Border crossing warning. (apartment, felons, find a job)

[BruSan]

I've already posted that it is the same process for both countries and has only just started to be observed here in Canada since the requirement for tighter borders has been "demanded" by Washington whereas it has always been in effect at the U.S. border with the question "have you ever been arrested or detained" being enough to forbid entry to your country and we as Canadians have been dealing with this for eons.

It's no big deal folks; you need to apply for a "deemed rehabilitated designation" for entry into the U.S. if you've had some misdemeanor charge and there is a fee for this just as there's a fee to achieve the same idea here. It is all based on how many years you've been "record free" as to whether you are given a pass or not.

Again, what's the big deal? You try to enter any other country with a criminal record without declaring same when asked, and they subsequently "discover" your obfuscation; you're in a world of hurt.

We are retired and until last year were RV snowbirding in the south of Arizona, and imagine our surprise to arrive at the U.S. border the October after the tragic event to be met with a "required" secondary inspection involving two border agents AND a national guardsman with a rifle held at the ready across his chest facing us while the one border agent "snapped his fingers" for the keys to our rig ordering us to stand on the curb while facing this guy with a rifle. You ever get treated like that at the Canadian border? Are any your southern neighbours ever subjected to that?

C'mon here; we understood the emotional underpinnings to that "knee jerk" reactionary process immediately after 9/11, just as you should understand that Canada's border process has been put under the microscope by your government with the view to forcing compliance to certain requirements being made very adamant by your government. This may not be one of them but it is very understandable as to why it's NOW being enforced with vigor. Would you understand the reation of "they want a tight border, we'll give 'em a tight border"?

It's all idiotic stuff that serves no security purpose at all, but it is a very understandable reaction to the pushing we've gotten to "tighten up".

The very same individual who has allowed "intransigence" on your southern border, as the previous governor of Arizona, is now in charge of your Homeland Security and she looks to the north every time she needs to make some "talking points" in front of the media with nary a mention of the border with Mexico being a virtual sieve.

She does this while at the same time leaving it to her successor to trudge the uphill rocky road against Washington's desires to enact legislation against border intrusions.

Why do you suppose that is? I'll tell you why, because we've shown a history of being a nation of laws and generally acquiesse to your demands if they seem even halfways reasonable.

This is a non-issue and should be looked at for it's roots rather than it's effects.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by Mikezx

If you have anything on your police record from anytime, US OR CA - even a minor misdemeaner charge. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE CANADIAN BORDER. Believe me, I know from experience. You will be detained, searched and sent home.

These days nazi border guards have full access to US and CA criminal data bases and will bust you in a second. Don't think you can say no when they ask you if you have ever been arrested because they will check. I used to travel in CA without problems, but those days are over.

So if you have any doubts about any prior offense - STAY AWAY. Don't think your situation can be resolved rationally either. Obtaining a temporary residency permit or pardon is a long, expensive, frustrating process that is often denied and is usually not worth it unless you absolutely have to get into the country. The border agents and immigration officers are not helpful at all and treat you like ****. Trying to get help from the Canadian Consulate is a joke - try calling them, they do not even pick up the phone.

I am struggling with the process to obtain a pardon because I need to get into CA for work related consultation with CA clients. If not for this reason, I would never visit CA again. It's not worth the BS.

Your frustration about having trouble getting into Canada works both ways as many Canadians are denied entry to the USA for some minor past transgression of the law and dealing with the American bureaucracy can be every bit as frustrating as you are having with the Canadian bureaucracy , may not be very nice but thats the way it is and to call the border guards a bunch of nazi's for doing the job they were hired for is a bit unfair.
Hope you get your issue resolved but lets not start bad mouthing Canada and Canadians in your frustrations with dealing with the system.
Try contacting your state representative as he may have some other ways to contact the right people across the border.

[RadioSilence]

I can assure you the border patrol is stern whether you're entering or exiting. This week I told them I was driving to my destination, and they looked at me as if I told them I was driving to Neptune. Neither set of guards could grasp that while my passport says Kansas, USA, I did not actually drive 750 miles in a single morning from Kansas to Canada. They detained me for a thorough background check/search each way. They also seemed disappointed I was clean.

By the way, the truly dangerous people in the world probably won't cross at MB-75 or BC-99. Just as with the U.S.A., they will enter Canada illegally.

This was the rundown of my recent process, for anyone who hasn't entered Canada by car.

Step 1: car search for drugs/weapons (expected). They will ask you to remove your sunglasses. That's bad for me, as I was hit with the ugly stick in regards to my droopy eyelids (makes me look like a junkie). They will search your camera and phone, presumably for child porn/human trafficking evidence. They will ask you where you are from, where you are going, how long you will be there, the purpose of your visit, whether you have $10,000 cash, sharp objects, etc. They'll look at your passport. I had to park off to the side for a few minutes while they examined my passport, and came back with more questions, like where I work, what university I attended, and so on. This seems like fertile ground for an inside identity theft ring.

Step 2: The booth. The guard here will ask the same questions as the guard who searched your car. He/she will want your passport again. If you are returning to the U.S., the guard will ask if you bought anything in Canada. There is a duty free maximum. This was where they required another search.

Step 3: I pulled into a garage; they sent me to a windowless waiting room while they ran a lengthy background check, searched the car/camera again, and asked the same questions as before. I was the only driver in the queue to experience this additional check-- both ways.

[The_gateway]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I'm going to disagree with the initial post here. In my experiences the "Nazis" (for lack of a better term) have been on the US side and even then, it hasn't been bad. My most recent crossing was in Jackman, Maine with 3 other people, one of whom had a criminal record. Entering Canada was a pleasant process (the offense on the young lady's record was not even mentioned) as well as an easy one.

On the way back, the guard looked through the trunk of my car, asked some questions (including one about my friend's criminal offense) and when he felt content, proceeded to chat with us about this and that for 15 minutes (got his life story). It was a pleasant experience on both ends.

My one negative experience was in Minnesota when we were crossing back with meat from a hunting trip that wasn't preserved and labeled properly. The meat was seized. The most disappointing thing about it was that the meat was going to just be discarded which felt like a waste. It was seized because WE made a mistake by not following procedure properly. I felt the guard let her power get to her head a bit, but we made the mistake so I really can't complain.

I guess what I'm saying is, it really depends on the guard to determine how pleasant your crossing will be. If your offense was SERIOUS, no matter how long ago, you're going to have to fill out that application and get it to the consulate. It's standard protocol and not something enacted just to **** you off. If you had a bad experience, I appreciate you sharing, but sitting here and telling no one to try to go to Canada is pointless. If you've committed a serious enough crime, no matter when, to have to go through this process, deal with it. Your bad experience isn't reflective of everyone's and is only representative of your failing to fill out the necessary paperwork.

It's ALWAYS worse when you're going back to your home country - it's no different for us coming back into Canada. The big one for Canadians is buying stuff - they want to know where you were, what you bought etc.

They're not too worried about billy bob that got drunk one night and got into a fight ten years ago. They want the big fish.

[spiritbear928]

What type of checks do they do? I am curious cause I have a common name and share a DOB with a convicted felon. This has come up in shoddy name based criminal checks in the USA but I do frequent Canada. One time I was hauled in for secondary inspection and they asked me what states I had live in but asked no questions about anything they may have seen. I am guessing they are looking at the NCIC database which has enough info about the felon to know he is not me. If they did all that does that mean I likely wont have trouble in the future. I cannot think of any reason he would spend 20 minutes looking at a computer screen and asking what states I have lived in if he wasnt doing a background check and if my evil twin had shown up I would have at least expected a question as to whether I had lived in that state (which I have not the felon is in another state that I have never lived that is on the other end of the USA). I am a US citizen and never lived in Canada either so despite secondary inpection I had no trouble but I have had troubl ein the US with cheap shoddy checks. I am ordering my NCIC and sending prints off to the FBI to make sure that nothing bad is in there. I have never had any criminal past. Just a common name and the same DOB as a felon.

[lucknow]

I go back and forth all the time. The only thing they ask me is , where are you going, what are you bringing into the USA?

[spiritbear928]

Yeah 9 times out 10 that is true before and after the secondary inspection which I think I got picked for cause I have commercial plates on my car and they were determined I was going there to work (which I was not). When they hauled me into the building they looked intently at a screen and asked my wife and I which states we had lived in. I am almost certain they ran a check of some sort. Perhaps their checks have photos or physical descriptions or full names or something that made it easy for them to know right away that I was not my identity twin. I was nervous cause this was after my apartment check and found him (and let me clear it up with them that time) but Canada did not say a word. I thought I was going to have to explain it to them and hope they listened. Whatever database they use must be a lot better than the shoddy name and DOB checks employers and apartments run from private databrokers.

[spiritbear928]

I might just get a Nexus pass so I never have to worry about it. Since its fingerprint based there is no way I could be confused with my identity twin. We may have the same name and DOB but we dont have the same fingerprints.

[mikeyyc]

Originally Posted by spiritbear928

I might just get a Nexus pass so I never have to worry about it. Since its fingerprint based there is no way I could be confused with my identity twin. We may have the same name and DOB but we dont have the same fingerprints.

Don't forget to go to a Canadian airport and get your retinas scanned. Nothing is as cool as skipping the whole line, having a scan, and leaving without having to present a single document.

[spiritbear928]

So if I have been hauled in and background checked in Canada at the border would you agree this probably means either my evil twins info does not come up or they have mechanisms in place to deal with it and I should cross the border without panic attacks