Best reason to cross the canada border seeing a escort

[westwoody]

I won't tell you how to game the system, but to make it easier for both sides:

The most important thing is be honest and do not get caught in a lie.
Both countries have access to each other's criminal record data, at least in part.
The agent said they consider a lot of things if you have a record.
First is the severity of the offence. Second, how long ago was it and how old were you at the time? Third, have you re offended or behaved yourself?
For example, you may have a DUI or possession from high school. If you are now sixty years old and clean since then it might not matter. But if you have three more convictions and tell the agent you are going to hang out in sports bars it will not look good.
Again, they can check all this if you look dodgy. Be honest! Lying about anything, even something you think is trivial, is the biggest red flag of all. They interview people all day and have seen every scam imaginable. If you are lying they will pick up on it.
There is a randomisation system that picks out secondary checks. This is more of an internal protocol for CBSA and has nothing to do with you or the agent. It is just your spot in the queue. Do NOT take it personally if you are selected for secondary. They don't enjoy it any more than you do.

 

[dbiz2]

I am curious as to why you would be connecting through the DT Toronto airport; did your flight originate in the States, and was that your only option for completing your trip to Montreal?

I have been coming to Canada off & on since 1999, and coming from the states, always either fly directly to my Canadian city of choice, or make a connecting flight in the US to my final destination.

The only times I have deviated from arriving all the way via plane was one trip to Montreal, and three trips to Vancouver. I would fly into the nearest US airport, and then take a coach bus into Canada. Unfortunately, on the last such trip to Vancouver, when the bus arrived to Canadian customs I was flagged for a secondary round of questions. Of course I was totally caught off-guard by this, and ended up having my luggage searched and my tablet taken for search; the device is passcode protected, and I don't think they bothered to try to access it, as the customs agent came back after a short time and did not inquire further about anything on the tablet. I no longer try to save money on trips in this manner, and have resumed flying the entire way to Canada.

And by the way, I visited Montreal in August, and again in October, originating in the states, and flying via connections in the US to Montreal. And this includes one trip to Vancouver, and four to Toronto, since 2013. No hassle, no questions about why I was returning so soon to Canada/Montreal. No record; no DUIs in my life.

Guess I've been lucky. I take the bus across the border into Canada, show my NEXUS card, and present either my train or airline ticket and my hotel reservation for the 3-4 days I will be staying. I also have a copy of the receipt of the currency exchange and the amount (normally $700-$800 CDN--I charge the food and miscellaneous on the CC). I get asked the gun question and what I plan to do while in town. I tell them "have a few days of fun and vacation," and that's it, I'm sent on my way. No one has every asked for my phone, gone through my bags, etc. Additionally, I've never had a problem flying into Billy Bishop--my preferred airport when staying in downtown Toronto and the connecting airport for me flying into Montreal.

I'm not doubting the OP, but I do have to ask is there more to it. Anyways, I'm very sorry that it happened.

 

[dbiz2]

I won't tell you how to game the system, but to make it easier for both sides:

The most important thing is be honest and do not get caught in a lie.
Both countries have access to each other's criminal record data, at least in part.
The agent said they consider a lot of things if you have a record.
First is the severity of the offence. Second, how long ago was it and how old were you at the time? Third, have you re offended or behaved yourself?
For example, you may have a DUI or possession from high school. If you are now sixty years old and clean since then it might not matter. But if you have three more convictions and tell the agent you are going to hang out in sports bars it will not look good.
Again, they can check all this if you look dodgy. Be honest! Lying about anything, even something you think is trivial, is the biggest red flag of all. They interview people all day and have seen every scam imaginable. If you are lying they will pick up on it.
There is a randomisation system that picks out secondary checks. This is more of an internal protocol for CBSA and has nothing to do with you or the agent. It is just your spot in the queue. Do NOT take it personally if you are selected for secondary. They don't enjoy it any more than you do.

I don't know about the randomness BS on secondary checks. While normally I have never had my bags checked, I got "the wand" to see if I might be carrying any weapons (yeah check the brother from the states, you know he's a thug ) getting on my flight to Montreal and on the return. Oh, and I love the spiel the folks say about being randomly selected. I normally say, "yeah, right."

 

[CaptRenault]

I have made numerous trips to Canada and there is a way to answer questions without arousing suspicion. Keep the answers vague. I always say "weekend vacation." They don't know how to ask proper follow questions. I tell them I have no agenda and just want to have a relaxing weekend away from work. When hit with these artfully vague responses the border guards, most of them, simply don't have the skills to think on their feet and formulate proper follow up questions. They then move on to the important questions on alcohol and tobacco and firearms. The answer to the question about the purpose of your visit is not required to be answered in a detailed fashion. Details, especially those of the fake variety, get the person unskilled at thinking on his feet into deep trouble. I have seen it happen.

EB, I think this is excellent advice.

...I approach the customs agent and go through the usual questions (I am there for pleasure, I intend to stay for five days in order to visit a few particular historical sites and to see the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at the Musee des beaux-arts, I have a return flight home, here is my documentation, and so forth). In addition to these questions, I am asked my relatively short stay (truthfully answered: the unusual scheduling at my job permits me to take 5-6 days off in a row but rarely permits me to take off more), why I decided to come back after only visiting a little more than two months (truthfully answered: I did not have enough time to explore the city the first time I visited because of the aforementioned work scheduling), and why I had split my accommodations between two nights at a hotel and three nights at an airbnb location (truthfully answered: although I wanted to stay in a hotel for the duration of my stay, I got an airbnb gift card for Christmas and did not want to waster it)...

V., it might be the case that you answered the questions in too much detail. Even if you answered completely truthfully, something you said could have aroused the suspicion of the agent and marked you as a subject for a follow-up search. Once you were subject to a search, then the facts of the info on your cellphone and the amount of cash you were carrying were used against you. Such details would not condemn you during a criminal trial, but in the situation of crossing a border, you have almost no rights and the border agents have absolute authority.

...This agent then questions me further on my job and then proceeds to go through all of my luggage and my laptop carrying case. The agent finds a significant amount of money that is less than the amount that I would need to have declared and questions me further about the reasons for my visit. At this point, I am asked to turn over my phone for search purposes (something the agent is supposedly allowed to do since this involves the matter of whether or not I shall be permitted into Canada) and I comply. Stupidly not having heeded the advice within this thread, I am (figuratively) caught with my pants down as I did not delete either text messages or emails relating to rdvs that I had planned for for this trip..

I can understand why you felt safe keeping details on your phone, but it seems stupid to carry a large amount of cash into Canada (how much was it?). Though you can save a little money converting U.S. cash into Canadian $ at a foreign exchange office, it's much safer to withdraw cash from an ATM and just pay the fees involved. Law enforcement officials automatically associate large amounts of cash with criminal behavior. I sometimes bring a small amount of cash into Canada and convert it to $ CDN, but I use ATMs for the rest of my cash needs. I don't worry at all about the small fees involved in withdrawing money from an ATM.

 

[Maria Divina]

Oh for those who wonder how long you could be "flag"... Some legal infos running between SW are telling about 5 to 10 years after been recognized as "active"

I just don't know if it could be the same for gentlemen.

 

[CaptRenault]

Oh for those who wonder how long you could be "flag"... Some legal infos running between SW are telling about 5 to 10 years after been recognized as "active"...

Maria, are you are referring to sex workers ("SW") who try to enter the U.S. from Canada in order to work? I assume so because I think it's more likely that there are more Canadian sex workers who would like to work in the U.S. than American SWs who would like to work in Canada. Your reference to a 5-10 year ban would be a policy of the U.S. and not Canada. However, it's possible that Canada might impose a similar travel ban on guys who are deemed potential clients of sex workers, but I don't know.

It used to be somewhat common (in the early 2000s) for Canadian indies and agency girls to go to the U.S. to work. But then stories surfaced about girls getting stopped, questioned and searched at the border by U.S. border agents. Some girls were refused entry and word gradually spread that it was risky for a Canadian sex worker to go to the U.S. frequently for work. I don't think Canadian girls travel to the U.S. for work much anymore. However, some zealous American border agents still accuse some girls of being sex workers based on only minimal evidence, as the 2013 story below reveals. Also, here is a link to the girl's original, first-person account of her ordeal.

In sum, despite V.'s bad experience trying to enter Canada, I don't think American guys should be scared to go to the Great White North. Just heed the advice in threads like this one before you go.

UBC student accused of sex work after trying to cross U.S. border with condoms

By: Metro Published on Tue Apr 02 2013

A UBC student who tried to go through U.S. customs three times last month while carrying condoms and sexy lingerie says she was interrogated for hours, accused of being a sex worker, and warned she could be banned from the U.S. for five years.

Creative writing student Clay Nikiforuk, 24, has published an online account under that pseudonym and asked that her real name be withheld. She said she was told she now needs a visa proving she has no intent to settle in the U.S. to cross the border.

Her ordeal started in early March. Alone, she boarded a bus to Boston from Montreal, where she lives and is enrolled in distance education.

At the border crossing in Vermont she said officers questioned her about the eight or so condoms in her suitcase and undergarments.

"I was like, 'Yeah, some girls like shoes, I like nice underwear,' and then realized it was really not funny," she said. "They were taking it very seriously ... and looking at my condoms and counting them."

Nikiforuk was eventually let through, but didn't learn until later she had been flagged as a suspected prostitute.

On March 24 she was back in Montreal heading through U.S. customs on a flight to Aruba via Miami accompanied by a married man.

Nikiforuk said the man's wife "doesn't want to know the details, but she knows" about their affair.

She said as soon as she gave her passport to U.S. border control she was asked "How much is he paying you to go on this trip?"

When she said he was not, she was berated for participating in adultery, but let go.

When it was time to travel home from Aruba on March 27, U.S. Customs interrogated her for eight hours. When asked what, if not sex work, she does for a living, she said she is writing a book about sexual assault.

"He asked, 'Are you looking to be sexually assaulted?'" she said. "At that moment I was like, 'This can't be real.'"

She alleges that after hours of interrogation without food or water, she was denied entry to the U.S., although her partner was not questioned. They spent $900 each on plane tickets to Canada via Panama, plus paid for two extra nights in a hotel.

She admits she has been paid for some freelance modelling work in the U.S., but insists she was questioned in all three instances in March primarily on suspicion of being a sex worker.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) spokesman Mike Milne said he cannot comment due to privacy laws, but that in general anyone coming into the U.S. frequently is assumed to be an intended immigrant.

Are condoms sufficient evidence of prostitution?

Miami-based immigration lawyer Steve Goldstein said he's never heard of someone being barred from entering the U.S. solely because they were carrying condoms.

And he said he suspects there were likely other factors at play when Clay Nikiforuk was denied entry to the U.S. after travelling to Aruba, such as her website stating she poses for nude modelling photo shoots and the fact she was travelling with a married man.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) spokesman Mike Milne said suspicion of prostitution is enough to deny someone admission to the country under U.S. immigration law.

"If they have suspicion of something and it's something that falls under the Immigration Act as a ground of inadmissibility, they pretty much are judge and jury," Goldstein said. "They make the decision: You're in or you're out."

Nikiforuk still contends she is the victim of a sexist double standard, since a man would never be investigated to begin with simply for carrying condoms and nice underwear.

—Clay Nikiforuk is a pseudonym

 

[transatlantic]

US immigration law has a section specifically calling out intent to engage in prostitution as grounds for inadmissbility 8 USC § 1182.

I don't think Canadian law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) calls out prostitution nor does it appear to call out intent to commit a crime as grounds for being inadmissible so I'm guessing CBSA use misrepresentation as reason to deny vlassisy entry.

 

[hungry101]

I think this is old news but I have been hassled a few times while driving across the border. The last time I was hassled was 2015. I was at a conference in Connecticut and bored so I drove up to Montreal for a one night stay. On the way into Canada there was no problem. On the way back I was hassled when driving back into the United States at the New York border.

The asshole asked how long I was there. I said 1 night. He asked me what my I was doing there. I said I went out to dinner and had a few beers. He got angry and raised his voice a bit and said "you expect me to believe that you drove all that way to go out to dinner?" I said "Yep...and I went to a few clubs." The clubs excuse was plausible and he said OK. He asked me to open the trunk. I let him look around and then he let me go.

I think saying you will venture into a few strip clubs if pressed is perfectly fine. All the rest of your answers should be yes and no. Hell, I believe that is one of the best reasons for a red blooded American male to visit Canada. What else?

 

[arthur_vandelay]

Wow! A U.S. Citizen, with Global Entry no less, ordered by US CBP to allow them to search his phone:
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/12/1...ar-detained-cbp-phone-search-trump-travel-ban

According to the article, "travelers are not legally required to unlock their devices, although agents can detain them for significant periods of time if they do not"

 

[ssj3]

Yet another reason to always clear your phone/laptop/tablet of all browsing history and text messages before reaching customs.

 

[lady_lover]

I once crossed the border with my really hot girlfriend, and the customs officer asked why I was requesting entry...I was so tired that I answered "business" and pointing at my girlfiend "pleasure"....he laughed, said "Pleasure!" and let us in....
Seriously, the two worse types of people to deal with are Customs officers and car salesman....

 

[IamNY]

As far as crossing the border with an iPhone or iPad, wouldn't it be easy to simply reset your device and then set it up as a new device when it reboots? By setting it up as a new device this would eliminate all texts, emails, browsing history, etc. Basically having nothing on it to incriminate you. When you get to your hotel you can go into the iCloud tab in your settings and reconnect your device to the last saved back up and you will have everything back on your phone that you had before you reset it.

Thoughts, comments?

 

[ssj3]

That's a good idea, but having a completely clean phone can raise suspicions as well. I think it's a better idea to just clear browsing history, cookies, etc before arriving and browse the internet on the phone for a little bit (visiting normal websites) to have SOME history on your phone. And of course delete all text messages that aren't normal conversations with people in your private life.

 

[IamNY]

That's a good idea, but having a completely clean phone can raise suspicions as well. I think it's a better idea to just clear browsing history, cookies, etc before arriving and browse the internet on the phone for a little bit (visiting normal websites) to have SOME history on your phone. And of course delete all text messages that aren't normal conversations with people in your private life.

You have a good point. But, I would rather have the border agents be concerned about a clean phone instead of one with an email or a text that I forgot to delete that screws me from crossing the border. If you cross the border 500 times and on one occasion they take your phone they only know about the one time your phone was clean. If they were to check your phone 500 times and it was always clean then I would agree that it looks suspicious. Let's hope I never have to find that out.

As far as just clearing the browsing history or deleting emails or text messages. I'm sure there are ways to retrieve this on your phone. More easily than if you completely reset your phone. I have text messages or contacts that I've deleted and if I do a search for them I can still bring up the history even though I had deleted it.

Walooo

 

[hungry101]

I flew in last trip and I was flagged at the Montreal airport. This was a first in probably 20+ trips. After entering my passport in the computer a border agent asked me why I was here. I said "pleasure."
He asked "what are you going to do?"
I said "go to a few restaurants, hit some clubs."
he asked "are you meeting anyone?"
Me: "No."
Agent: "that's it?"
Me: "I will try my hand at the casino."
He gave me a funny look
Me: "it's my birthday."
Him: "Your not going to meet anyone?"
Me: "No."

He made me go over to the booths. I went through the same thing with this agent. She looked at me with wonderment why the other agent sent me to her in the first place. She told me to wait a minute and went and spoke to that agent. She told me to go inside. I remained calm.

The 3rd agent asked me the same questions. I told her my hotel and I was going to eat at my favorite restaurants and I named a few restaurants etc. and I said I will go over to the casino. She stamped my documents and let me pass.

I was dressed in a sports coat with a long winter coat and I was carrying a computer bag/brief case. I was told that there are some tax implications for Americans that visit Canada for more than 45 days for business a year. Could this be it? I did sanitize my electronic and I do search chrome incognito.

 

[IamNY]

I've had my balls busted the same way before I got the NEXUS card. They repeat the same questions hoping you change or add to your answer. Then they sit there and say "that's it?" like your supposed to go into greater detail.

Stay calm and cool, try to use only yes and no answers, you did everything right.

As far as being in the country for business, it is possible that you looked like you were dressed for work and they were trying to determine if you really were only traveling for pleasure. That would explain why they were busting your balls.

 

[transatlantic]

US Netflix (not sure about Canada Netflix) currently has Border Security series for CBP and CBSA. Main concern seems to be drugs/having a criminal record/overstaying/entering to work without authorization.

 

[Mistral]

Some good comments here. But what about Viagra ? Clearly a narrower scope of how you could explain it and your visit.

I have never brought any with me, but am thinking about it more, as it would certainly make a positive difference in a visit of several days or more.

 

[ssj3]

Some good comments here. But what about Viagra ? Clearly a narrower scope of how you could explain it and your visit.

I have never brought any with me, but am thinking about it more, as it would certainly make a positive difference in a visit of several days or more.

I was going to say if it wasn't Viagra you could easily put it in another medication bottle with a different label and just pass it off as said drug. But Viagra is so distinctive that wouldn't work. Have you tried asking your doctor to prescribe you Revatio instead? It's much cheaper than Viagra (only thing is that it's only available in 20 mg). Even if you take 5 of them it's still way cheaper.

 

[hungry101]

Some good comments here. But what about Viagra ? Clearly a narrower scope of how you could explain it and your visit.

I have never brought any with me, but am thinking about it more, as it would certainly make a positive difference in a visit of several days or more.

Get a script for Viagra. Tell your Dr. that you are having stress at work and it is adversely affecting your performance. Now, my performance is fine but I like to juice for the hobby. No border guard has ever asked about this. I would say you got to be kidding that is my script and that is all I would say. They could take it away if you do not have a script.

SSJ - My Dr. told me that you really should never have to take that much (maybe for my age). He told me to bite off a little corner. That is wheat I do. I go through one tablet on a 5 day hobby trip///so the 20 mg is an advantage.