Canada- New York border crossing advice

[jludvigsen 2]

Does anyone have any recent reviews or experiences on ground POE's going from Niagara Falls, Ontario to New York?

I've read some reviews on the Peace Bridge and Rainbow Bridge, but they all seem to be pretty old. Has anyone done this recently or have any advice for which would be better?

We will be staying in Niagara Falls on Saturday night and plan to leave for Virginia on Sunday morning.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Nothing new to offer, I came 8.5 yrs ago and we cross often through the Peace bridge entry point. Sunday morning is always a good time but I wouldn't leave it till 11or noon, arrive around 8 or 9 and you should get through relatively quickly. Remember, since you have to go inside there's no quick 'through' but there's no grilling or anything, they just process you through and away you go.

Welcome to Virginia, I'm in Centreville....another little borough like Reston/Herndon. You're arriving just in time for the humidity!

[kdc0224 7]

I crossed at the Peace Bridge last November. It was pretty straightforward. From the reviews, I gather that the Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston and the best ones to cross because the officers there are used to processing these cases. Crossing at the Rainbow Bridge seems to be the worst because they're more strict and it's a lot more crowded being a touristy area. The Peace Bridge is the largest I believe - I only had to wait about 40 minutes for them to process my paperwork. As the previous poster said, they won't grill you or anything, you've already gone through the hard part. Good luck!

[jludvigsen 2]

Nothing new to offer, I came 8.5 yrs ago and we cross often through the Peace bridge entry point. Sunday morning is always a good time but I wouldn't leave it till 11or noon, arrive around 8 or 9 and you should get through relatively quickly. Remember, since you have to go inside there's no quick 'through' but there's no grilling or anything, they just process you through and away you go.

Welcome to Virginia, I'm in Centreville....another little borough like Reston/Herndon. You're arriving just in time for the humidity!

I'm in Virginia already (moved up recently from Orlando, Fl so I know about that dreadful humidity! ugh), but will be driving with my fiancé down here from Toronto! Yea Centreville isn't too far away from us at all! Have you guys checked out the Canadian Ex-pat DC meetup group? Trying to get my fiancé to go to a meetup with them to meet some fellow Canadians in the area.

I crossed at the Peace Bridge last November. It was pretty straightforward. From the reviews, I gather that the Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston and the best ones to cross because the officers there are used to processing these cases. Crossing at the Rainbow Bridge seems to be the worst because they're more strict and it's a lot more crowded being a touristy area. The Peace Bridge is the largest I believe - I only had to wait about 40 minutes for them to process my paperwork. As the previous poster said, they won't grill you or anything, you've already gone through the hard part. Good luck!

Thank you! Yea we were originally planning to do the Rainbow Bridge, but it seems Peace will be a little better, so we'll probably do that.

[bec128 44]

My fiancee POE'd at Peace Bridge in January, and I accompanied her, along with a friend of ours (American) who made the drive up with me. We got there just after noon on a Sunday, and it wasn't busy.

First we told the officer at the booth that she was here to process her visa. He took our passports, then came out, put a slip of paper under the windshield, and signaled to the officer by the building, who waved us into the parking lot and told us which door to enter. There we sat in the waiting area for a while, perhaps 30 minutes. Then an officer at one of the windows called her name. She went up, I think they basically just took her fingerprints and looked over the stuff in the packet. We had prepared a "manifest" (just an Excel doc with a basic listing of the stuff she was bringing with her in the car) but they didn't even look at it. After 10-15 minutes, she headed over to the Cashier window, where they charged us I think $6 for the paper I-94 form they stapled in her passport opposite the visa. After we paid up, the officer handed us all three passports and told us to have a safe drive!

Edited April 21, 2016 by bec128

[Ms Hogan 295]

I did Peace Bridge but if you read my review you'll see mine was AWFUL due to the guy taking his freakin dinner break in the middle of my stuff while I sat there with my children who were 7 & 4 years old! Ugh!

But I would not do Rainbow Bridge either as it's swamped with tourists most of the time especially now with the weather being better. Just my opinion.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston will probably be less congested than Niagara or Ft. Erie. Wife and I cross the Queenston-Lewiston both ways at least once a year when visiting her family and have never had a problem. The only place we ever had a problem was at the Detroit/Windsor tunnel, they are much more stringent there than alot of the other crossings.

[Ms Hogan 295]

Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston will probably be less congested than Niagara or Ft. Erie. Wife and I cross the Queenston-Lewiston both ways at least once a year when visiting her family and have never had a problem. The only place we ever had a problem was at the Detroit/Windsor tunnel, they are much more stringent there than alot of the other crossings.

Just for clarification... Peace Bridge IS Fort Erie

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Thanks for the tip about the meet-up group......I actually never bothered hanging out with Canadians specifically since I felt like I needed to get to know some local folks, but I can see it would be helpful especially in the early months.

Its surprising how many people are Canadian around here.....I met a guy at the bagel shop once who went to the University of Waterloo (I had an alumni shirt on) and I work with 3 Canadians.

I will say I tend to gravitate towards other immigrants though....I feel like we have a bond of some kind.

I'm in Virginia already (moved up recently from Orlando, Fl so I know about that dreadful humidity! ugh), but will be driving with my fiancé down here from Toronto! Yea Centreville isn't too far away from us at all! Have you guys checked out the Canadian Ex-pat DC meetup group? Trying to get my fiancé to go to a meetup with them to meet some fellow Canadians in the area.

Thank you! Yea we were originally planning to do the Rainbow Bridge, but it seems Peace will be a little better, so we'll probably do that.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Just for clarification... Peace Bridge IS Fort Erie

You are correct. Thanks.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Teddy B

[jludvigsen 2]

We entered the border office at the Peace Bridge around 8:40 am on Sunday. We were done less than an hour after we got there.

Very simple process and the officer was very nice!

Edited April 26, 2016 by jludvigsen

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Good news - I know I spent more timing worrying about the crossing then the actual crossing and VISA activation took.

We entered the border office at the Peace Bridge around 8:40 am on Sunday. We were done less than an hour after we got there.

Very simple process and the officer was very nice!