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Hours for border landings via land

K

krenn08

Member
Aug 5, 2016
11
0
Maryland, US
Category........
FAM
Greetings!

I've been researching only to come up with a few more questions regarding WHEN can we land - specifically, what days of the week and what hours of those days? I'm facing some issues regarding timing and things I need to bring across the border.

I've found this and it's telling me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if I'm reading it right:

Canada Border Service Agency --> Home --> Directory of CBSA Offices and Services --> St-Bernard-de-Lacolle: Highway 15 -- https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/offices-bureaux/724-eng.html

Highway
Does that mean that I can really come to the border from the US to Canada and land on a Saturday? at 3:45 PM? at 7:45 PM?

I've heard that flag polling can ONLY be done Mon-Wed until from 9'ish in the morning to 1'ish in the afternoon. Would I literally have to go back into the US from Canada, spend a day there then drive back (thus, not "flag polling")?

If I could find a web resource - even a phone number - to call, that would be wonderful...


Thank you in advance,

Mike
 
C

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
57,521
14,153
krenn08 said:
Greetings!

I've been researching only to come up with a few more questions regarding WHEN can we land - specifically, what days of the week and what hours of those days? I'm facing some issues regarding timing and things I need to bring across the border.

I've found this and it's telling me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if I'm reading it right:

Canada Border Service Agency --> Home --> Directory of CBSA Offices and Services --> St-Bernard-de-Lacolle: Highway 15 -- https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/offices-bureaux/724-eng.html

Highway
Does that mean that I can really come to the border from the US to Canada and land on a Saturday? at 3:45 PM? at 7:45 PM?

I've heard that flag polling can ONLY be done Mon-Wed until from 9'ish in the morning to 1'ish in the afternoon. Would I literally have to go back into the US from Canada, spend a day there then drive back (thus, not "flag polling")?

If I could find a web resource - even a phone number - to call, that would be wonderful...


Thank you in advance,

Mike
Click to expand...
Every border has different rules. Flagpolibg is not really the main job of border agents at the US borderso they tend to limit flagpoling to less busy times.
 
K

krenn08

Member
Aug 5, 2016
11
0
Maryland, US
Category........
FAM
Thank you for the quick reply! I think we're all aware that every border has different rules based on what I've seen in the forums, despite what the website states. However, they DO perform these processes and I'm sure there's a way to find out when ~ perhaps by calling someone. Could you or someone more helpful perhaps suggest a way to find out this information?
 
C

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
57,521
14,153
krenn08 said:
Thank you for the quick reply! I think we're all aware that every border has different rules based on what I've seen in the forums, despite what the website states. However, they DO perform these processes and I'm sure there's a way to find out when ~ perhaps by calling someone. Could you or someone more helpful perhaps suggest a way to find out this information?
Click to expand...
Call the border that you want to land at. Would start with google.
 
canuck_in_uk

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,553
7,207
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
krenn08 said:
Greetings!

I've been researching only to come up with a few more questions regarding WHEN can we land - specifically, what days of the week and what hours of those days? I'm facing some issues regarding timing and things I need to bring across the border.

I've found this and it's telling me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if I'm reading it right:

Canada Border Service Agency --> Home --> Directory of CBSA Offices and Services --> St-Bernard-de-Lacolle: Highway 15 -- https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/offices-bureaux/724-eng.html

Highway
Does that mean that I can really come to the border from the US to Canada and land on a Saturday? at 3:45 PM? at 7:45 PM?

I've heard that flag polling can ONLY be done Mon-Wed until from 9'ish in the morning to 1'ish in the afternoon. Would I literally have to go back into the US from Canada, spend a day there then drive back (thus, not "flag polling")?

If I could find a web resource - even a phone number - to call, that would be wonderful...


Thank you in advance,

Mike
Click to expand...
It is still considered flagpoling even if you spend a few days in the US. You have to actually be living outside of Canada for CBSA to consider it not to be flagpoling.

The limited flagpoling is only at a few border crossings in Ontario and Quebec.
 
K

krenn08

Member
Aug 5, 2016
11
0
Maryland, US
Category........
FAM
canuck_in_uk said:
It is still considered flagpoling even if you spend a few days in the US. You have to actually be living outside of Canada for CBSA to consider it not to be flagpolling.

The limited flagpoling is only at a few border crossings in Ontario and Quebec.
Click to expand...
Thank you - I didn't know the technical meaning of "flag polling". I'd thought it was simply coming through customs TO the US, doing a u-turn and coming back through Canadian customs (down the road... not at the shortcut that states "don't drive here" at the Highway 15 border in Quebec).

At the moment, I'm living in the US (Maryland) and am looking at the options. Alas, I believe a couple things I'll need are actually at my wife's house in Quebec and I'd like to travel there to get that, at which point I'd be ready to land. Long story, I do need to get it vs having her send it to me. =)

Now - if I've got my address in the US, NOTHING else in Canada, and I'm going BACK to the US to finish work (one week or less to go before I'm free) after landing - is this still flag polling? I've seen one story on this board where border patrol apparently misunderstood and thought they were flag polling for some reason and they were simply driving across for the first time.
 
canuck_in_uk

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,553
7,207
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
krenn08 said:
Thank you - I didn't know the technical meaning of "flag polling". I'd thought it was simply coming through customs TO the US, doing a u-turn and coming back through Canadian customs (down the road... not at the shortcut that states "don't drive here" at the Highway 15 border in Quebec).

At the moment, I'm living in the US (Maryland) and am looking at the options. Alas, I believe a couple things I'll need are actually at my wife's house in Quebec and I'd like to travel there to get that, at which point I'd be ready to land. Long story, I do need to get it vs having her send it to me. =)

Now - if I've got my address in the US, NOTHING else in Canada, and I'm going BACK to the US to finish work (one week or less to go before I'm free) after landing - is this still flag polling? I've seen one story on this board where border patrol apparently misunderstood and thought they were flag polling for some reason and they were simply driving across for the first time.
Click to expand...
What do you need from your wife's house? All you need to land is you passport and COPR.

If you live in the US and are entering from the US, then it is not flagpoling and you can land at any time.
 
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