Clearing customs in Vancouver at train station

[Willow]

Has anyone cleared customs at the Amtrak station in Vancouver (going into Vancouver) with a possession charge in their very distant past? (42 years distant)

 

[white rabbitt]

i can answer that i had a acid bust in my past (1967)

and when i got off the train they did a ncic check at customs

denied me entry into canada they had me stay on the cascade till it left going back to seattle

 

[PRR 60]

I would not assume that you will be admitted to Canada. Canada is very strict about not admitting persons who have convictions for crimes that are also considered crimes in Canada. That includes seemingly minor offenses. With inter-connected databases, it is easier than ever for a prior conviction to be discovered by a border agent.

Over the last year that general policy was eased a tiny bit. Border agents have the digression to issue on the spot a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) to allow immediate entry for someone with one conviction for a minor offense. However, that policy does not mean everyone will get such an accommodation. There is some thought that it is an economic call to allow admission in cases where denying admission to one person in a group would result in an entire group deciding to turn back (with their dollars in-hand). As an individual, I would not bet getting on entry that way.

A TPR can also be obtained through application prior to attempting to enter Canada. The link above describes the process. It sounds like a major PITA to get.

Basically, you have three choices:

1 - Don't try to enter Canada.

2 - Attempt to enter hoping they either will not find your issue or, if they find it, they decide to issue the TPR and let you in anyway (with the possibility or even probability you will be turned back).

3 - Go the prescribed route and apply for a TRP through the normal, involved and time-consuming process.

 

[TrackWalker]

Do not lie to Customs and Immigration on any question they may ask. They will know if you are and it will only make matters worse.

 

[white rabbitt]

vancouver is a vary busy port city

if u tryed entering at blaine on greyhound

they might let u in but not likely 3 months ago i crossed from detroit to windsor

and got in they did not bother me or run my name

i think it comes down to the custom man's day if he is in a good mood he might let u in

 

[dart330]

I recently saw an article stating that Canada won't let you in if you have ever had a DUI. Seems pretty strict, but I find the customs going into Canada are much less hostile than when coming back into the US.

 

[TVRM610]

For what it's worth I recently went into Canada at Niagra Falls and left through Vancouver (both by train) and was surprised how strict both sides were. The Canadian side wanted to know how I paid for my train trip, who my employer was, when I was expected back at work, when I booked my train trip, where else I was going in the States after I left Canada, etc. etc.

 

[yarrow]

we took the cascades to vancouver from seattle last week. we go to canada 3 or 4 times a year. no criminal record of any sort yet they went over us with a fine toothed and unfriendly comb. everything out of our bags and wallets was checked. all sorts of questions. coming back into the usa the customs inspector looked at our passports, said "welcome back" and that was it. hope to never go through the experience we had with canadian customs again

 

[MrFSS]

we took the cascades to vancouver from seattle last week. we go to canada 3 or 4 times a year. no criminal record of any sort yet they went over us with a fine toothed and unfriendly comb. everything out of our bags and wallets was checked. all sorts of questions. coming back into the usa the customs inspector looked at our passports, said "welcome back" and that was it. hope to never go through the experience we had with canadian customs again

You think that is bad - try entering and departing from Israel.

Last time we left that country we were in the interrogation area at the airport for almost three hours. We were with a tour group and they separated us into smaller groups. They would ask a question of one of us in our small group and then go ask the same question to another small group. You needed the two answers to be the same. Not a fun experience. Very nerve wracking.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Gee, you guys are making me glad I don't have any desire to travel overseas (or across the border here in North America) other than maybe to Ireland (especially if my son-in-law gets the job he's interviewing for over there). Hope Ireland is not too difficult to enter or leave.

 

[pennyk]

I have been to Canada twice in the past 2 years by train. The first time - on the Maple Leaf; the second time on the Adirondack. I had no problems at all. I was asked a few routine questions (in English) and there were no issues or follow up. Neither time was my luggage or personal effects inspected. I guess I look like a harmless little old lady. :giggle:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I have been to Canada twice in the past 2 years by train. The first time - on the Maple Leaf; the second time on the Adirondack. I had no problems at all. I was asked a few routine questions (in English) and there were no issues or follow up. Neither time was my luggage or personal effects inspected. I guess I look like a harmless little old lady. :giggle:

Or a harmless yoga instructor. :giggle:

 

[USN-retired]

I have been to Canada twice in the past 2 years by train. The first time - on the Maple Leaf; the second time on the Adirondack. I had no problems at all. I was asked a few routine questions (in English) and there were no issues or follow up. Neither time was my luggage or personal effects inspected. I guess I look like a harmless little old lady. :giggle:

Perhaps you hit the nail on the head. I have been to Canada many times and not been subjected to any searches; however, the last time I went to Canada was over three years ago. Have done quite a bit of foreign travel since then though. I have no problem with what a country does to find out who and/or what is coming into it. Ever noticied how long it takes a foreigner to clear our customs and immigration?

 

[fairviewroad]

Gee, you guys are making me glad I don't have any desire to travel overseas (or across the border here in North America) other than maybe to Ireland (especially if my son-in-law gets the job he's interviewing for over there). Hope Ireland is not too difficult to enter or leave.

Don't let the negative experiences listed here dissuade you from traveling. Over the past 10 years, I have entered Canada probably close to 50 times, by

plane, private auto, train and even ferry. Only ONCE did I have anything approaching a negative experience...at a small, rural crossing from Minnesota

into Manitoba, I was given the "white-glove" treatment by a pair of (I feel) bored agents who asked me to get out of the car and they went over ALL of my

possessions while wearing white gloves (they even removed my CD's from their cases and inspected the liner notes). Fortunately I was traveling "light" and

this took no more than 20 minutes.

But that aside, my typical experience at the border is a couple of perfunctory questions and I'm on my way. Perhaps it's my frequent crossings that show that

I'm a "good guy" (and the fact that I'm never there for more than a week or so). But bottom line, if you hold a US Passport and have no criminal record, you

should have NO problems entering Canada, especially at major crossings.

 

[SarahZ]

That's so bizarre. In my experience, it's super easy to get into Canada, but then I always get hassled coming back into the States. One time, they detained me for two hours while they asked me the same questions over and over and searched my car, threatening to arrest me if they cut their finger on anything in my trunk. They finally let me go after calling Lansing to verify all of my identification (are you freaking kidding me). I had my birth certificate and drivers license (this was before passports were required), and while the agent was on the phone, I decided to get snarky and started laying all kinds of stuff on the counter. In addition to my birth certificate and drivers license, I set down my student ID, two credit cards, two video store cards, my library card, and a punch card for Panera Bread. I'm sure that didn't help my case, but I was beyond irritated.

Coincidentally, that was the exact same day they let a guy through with a bloody axe and hammer. He proceeded to kill nine more people before he was arrested. So I, a college student with nothing but a suitcase and laptop, was detained and hassled, but Mr. Bloody Weapons got through. According to the news, they didn't detain him because they couldn't immediately prove the blood was human. /facepalm

Anyway.

When I drove there in 2004, I had my friend with me, and she neglected to tell me she'd been arrested for assault three years prior. When we got to the border, they had us pull over and park at the customs office. I was really confused until, while waiting, she told me she'd been arrested. Sure enough, they came out and showed us how to turn around. I had to drive her all the way back to Kalamazoo before heading back. I didn't get to Toronto until 4:00 AM. To say I was pissed is an understatement, even though she didn't realize a three-year old assault charge would prevent her from entering the country.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I've been to Canada a number of times in recent years and never experienced any problems. The worst time my wife and i had was more than 15 years ago at Kennedy Airport in New York when we came back from Europe. The U.S. customs guy went over our purchases with a fine tooth comb and then all of a sudden stopped the questioning and let us through. I think he will killing time until he went off duty.

 

[ribbon50]

I have never had a problem anywhere. The only thing that came close was passing from Bangkok to Butterworth on the overnight train (International Express) at the Malaysian border at Pedang Besar. Malay customs made everyone take their luggage off the train and open it in the customs building but mine hardly got a glance and we were on our way soon. Once at JFK (from Madrid) I had to declare unset diamonds (no duty on them). Customs wanted to search my luggage. I said fine but warned them it was mostly smelly dirty laundry and they waived me through. Guess I look friendly and harmless.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Since I let my passport expire many, many years ago, I will need to get a new one if I do decide to travel abroad/across the border. If my SIL gets the job in Ireland, I will begin the process of getting a new passport.

 

[zephyr17]

I go to to Vancouver on the train very frequently and Candian Immigration is VERY tight there and your name WILL be run. CBSA is linked with the US NCIC databases so your US criminal record, if any, will show. Entry will be refused for conviction of anything that would be a felony in Canada, which DUIs are, not sure about a pot bust, but it probably is.

If your conviction and sentence ended 5 of more years ago and there were no subsequent convictions, you can apply for "Rehabilitation" with Canada and be permanently cleared to enter. The process is involved, time-consuming, and must be done in advance, not at the border. Here's the link

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/rehabil.asp

I have traveled internationally a reasonable amount, and the worst time I ever have is entering Canada at the Vancouver train station. Consistently. I am polite and do not cop an attitude and get the third degree there all the time. I got a Nexus card now and it is a little bit better, since CBSA did a background check on me in order to get the card.

And, like the other poster, every time I return, the US Immigration person at Vancouver looks at my passport and says welcome back.

 

[SubwayNut]

I had the opposite this fall and on most of my trips the Canadians have been nicer than our Department of Homeland Security officers. I was going on a quick round-trip overnight to Montreal on the Adirondack for a milage and to experience Ocean View. The CBSA officers who came through were very friendly and totally understood my reason for going to Montreal for the night. The next morning the US border patrol agent was totally suspicious of me. Except for making sure I had access to sufficient funds (flashed a credit card). Apparently a trip to Canada to "Ride a Train" in a dome car (through New York State) isn't a valid reason, and he assumed my trip had other intentions. He proceeded to search my backpack, told me to empty my pockets but never physically touched me. I was sharing the relatively empty car with some West Point Cadets in uniform coming back from a conference who I later chatted with briefly and they said the same agent had given them an extremely hard time wanting to know where there military orders were for being in Canada. I can't remember if that agent had a reader on him to swipe my passport.

 

[zephyr17]

It may well be only in Vancouver, but the OP was asking about Vancouver, and I've got a lot of experience with CBSA specifically at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver. They are consistently pretty tight and by the book. It has never stopped me from going, I've never been refused entry, but CBSA in Vancouver is consistently a pain in the butt. On the other hand, the US CBE guys there coming back are pretty relaxed.

 

[SarahZ]

The funniest experience I had was when I crossed over the Ambassador Bridge. I had flown to Vancouver Island from Toronto, so I was returning through Windsor. Anyway, I had a nice, female agent at the bridge. She asked me to please pop my trunk, so I did. As she was looking at my luggage, this peacock of an agent strutted over and started barking at me - "Why do you have a tent in your trunk?!? What's all this?!? Where were you?"

Before I could say anything, the female agent gave him a look and said, "Um, she was on Vancouver Island. Why do you THINK she has a tent in her trunk?" Then she shook her head, shut my trunk, smiled at me, and waved me through.

(Why, yes, I AM turning this into a Border Crossing Stories thread.)

 

[greatcats]

I took the Cascades into Vancouver in October, 2011 and was handled very courteously and efficiently. In March of 2009 I drove across the Alberta border just north of Glacier National Park and that nasty SOB seemed to want to harass the first person across the border that morning. I felt like strangling him and was composing a nasty letter in my head. After searching my car, which they are entitled to do, he said " Thank you for your time, SIr. Have a safe trip. " That Canadian thereby spared me writing the letter. Disgusting behavior like this would seem to be a power trip on the part of small fish. I have cautioned a friend of mine, who several years ago had some sexual activity with an underage girl he was seeing at the time, about traveling into Canada without researching the matter because of the charges that were made against him.

 

[gregoryla]

Last summer I took the CSL from L.A. to Seattle, then continued onto Victoria B.C. by ferry. Canadian customs took a quick look at my passport and I was through. Coming back, U.S. customs took an equally quick look at my passport, asked if I had any fresh fruit or vegetables (I had a banana, they were okay with that), and I was through. Didn't take more than 30 seconds at either end.

 

[white rabbitt]

sorcha i went to windsor on a afternoon gambleing bus from the jewish community center

we got to the ambassador bridge they saw seniors going to gamble for a few hours

made sure we had passports then let the bus drive on comeing back same with the us saw seniors let us return