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Kinda unrelated to immigration, but I've heard Canadian border patrol is actually more harsh than American border control. Anyone with experience that can verif

Kinda unrelated to immigration, but I've heard Canadian border patrol is actually more harsh than American border control. Anyone with experience that can verify?

Jare 8y ago
During my years in Vancouver last decade, crossing the border to visit my brother in Seattle was such a stark contrast... Entering the USA I always felt like I was this close to being kicked back. From the faces, tones of voice, type of questions to the general atmosphere, all seemed intended to make me feel dominated. Crossing back to Canada was always fast and efficient, half the times the guards would even joke in good taste. I don't think it was the difference between being a visitor (to the USA) vs a resident (in Canada), because the couple of times I went abroad while I was a resident in the USA were very similar.
reaperducer 8y ago
Back when you only needed a drivers license to cross the border, the Canadian border person looked at my Texas driver's license and said, "Texas, huh. Where are your guns?" That would be considered unacceptable and unprofessional at U.S. border control.
- majormajor 8y ago
  Hah, I had exactly the same experience crossing into Ontario in either 2003 or 2006. We had six people and a ton of luggage and they seemed to be seriously considering searching all our bags just because of Texas IDs. :|
- siidooloo 8y ago
  They were probably trying to slip you up and see if you would say in the trunk or something.
- querulous 8y ago
  a us border guard once asked me if i hated america because i hadn't visited it in nearly 18 months
  - CNJ7654 8y ago
    Well, do you?
Symbiote 8y ago
(British passport.) Straightforward business trips for both countries for me, but Canada is a little more casual than average, but otherwise uninteresting. The officials smile, ask a straightforward question ("where are you staying?"), and stamp the passport ("enjoy your stay in Canada"). In the US, I feel like I'm being interrogated. "You don't look like a software developer" "who is paying for this trip?" and lots of scowling.
- speeq 8y ago
  That's funny because I had the exact opposite experience. I think it just depends on the mood of the border officer.
refurb 8y ago
Dual citizen, crossed the border probably 50+ times both by air and land. The only two times I've been aggressively grilled including accusations of smuggling and personal questions that were intrusive were coming back into Canada. Even when I only had a green card, most of the time the US CBP just said "welcome home" and waved me on.
yarrel 8y ago
Yep, far worse. They were very nice when I activated my PR card though.
megaman22 8y ago
I've always faced much tougher scrutiny coming back across to the American side. Had lots of friends and family in Quebec, and we went fishing and hunting up there multiple trips a year, usually with a truck loaded for a week or two of being out in the woods. Even bringing firearms across, you just step inside the office and fill out the paperwork. Usually when we told them that we only had the legal limit of one case of beer or bottle of wine per adult, they'd joke and ask us if we were going to get thirsty while we were fishing... The one thing that is a little sticky is that you can't get across the border if you have had a DUI within so many years. An issue for some of my dad's hunting buddies. The US side coming back was always a bigger pain in the neck. Part of that is because of the way Border Patrol rotates their agents. You could always tell the ones that had recently rotated from the Mexican border because they were twitchy and kept a hand on their holster at all times. I'm sure it's a hard habit to break, but not really appropriate at a backwater crossing in Northern Maine where 95% of the traffic is log trucks and local Canadians coming over to fill up their gas tanks or pick up things they've ordered online.
ajeet_dhaliwal 8y ago
I have found this to be the case with the customs. This is mostly because Canada’s custom thresholds are absurdly low in comparison to other countries. Both when entering the country but also when posting something in, see: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/canadas-customs-threshold-out-of-step-and-out-of-pocket/article30560441/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-comme...
perardi 8y ago
I am constantly hopping back and forth between Chicago and Toronto to be with my boyfriend. I have never been seriously questioned on either side, though I think I get a slight bit more side eye on the U.S. side when I mention the same-sex partner thing. But I could be projecting.

Kinda unrelated to immigration, but I've heard Canadian border patrol is actually more harsh than American border control. Anyone with experience that can verify?

Jare 8y ago

During my years in Vancouver last decade, crossing the border to visit my brother in Seattle was such a stark contrast... Entering the USA I always felt like I was this close to being kicked back. From the faces, tones of voice, type of questions to the general atmosphere, all seemed intended to make me feel dominated. Crossing back to Canada was always fast and efficient, half the times the guards would even joke in good taste. I don't think it was the difference between being a visitor (to the USA) vs a resident (in Canada), because the couple of times I went abroad while I was a resident in the USA were very similar.

reaperducer 8y ago

Back when you only needed a drivers license to cross the border, the Canadian border person looked at my Texas driver's license and said, "Texas, huh. Where are your guns?" That would be considered unacceptable and unprofessional at U.S. border control.

majormajor 8y ago
Hah, I had exactly the same experience crossing into Ontario in either 2003 or 2006. We had six people and a ton of luggage and they seemed to be seriously considering searching all our bags just because of Texas IDs. :|
siidooloo 8y ago
They were probably trying to slip you up and see if you would say in the trunk or something.
querulous 8y ago
a us border guard once asked me if i hated america because i hadn't visited it in nearly 18 months
- CNJ7654 8y ago
  Well, do you?

Symbiote 8y ago

(British passport.) Straightforward business trips for both countries for me, but Canada is a little more casual than average, but otherwise uninteresting. The officials smile, ask a straightforward question ("where are you staying?"), and stamp the passport ("enjoy your stay in Canada"). In the US, I feel like I'm being interrogated. "You don't look like a software developer" "who is paying for this trip?" and lots of scowling.

speeq 8y ago
That's funny because I had the exact opposite experience. I think it just depends on the mood of the border officer.

refurb 8y ago

Dual citizen, crossed the border probably 50+ times both by air and land. The only two times I've been aggressively grilled including accusations of smuggling and personal questions that were intrusive were coming back into Canada. Even when I only had a green card, most of the time the US CBP just said "welcome home" and waved me on.

yarrel 8y ago

Yep, far worse. They were very nice when I activated my PR card though.

megaman22 8y ago

I've always faced much tougher scrutiny coming back across to the American side. Had lots of friends and family in Quebec, and we went fishing and hunting up there multiple trips a year, usually with a truck loaded for a week or two of being out in the woods. Even bringing firearms across, you just step inside the office and fill out the paperwork. Usually when we told them that we only had the legal limit of one case of beer or bottle of wine per adult, they'd joke and ask us if we were going to get thirsty while we were fishing... The one thing that is a little sticky is that you can't get across the border if you have had a DUI within so many years. An issue for some of my dad's hunting buddies. The US side coming back was always a bigger pain in the neck. Part of that is because of the way Border Patrol rotates their agents. You could always tell the ones that had recently rotated from the Mexican border because they were twitchy and kept a hand on their holster at all times. I'm sure it's a hard habit to break, but not really appropriate at a backwater crossing in Northern Maine where 95% of the traffic is log trucks and local Canadians coming over to fill up their gas tanks or pick up things they've ordered online.

ajeet_dhaliwal 8y ago

I have found this to be the case with the customs. This is mostly because Canada’s custom thresholds are absurdly low in comparison to other countries. Both when entering the country but also when posting something in, see: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/canadas-customs-threshold-out-of-step-and-out-of-pocket/article30560441/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-comme...

perardi 8y ago

I am constantly hopping back and forth between Chicago and Toronto to be with my boyfriend. I have never been seriously questioned on either side, though I think I get a slight bit more side eye on the U.S. side when I mention the same-sex partner thing. But I could be projecting.