Where are you going?
How long will be in the U.S.
Will you be conducting any business?
Where are you staying?
What is the address?
Can I see a hotel confirmation???
Who do you work for?
I see you travel into the U.S. frequently - why is that?
Who’s paying for your trip/travels
How many bags do you have?
Can you show me the bags?
Why is the bag so big?
If you are going cycling, where is your bike?
Where are you staying again?
Do you know these people?
Where did you meet them and how do you know them?
. . . . . and on and on.
Questions Crossing Back Into Canada
Where do you live?
How long have you been away?
Have a nice day!
Never even asked for my passport
I am wondering which approach should cause me more concern!!
You just need a US passport, Fleck. When I cross into the US using my US passport, they typically just ask where I’m going, how long I’m staying and am I bringing in anything that will be staying behind. Similar questions coming into Canada when I use my Canadian passport.
They like to call it the longest undefended boarder in the world and they go on and on about how friendly the two countries are to one another. It’s all good, until you actually try to cross that boarder - then, depending on which way you are going, you might have second thoughts about how undefended and friendly it is!
I’m not sure I would call those questions “unfriendly”. I think they’re just doing their job.
One thing you should never do is try to joke with those guys. Every time we pull up to the border in the car, I turn to my husband and warn him “NO JOKES PLEASE!”. He’s tried to make a joke a few times and it never goes over very well.
One thing you should never do is try to joke with those guys
Dawn,
I know the drill and am always very professional, well presented and courteous. Never any jokes. No small talk. Always answer questions clearly and concisely. Car is clean and orderly and I am well dressed. However, despite all that I still get the 20 questions. I noted this last time that the beat-up-old-rusty-nearly-falling-apart Mazda, with the long haired, disshevelled looking guy in it passed almost right through!
US Boarder and Customs do a excellent job.Sorry for your inconvenience but it sounds like you are making a igloo out of a ice cube
The thing is the U.S. is still in the cross hairs of many terrorist groups they want to harm(kill) to our citizens and property.
US Boarder and Customs do a excellent job.Sorry for your inconvenience
I realize that and I respect that. I have travelled a lot all over the world and the countries that seem to grill people the most, and the most consistantly are ironically polar- opposites - the U.S. and many poor, third-world and developing countries. Although with the latter, a $20 U.S. bill produced at just the right moment, often does wonders!!
With your situation, I doubt they think you’re a potential threat to security, rather they’re probably trying to make sure you’re not working in the US illegally. That also is their job.
When we lived in Pontiac we had a neighbor that was pretty high level Auto exec. He was crossing the border back into the US from Canada after a business trip. He had a couple bottles of Canadian booze he “forgot” to declare. They literally disassembled the vehicle. Turns out the car was a prototype and cost the car company hundreds of thousands to build.
Could be an urban legend but it was always told to me as a kid that it actually happened to this neighbor.
having done a lot of this before - a LOT depends on when you cross and who you get. I always tried to cross a half hour before shift change - the guy wants to get off work and doesn’t want a lot of back ups/hassles so he has to stay longer, so they tend to be faster with their questions - getting in at the start of the shift the guy can take all day if he wants.
Once I was going to a three day music workshop in North Carolina, and they wanted to know if I had a student visa - since there was going to be instruction happening - took two hours before they determined one wasn’t need for that. Just depends on the day.
I’ve also found that you want to avoid the female border officers at all costs.
. . and Police Officers. It’s always by the book. Never any chance for some form of discretion.
In my few encounters with Police Officers this seems to be the case. Appeal to male Police officer with a reasonable explanation, and they seem to understand. I have never found this to be the case with Female Police officers. You may as well be talking to a brick wall.
I just can’t believe we’re going to need passports to cross over the US soon…I let mine lapse, but we’re driving through the US to Alberta for a race of mine this summer, and then going to Lake Placid. I need to get moving on my new passport.
I had an ex who was turned back from the border b/c while he had his Canadian citizenship card, his valid passport, and valid Ontario driver’s license, they said there was no proof that he was a resident/lived in Canada…uh??? He is Muslim though. Compared to my brother who regularly crossed on his drivers license only. The only time I’ve had trouble crossing is when my brother was dating his ex, who was doing her doctorate at Johns Hopkins. I’d drive him down to Buffalo for the cheap flights. I think they were always worried he was going to marry her and stay down there! That, and when we drove down to visit her along with her sister (they’re Tamil), the border guard was very confused or concerned as to why she in the car with us. I think he asked us 20 different ways why she was with us and what we were going to do.
I would imagine being a border guard is a pretty thankless job for the most part though.
I cross the border at least monthly because I’m working on a project where we have hired a US firm to do a considerable amount of work for us. My (male, middle aged) boss is through in seconds, meanwhile I’m asked a thousand questions. I think that it’s hard for the border guards to imagine that a female in her thirties is allowed out of the house for a business trip. I try very hard to be patient and polite but I just want to scream that them that I’m a manager on a project that involves a net flow of money INTO AMERICA.
The last time I crossed for personal reasons, I was nearly given the rectal exam. They were so rude to me that I’ve since declined several opportunities to cross because I would prefer to spend my time and money in Canada rather than deal with surly border guards.
I’ve been back and forth from WA to Canada for various IM trips, racing and training. I think I’ve managed to get through both ways pretty quickly because of the bike in the back. That crossing sees a lot of us.
