COPR granted - Need recommendatins on re-entering Canada by bus/ ferry HELP!

[mitten]

Hello,

I am a British citizen in my early twenties. I have just received my COPR through Common-Law sponsorship. I have 19days to re-enter Canada.
I am currently in Montréal as I am a performer and have been doing some shows over the last 2 weeks. My partner is at our place in Victoria, Vancouver Island BC which I shall be returning to after I finalize my residency.
I am aware I have an unusually short time frame (there has been a few issues with my COPR and this is the 3rd issued due to sending payers out to wrong address etc etc. so I must make this deadline).

I am looking to enter the USA either by bus or ferry and re-enter as quickly as possible to the same area (Montréal/Ottawa -somewhere close) as I need to collect my dog and my van before I drive back West.

I would really appreciate some help/ recommendations on the easiest way to do this. I do not care where the ferry/ bus ride is to in the USA cause I just want to make it as short and sweet as possible to finish my COPR.
Any links to a particular bus route/ ferry route/ which Canada immigration crossing is the least intrusive etc.

Thank you in advance.

 

[CMLR]

Hi there. I am not sure if this is helpful or not but I just got my COPR as well and I was going to do a Ferry from Victoria to Port Angelas Washington and come back in. However in looking more closely at the paperwork with the COPR I felt like it was telling me that you had to cross back into Canada either by an International Airport or a Land Border. To us that meant I could not use a ferry to land. I may be wrong but we decided to be safe rather than unhappy so we are going to the mainland and into Washington for me to land. Hope that helps some.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Any links to a particular bus route/ ferry route/ which Canada immigration crossing is the least intrusive etc.

Hi

Not quite sure what you mean by "least intrusive". The landing will be the same at any crossing. Just pick the border crossing that is easiest for you.

However in looking more closely at the paperwork with the COPR I felt like it was telling me that you had to cross back into Canada either by an International Airport or a Land Border. To us that meant I could not use a ferry to land.

It's perfectly fine to land by ferry. The only requirement to land is that you leave Canada. My partner landed on the Victoria-Port Angeles ferry trip.

 

[CMLR]

Thanks Canuck, it didn't seem to read that way. Good to know we were wrong.

 

[Aquakitty]

The important thing is that there is an immigration office at the border crossing, not all have them. Have you looked into making an appointment for an inland landing? Some people's appointments took less than a week.

If you want to do it right away pick one of the quieter crossings that has an immigration office. I guess since you are from Britain and require a visa to enter the US they will just "administratively" reject you so you can flagpole.

Here is a link to all border crossings with immigration offices: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/services/imm-eng.html

 

[keesio]

I guess since you are from Britain and require a visa to enter the US they will just "administratively" reject you so you can flagpole.

British citizens do not need a visa to travel to the US.

 

[Aquakitty]

British citizens do not need a visa to travel to the US.

True, but I thought this applied: Visitors may stay for 90 days in the United States which also includes the time time spent in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the islands in the Caribbean if the arrival was through the United States. The ESTA is required if arriving by air or cruise ship. VWP does not apply if a passenger is not arriving on an approved air or sea carrier.

I guess visa is the wrong term to use, my bad. I just know I've seen people on here get "administratively" rejected while flagpoling, which never was an issue for me as a Canadian.

 

[Lammawitch]

Lacolle border post is closest to Montreal. No idea about buses however.

You could drive your van down & flagpole.

 

[copypaper]

Here is an interactive map of all the CBSA posts with an immigration office/officer - "IMM". Note that some of them the service is only available during certain hours, and at certain airports (like Vancouver International Airport) I am told by CBSA you can't just walk/drive up, you must fly in internationally to access the immigration services.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/services/imm-eng.html

Congratulations and good luck! ;D

 

[canuck_in_uk]

True, but I thought this applied: Visitors may stay for 90 days in the United States which also includes the time time spent in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the islands in the Caribbean if the arrival was through the United States. The ESTA is required if arriving by air or cruise ship. VWP does not apply if a passenger is not arriving on an approved air or sea carrier.

I guess visa is the wrong term to use, my bad. I just know I've seen people on here get "administratively" rejected while flagpoling, which never was an issue for me as a Canadian.

An administrative refusal is not an issue for anyone. It isn't counted as an actual refusal by the US. It's basically just a piece of paper that they give out so that CBSA knows a person officially left Canada.

 

[taffy7]

British citizens do not need a visa to travel to the US.

Yes they do .Have always had to from as far back as 1986 when i first came to Canada and i wanted to go over to Buffalo . I had to go into the office fill out a form and pay 10 bucks .
My son had to do this last year too . He was using his British passport to go to a concert because his Canadian was expired. He was also pulled aside and had to fill in a visa form and pay for it .

 

[Lammawitch]

Yes they do .Have always had to from as far back as 1986 when i first came to Canada and i wanted to go over to Buffalo . I had to go into the office fill out a form and pay 10 bucks .
My son had to do this last year too . He was using his British passport to go to a concert because his Canadian was expired. He was also pulled aside and had to fill in a visa form and pay for it .

No they don't. They need a "visa waiver": ESTA if traveling by commercial carrier; I-94 onsite at the border otherwise. Pedantic, yes, but such is immigration .

 

[taffy7]

No they don't. They need a "visa waiver": ESTA if traveling by commercial carrier; I-94 onsite at the border otherwise. Pedantic, yes, but such is immigration .

visa waiver ESTA visa still need it to get in ... may not need a visa as such like applying to the government but you still need more than your British passport .

 

[Aquakitty]

An administrative refusal is not an issue for anyone. It isn't counted as an actual refusal by the US. It's basically just a piece of paper that they give out so that CBSA knows a person officially left Canada.

Yea, I knew it wasn't an issue, but on here I saw people saying they needed a visa to enter the US that cost a few bucks (Aussies and UK). Now I see they were referring to the ESTA. So it all makes sense now.