Entering Canada from USA

[samk]

Hi, I am a Canadian PR holder and currently staying in UAE. I am planning to return back to Canada but first going to be travelling to NewYork for a short visit. I wanted to know if i am able to then cross into canada by either rail or bus service with my canadian PR card.
Also i will be carrying luggage so are the customs the same as it would be at the airport and what would the baggage limit be if any?

Thanks
Sam

 

[YorkFactory]

You should have no problem entering Canada with your PR card via bus or rail. (If you're heading to Toronto, the bus will be several hours faster than the train.)

The baggage limit is set by whatever carrier you're using.

 

[subashbala]

Hello,

I plan to travel to Canada from the Middle East via the US . I a Canadian PR ( I have a valid PR Card) and the only reason i m doing this is because i want to enter Canada by Road. So if i can land at the nearest US Airport to Canada which could be Buffalo.... What reason should i tell the customs or the Immigration Officer at the Buffalo Airport ?....
Will they let me in if i tell them that i ll be travelling to Canada by road?
Will purchasing a grey hound ticket from Buffalo Airport to Toronto be sufficient to prove that I m not planning on staying in the US..?

Thanks.

 

[steaky]

Would you require a visa to the States?

 

[subashbala]

I have a tourist Visa to the US.

 

[YorkFactory]

Just so you know: you won't be talking to an immigration officer at the Buffalo airport—you will go through customs and immigration at the airport where you enter the United States, at which point you will have to go through airport security again, so you will need to allow extra time for that. Your flight that lands in Buffalo will be a domestic U.S. flight—you just get off the plane, pick up your bags, and walk out to where the bus will pick you up.

I think (but I'm not sure) that the U.S. border officer will staple something into your passport, and the Canadian border officer will take it out and give it to the U.S. authorities so that they know you've left the U.S. If it's not taken out of your passport for whatever reason, follow these instructions.

 

[subashbala]

Thanks for clarifying York Factory.

So Lets say I enter the United States at the Chicago Airport ...

What do i tell the IO at the Chicago Airport ?... I have no intention of staying in the US. I only want to crossover to Canada by land. Will he let me in if i tell him that i intend to fly to Buffalo and then take the greyhound to Canada? Is that an acceptable reason for him to allow me in ?

 

[YorkFactory]

You would just tell them that you're traveling through the U.S. to get to Canada.

I didn't realize this until I looked just now, but apparently if you're not in the U.S. or Canada, you won't be able to purchase your ticket until you get to a Greyhound ticket office, so you won't have anything to show to the border agent. In addition, I would recommend taking a taxi or city bus from the airport to the downtown Buffalo bus station, because there are only 5 Greyhounds a day that stop at the airport, but 13 that leave from the downtown bus station.

 

[subashbala]

Thanks YorkFactory

I checked the greyhound.com website... It looks like i can purchase my ticket online using a credit card and print the same..... I could then show the ticket to the US Border Agent....That should be fine , right?

 

[YorkFactory]

The Greyhound site says: "U.S. credit card and mailing address are required for Tickets by Mail and print at home online purchases."

 

[subashbala]

I see what you're saying...

I have asked my friend ( Canadian Citizen) to cross over to Buffalo across the border with his car and pick me up at the Airport... Will the Border officer at the U.S Point of Entry be convinced that i have no intention of staying in the US if i mention this arrangement ?

My real question is this ---- I have a tourist visa to the US and am also a Canadian PR intending to crossover to Canada by road. Is there any reason for the Border Officer at the US Point of Entry to refuse me entry to the US given that I intend only to travel to Canada by road with my friend's help ( and not Stay in the US) ?

 

[YorkFactory]

Unfortunately, I have no experience in this area, since I don't need to convince anyone that I plan to leave the U.S.

Maybe someone else here does?

 

[JimM]

The Greyhound site says: "U.S. credit card and mailing address are required for Tickets by Mail and print at home online purchases."

Going Greyhound from the US to Canada is a royal pain. My last trip I went from Buffalo NY to Regina SK and I had to order the Buffalo to Toronto tickets on line and have them emailed to me then call Greyhound Canada as the website would only take a Canadian addresses. The first time I called I was told I couldn't go from Toronto I had to go to Ottawa and then to Regina I called back and got somebody who was able to read the schedule and set it up but the system wouldn't take my debit card so I ended up using a credit card and having to shift money to cover it, ugh.

I really would have thought the two systems would integrate better given there must be a lot of cross border traffic on them if Buffalo is anything to go by.

 

[me2land]

Is there any reason for the Border Officer at the US Point of Entry to refuse me entry to the US given that I intend only to travel to Canada by road with my friend's help ( and not Stay in the US) ?

I don't think entering the US just so you can enter Canada by road is a convicing reason for a border officer to let you in. The real question would be why do you have to enter Canada through the US and by road.

¬m2l