I’m thinking of taking a day trip up to Montreal. Will I have any problems due to the recent “policies” of the Trump administration?
I would be using a passport as ID to drive across the border. Have there been any issues with border crossings in either direction?
I would do some shopping in Canada. What’s the policy on bringing goods back into the United States?
I went to Montreal earlier this summer. (July 4th weekend.) I had zero issues getting into Canada, and my only issue returning to the US was that the lines were long and slow. I drove both ways. I don’t recall if they asked if we’d purchased anything. They asked about food we might have in the car and didn’t bother to listen to the replies. (There were 4 of us.) We showed our passports in each direction, and the passport official looked at us to check that we looked like our photos. That was about it.
I don’t know whether the latest volley in the trade war has changed anything.
Individual Canadians did not assume i supported Trump, and were friendly.
I doubt if you will have any problems going in. Americans are more than welcome to come to visit! Don’t be afraid to express your disgust at the Trump administration.
Try to learn a few phrases in French - that will get you a long way if you just seem to be respectfully trying.
Not sure what the process is like for bringing purchases back… I expect there might be delays and potential hassles/duty from the US side.
There was a news story a few months back. Some lady from New Zealand living near Seattle was sending her kids home for a visit. They would have to change planes somewhere unless they flew out of Vancouver so that is the flight she booked. On the way back, after dropping her kids off, there was some sort of foul-up with her immigration status. She wound up in an ICE holding facility several states away.
A couple of tips as I get to Vancouver about once a month. When you pull up to the border crossing in either direction, have all the windows facing the border agent rolled down. They usually ask for this, so it shows you’re reasonably familiar with the drill if you do this before being asked.
Leave firearms at home! When crossing into Canada, in addition to the windows down, you could also pre-emptively state “no firearms in the vehicle.”
If everyone in the vehicle has global entry, only on the return to the US, you can go through the NEXUS line. I have NEXUS, and have had others in the car with only global entry, and no issue using the NEXUS line.
Not sure the rules on the NEXUS line when using global entry. If using a NEXUS card, IIRC the rule is you have to be in Canada for 3 days to bring back booze duty free. This may apply to all duty free items. This is for NEXUS card holders, and if you get busted the border agent can confiscate your NEXUS card.
If you are in the NEXUS line back to the US, but do not have NEXUS or global re-entry. Absolutely do not use the NEXUS line. Figure out how to change lanes through the barrier. If you do pull up, the border officer will most likely wave you over for a deep check and it will take hours to get through.
Two weeks ago, we went to Vancouver, BC for our anniversary dinner. No issues either direction. I doubt the current situation will mess things up.
I’ve heard that in the U.S., everyone in the vehicle must have a NEXUS card in order for anyone to go through the NEXUS lane. What is ‘global entry’?
To clarify so no confusion. To use the NEXUS line into the US, everyone in the car must have either NEXUS or “Global Entry.”
For Canada, everyone in the car needs to have a NEXUS card. That said, I’m unclear if Canada has another ID that they also accept for the NEXUS line.
Global Entry Card | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
FYI, NEXUS card (USD50) can be used for flights in the same way as Global Entry cards (USD100). NEXUS can be a pain in the ass to get an appointment for in most locations. @Johnny_L.A Blaine has an office and my experience can get an appointment as quickly as the next day.
Went in there once. Didn’t like the picture inside.
Yes, and I’ll add, NEXUS is very convenient for fast-tracking both through security lines at the airport and through immigration between the US and Canada,. But it’s a privilege that’s easily lost, even for innocent mistakes. My son has a NEXUS card and once was behind a family in the NEXUS line. From what he could see, the father had a NEXUS card but no one else in the family did. Not only were they booted out of the line, but the NEXUS card was confiscated on the spot. Obviously, the same applies when using the expedited NEXUS line at the border when driving – everyone in the car must have the card.
Around here, you have to drive to Pearson International Airport and get interviewed by both US and Canadian immigration as part of the application process. However, once you have the card, I believe there’s an expedited process for renewals. The dual interviews at one place are possible because US immigration has a presence at major Canadian airports in order to do pre-clearance, so that flights from Canada into the US are treated as domestic flights.
We were in Toronto and Niagara Falls in late May.
Went in via Detroit, came back via Buffalo
No problems either way
Coming back in they didn’t ask if we had anything to declare. Looked at our passports and waved us through. Didn’t even ask what our purpose for being in Canada was.
I’ve heard if you have a DUI, no matter how long ago, there might be problems. Or is that a thing anymore?
Same for me in May. Both ways through Buffalo. Our wait to get back to the US was long like @puzzlegal ‘s was.
Do you still have to get a separate card from your agent, for car insurance, to be covered north of the border?
Maybe? They definitely looked us up on their system before waving us through. I’m both directions. None of us had any criminal convictions in either country, so i wouldn’t know.
The app from my auto insurer (USAA) says that i am covered in Canada, and my insurance exceeds the minimum requirement for insurance in Canada. It does not cover a car i rent in Canada. It also says:
The Mexican government requires that tourists get auto liability insurance from a company based in Mexico.
Although your USAA auto policy may give you limited coverage within a certain distance of the U.S.-Mexico border, it doesn’t give you what Mexico requires.
You can check your policy for details, but you’ll need to obtain the insurance required by Mexico for vehicles you own.
So, if you have enough coverage you don’t need to do anything special to drive into Canada. You do need to carry proof of insurance with you.
I flew to Montreal earlier this year for a weekend. Zero problems either way. In fact, coming home the US border services in the Montreal airport was the emptiest I ever saw. I was through in five minutes, and I don’t have Global Entry.
My kids come visit regularly and have no problems in either direction. But they do have both US and Canadian passports.
I have met Quebecers who could not speak English at all, so you may need more than “a few phrases”. A quick search suggests that about 50% of Quebecois can speak English; obviously it depends on where you go.
Just say “tabarnac” every other word; you’ll be fine.
My last 3 NEXUS renewals were automatic approval with no interview required. This also means I am now 17 years older and 50 lbs lighter than on my NEXUS card since they just mail out the updated card with the same picture.