Craig wrote: Does anyone know what is required now and what might be required in the future to: a) Drive across the border into Canada and then return; and, b) Boat across the border into Canada and then return? Reasonable people - of which I might be one - would like to know. =============================================== We had passports, with those little green things they stamp onto it, passing into the US from abroad, that were still valid, when returning to the US from Canada. Without those small green things (part of that green thing you fill in when entering the US) we would with great difficulty been allowed in - they told us so in no unsure way. They were less worried about the car, even though we had no papers for it, no letter by the owner telling us that we borrowed it free of charge, et cetera. But they recommended us to carry such an item next time!!!! So passport, green card and papers on the car is more or less compulsory! Tord -- Be Yourself _at_ mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 5:08 AM, Tord S. Eriksson <tord_at_mindless.com> wrote: > Craig wrote: > > Does anyone know what is required now and what might be required in the > future to: > > > > =============================================== > > We had passports, with those little green things they stamp onto it, > passing into the US > from abroad, that were still valid, when returning to the US from Canada. > > Without those small green things (part of that green thing you fill in when > entering the US) we would with great difficulty been allowed in - they told > us so in > no unsure way. > > They were less worried about the car, even though we had no papers for it, > no letter by the owner telling us that we borrowed it free of charge, et > cetera. > But they recommended us to carry such an item next time!!!! > > So passport, green card and papers on the car is more or less compulsory! > I suspect that the "green thing" in your passports were the visas for entering the USA, not a "green card" which is issued to resident aliens who are allowed to work in the USA. The stamp in the passport is not permission to work but is, more likely, simply permission to enter as a tourist. These they stamp into the back pages of the passport; which coincidentally gives you a handy record of your travels. (Some countries don't stamp passports if it is likely to give you trouble entering another country; Israel will not if you have to also travel to Syria or Jordan, for instance.) The hodgepodge of international agreements and treates make the whole business of crossing borders confusing. For some countries (such as between the USA and Canada) citizens of those countries do not need visas in either direction. For other countries (Mexico is one) you technically need a visa both directions but Mexico had decided that US citizens did not need passports to enter. Hence you (at least at one time) needed a "tourist card" to move farther than 12km from the northern border into Mexico. (By the way, one of my careers was with the U.S. Government during which I was associated with the Department of State overseas. My details may be out of date by 30 years or so but the general idea is still the same.) However, if you have been issued a green card and are entering the USA without it, expect problems because they have a record of it and when you present your identification at the border they will expect to see it. All of this probably explains (at least partly) why there are so few cars with Canadian license plates driving around Washington State compared to 4 or 5 years ago. I can only imagine what the delays at the borders must be like. I wondered whether I could have paddled from Stuart Island to S. Pender (about 2.5 miles) without anyone being the wiser when WCP had a camping get-together last May. I went south instead; much the wiser direction as it turned out. Radar is very sensitive (they can pick up fiberglass gliders on the approach radars at Moses Lake, for instance) but I wonder if they could detect one person in a kayak paddling about 30 minutes across Boundary Passage. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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