Canadian with Custom Questions

[hiker_sue]

Hi

Looking for comments from other Canadians that have done a thru. Did you have any problems/issues with customs? Is there anything I will/should need to do before heading to the US?

I already have a passport, no criminal record etc. I'm just wondering if anyone had any issues getting a vistor visa for 6 months etc. I will be quitting my job and heading to Atlanta via plane on a one way ticket. Do you need to have a return ticket, bank account info?

Thanks

[Sly]

Hi

Looking for comments from other Canadians that have done a thru. Did you have any problems/issues with customs? Is there anything I will/should need to do before heading to the US?

I already have a passport, no criminal record etc. I'm just wondering if anyone had any issues getting a vistor visa for 6 months etc. I will be quitting my job and heading to Atlanta via plane on a one way ticket. Do you need to have a return ticket, bank account info?

Thanks

I'm not sure, but I don't think you, as a Canadian, needs a visa at all.

[Appalachian Tater]

Hi

Looking for comments from other Canadians that have done a thru. Did you have any problems/issues with customs? Is there anything I will/should need to do before heading to the US?

I already have a passport, no criminal record etc. I'm just wondering if anyone had any issues getting a vistor visa for 6 months etc. I will be quitting my job and heading to Atlanta via plane on a one way ticket. Do you need to have a return ticket, bank account info?

Thanks

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/req_canada_mexico.xml

Technically you don't even need a passport, but I would take it anyway. Sometimes I take mine even for travelling in the country, gets a lot more respect than a driver's license.

[Ender]

I recently heard on the news that they're rethinking the "no passport" rule. You may need a passport to come to the US in the future, at least if you fly here. No idea about driving (or walking!) across the border though.

[vipahman]

You don't need a visitor visa. Just get here with your passport and you should be fine.

[LeeF]

If all else fails fly to Mexico and .......

[ozt42]

come next spring you will need a passport if you fly in from canada and will need one the following year to cross the border at all. That applies for US citizens as well. You shouldn't need a visa but expect at least a minor hassle from customs when you tell them you are staying for 6 months.

[The Weasel]

Hi

Looking for comments from other Canadians that have done a thru. Did you have any problems/issues with customs? Is there anything I will/should need to do before heading to the US?

I already have a passport, no criminal record etc. I'm just wondering if anyone had any issues getting a vistor visa for 6 months etc. I will be quitting my job and heading to Atlanta via plane on a one way ticket. Do you need to have a return ticket, bank account info?

Thanks

Sue:

Effective January 23, 2007 - next month - if you are arriving in the USA by air, you will be required to present a valid passport. For land travellers, this rule will apply 1/1/08. These are the rules for "Western Hemisphere" travelers. See http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html for more details.

You should not need a return ticket or bank account information, but you should be aware that even short-term work is prohibited to you, and there may be other obligations, including a visa, if you intend to stay for an extended period of time, which I believe is 90 days. That's not enough time for a thru hike. I may be wrong, but you should either check the US State Department web site (a bit difficult) or contact a US Consulate (easier to learn locations) or, if close to the border, go to a Customs/Immigration office of the US on the US side.

The Weasel

[Pringles]

I just called U.S. Immigration... I live on the border so it's a local call. The officer said that you could stay for "6 months minus 2 days" without any problems. She also seemed to think that if you went for a short trip to Toronto or wherever, for a couple of days, then you could come back into the country without a problem. She did point out that if you are gone from Canada too long you run the risk of losing your health coverage.

I'd certainly give them a call before I based 6 months of my life on that information, but the officers usually know their stuff.

Beth

[hiker_sue]

Hi

Thanks for the info everyone. I will give customs a call and make sure I won't have any issues travelling in the US for 6 months. I would suck to give up my job, plan this hike only to get turned back at the border.

I've only been hassled once by customs on a camping trip to Washington when the border guard apparently thought I was intending to cross the border and then live in the US. I could see how a customs official might think this of someone going on a thru hike :p

[The Weasel]

Sue:

First of all, check with the US State Department website. That will give you good info.

Second, call the nearest US Consulate (NOT Embassy, although there is a Consulate attached to the Embassy in Ottawa). If you need locations, the web will give them to you, but I know Toronto, Montreal, Windsor have them. They can give you authoritative answers.

Third, I'm pretty sure that you need a visa, theoretically, for anything past 90 days. The US isn't a police state - despite our distress, sometimes, at new powers resulting from 9/11 - so you're not going to be asked for "papers" much after you enter at Atlanta, but you WILL be asked how long you will be staying for. It's just not smart to say, "a few weeks" if you intend longer, and esp at ATL, Customs/Immigration will look at a big pack and know there are a lot of thru hikers coming in. So if you have the time and ability to get a visa, you will feel much more comfortable in all your dealings with government officials while you're here. If you don't need one, you'll know that too.

(4) As part of your "travelling papers", you should have the address of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, and its phone number. You should also be aware that, in the event of an arrest, you are entitled by international treaty to demand that your Embassy be informed of your arrest and they generally will send someone to meet you. They cannot, and will not, defend you, but can assist you in getting legal representation. If arrested, do not answer any questions until at least meeting with an official of your Embassy.

Good luck, and welcome!

The Weasel

[The Weasel]

I just called U.S. Immigration... I live on the border so it's a local call. The officer said that you could stay for "6 months minus 2 days" without any problems. She also seemed to think that if you went for a short trip to Toronto or wherever, for a couple of days, then you could come back into the country without a problem. She did point out that if you are gone from Canada too long you run the risk of losing your health coverage.

I'd certainly give them a call before I based 6 months of my life on that information, but the officers usually know their stuff.

Beth
While on a practical basis, multiple entries aren't a big issue, esp from Canada, legally I think there is a maximum of X days in Y months before a visa, even for tourists. Immigration law is incredibly complex, so the only way to be sure on this is to get an answer from a consulate or US Immigration, in writing.

The Weasel

[The Weasel]

One further thought:

I think you're required to have your passport with you at all times while in the US. But that's about the most valuable document you can have, and while 99% of the people you'll meet (or more) are drop-dead honest, it is VERY risky to have it in a non-secure part of your gear. I would recommend having it in a separate small zipped wallet that was semi-permanently affixed INSIDE your pack to make it difficult to get to by someone if you leave your pack for a few minutes (NEVER leave it ANYWHERE except MAYBE to go to the latrine area by a shelter). And have a complete copy of it in your "bounce box" or back home.

The Weasel

[Old Grouse]

And have a complete copy of it in your "bounce box" or back home.

Better yet, do both. That way someone at home can at least fax a copy at once if necessary.