Crossing the border recently and completed 14-day Quarantine

[canprofus]

It depends on the officer.
Last month when i was returning to windsor, i was asked to quarantine(i am resident in Canada). This month when i travelled, i was not asked.
Some traveled and returned on same day without quarantine as you can see it in other threads. So who knows what your officer will do. But you need to have quarantine plan as per travel rules(irrelevant of you asking the officer to allow to go back without quarantine):
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html

Quarantine requirement same for all: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html#quarantine
I did not go out for 14 days.

same experience as swan here.. if you fill the app, quarantine part will not mentioned by the officer. last time I filled the app, officer didn't mention anything about quarantine (not even single word on it), but I got several calls both from Health Canada as well as from Ontario Ministry of Health. Health Canada call was automated, but required inputs from the receiver with a series of questions. Call from Ontario Health ministry was from a human and it lasted quite some time. so officer not mentioning about quarantine doesn't guarantee anything. if you don't fill the app, they will definitely mention about it.

 

[desmat]

same experience as swan here.. if you fill the app, quarantine part will not mentioned by the officer. last time I filled the app, officer didn't mention anything about quarantine (not even single word on it), but I got several calls both from Health Canada as well as from Ontario Ministry of Health. Health Canada call was automated, but required inputs from the receiver with a series of questions. Call from Ontario Health ministry was from a human and it lasted quite some time. so officer not mentioning about quarantine doesn't guarantee anything. if you don't fill the app, they will definitely mention about it.

@canprofus @harirajmohan @swan0206
I travelled yesterday to usa border and came back after 2 hours due to some reason.. I didn't fill any app as i didnt know abt it.. Officer at port of entry told me i have to quarantine for 14 days..
I told him that i travelled only for 2 hours .. He said quarantined is required even if anybody travelled for 15min..
Then i asked how wud i come back to usa again if work required.. Do i need to travel everyday to avoid qurantine.. He said yes or u have to show us pattern of ur incoming outgoing.. Everyday or every week or a pattern...

Then later he asked when do i need to go to work again.. I said may be after 1 week ..
Then he said i can break my quarantine after 1 week if i have to come for work again...

I totally don't understand what type of restrictions are these that a everyday or every week or pattern guy cannot increase covid but a random traveller any time can do that..

Anyways he gave me pamphlet which i read today and this page says14days quarantine and also this page js asking to register for arrivecan app..

So i don't know if i am under 14days quarantine or 7 days or no qurantine..

Now guys please tell me answers and help me..

1. What did officer meant.. Am i under 7days quarantine or 14days or what does it mean if he said i can break it after a week if i have to travel again fro work after a week..

2. App is asking if i am exempt yes or no..
If i select yes then it gives me option "cross border work" or essential services or medical or trade or transport..

Now Can i select "cross border work"?
I travelled on h1b but my client location is very far in different state from border... I got new i94 and then i came back after 2 hours due to change in plans...

3. If i select no to exempt then what reason shud i select.. It says family reunification or student visa or work visa etc... Shud i select "none of above" option as i travelled for work in usa state but came back without going to work location so i came back to my house in canada...

@harirajmohan did you have to download arrivecan app when u were asked to quarantine in december assuming officer gave u pamphlet and that page said to download arrivecan and submit within 48 hours of arrival.. If yes then what did u select on app? Or u didnot submit app and simply stayed at home for 14days??

Thanks guys in advance..

 

[canprofus]

@canprofus @harirajmohan @swan0206
I travelled yesterday to usa border and came back after 2 hours due to some reason.. I didn't fill any app as i didnt know abt it.. Officer at port of entry told me i have to quarantine for 14 days..
I told him that i travelled only for 2 hours .. He said quarantined is required even if anybody travelled for 15min..
Then i asked how wud i come back to usa again if work required.. Do i need to travel everyday to avoid qurantine.. He said yes or u have to show us pattern of ur incoming outgoing.. Everyday or every week or a pattern...

Then later he asked when do i need to go to work again.. I said may be after 1 week ..
Then he said i can break my quarantine after 1 week if i have to come for work again...

I totally don't understand what type of restrictions are these that a everyday or every week or pattern guy cannot increase covid but a random traveller any time can do that..

Anyways he gave me pamphlet which i read today and this page says14days quarantine and also this page js asking to register for arrivecan app..

So i don't know if i am under 14days quarantine or 7 days or no qurantine..

Now guys please tell me answers and help me..

1. What did officer meant.. Am i under 7days quarantine or 14days or what does it mean if he said i can break it after a week if i have to travel again fro work after a week..

2. App is asking if i am exempt yes or no..
If i select yes then it gives me option "cross border work" or essential services or medical or trade or transport..

Now Can i select "cross border work"?
I travelled on h1b but my client location is very far in different state from border... I got new i94 and then i came back after 2 hours due to change in plans...

3. If i select no to exempt then what reason shud i select.. It says family reunification or student visa or work visa etc... Shud i select "none of above" option as i travelled for work in usa state but came back without going to work location so i came back to my house in canada...

@harirajmohan did you have to download arrivecan app when u were asked to quarantine in december assuming officer gave u pamphlet and that page said to download arrivecan and submit within 48 hours of arrival.. If yes then what did u select on app? Or u didnot submit app and simply stayed at home for 14days??

Thanks guys in advance..

Did he ask for your address and phone number? As far as I know you have to quarantine for 14 days because you'll keep getting calls till day 8 or 9. I'm not sure if their system is set up to accommodate 7 days quarantine. Filling in app is not mandatory.

Where is your work location based of? Unless it is an emergency situation it is not advisable to return without going to your work city. Someone in this forum who travels to mid west told me that CBP once verified if he was really going to the place where he mentioned by checking the toll booth near Chicago and tallying with his past arrival days. So be careful on that part.

 

[desmat]

Did he ask for your address and phone number? As far as I know you have to quarantine for 14 days because you'll keep getting calls till day 8 or 9. I'm not sure if their system is set up to accommodate 7 days quarantine. Filling in app is not mandatory.

Where is your work location based of? Unless it is an emergency situation it is not advisable to return without going to your work city. Someone in this forum who travels to mid west told me that CBP once verified if he was really going to the place where he mentioned by checking the toll booth near Chicago and tallying with his past arrival days. So be careful on that part.

Yes he asked address and phone number...
He did not ask email id..

Don't we get call on first day or 2nd day.. I didn't get any call today or yesterday..

Yes mine is in midwest too.. But i forgot my work laptop so i had to come back..

Btw what do you mean by toll booth.. How can anyone verify using toll booth.. Nobody asks your car details or number plate details when you arrive and even if goes for secondary inspection..
Also you are authorized to go any where in USA once allowed entry.. CBP is for international entry and not for domestic travelers... Your work location authoruzation comes under uscis.. By ur logic (or wherever u read) one cannot go anywhere else in usa during vacation or visiting friends in other state or for any thing even after entry.. Is it if i understand properly?

 

[harirajmohan]

@canprofus @harirajmohan @swan0206
I travelled yesterday to usa border and came back after 2 hours due to some reason.. I didn't fill any app as i didnt know abt it.. Officer at port of entry told me i have to quarantine for 14 days..
I told him that i travelled only for 2 hours .. He said quarantined is required even if anybody travelled for 15min..
Then i asked how wud i come back to usa again if work required.. Do i need to travel everyday to avoid qurantine.. He said yes or u have to show us pattern of ur incoming outgoing.. Everyday or every week or a pattern...

Then later he asked when do i need to go to work again.. I said may be after 1 week ..
Then he said i can break my quarantine after 1 week if i have to come for work again...

I totally don't understand what type of restrictions are these that a everyday or every week or pattern guy cannot increase covid but a random traveller any time can do that..

Anyways he gave me pamphlet which i read today and this page says14days quarantine and also this page js asking to register for arrivecan app..

So i don't know if i am under 14days quarantine or 7 days or no qurantine..

Now guys please tell me answers and help me..

1. What did officer meant.. Am i under 7days quarantine or 14days or what does it mean if he said i can break it after a week if i have to travel again fro work after a week..

2. App is asking if i am exempt yes or no..
If i select yes then it gives me option "cross border work" or essential services or medical or trade or transport..

Now Can i select "cross border work"?
I travelled on h1b but my client location is very far in different state from border... I got new i94 and then i came back after 2 hours due to change in plans...

3. If i select no to exempt then what reason shud i select.. It says family reunification or student visa or work visa etc... Shud i select "none of above" option as i travelled for work in usa state but came back without going to work location so i came back to my house in canada...

@harirajmohan did you have to download arrivecan app when u were asked to quarantine in december assuming officer gave u pamphlet and that page said to download arrivecan and submit within 48 hours of arrival.. If yes then what did u select on app? Or u didnot submit app and simply stayed at home for 14days??

Thanks guys in advance..

Nothing to worry.
Just be inside house for 14 days or till you go to work next time(if its before 14 days). YOu can go to work this/next week and begin quarantine again like this. Its not great but at least we are allowed to travel.

Quarantine reporting daily: Arrivecan was not allowing me to report for more than 3 days hence i continue my reporting symptoms via 833-641-0343.
I report my symptoms this week even when officer did not tell me to quarantine.

 

[canprofus]

Yes he asked address and phone number...
He did not ask email id..

Don't we get call on first day or 2nd day.. I didn't get any call today or yesterday..

Yes mine is in midwest too.. But i forgot my work laptop so i had to come back..

Btw what do you mean by toll booth.. How can anyone verify using toll booth.. Nobody asks your car details or number plate details when you arrive and even if goes for secondary inspection..
Also you are authorized to go any where in USA once allowed entry.. CBP is for international entry and not for domestic travelers... Your work location authoruzation comes under uscis.. By ur logic (or wherever u read) one cannot go anywhere else in usa during vacation or visiting friends in other state or for any thing even after entry.. Is it if i understand properly?

that's so ignorant. even before you go to the officer, the very first thing that happens at the booth is your number plates get captured by the camera. the officers can see your entire Ontario registration information. that's why don't don't ask anything to you about it when you go to secondary inspection. Try taking a car that is not registered in your name and see what happens.. they have exit timestamps too.. they don't even need to go that far looking up toll history.. if they see that you returned back in two hours, they can easily know that you didn't travel to work location.

I didn't read it anywhere and it was not my logic.. it was personal experience of another member in this forum who commutes from Windsor. the officer was little hesitant to believe that he was traveling all the way till mid west, so he tallied his entries with toll booth at Chicago.

you are allowed to go anywhere inside US, but I am pretty sure you say where you go and why you go when you enter. it is up to you if you want to fool around yourself and get in to trouble.

 

[desmat]

that's so ignorant. even before you go to the officer, the very first thing that happens at the booth is your number plates get captured by the camera. the officers can see your entire Ontario registration information. that's why don't don't ask anything to you about it when you go to secondary inspection. Try taking a car that is not registered in your name and see what happens.. they have exit timestamps too.. they don't even need to go that far looking up toll history.. if they see that you returned back in two hours, they can easily know that you didn't travel to work location.

I didn't read it anywhere and it was not my logic.. it was personal experience of another member in this forum who commutes from Windsor. the officer was little hesitant to believe that he was traveling all the way till mid west, so he tallied his entries with toll booth at Chicago.

you are allowed to go anywhere inside US, but I am pretty sure you say where you go and why you go when you enter. it is up to you if you want to fool around yourself and get in to trouble.

I have travelled many times in a car which was not on my name... Thats first point...

Second point is one does not need to go on toll roads mandatory.. There are roads to go without tolls near chicago.. I know that because i have stayed near chicago... So not sure how officer can determine that.. Even its easy to make fool if you are using ipass with ur number plate but put ipass in another car.. So i dont want to doubt intelligence of officer by assuming toll road verification for validating if someone travelled there or not.. Why didn't he use fbi for face.recognition and matching in security cameras there.. Lol

Also they don't get exit timestamps by tracking ur car or number plate... That data is shared between usa and canada system... When u enter usa then tracking shared with Canada to mark exit based on ur passport no or id u use...and vice versa when u enter canada then shared with usa to mark exit...


I am not doubting you but i am not able to buy any theory floated by other persons on other thread without a logic making sense... Because sometimes we try to generalize things which does not happen.. Another point is that most people travel long distances in usa so officer doubting travel to midwest also does not make sense to me...
Either that person on other thread didn't give proper details or he assumed many things..
Anyways even if it really happened with him then could be a once in a while thing with that particular officer and person who posted..

No offence against you .. Chill bro
Just having fun too in between tense situation like covid when people are getting bored at home especially when in quarantine

 

[canprofus]

I have travelled many times in a car which was not on my name... Thats first point...

Second point is one does not need to go on toll roads mandatory.. There are roads to go without tolls near chicago.. I know that because i have stayed near chicago... So not sure how officer can determine that.. Even its easy to make fool if you are using ipass with ur number plate but put ipass in another car.. So i dont want to doubt intelligence of officer by assuming toll road verification for validating if someone travelled there or not.. Why didn't he use fbi for face.recognition and matching in security cameras there.. Lol

Also they don't get exit timestamps by tracking ur car or number plate... That data is shared between usa and canada system... When u enter usa then tracking shared with Canada to mark exit based on ur passport no or id u use...and vice versa when u enter canada then shared with usa to mark exit...


I am not doubting you but i am not able to buy any theory floated by other persons on other thread without a logic making sense... Because sometimes we try to generalize things which does not happen.. Another point is that most people travel long distances in usa so officer doubting travel to midwest also does not make sense to me...
Either that person on other thread didn't give proper details or he assumed many things..
Anyways even if it really happened with him then could be a once in a while thing with that particular officer and person who posted..

No offence against you .. Chill bro
Just having fun too in between tense situation like covid when people are getting bored at home especially when in quarantine

I didn't say they track exit timestamps using car plates. I mentioned that they do track it , so it is not difficult for them to know when you left the country.

So, if someone doesn't head to their work city after telling the officer that they are going there, it is like you tell one thing at port of entry and do another thing after entry? I believe it's called lying. You are underestimating power and reach of border officials. That's all I can say.

I know people who have been turned back for taking spouse cars. Last week too I know someone who took their second car that they don't usually take, the first question officer asked was if it's his car. I'm not sure how you could take someone else's car many times, I hope you are not referring to rental cars. I have hard time believing this than officer checking toll history for that person.

I am not sure how exactly ipass works, but generally any such paid toll system will generally capture number plates and tally with stickers/transponders. In ezpass, we don't need a sticker or transponder and it recognizes someone has ezpass account just using plate itself. Even otherwise it is common sense to capture plate information in tolls. I am really surprised to that you believe they won't capture that basic information in tolls. Even tolltag used in TX side uses plate and sticker information together.

The officers can suspect people for anything. That's precisely their job to make sure people do what they claim to do inside the country. It was definitely a random occurance and will not happen to everyone every time. But if it randomly happens some day and if the officer asks why you didn't travel to your workplace, I'm not sure what would you say. Will you argue with them saying that you have all rights to enter and go anywhere in the country?

 

[tuhadapeo]

No, if you are travelling after a month and you have filled the App, you will not be mentioned about quarantine and Covid related stuff at the border. I experienced this twice already In Dec and in Jan(also you will be getting calls as well during quarantine).

And if you haven't filled the App, you will be given all those quarantine instructions and a pamplet as well.

Thanks.

what app is being referred to here?

 

[harirajmohan]

what app is being referred to here?

ArriveCan

 

[harirajmohan]

I know people who have been turned back for taking spouse cars.

For months i used to take my other car( - title is registered with my wife's name). No issues. I am not sure how and why would officer turn back him just for using spouse's car, unless it was reported stolen. It might be for some other reason.

During my initial days of moving to Canada, i was commuting with rental. Few days i used that car and parked it in US and later i traveled with my friend to cross the border for a day and started commuting back using the rental car. And the officer was continuously asking how did i bring this car earlier. i was saying that this is rental car and showed the agreement and was completely clueless on what they want to find but they kept asking how come I brought it. It seems that those guys were tracking the sequence of entries for that car plate and not sure if some entry was missing and they were bugging me for it without checking their own records.

So i dont think that cbsa tracking is efficient enough.