Best way to avoid getting harassed by immigration?

[Fradi]

I never get hassled going to the US.
Then again I go to visit family or for vacations so I have names or reservations, return tickets etc.. in case, but so far they have never asked.

Don't go there to see escorts, living in Montreal it would be like someone coming from China and wanting to eat Chinese food in Chinatown here.

 

[transatlantic]

I take a rental or my vehicle across to Quebec a couple of times a year.

I wouldn't worry about the vehicle at all. Many years ago you used to get a insurance card to prove you have coverage in Canada but I think those days are long gone. The agency self-insured card and your rental agreement from a major rental agency is all you need.

I would be more concern if they ask how long you are staying and how you answer. If you answer 1 day, they may inquire why spend all this time driving. If you answer 3 days and in the off chance you end up in secondary, your rental agreement showing a rental of 2 days will get you into trouble. Many corporate rates are priced by the day. So if you book for 3 days and return after 2 days, you pay only 2 days.

 

[RobertNYC]

Thanks Transatlantic. Great points. I would like to think a driving trip from NYC to Montreal (7 hour trip) Sat-Mon wouldn’t be terribly suspect but I could be wrong.

Leaving NNJ/NYC at 11am on a Saturday and starting the drive back from Montreal before 5am on Monday would fall within a two day car rental period, but the trip would represent 3 calendar days. I’ve done NYC to Tokyo for vacation in 4 days (left JFK late Wednesday afternoon, was back at JFK Sunday night). NYC to Montreal and back in under 48 hours is nothing.

 

[RomSh85]

I personally used service of the immigration lawyer, not just for immigration but as a general advisor with business decisions for my stoe. He is a absolutely helpful advisor who plainly provides you with the information you need. He is friendly yet remains professional.

 

[Anna Bijou]

Make sure your phone is clean, no evidence of what you plan to do. They like to check phones so clear your browser history, remove accounts, emails or texts that have to do with escorts. Have a hotel already booked, be ready to give a few touristic sites you plan to visit.

 

[OnlyDoggy]

I would imagine that the best way to avoid getting harassed by immigrarion would be to vacation without looking to break the laws of your country and or the foreign country that's welcoming you to their nation. Apologies if this tip doesn't help your situation, vut it is indeed the most effective solution.

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

Do not look guilty while driving across, the paranoia I see in this thread would attract a rookie border patrol. You are going on a short holiday..... So what.

 

[Nakamichi]

Always be polite, and do not make jokes with them. Let them do their jobs and you will get through quickly. It is the griping tourist and the drunk or giggly people that get pulled over into secondary and examined.

 

[gll]

when i return from canada to the us, the us border guard always asks me how long i have been in canada. does he already know the answer to this? that is, does he have ready access to the canada immigration database so that he can see when i entered canada? not a biggee but i have always been curious about this and wondered whether the question was designed to determine whether i am truthful.

 

[IamNY]

when i return from canada to the us, the us border guard always asks me how long i have been in canada. does he already know the answer to this? that is, does he have ready access to the canada immigration database so that he can see when i entered canada? not a biggee but i have always been curious about this and wondered whether the question was designed to determine whether i am truthful.

I've thought the same thing. I believe they ask this because once your in Canada you can travel to other countries and they want to double check where you have been. So if you traveled to Montreal, took a plane to Europe and then came back to Canada and then back to the states they might want to know how long you were in Europe.

 

[Bred Sob]

when i return from canada to the us, the us border guard always asks me how long i have been in canada. does he already know the answer to this?

I would operate on the assumption that he does.

 

[transatlantic]

when i return from canada to the us, the us border guard always asks me how long i have been in canada. does he already know the answer to this? that is, does he have ready access to the canada immigration database so that he can see when i entered canada? not a biggee but i have always been curious about this and wondered whether the question was designed to determine whether i am truthful.

I would operate on the assumption that he does.

Land crossing at the US/Canada border are shared to the other agency.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2017 1 19 BTB Fact Sheet.pdf

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

^^^^ Perhaps he was lonely and just wanted to talk to someone.
Best way to avoid being over checked is stop looking so nervous, they can tell, they have been thought what to look for. You are not a criminal, drive up and say whatever ( looking for car parts, taking advantage of the exchange rate, meeting the in laws whatever )
I have never been held up at the border, drive up, act like a Canadian, Hi, how is it going? Looking for car parts for my sons car, enjoy the day... Tada and through

 

[IamNY]

Envelopes. Being questioned for 10 minutes is a long time. I’ve timed a really long interaction with a border agent. What I thought was 20 minutes was really Only 3 minutes. Sounds like they busted balls and let you go on your way. Not having to go to secondary or having your luggage checked seems like a win. Trouble to me would have been being held up for an hour or two while they searched everything and questioned you over and over.

STN is correct. I would also add that if you want to avoid 99% of the bullshit, get yourself a NEXUS card. At the airport you don’t even speak to a border agent. I say 99% because even with a NEXUS card you’ll come across a border agent with an axe to grind and get your balls busted. Happens to everybody eventually.

 

[The Nature Boy]

If I ever get bullshit from any border agent I’m just gonna say I’m in town visiting my BF and then give one if you fuckers contact info to vouche for me

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

I said I have been here over 10 times (in just the past year). I am the furthest away from what you would consider "nervous looking".

My comment was not aimed towards you but to let people know to relax a little.

 

[Bred Sob]

The fact is that there was an unusual peak of their (CBSA) activity about one year ago, for some unknown (to me) reason. They were detaining pretty much every other person at the border. There was literally a line of people waiting to be interviewed. It could easily take an hour or two. That is when this thread started.

It has been going smoothly since then (as far as I can see), as it had before that.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

I said I have been here over 10 times (in just the past year). I am the furthest away from what you would consider "nervous looking".

The people most qualified to judge how you look to them are usually the people looking at you, rather than yourself. There is such a thing as body language, after all.

Remind yourself that it doesn't matter which border agent you get because you are confident and in control. Even though it's easier when I get the young woman who simply smiles at me and waves me through, no one can control which agent that gets to question them. So even if you get the bored old guy, it doesn't matter.

If all else fails and if you're coming from the U.S. (I'm assuming), you could always go through Toronto. Toronto immigration questions are usually simple ones like "Your final destination is Montreal?" or "How long will you be in Montreal?" I had a sandwich in my backpack once so I answered "Yes" on the form about having meat. So another question I've been asked is "What kind of meat do you have?" and that was the extent of it. On the contrary, Montreal immigration usually wants to know what I plan to do in Montreal. Unless you're giving out seriously uneasy vibes, Toronto immigration processes way too many people to start a deep probing about why you are putting money into the local economy.

Only other thing I have to add is watch your luggage weight. I once packed a leather weight belt (for exercise) and that made my suitcase close to the 50 lb. limit. As I was leaving Montreal, the immigration officer asked me why my bag weighed so much and proceeded to spit back to me exactly how much my bag weighed. This happened before pot was made legal, btw. I was caught off guard by the question but I answered quickly AND calmly. He was satisfied with my response and sent me on my way.

 

[hungry101]

Only other thing I have to add is watch your luggage weight. I once packed a leather weight belt (for exercise) and that made my suitcase close to the 50 lb. limit. As I was leaving Montreal, the immigration officer asked me why my bag weighed so much and proceeded to spit back to me exactly how much my bag weighed. This happened before pot was made legal, btw. I was caught off guard by the question but I answered quickly AND calmly. He was satisfied with my response and sent me on my way.

"I put too much stuff in it" How's that?

I have been questioned so many times that I would say have an excuse ready. Research events happening in Montreal and pick out a few events. Is there a hockey game going on or an art exhibit? Jazz festival? Maybe your just going to the casino? Several times I had a business reasons and I would stay a few extra days to hobby.

Once I flew into Montreal. I was dressed in a suit and I had my laptop in a rolling briefcase. I looked like a businessman. I was having trouble with the machine that you put your passport in. The guy that helped me asked me why I was there. It was to attend a GT and not business this time so I told him "pleasure." He begin to ask me a few more questions and then sent me over for a secondary inspection. I stuck to my story. The purpose was pleasure and I was going to the casino. They asked me where I was staying (be ready for this) and what I was going to do (gamble at the casino and go to a few restaurants and clubs). This happened in February, just after Canada enacted (or maybe decided to enforce) a tax law. The law had to do with US employees that spend a certain amount of time in Canada. At some point, the Canadian government wanted to collect an income tax from these Americans. That January, I had got a notice of this at work. Something about if you worked X amount of days in Canada you would have to pay a tax (Socialism isn't free). To this day, I wonder if they thought I was going to Canada to work and trying to avoid this tax?

In the end, they let me go. But I say be ready with an excuse and stick to it. Let them peel the onion. Start with Business or pleasure and let them peel the onion. Give as little as possible but be prepared for a deeper probe. Be prepared to say where you are staying or to provide a list of customers you are going to see with their addresses etc.

I have been traveling the globe for the past 10 years. There is no border that I have crossed that has interrogated me as much as the Canadian/US borders and I do not know why this is? It's almost as if they do not want me coming into their country to see escorts. All I do is rent hotels, cars, eat, drink, and shop for clothing and gifts and see escorts.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

But I say be ready with an excuse and stick to it.

This is solid advice. To that point, four American Airlines crew members were arrested on Wednesday for suspected money laundering. They got busted in part because they asked one of them to state how much money he had in his possession. He first responded with, "$100." He changed his mind and then said "$9,000." As Fred Sanford would say, "Ya big dummy!"