Canadian border crossing requirements, procedures and experiences on Amtrak

[zephyr17]

CBSA has reverted from enforcing health regulations to their primary purpose of hassling Canadians for leaving the country.

My experience is CBSA are equal opportunity harassers.

 

[Bob Dylan]

My experience is CBSA are equal opportunity harassers.

But they're still not as Obnoxious as the US Crew who specialize in giving returning Americans a hassle!

 

[jis]

But they're still not as Obnoxious as the US Crew who specialize in giving returning Americans a hassle!

At the airports at least, many fewer of the seasoned returning crew than before meet an actual living and breathing agent any more.

 

[Amtrak25]

For CBSA, every trip on the Adirondack I have seen them pull a couple of people off the train and sent back. They tend to obsess with people sitting in the bulkhead seats, they go away, then come back two or three times. About 1 in 10 poeople are hauled off to the dinette car for "interviews"

A fellow who visits his family in Montreal every couple of months was once taken off the train to be strip-searched in the trailer. He submitted to that and was allowed to proceed.

The time holding the train at the border is just as bad as the Americans.

They are all having power trips and answer to no one. Give them an off-train palace like they have at Niagara Falls, and they will be just as obnoxious.

 

[zephyr17]

I must say that, pre-COVID, the US CBP folks at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver were generally pretty laid back and easy going, at least to me (US citizenship and residence). SIgnificantly easier than anywhere else I've experienced, including CBSA at Pacific Central. I've gone through border inspections at Pacific Central many, many times over the years, btw.

Among the worst was the CBSA at Pacific Highway crossing by bus in March. Didn't appear to believe there even was a train from Vancouver to Toronto.

 

[Bonser]

For CBSA, every trip on the Adirondack I have seen them pull a couple of people off the train and sent back. They tend to obsess with people sitting in the bulkhead seats, they go away, then come back two or three times. About 1 in 10 poeople are hauled off to the dinette car for "interviews"

A fellow who visits his family in Montreal every couple of months was once taken off the train to be strip-searched in the trailer. He submitted to that and was allowed to proceed.

The time holding the train at the border is just as bad as the Americans.

They are all having power trips and answer to no one. Give them an off-train palace like they have at Niagara Falls, and they will be just as obnoxious.

I've always found the CBSA to be polite when traveling to Montreal. Polite and professional. Yes, they've taken people off the train at times but I've never witnessed them power tripping. And many times I've seen passengers without proper documentation i.e., a valid passport.

 

[zephyr17]

They are all having power trips and answer to no one. Give them an off-train palace like they have at Niagara Falls, and they will be just as obnoxious.

For the moment, only US CBP has an off-train palace at Niagara Falls. CBSA is still crammed into their old facility. But CBP's palace on the US side was designed for and is available for joint use if Canada chooses to exercise their Preclearance rights.

 

[glensfallsse]

I've never taken the Adirondack over the border, but have driven across at Champlain perhaps a hundred times and never had an issue with Canadian customs. Well, there was the one time an officer had trouble believing an American would drive all the way to Montreal for a hockey game, but I produced the ticket and that was that.

I rode Amtrak to Vancouver once several years ago. It was very late and I needed to take the SkyTrain to get to my hotel. I had looked it up ahead of time -- the last train south left at 1:17 a.m. I was next in line at customs when I saw the clock on the wall reading 1:13 a.m. I figured I was doomed. I stepped up and was through customs in 20 seconds. I tore across that little park, ducked under the shutters as the station manager was pulling them down, bought the ticket, made it up the escalator and caught the last train. I have never felt more triumphant.

 

[BlackDiamond]

there was the one time an officer had trouble believing an American would drive all the way to Montreal for a hockey game, but I produced the ticket and that was that.

Surprising considering that hockey is practically a religion in Canada.

Having crossed the border numerous times with no bad experiences on either side, unlike going through Heathrow entering the UK where the immigration people were apparently trained by the former East German Stasi

 

[Chatter163]

I've never taken the Adirondack over the border, but have driven across at Champlain perhaps a hundred times and never had an issue with Canadian customs. Well, there was the one time an officer had trouble believing an American would drive all the way to Montreal for a hockey game, but I produced the ticket and that was that.

I could definitely see any of the northeastern NHL team fans doing this.

 

[thully]

I’ve gone across to go to CFL games (and mentioned it to CBSA), which probably sounds much weirder than going to a hockey game. Though they never had an issue with it (nor did they when I came to take the Canadian). I crossed at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel - was dropped off the first two times, and took the Robert Q Airbus from DTW the last time (when I went for the Canadian). Figure I’ll make a return trip across when the Tunnel Bus restarts, though probably just a day trip to Windsor (though I’m planning a couple longer Canada trips in 2023).

I've never taken the Adirondack over the border, but have driven across at Champlain perhaps a hundred times and never had an issue with Canadian customs. Well, there was the one time an officer had trouble believing an American would drive all the way to Montreal for a hockey game, but I produced the ticket and that was that.

I rode Amtrak to Vancouver once several years ago. It was very late and I needed to take the SkyTrain to get to my hotel. I had looked it up ahead of time -- the last train south left at 1:17 a.m. I was next in line at customs when I saw the clock on the wall reading 1:13 a.m. I figured I was doomed. I stepped up and was through customs in 20 seconds. I tore across that little park, ducked under the shutters as the station manager was pulling them down, bought the ticket, made it up the escalator and caught the last train. I have never felt more triumphant.

 

[MARC Rider]

CBSA has reverted from enforcing health regulations to their primary purpose of hassling Canadians for leaving the country.

Hey, they can also hassle visitors, too, but the last few times I entered Canda, and the CBSA agent asked for the purpose of the trip, I just said, "Tourism," and waited for him (or her) to ask for more detail. I nearly all the cases, they didn't question further. I do have a few CBSA stories to tell, but that would hijack the thread, so perhaps a new topic is in order, as I imagine that other have stories, too.

 

[Amtrak25]

On the Adirondack, I always get asked when are you returning to the US, where are you staying, when did you last travel to Canada, do you know anybody there, and specifics like why are you going to Saguenay (to look at Fiords, duh).

When we were bussed on one trip from Ticonderoga after the P42's pilot got ripped off from hanging too low on a grade crossing and ripping it up, they were pretty easy with us at the I-87 border.

On the International 20 years ago, I was headed to London for the night, then Toronto the next day. So I get asked why don't you just go to Toronto tonight. They don't like stopovers.

I have my itinerary on an Excel spreadheet with every train, hotel, place, and date. That usually shuts them up once they glance at it.

 

[JontyMort]

Surprising considering that hockey is practically a religion in Canada.

Having crossed the border numerous times with no bad experiences on either side, unlike going through Heathrow entering the UK where the immigration people were apparently trained by the former East German Stasi

It’s nothing personal, I assure you - they’re even worse on the Brits. A rare exception was my return from Canada last October, when I got a “welcome back”. The automatic gates are beta tested on the public.

 

[StanJazz]

I could definitely see any of the northeastern NHL team fans doing this.

When I went to Toronto by car to see the Cubs play the Blue Jays in August once I told the border agent that I was going to see the Cubs he had no other questions and let me through. I am sure they get many Cubs, White Sox, and Tiger fans going to see their team in Toronto.

 

[user 5784]

When I went to Toronto by car to see the Cubs play the Blue Jays in August once I told the border agent that I was going to see the Cubs he had no other questions and let me through. I am sure they get many Cubs, White Sox, and Tiger fans going to see their team in Toronto.

generally border agents are looking at one's "total picture". In other words, if nothing else is suspect (or agents believe is suspect) about a person, then id imagine going to canada for whatever tourist related, including seeing games, is no problem. they probably investigate someone further only if they think the person is suspicious in other ways--which could be anything. Ive had to answer a lot of questions and had all my bags searched before because i prob fit the profile of a drug runner (age, etc). Maybe they also have a quota of people they investigate. bottom line is they dont have the time to interrogate everyone, so id imagine most folks get waved right on through. They are def used to people going to Canada for whatever tourist related. As long as they dont think you are up to no good, then no prob.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

generally border agents are looking at one's "total picture". In other words, if nothing else is suspect (or agents believe is suspect) about a person, then id imagine going to canada for whatever tourist related, including seeing games, is no problem. they probably investigate someone further only if they think the person is suspicious in other ways--which could be anything. Ive had to answer a lot of questions and had all my bags searched before because i prob fit the profile of a drug runner (age, etc). Maybe they also have a quota of people they investigate. bottom line is they dont have the time to interrogate everyone, so id imagine most folks get waved right on through. They are def used to people going to Canada for whatever tourist related. As long as they dont think you are up to no good, then no prob.

Depends on your definition of “waved right on through” - I’ve been over the border to Canada a few times by train and have always been questioned but never had searches beyond the normal conveyor belt thing.

But my definition of waved on through is when I get back from a cruise and they just look at my passport, look at my face, and then literally wave me through without a word. That’s how I wish it was!

 

[zephyr17]

My general experience is I get the least interrogation when driving across, especially going into Canada. That's often really minimal, "where you going? How long are you staying? Enjoy your trip!"

The primary inspection questioning arriving by train (or especially bus) is usually more involved, intrusive. Lots more questions on the reason, return ticket, etc, etc. As I mentioned before, last time up in March, the CBSA agent at Pacific Highway crossing by bus didn't appear to know there was a train between Vancouver and Toronto.

The very worst crossings were when I went on day trips to Vancouver and back. I really got the third degree on those, even getting pulled into secondary once. Those experiences with CBSA at Pacific Central Station were my biggest motivation for getting a NEXUS card, I thought being pre-vetted by CBSA might help. It did, although they remained suspicious of a 5 hour jaunt to Vancouver.