O/T Describe the usual border crossing?

[awshucks]

Never had a passport before, but assuming I got one and car pooled up to Boo fest, what will happen when I attempt to go across the border? What other documents would I need? In answer to your unasked question, I had a minor non violent oopsie in '79.

[munch]

just tell them your a refugee you'll be in like flint ,would not surprise me if you got an education gas money and a new condo to live in while here .lol

honestly you should not have a problem tell then your on vacation to visit freinds
tell them where your friend lives how long you plan to stay and if asked tell them about 79

[evaughan]

These days, for the most part they just swipe your passport through a special blackberry to check for warrants/restrictions, ask you where you are going, if you need to declare anything and you are on your way. the biggest hassle going both ways is wait times at certain times of day but even for a Bills game, it's generally under an hour.

[Pydpiper]

Don't give it a second thought Dan, you will not have any issues. They require a passport, but it's not impossible to talk your way through it without one.
Where you would be crossing it would sound like this:

Where are you going?
How long are you going to be there?
Do you have anything to declare?
Have a nice Day.
Sometimes they will throw in a trick question, like a specific address or nukes in the trunck just to watch you squirm though.

Paperwork in hand, no sunglasses and it will be a smooth encounter. They will access our Canadian computer, CPIC, you wont be part of that. Canada has one of the most advanced computer systems in the world for stuff like that, but it will not affect you. A Canadian going to the USA will meet a different fate, USA will not allow a person convicted of a crime in to the country, they do not recognize pardons or anything like them.
CPIC will not pick up on a charge issued by the state for the intent of a border crossing, it is a federal database.
Going home is even easier, the USA will never deny access to a citizen, regardless of the situation.
I have been blacklisted for boos get together, but if you make it to this side of the border, I'm coming anyways.

[sumner4991]

It's been a few tears since I crossed, but, I have to agree with pydpiper. If you tell them you are going to the casino and only have one beer to declare, then once the crossing guard gets done laughing, you are in Canada.

I crossed into Canada with a crossbow, a recurve bow and 6 arrows . . .they told me to cover them up, didn't want anyone to be able to see them. A friend of mine forgot his passport, but, they still let us pass(he did have his Virginia issued drivers license). This was the year before they started the passport requirement.

The actual questioning didn't take long and we were on our way.

[Big58cal]

So what do you have to "declare"?

[Ont_Excal]

It's real simple.
1....Don't lie about anything.
2....Speak when spoken to.
3....Only give info asked for.
They don't want a life story.

Now a-days with facial recognition software and digital imaging they know quite a bit before you pull up to the booth.
The stop sign places you in a picture zone where they scan your vehicle plate first.

As American citizens you won't have any trouble at all.

[sumner4991]

So what do you have to "declare"?

For a casual visit, alcohol and tabacco are the two "biggies". They allow you to bring enough to get you "started" . . .then you need to bend over.

These amounts are per person . . .not per auto.

Alcoholic beverages

You are allowed to import only one of the following amounts of alcohol free of duty and taxes:
•1.5 litres (53 imperial ounces) of wine;
•a total of 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of alcoholic beverages; or
•up to a maximum of 8.5 litres of beer or ale.

Alcoholic beverages are products that exceed 0.5% alcohol by volume. Minimum ages for the importation of alcoholic beverages, as prescribed by provincial or territorial authorities, are 18 years for the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec and 19 years for the remaining provinces and territories.

Note
The CBSA classifies "cooler" products according to the alcoholic beverage they contain. For example, beer coolers are considered to be beer and wine coolers are considered to be wine. Alcohol and wine products not exceeding 0.5% alcohol by volume are not considered to be alcoholic beverages.

The quantities of alcohol you can bring in must be within the limit set by the province or territory where you will enter Canada. If the value of the goods is more than your personal exemption, you will have to pay both duty and taxes, as well as provincial/territorial assessments. In Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, you cannot bring in more than the quantities of alcohol allowed. For more information, contact the appropriate provincial or territorial liquor control authority before you arrive back in Canada.




Tobacco products

If you are 18 years of age or over, you are allowed to bring in all of the following amounts of tobacco into Canada free of duty and taxes within your personal exemption:
•200 cigarettes;
•50 cigars;
•200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco; and
•200 tobacco sticks.

Note
If you include cigarettes, tobacco sticks or manufactured tobacco in your personal exemption, a partial exemption may only apply. You will have to pay a special duty on these products unless they are marked "CANADA DUTY PAID • DROIT ACQUITTÉ." You will find Canadian-made products sold at duty-free shops marked this way. You can speed up your clearance by having your tobacco products available for inspection when you arrive.

If you bring in more than your personal exemption, you will have to pay regular assessments on the excess amount. These regular assessments can include duty and taxes, as well as provincial or territorial fees. Border services officers will give an allowance for products that are marked "CANADA DUTY PAID • DROIT ACQUITTÉ" when they calculate the amounts owing.

In addition, Excise Act, 2001 limits the amount of tobacco products that may be imported (or possessed) by an individual for personal use if the tobacco product is not packaged and stamped "CANADA DUTY PAID • DROIT ACQUITTÉ." The limit is currently five units of tobacco products. One unit of tobacco products consists of one of the following:
•200 cigarettes;
•50 cigars;
•200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco; or
•200 tobacco sticks.

[Boo]

Any criminal record can get you a denial by interpretation of the rules of the inspecting officer. Although the charge is not found in the rules stated in their webpage I know of a couple of people who were denied entry over a DUI. But it seems that if the charges are old enough you get through. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/ ... /ob389.asp
Here are the rules.
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/security-securite/admiss-eng.html
Best you call Canada Customs. http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/contact/menu-eng.html

[Big58cal]

Yeah, I started looking around and found the specifics on what you posted sumner. Here's a decent web site with quite a bit of information, but the links are the main thing:

http://www.gonorthwest.com/Visitor/plan ... border.htm

So let's say (just for hypothetical reasons of course.... ), that I declare that I've got more than what is allowed. What all will I have to pay and will I need any additional permits or anything? Also, I was planning on bringing a cooler full of venison summer sausage, salami, brats, etc. Any permits needed for that stuff? Any duty due?

Something I read this morning in one of the publications....

For more detailed information on importing a fi rearm into Canada, see the publication called Importing a Firearm or Weapon Into Canada or call the BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information”.

I'm going to check to see where a crossbow lies in there.

[Pydpiper]

The bows are a non issue, but the meat may be a problem. Certainly worth looking in to.

Dan, that charge was before they even had computers, don't sweat it..

[Boo]

Yeah, I started looking around and found the specifics on what you posted sumner. Here's a decent web site with quite a bit of information, but the links are the main thing:

http://www.gonorthwest.com/Visitor/plan ... border.htm

So let's say (just for hypothetical reasons of course.... ), that I declare that I've got more than what is allowed. What all will I have to pay and will I need any additional permits or anything? Also, I was planning on bringing a cooler full of venison summer sausage, salami, brats, etc. Any permits needed for that stuff? Any duty due?

Something I read this morning in one of the publications....

For more detailed information on importing a fi rearm into Canada, see the publication called Importing a Firearm or Weapon Into Canada or call the BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information”.

I'm going to check to see where a crossbow lies in there.

The bows are absolutely no issue.
This may help with the meat question.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/impo ... 0127627409#

[agingcrossbower]

My wife and mylself and rocco crossed last fall and they barely blinked. Just say wooden stock or your ass will be in Chicago before you can say peanut butter.

[Boo]

Bring a road kill and tell the officer that you have one. They'll just about climb out of their booth!
Last time I came across I told them I had "3 pigs" in the back. Not a blink of the eye out of the guy just do you have any alcohol or tobacco? I think he peed himself a bit.
Bring a road kill, tell them that's for our buffet. I got a back hoe to take care of it!

[Farmer]

Awshucks if you came up through Detroit Michigan into Windsor , that would put you on the 401 ( main highway here in Ontario . That highway runs about a 1/2 mile from my farm . You could stop by and we could drive up in a group .