r/uscanadaborder

My friend got a DUI in 2018, right before the law (as I read online) said it went into effect, that after 2018, you are inadmissible for life.

By 2029, do you think he would have a chance at getting in? After 10 years or is he admissible for life?

I am planning a trip to Canada to visit my partner, with the goal of staying for up to six months. I am from a country that allows me to enter Canada as a visitor for up to six months without a visa, at the discretion of the border officer. I am flying into YYZ.I am a full-time student and have a clear, documented timeline for my return home to resume my studies.
I am looking for practical, logistical advice from those who have successfully navigated this process. I am fully aware that entry is entirely at the discretion of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and that I could be granted less than six months or be denied entry altogether. To be as prepared and transparent as possible, I have gathered the following:
Ties to home: I have official documentation confirming my student status and my current enrollment. My next semesters school enrollment starts a few days after my scheduled flight home and has to be done in person. I printed that schedule.
Return travel: I have already booked my return ticket to show my concrete plan for departing Canada.
Financial support: My partner and I have a clear plan for my stay. I have my own personal savings, and my partner is also providing financial support to ensure all living expenses are covered. We have prepared detailed documentation showing this shared funding, including a letter of support from my partner and verification of their employment.
Accommodation: My partner has provided a letter confirming that I will be staying at their address.
Preparation: I have organized all my documentation to prove my intent to return.
For those who have done this:
1. How did you present your shared financial documents and letters of support at the border?
2. Did you have any issues explaining your intent to return given the long duration of the visit?

3. Were you sent through primary or did you have to go to secondary?

Any constructive, logistical advice or personal experiences regarding the entry process would be greatly appreciated. Please, no speculation on my relationship I’m looking strictly for border-crossing and logistical insight.I understand no one can tell
Me the exact outcome as everyone's experiences are different however I am open to hearing all experience! TYIA!

Me a few years ago... https://www.reddit.com/r/uscanadaborder/s/A5bF0oRflz

I took the identical trip a few days ago.And then we decided to get married.

So we are going to get married and then go live in mexico. I am dual mexican/canadian citizen...

My hope is to tell cbsa at the Minnesota or Michigan Crossing (not sure which yet) that I am driving to British Columbia to stay with family friends.

This is true and I hope to do some camping along the way as I’m a young adult.

As an American I hope to be admitted for the full 6 months (I’ve never crossed before so forgive my lingo or newness)

Do you all anticipate any problems with them allowing crossing? They are Canadian citizens and will gladly vouch for me and I’m not being paid or working.

Someone please explain this. In nov 2024 I flew to colorado. I went through customs in Canada and when I arrived in Colorado, nothing. Every year prior to 2024 I'd go to Los Angeles, and The same story.

My friend today went to Colorado earlier this year from Ottawa, same city as me, and he cleared customs in Colorado. Today, I flew Ottawa to Toronto, and thought in Toronto is have to clear customs there beroe going to Ireland buy nothing. I understand having to do it at the destination for obvious reasons .... But why was it different with me and my friend and is it ever both ... Like the destination you leave + where you arrive!?

Hey, so me and my boyfriend are going to Canada next week and I don’t have a passport, I’ve read I can get in with my birth certificate and license, I have my ssn ready as well just in case they need to run it, should I prepare anything else?

And if anyone else has done this then should I worry about getting back into America? How long does it usually take as well?

And maybe could you share your story of going to Canada without a passport/ things to do around Montreal/quebec? We both enjoy art and photography and plan on going on a few small hikes to some falls, maybe some dinners but that’s about it.

We leave Wednesday the 8th so any real advice would be helpful

Thank you

Hi! My best friend and I are both U.S. citizens (both adults), and we’ll be crossing the Detroit bridge into Windsor, Canada next month by bus, then taking the train to Toronto. This will be our first international trip.

I have both a valid U.S. passport and an Enhanced Michigan ID. My best friend only has an Enhanced Michigan ID.

I’ve watched a lot of videos of people crossing the border, but I’ve never done it myself, so I’m a little nervous, especially about returning to the U.S.

What should we expect when crossing into Canada and when coming back into the U.S.? What kinds of questions do they usually ask? Are there any documents we should have ready besides our IDs, or any tips that would make the process smoother?

Any advice for first-time land border crossers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am a U.S. citizen flying into Canada for a 6-month visit to stay with my partner. I am a full-time student and have my return flight booked for the end of the 6-month period.
I want to ensure my entry is as smooth as possible. I’ve read that air arrivals planning a maximum-length stay are subject to more scrutiny. I’m prepared to demonstrate my ties to the U.S. (school enrollment) and have a letter from my partner confirming they are covering my lodging, food, and living expenses for the duration of the visit, along with their proof of status and financial stability. I also have my own personal savings for day-to-day spending.
I have a few questions for those who have experienced this:
How common is a referral to secondary inspection for a planned 6-month stay, and what is the typical experience like in that situation?
Beyond my return ticket, enrollment letter, and the support letter from my partner, is there anything else that helped you demonstrate you are a genuine visitor who isn't planning to stay permanently?
What is the best way to explain my situation concisely if asked by an officer?
I’m looking for practical advice on how to approach the interview and prepare documentation so I can answer questions honestly and accurately. Thanks for any insight.

I'm a Canadian citizen, born in Iran, and I've been working in the U.S. on TN status for over five years. I also have a NEXUS card. In that time I've crossed the border more than 40 times without issue.

On a recent crossing, I was denied entry. As usual, the officer asked whether I had completed military service in Ira, a routine question I've always answered the same way: no, I moved to Canada at 14 and was never subject to mandatory service. This time, however, I was sent to secondary inspection. Officers questioned me for about three hours, asking about my parents' names and occupations, why my family moved to Canada, and similar background details. They also searched my phone. At the end, they told me I could not enter the U.S. until I provided proof that I had not performed military service in Iran.

This is difficult to substantiate, since I haven't been to Iran since I was 14 and haven't left Canada for more than a week at a time since. Regardless, I had my family send me a scan of an old passport that expired in 2012. I returned to the border the next day, went through another roughly three-hour secondary inspection, and was ultimately admitted.

The officer told me the first incident would be recorded as a withdrawal of application for admission, not a formal denial, and that once I provided the requested evidence everything would be cleared. However, I have reason to believe it was recorded as a denial. My girlfriend a white, Canadian-born woman was with me during the first crossing. She recently crossed the border separately with friends and was pulled into secondary inspection, where officers asked her questions about me.

I'd like to understand what's actually on my record and what steps I can take to resolve this.

EDIT to add: child also has passport

Has anyone crossed the border recently? I’m wondering if my situation will be complicated? We might plan a small trip. My child, my partner, and myself. Child birth certificate does not have a second legal parent on it. It is just my name as her parent the other parent part is empty. It has been that way since I gave birth. Because those beginning years I was single parent and we weren’t together. But years later we are back together but not legally married or anything.
So my question is will crossing the border result in more questions asked from the US border? And not being allowed through? Or something worse?

Hi! My best friend and I are both U.S. citizens (both adults), and we’ll be crossing the Detroit bridge into Windsor, Canada next month by bus, then taking the train to Toronto. This will be our first international trip.

I have both a valid U.S. passport and an Enhanced Michigan ID. My best friend only has an Enhanced Michigan ID.

I’ve watched a lot of videos of people crossing the border, but I’ve never done it myself, so I’m a little nervous, especially about returning to the U.S.

What should we expect when crossing into Canada and when coming back into the U.S.? What kinds of questions do they usually ask? Are there any documents we should have ready besides our IDs, or any tips that would make the process smoother?

Any advice for first-time land border crossers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I am asking on behalf of a friend who was denied entry at the US border. They are Canadian and were kept in the waiting area for almost 12 hours. Pictures were taken, fingerprints and the officers checked their phones. Only my friend's phone was taken and it has been 3 weeks now and still not returned. Every time he calls the border, they try to get rid of him without even knowing who is calling. If he insists on speaking to a supervisor, the supervisor comes back saying they are still working on it.

What was strange is that during the original stop, multiple officers kept apologizing and promising things like "It is going to be 15 mins and will let you go" or "we will be done soon" that never happened. It felt like they personally wanted to help but kept getting overruled by someone above them.

They were made to sign multiple forms: I-831, I-275, I-160A, DHS 6051D, I-770 for the kids, and they also received a Foreign Terrorist Organization Notification form. A few things that stood out:

• The I-770 was never read to them and the information in it is inaccurate. It says the kids were arrested and had to call the parents when they were all sitting together from the beginning to the end in the waiting area.
• One of the forms states they had no itinerary when they actually had all their documents with them.
• The stated reason for denial was "intending immigrant without documents.". They didn't intend to immigrate, they were just going for vacation.

My questions are:

1. Why did this whole situation happen?
2. Will they ever return the phone?
3. Do they need to hire a lawyer and if so what type of lawyer?
4. What should they expect next?
5. Can they re-enter the US in the future?

Ready to post?

So we have been traveling to Canada to go fishing for years and before we get to the border (both directions) we stop and roll back the cover over the truck bed. My dad swears it's the only way to make sure we don't get stopped and checked. My brother and I have debated with all the technology this might be a waste of time. So does that actually make any difference to the bored agents?

What is the maximum amount of milk or butter I can bring into Canada? Is it by $20, 20kg or 20L?

ETA: I should clarify - My parents aren't traveling with me. I meant to say that I am traveling as a Canadian and my parents are Iranian. I was born in Canada but have a... not Canadian sounding name.

I have plans to travel to the US for a cruise later this year with my wife and two boys. We are all born and raised in Canada but my parents are both born in Iran. It has been a few years since they were in Iran last and I was there last more than 15 years ago when I was a teenager. I don't have an Iranian passport and I barely have any connection to Iran.

This is my first time traveling to the US in about 3 years. I'm a law abiding citizen but I'm still a little nervous with all of the stories I've been hearing about lately. Doubly so since I have Iranian heritage. I think we clear customs while at the airport in Canada so if I'm refused entry for any reason, I can just turn around and go home.

Has anyone with a similar background as me gone to the US in the last year or so? What's your experience been like? Should I be worried about getting refused?

Hi all,

I’m supposed to go on a relatively short-notice weekend trip with friends to Montreal in a few weeks. Back in 2013 I was arrested for DUI in Connecticut when I was 18 years old. It was “dismissed” from my record. Exact wording from my lawyer at the time:

“Under CT law, your case was “dismissed”. We have a statute called the Erasure statute which applies to any case which has been dismissed by the court.  In that section it says: “Any person who shall have been the subject of such an erasure shall be deemed to have never been arrested within the meaning of the general statutes with respect to the proceedings so erased and may so swear under oath.”

But I understand now that this may still pop up at the border potentially. I know my case being so long ago (and being my only offense of any sort) helps my chances, but is there a decently high risk of having problems here? I was planning to ride up from Boston with friends (I won’t be driving), but if there’s a chance that our car gets turned around because of me I need to consider that.

I know it’s all ultimately up to the border guard but was wondering if anyone has any insight into just how risky it is with a very old charge that was dismissed.

My passport expires in October, and I decided to renew my passport online today. Once I submitted the online form, I was shown a big warning that says I cannot use my current passport...

I know it was probably written somewhere, but I did not see it beforehand.

I am going on a bike packing trip Saturday, crossing by bike, and staying in the US for less than 24h. What are my chances of being able to cross both ways :(

I applied April 2025 it’s been 15 months and still haven’t heard back… anyone else experiencing this?

I’ve never had issues at the border post conviction but I am worried about getting denied nexus and having that potentially logged