What do you say when crossing the border?

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

Alright, our interview is in Vancouver. I'll be flying into Seattle, renting a car (don't worry, I've checked out all my insurance information) and driving up to Vancouver to accompany Craigory to the interview. So my question is, when I get asked at the Canadian border what my business in Canada is, do I tell them I have an interview/meeting at the U.S. embassy? Is that going to be too much information? I mean, I'm not going on vacation. I'm not going to visit anyone. I'm not going on business. I'm there strictly to go to the medical and the interview, so I guess that's the only thing I can say and it be the truth.

I always get SO nervous when I go through customs. Even though everytime I've gone through I've been completely legitimate. Just uniforms, and mean men and women, and guns, and night sticks, and cameras, oh my! I know it's MEANT to be intimidating, and you have nothing to worry about if you are legitimate. It's just...phew, something that I will not look forward to for the rest of my life. I even get nervous when I go through U.S. Customs...and they HAVE to let me back in!

I plan on bringing all my proof of ties to the U.S., plus, I'll be driving a rental car that is due back on a certain date and I have a plane ticket flying out. And I'll probably bring a copy of our appointment letter. I just, had a bad experience last time I flew up there, even though I had all my proof of ties to the U.S. and a return ticket, they pulled me into secondary and searched me and all my belongings and interrogated me for a good hour before they let me enter.

That being said, that was at the tiny Thunder Bay airport, I can only imagine they are a little more...efficient/speedy at the Vancouver/Peace Bridge.

Alright, now everyone cross their fingers for fast melting of snow and ice. I don't need to combat driving the two hours with snow under my rental car tires.

Cass (bebop the great)

Edited January 11, 2007 by bebop + rocksteady

[carfey 0]

Alright, our interview is in Vancouver. I'll be flying into Seattle, renting a car (don't worry, I've checked out all my insurance information) and driving up to Vancouver to accompany Craigory to the interview. So my question is, when I get asked at the Canadian border what my business in Canada is, do I tell them I have an interview/meeting at the U.S. embassy? Is that going to be too much information? I mean, I'm not going on vacation. I'm not going to visit anyone. I'm not going on business. I'm there strictly to go to the medical and the interview, so I guess that's the only thing I can say and it be the truth.

I always get SO nervous when I go through customs. Even though everytime I've gone through I've been completely legitimate. Just uniforms, and mean men and women, and guns, and night sticks, and cameras, oh my! I know it's MEANT to be intimidating, and you have nothing to worry about if you are legitimate. It's just...phew, something that I will not look forward to for the rest of my life. I even get nervous when I go through U.S. Customs...and they HAVE to let me back in!

I plan on bringing all my proof of ties to the U.S., plus, I'll be driving a rental car that is due back on a certain date and I have a plane ticket flying out. And I'll probably bring a copy of our appointment letter. I just, had a bad experience last time I flew up there, even though I had all my proof of ties to the U.S. and a return ticket, they pulled me into secondary and searched me and all my belongings and interrogated me for a good hour before they let me enter.

That being said, that was at the tiny Thunder Bay airport, I can only imagine they are a little more...efficient/speedy at the Vancouver/Peace Bridge.

Alright, now everyone cross their fingers for fast melting of snow and ice. I don't need to combat driving the two hours with snow under my rental car tires.

Cass (bebop the great)

I'd just be honest and tell them you're going to the Vancouver embassy since your fiance has a visa interview you want to be there for.

I go through Peace Arch every weekend to visit my fiance. I love the Canadian border guards there. At least three times they've just let me through without even taking my passport or ID. Of course last time they suspected me of drinking and having open alcohol in the car but they are pretty friendly overall. I wouldn't worry too much. The American ones can be a bit more suspicious but you should be fine considering you'll be going back with a rental car.

[Caladan 19]

I've never had a problem nor been questioned extensively when travelling. The usual crossing in Edmonton goes like this: "What are you doing in Canada?" "End-of-semester/spring break/Christmas vacation." "Where are you saying?" "[Town name]" "Who are you staying with?" "My boyfriend and his family." Stamp. Wheee. Sometimes, the border guard flirts.

The time I drove, renting a car, on a separate trip to London, ON, where I wasn't actually meeting C., I wasn't questioned any more in depth, even though I was entering Canada to go to a conference about ten days after I'd returned from Edmonton.

Bring your ties, ensure your rental agreement has the proper paperwork that says 'Okay to drive in Canada', and say you have a meeting at the U.S. embassy in Vancouver.

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

See! Everyone else seems to never have a problem crossing. Everyone says, "It's Canada? They won't care." But I swear, everytime I go over I get searched, interrogated, pulled into secondary, or at least harassed a little. It must be hte fact that I look so nervous. Or maybe I just look evil..

Cass (bebop the great)

I've never had a problem nor been questioned extensively when travelling. The usual crossing in Edmonton goes like this: "What are you doing in Canada?" "End-of-semester/spring break/Christmas vacation." "Where are you saying?" "[Town name]" "Who are you staying with?" "My boyfriend and his family." Stamp. Wheee. Sometimes, the border guard flirts.

[misa 2]

Be honest and definitely bring the interview letter and possibly a copy of the K1 package you submitted along with copies of the NOAs to show that you are not the one trying to immigrate to Canada, but he's immigrating to the U.S. Also proof of ties of course.

Good luck at the interview.

[zyggy 9]

The answer is easy.. tell the truth and be honest... it's the best policy...

[CutienPurg 0]

yeah the truth ...........and smile ( you've got an awesome smile ) say .....Im going to get my honey to bring him HOME!!!!!!! Wave that appt letter like its the US flag!!!!

Have an awesome trip girl!!!

[jg_am 0]

When my fiancee(gf at the time) lived in Coutts I did land crossings. I think their questions are more to see if you're shady/telling lies. It's hard not to be a little nervous, but ust be honest. One of the times I didn't say she was my girlfriend, and that I was visitng her whole family(explainging how we met). The guard said, "You're coming from Philadelphia all the way to Coutts to see this family?". I was going to come clean but thought that might hinder things. I've told them now(in Toronto) that I"m visiting my fiancee and they didn't ask about visa processes, etc.

[Caladan 19]

The answer is easy.. tell the truth and be honest... it's the best policy...

That's what I figure. Border officers are pretty smart cookies. They can see the stamps in my passport when they open it. And I figure it looks worse to say, 'Um, I'm visiting friends, I mean, my boyfriend, I mean, my fiancé, no really, I'm only visiting' rather than to say, hey, I'm on vacation, I'm staying with my fiancé, and being prepared to show evidence if they need it. I take my lease with me, but it's never come up.

Maybe I look honest. Or maybe, since it's usually 1am on a delayed flight because someone in Minnesota, Ottawa, or Toronto forgot to drive the plane to Laguardia properly, they're not in the mood to deal with a potential sleep-deprived hissy fit.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Telling the truth probably is the best policy, but it really depends on the mood and nature of the officer you're dealing with at the time.

Take my experiences, for instance. The first time I went to see my fiancee in Canada, it was a breeze. I basically walked right through Customs & Immigration. The second time was a different story entirely. The officer in question looked at me like I was some sort of criminal bringing in loads of drugs and holding an AK-47. I had to relate every detail of my plans, my trip, my funding, what I did for a living, and my relationship to that officer and then another officer in Secondary. They didn't search my bags, but they flat-out told me (rather rudely, I might add) that "they'd be the ones deciding whether or not I enter Canada."

My crime? I told them the truth, nothing more, nothing less. I was eventually let in (after about a half-hour of questioning) and when I told my fiancee what happened, she couldn't believe it. She was then a bit frightened of later goinging through U.S. Customs & Immigration, since in most cases, Canada is more lax than the United States.

As it turned out, my fiancee got through U.S. Customs & Immigration with little-to-no trouble (they must've been in a good mood that morning; my officer was joking around with me and gave me a high-five for having a girl in Canada), but all of this just proves the point that these situations are very, very difficult to predict.

[software 0]

However all the answers indicates that you have to tell the truth and I will give the same advice to you too - but whenever I have to cross the canadian border - I tell my reason as personal or business in one word - either "personal" or "business" depending on the purpose. If and when they ask further I tend to provide more information but that never created any problem what so ever. I have seen some people being called in the office because they tell more than expected by the border office. Just my 2 cents... I would be very general and tell the truth.

[misa 2]

It *always* depends on the POE officer. This past summer I was pretty much waved through by the (US) officer because he was flirting with me asking me about my tattoos ("Are you yakuza?" jokingly) and after a minute of personal chatting ended it with a sly, "Too bad I can't see your other ones". He scanned in my passport, didn't really look at the screen or ask me any questions other than my tattoos and piercings and let me go on my way... He didn't even ask me where I was going!

Edited January 12, 2007 by misa

[Jersey Girl 2]

Cass, you may be the kind of person who's overly prepared (good in this case) but also someone who sends signals that they're nervous (bad at the border). So just tell the truth! "I'm going to the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver to accompany my fiance to his visa interview."

[Flames9_RN 358]

Driving back from Rhode island to Novas Scotia, came upon Customs (driving) The Cdn customs dude was all comfy like in his chair and just waved me through, didnt even look at my ID, and this was well after 9-11, Guess I looked innocent

[MissStacey 1]

Just be honest and tell them. I have found most people in Customs to be very nice. You aren't trying to smuggle anything over the border, nor doing anything Illegal, you have nothing to wory about.

Edited January 12, 2007 by Stacey33