Using AP from Canada by land

[Melibelle 10]

Hi all,

We're expecting my husband's EAD/AP card in a few weeks and were hoping to take a road trip at the end of August to visit his family in Quebec. However, he's getting nervous about being questioned at the border for using the AP. He's here on a TN visa and never had any overstay. Do you think we would have a problem? Could anyone share your experiences as to what to expect? We'll be crossing at Champlain, NY, so any specific experiences there would be helpful. We were also hoping to close his storage unit there and bring back some of his personal effects. Will that cause any issues?

Thanks for your help!

[M and C 32]

If he shows his AP when you cross the border, he will be presenting a valid document for re-entry. In my experience I've used my AP in LAX airport after a month of being away from the US. I was ushered to a processing room. It wasn't really a big deal. The CBP officer just asked a few questions, like who did I travel with, etc. After that he stamped my passport with "Paroled" and was able to join my husband (they didn't allow my husband to come with me to the room).

Edited July 19, 2014 by M and C

[Rob & Monika 87]

He will get sent into secondary and have to be readmitted to the US. And if you are lucky, you will get a lecture about how not to abuse the AP, and that some people use it every day. There is nothing wrong with it really, it's just that you get sent to secondary every time you use the AP, and the CBP get annoyed having to process the same person everyday. They stamp the AP form with the entry. The guy we had complained that some people have their AP covered front and back with stamps. He was clearly annoyed that the AP even exists.

[VeeNDee 44]

I don't know about the TN visa stuff, but crossing on my AP card by car about a year and a half ago I just showed it to the officer, he looked some stuff up in his booth and then sent us on our way. I didn't have to go to secondary processing.

[Melibelle 10]

Thanks for the replies!

[CdnRN 40]

Melibelle - did you end up using your husband's AP? How did it go?

[Melibelle 10]

No, he's still apprehensive about it after hearing about the one particularly bad experience that was posted here last month with the couple crossing from Mexico (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/505056-ap-serves-no-purpose-very-upset/) although I just saw it was updated with a happier ending, so maybe that will convince him it's not so bad. He also had a bad experience last year with a cranky agent at the border so that might be part of his worry.

However, we are thinking about taking a trip to Europe next month before our interview. We both have a bit more faith that the agents at JFK will be more levelheaded and experienced. I'll let you know if we do!

[CdnRN 40]

Definitely. I don't have an interview date yet so I need to go getting passport renewed before it expires, so experiences of crossing between the U and Canada interest me!

[MissSarah 22]

I just came back into the US after being in Canada for a week, they only wanted to see my passport. Asked the usual questions, any fruit, vegetables, if we were driving a rental car - nothing else. I'm sure that this isn't normal though!

[Melibelle 10]

I just came back into the US after being in Canada for a week, they only wanted to see my passport. Asked the usual questions, any fruit, vegetables, if we were driving a rental car - nothing else. I'm sure that this isn't normal though!

Thanks for letting us know. Did you offer your AP card or did you just not mention it? And did you cross at Champlain or someplace else?

[CdnRN 40]

I just came back into the US after being in Canada for a week, they only wanted to see my passport. Asked the usual questions, any fruit, vegetables, if we were driving a rental car - nothing else. I'm sure that this isn't normal though!

Thanks! I hope mine is that easy. It's distinctly looking like I will have to go, so the more folks post about their experiences the better I feel about it.

[MissSarah 22]

We crossed at Niagara Falls - when we arrived we handed over our passports, the guy asked us our countries of citizenship. I didn't mention or offer up the AP card, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to or not. I did have all of my papers and things ready in case I needed it. The passport I have now isn't the same as the one that I entered with on the K-1 (I lost my passport shortly after POE), so there was no K-1 visa in it, no I-94, so this is maybe why I was let back in so easily.

[CdnRN 40]

Thanks for sharing. I'm planning a trip mid-September that I hope will go smoothly.

I am crossing my fingers that since I will have a USC with me (my baby) they won't hassle me...

[warlord 73]

On the TN Status stuff, once he applied for the EAD/AP and it's been accepted (with or without the actual card), the TN Status has been nullified and is no longer in effect and done with. So even if he didn't have the AP in hand (due to slow mail or something), he could not use the TN status to gain re-entry anymore, nor can he get an new TN Status now that the EAD/AP has been filed...

[CdnRN 40]

Yup, warlord - did you ever enter on AP? I never had issue crossing with my TN, but I always wondered if I'd hit that one officer... In another topic, any TN-related questions at your initial interview?