CBSA what can i expect?

[turtles123]

hello! i am an italian citizen and i arrived in canada 2 weeks ago. I was planning to do a long vacation and go from vancouver to toronto. i wanted to stay about 2 mounths, and make a nice video of canada ( i am a video maker ) but i did't have a scheduled trip when i arrived so i did't have the return fly ticket neither.

This alarmed the immigration police at the airport and they gave me a "visitor record", this document forces me to leave the country in one mounth. So now i have my ticket and i will leave canada next week.

My concers are about the immigration police, deal with them at the arrival was a very unpleasant and scary experience. At a certain point they even told me they wanted to send me back to italy, and i don't really know on wich elements they could support that decision since i didn't committed any crime.

i had never imagine canadian immigration police could be so strict and severe. so i don't want to face them again unprepared.

Is there a code of conduct for people leaving canada? what are they gonna ask me?
what are the powers of the Canada Border Services Agency?
what are my rights as italian citizen? where can i find these information?

thanks

(i forgot to mention that they confiscated my phone for 1 hour (i don't know for what reason). can they do that? is that legal in canada?)

 

[rardhawa]

you did not answer some questions the way an officer would like. So, they started an investigation.

Not sure about what they can and can not do. But, have seen the CBSA on the border security TV show look at people's cell phones etc..

 

[jairichi]

hello! i am an italian citizen and i arrived in canada 2 weeks ago. I was planning to do a long vacation and go from vancouver to toronto. i wanted to stay about 2 mounths, and make a nice video of canada ( i am a video maker ) but i did't have a scheduled trip when i arrived so i did't have the return fly ticket neither.

This alarmed the immigration police at the airport and they gave me a "visitor record", this document forces me to leave the country in one mounth. So now i have my ticket and i will leave canada next week.

My concers are about the immigration police, deal with them at the arrival was a very unpleasant and scary experience. At a certain point they even told me they wanted to send me back to italy, and i don't really know on wich elements they could support that decision since i didn't committed any crime.

i had never imagine canadian immigration police could be so strict and severe. so i don't want to face them again unprepared.

Is there a code of conduct for people leaving canada? what are they gonna ask me?
what are the powers of the Canada Border Services Agency?
what are my rights as italian citizen? where can i find these information?

thanks

(i forgot to mention that they confiscated my phone for 1 hour (i don't know for what reason). can they do that? is that legal in canada?)

Whatever they did is legal in Canada. Have you not looked at "border security Canada" program in youtube.
A visitor is normally expected to have a return flight ticket, confirmed plans and sufficient funds to support stay in Canada. Even if you go to US as a visitor that is expected from you. You have to convince border security of your intentions within Canada. If they are not convinced you are on your next flight back home. You must be happy that they allowed you to stay for a month.
Enjoy your stay.

 

[turtles123]

Whatever they did is legal in Canada. Have you not looked at "border security Canada" program in youtube.
A visitor is normally expected to have a return flight ticket, confirmed plans and sufficient funds to support stay in Canada. Even if you go to US as a visitor that is expected from you. You have to convince border security of your intentions within Canada. If they are not convinced you are on your next flight back home. You must be happy that they allowed you to stay for a month.
Enjoy your stay.

"whatever they did is legal"? "You must be happy that they allowed you to stay for a month"??. Your comments seems a little bit arrogant and annoying.

So the problem, was that my plans were not convincing enough for the immigration police.

Going back to the topic: do i have to convince them of something else while i leave the country? can i expect to be deprivated of my belongings once again?
there are many informations on the web about the requirements for visiting canada, but i couldn't find any about leaving the country.

thanks

 

[MilesAway]

There aren't any border controls when you leave the country. I believe it's recommended that you see CBSA to give them your visitor record as you leave the country.

 

[jairichi]

"whatever they did is legal"? "You must be happy that they allowed you to stay for a month"??. Your comments seems a little bit arrogant and annoying.

So the problem, was that my plans were not convincing enough for the immigration police.

Going back to the topic: do i have to convince them of something else while i leave the country? can i expect to be deprivated of my belongings once again?
there are many informations on the web about the requirements for visiting canada, but i couldn't find any about leaving the country.

thanks

Don't get angry with my reply. It is their standard procedure to check your phone, laptop and baggage if they are not convinced with your response and for them to be sure that you are not entering Canada to work in the guise of a visitor. Any visitor to any country is expected to have a confirmed return ticket, proof of funds to support themselves and proper travel plan.

You do not have to convince anyone one anything during your return. But, it will be better if you meet with an immigration official when you depart Canada. Just to be on safer side.

 

[Rob_TO]

My concers are about the immigration police, deal with them at the arrival was a very unpleasant and scary experience. At a certain point they even told me they wanted to send me back to italy, and i don't really know on wich elements they could support that decision since i didn't committed any crime.

CBSA's job is to ensure you will properly leave Canada after your visitor status is over. This is why you should always have a return ticket already in hand when you try to enter Canada. By not having one, you caused doubt to CBSA that you would actually leave when you're supposed to.

They also look for clues that you may work illegally in Canada, and that you have enough funds to support yourself for the duration of the trip. This is probably why they took your phone, to see if there were any messages on it that indicated you were coming to work in Canada. It's perfectly legal for them to do if you want to enter Canada. You don't have to allow them to view your phone if you don't want them to, but then you should expect they will simply refuse you entry .

what are my rights as italian citizen?

Basically you have no rights, as it's a privilege to enter Canada (or any other country not your own), not a right. If CBSA has any doubts about you, they can send you back home immediately and do not have to allow you entry. Basically they will give you the opportunity to withdraw your application for entry, and allow you to return home on the next available flight.

If you don't want to withdraw your application for entry, you can choose to challenge it instead. So you would be held in a holding facility (mini prison) for however many days it takes to have your case heard. Most likely CBSA's decision would be upheld. As you can imagine, most casual travelers do not opt for this when being denied entry.

 

[Buletruck]

From CBSA website:

What to expect from secondary inspections

If you are referred for Secondary Services or Inspection, an officer may:
•ask you to provide detailed information about your plans while visiting Canada, or the time you spent abroad;

•make further enquiries, check records, or conduct research to verify your declaration;

•confirm the guardianship of children travelling with you;
•process the payment of duty and taxes;
•inspect your luggage, purse or wallet, electronics (including laptops and cell phones), your vehicle and any additional goods you are transporting;

•examine visually your pet or any animals travelling with you;
•ask you to produce evidence of the money you have available to fund your visit to Canada;

•request that you produce receipts to account for expenses you incurred or purchases made abroad; or
•count your cash or travellers cheques, in your presence.

While most travellers we inspect comply with Canadian laws and regulations, we do encounter individuals who are intent on breaking the law and who attempt to avoid detection. That is why the officer may not always answer specific questions about a Secondary Inspection.


It's their job to make sure you are, as a visitor, going to leave. It is entirely at the discretion of the officer how long you can stay for or even whether you are allowed to stay at all. Coming to Canada with no return ticket is an immediate concern, particularly if you bring equipment to make a video and tell them that's your profession. Look like you are planning to stay and work illegally. They might be a little intimidating, but if you are respectful (as I would think you would expect the same of anyone entering Italy) and honest they generally don't show much more than ambivalence to you at worst and are usually fairly pleasant for the most part. As Rob TO pointed out, it's a privilege to be allowed entry into a foreign country, not a right. Without knowing the full story (we only have your perspective and that's probably a bit jaded) they were probably well within there scope of duties. I'm sure if you check the CBSA website, there's a link for you to submit your complaint, but I wouldn't expect much more than a acknowledgement letter from them.

 

[Taxed]

Theres no border agents when you leave Canada, the proof that you left Canada without the month period that you were given is the stamp of your arrival to your country of departure.

It is always best to have a return ticket and show the border agent that you are going to leave at the end, but if you decided to stay more, you can change your ticket to a later date,p but as long as u did not pass the allowance months/weeks of visits, it varies from country to another.