typically i have the exact opposite interaction. US is easy on the way down, canadians not so much on the way up

Me too, coming back home is never a warm welcome even when it's easy.

I think you need to be an old Asian guy to get the chummy, chummy treatment. Smiles from the hotties (can't say there are any females hot or not in the US), welcome back messages, etc. I get the "Sir," treatment.

Going down, I get the "What the fuck are you doing here?" treatment. There's this one older dude with a handle bar, moustache who just loves to give me grief.

I'm also white, so the American guys never hassle me lol

One thing I really hate about CBSA vs CBP... CBSA will keep people at the booth for fucking ever... like if there's a problem, write them up and send them inside and get the damn line moving. CBP guys as soon as they don't like something, refer you inside... next in line please. Let the people who get sent in wait but move the cars.

Yeah, notice that too.

On another topic, when I pick lines coming back home, I try to avoid lines with trucks, vans, RV's and Riced out cars. BTW, I'm still waiting for my Nexus interview. Going to be three years since I applied in August. I have interview in July at the Blaine Enrolment Center. Knowing my luck, the borders will be closed for one reason or another.

While I was down in the Seattle area, I took note of how many people were wearing masks. I was surprised to see a fair number of people wearing them. I would say, depending on the situation/place, about 25 to 30% Some places, none, while others quite a bit. Anyhow, Ikea workers were all wearing masks. Maybe because the first reported case of Covid in the United States of America was in Washington State. Straight from Wuhan to Snohomish County via Sea-Tac.


Yeah, Monique Ming Laven is a fine reporter. Award winning at that. Jessica Oh............. meh!

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-...shington-state

Check out the link......... I was in Bellingham when the news story hit. I immediately dropped what I was doing and went straight to Hardware Sales and purchased a few boxes of 3M masks. At that time, the news reported the man was from Kent, Washington. That changed quickly. Now it's someone from Snohomish County.

First time we beat the US in something............ scratch that.......... 4 days apart and the US wins!

https://globalnews.ca/news/8536383/c...d-2-years-ago/

Also straight from Wuhan.

Has anyone crossed the border and left their car there? I need to bring my car down to the States for some warranty work. Will I get hassled at the border? Cuz I'm leaving the car there or taxed coming back? :pokerface:

If it was me, I would probably stick to a "I'm going shopping at the outlets / I'm coming back from shopping at the outlets" story and leave it at that. Same thing when you go back to pick it up. Telling your actual story to border guards often just ends in pain and they have very little understanding or patience for anyone doing anything "unusual"...

That said, you shouldn't get taxed if you didn't pay anything.

Don't see any issues with this. Their main concerns are:

A) if you're bringing something back you're not supposed to
B) if you need to be taxed on anything you can bring back

I know someone that left their vehicle down there for months ( also had some work done to it ). Drove it back no questions asked. :drunk:

As long as it's not a JDM car you'll be fine lol

We would like to travel to Hawaii this summer. Passport office is backed up. We have a 2 year old.

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Artic...language=en_US
I am reading online that "U.S. and Canadian citizen infants are not required to have a passport for travel by land or sea - although they are required to present a copy of a birth certificate ". This would allow us to enter into USA, and then fly, without a passport for our boy.

Anyone does this?

If traveling by air, an unexpired Passport is required for everyone, including infants. Lawful permanent residents (LPRs), refugees, and asylees will continue to be able to use their Non-citizens Registration Card (Form I-551), issued by DHS, or other valid evidence of permanent residence status or refugee or asylee status to apply for entry to the United States.




My guess would be that the child would need a passport. Even though you originally arrived in America by land you'd still be flying from America and entering America by air.

It'll probably be a complete headache but should probably attempt to get a passport just in case it's needed.

what ID will you present for your son at the airport?

i think that's your biggest hurdle moreso than returning to canada by land

You can mail in the application, it beats camping out in front of a building (although you could realistically do that).

What you're describing (driving down to Blaine, then flying) falls under one of those "technically yes, but realistically do you risk it" categories, because if you're unlucky and you meet one agent/employee having a bad day and your entire vacation is ruined. Yes you can stand there and show them the thing on your phone but is it really worth it.

FWIW we mailed in our application late April and still haven't gotten it, but we were told 8 to 10 weeks for processing and then shipping it to us.

Forgot to mention this, but two weeks ago, I forgot to take USD with me. Like wtf, right? I was at Winco when I realized, no greenbacks, just Monopoly money. I had groceries with me and was in the self serve line up. I was about to take everything back when I realized they take cards now. I whip out the ol’ Home Trust Visa card. I get the, “Card not accepted,” message. Dude comes over and says, “Sorry, debit only.” I explain I have no US currency. He tells me they take Canadian cash. Nice! Exchange rate was decent and I got change in USD. I do have an Arch Card, but I use cash to pay for my fix of US McD’s. The cash came in handy. For gas and shopping at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Fred Meyer, etc. I use the Home Trust Visa card.

Just a heads up for anyone heading down for groceries, apparently no raw poultry or eggs are allowed across the border back into Canada until further notice. Costco and Winco both had signs up.

I'm traveling August 1st and my son's passport just expired. I had an appointment this morning at a Service Canada office and they told me the earliest the passport would be ready would be mid-August. So I've decided to camp out overnight in front of a passport office (the shit we do for our kids...).

Where would you do it - Sinclair Centre in Vancouver, or Cooney Rd in Richmond?

Edit: nevermind, i'll probably go to the Richmond location, easier to find parking nearby...

Go Vancouver or Surrey. Only those 2 locations in the lower mainland can make passports.

If you go to Richmond and ask to pick it up, you'd be directed to Sinclair. And do ask to pick it up ($20 or $25 fee IIRC)... you don't want to risk with Canada POSt when you are cutting close.

To save yourself some trouble, go line-up to Vancouver or Surrey at 6AM in the morning. I just noticed that my son's passport had expired the other day and I was able to do it at Surrey location. Had to line up for 4hours (made there at 6, out around 10), but picking it up in 2 weeks.

Ok thanks for the tips. Will definitely ask for the pick up service. What day did you go?

LOL, I was at Costco this morning.......... they had some guy standing there like a JW, holding up a sign. People were squinting to try and read it. Some people thought he was begging for food or money.

I went there Friday morning.

The line up started at the further side (KGB side) of the parking lot. Near the opening time (8:30), there were people from Passport Canada to tell us to move the line (toward the mall side) and the line were split in 2, the longer one for applications, and another one for people who already have application in and are submitting more stuff/making changes.

Once you are inside is fairly quick. (less than an hour) You line up first to get your number, and then just wait in the seating area.

Just bring a folding chair and a book or something. The time actually goes by quite quickly. I was lucky that it wasn't raining. There was a dude in the line saying that his brother had to do the same lineup in rain. :lawl:

Thanks again for the info. I was there this morning at 4:50am (already around 40 people in the lineup already!) and left 6 hours later at 10:50am with a pickup slip in 2 weeks time.

Glad this is over for now!

On my son's passport receipt, it indicates an estimated date of June 16th for it to be mailed out.

Typically how many days or weeks am I expected to receive the passport after the estimated date?

Where do you get a passport receipt?

I submitted my application in person at Service Canada (non specialized passport location)

Was given an invoice indicating estimated mail out date.

Also a file number too if I want to further inquire the status of passport application