am looking at doing this also - flying to Calgary from Gatwick and then driving down to the Montana border. I have travelled this way before as its cheaper and quicker than the three flights through the US to get to my fiance's Montana home.

I am just wondering about entry to Canada with a one-way ticket, but I guess if we have K1 visas and ongoing travel plans to the US Canadian immigration will be good with that?

Keep me updated on your progress

Cool! I will definitely let you know, and please do likewise!

I took a look at a couple of the links people posted on this thread (government site and POE reviews) and it appears that our intended border entry point know their way around a K-1. If you know where yours is it might be worth having a peek too. I think we'll be okay as you say, it's a legit visa rather than just a one way ticket

[TBoneTX 45,956]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the Canada regional subforum. ***

(Moderator hat off)

When the plans are to enter with the K-1 at a land POE, especially a smaller one, it can be courteous to call ahead to that POE to find out if the port will be adequately staffed during the window of time when entry is planned. A list of ports is on cbp.gov for both Canada and Mexico. The agents (and the Port Director) will appreciate your thinking about them in this way.

[Jo Amelia Finlay 20]

Noted

We were seriously talking about our plans finally last night, and it might not even happen now... with gas and car parking at the airport it doesn't work out very much cheaper via Montreal, sadly. My head is spinning from all the facts and figures still! But I think we'd definitely call ahead if our POE ends up being Can/US border.

[NikLR 13,232]

Keep checking flights POE via land is really easy. Just to note if you have to stop in Canada first, you may be required to go through the US pre-clearance customs that is in most Canadian airports. Plan the layover accordingly as you may be POEing in that airport VS when you arrive in the USA. It's possible because it's an international flight you may not have to, but it would be good to find out if you do. If the layover is in a US airport you will POE at the first one so definitely give yourself 2-4 hours to POE at the layover spot.