Crossing the border

10-28-2007

Despite cost increases caused by the deterioration of U.S. dollar exchange rates, Canada rightfully remains a popular destination for local travelers, especially Toronto and the Niagara frontier region.

While some area travelers fly, most make the four- to five-hour drive up Interstate 79 to 90 East and over one of the four bridges that span the Niagara River between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

But getting across the border is expected to become more difficult and time-consuming in three months, when stricter federal rules requiring proper identification for land crossings take effect on Jan. 31.

Already long lines are forming at crossing points along the Mexican border as U.S. border agents start limited enforcement of these rules imposed by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the government's post-9/11 attempt to gain control of our national borders.

Until now, oral declarations have been sufficient proof of U.S. residency to cross the Canadian and Mexican borders by car or on foot.

Unless the date is changed, as of Jan. 31, 2008, everyone, including children, will be required to have either a passport or WHTI compliant documentation. That includes both a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's licence) along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, visa or Green Card. 

There's the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, the Rainbow and Whirlpool bridges in Niagara Falls, and the Lewiston/Queenston Bridge at the end of I 190.  Your choice will depend alot on where in Canada you're going.  If you're heading to Toronto, the Peace Bridge or Lewiston/Queenston, both major crossing points, will be better bets. Though more scenic, the Rainbow Bridge which spans the gorge between the two Niagara Falls, tends to be slowed by tourist traffic. The Whirlpool Bridge is reserved for locals and commuters. 

All four Niagara crossings involve tolls and border clearance procedures, and drivers can encounter significant delays at any bridge in either direction. With tens of thousands of cross border commuters, morning and evening rush hours are obviously to be avoided, but hours-long jams can also be generated by special events ranging from Buffalo Bills home games to sudden white-out blizzards.

Returning to the U.S. has also become more complicated and time-consuming recently, in the run-up to full implementation of barriers resulting from the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the government's post-9/11 attempt to gain control of our national borders.    

The first phase of the WHTI implementation began in January, when all travelers arriving by air from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and most Caribbean countries were required to provide a passport at U.S. immigration, exactly as if they were coming from anywhere else. 

The tsunami of passport applications resulting from this edict flooded State Department offices, creating long delays and headlines and complicating the lives of thousands of travelers. The rule was temporarily relaxed, but that period has elapsed.

But these airport border disruptions are nothing compared to the chaos many experts expect at every U.S. land crossing with Mexico or Canada, from San Diego, Calif., to West Quoddy Head, Maine, when the other WHTI shoe drops, currently scheduled for Jan. 31, 2008.

Unless there's a change, that's the date that oral declarations will no longer be sufficient proof of U.S. residency, as has been the case for many years.

To enter after that, everyone including children, will be required to have either a passport or WHTI compliant documentation. That includes both a government issued photo ID (such as a driver's licence) along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, visa or Green Card. 

Even limited enforcement of these rules is already causing hours-long delays at major crossing points, particularly along the Mexican border, as U.S. border agents, practicing for the coming changes, quiz travelers more frequently and ask more to show photo ID.  

According to the plan, passports eventually will be required of all travelers, perhaps as soon as 2009.

Then the sole exception for the passport requirement will be NEXUS and SENTRI passholders.  Both of these are "trusted traveler" programs established jointly by U.S. and Canadian customs in 2002 to expedite border crossings, especially for those who do it frequently. 

The passes can provide faster clearance at 11 U.S./Canada border crossings and seven Canadian airports.

Citizens and permanent residents of either country can apply for the pass (1-866-639-8726 or www.cbp.gov), which costs $50 U.S. and involves both an interview and a background check, complete with documentation, fingerprints, photographs and digital iris photographs. Successful applicants are issued a card which must be renewed every five years.

Although NEXUS card holders get screened more quickly, they are still subject to all the regular standard border checks and procedures. There are special NEXUS lanes at major land crossings, but to use the lane, everyone in the vehicle, including children, must have a valid card.

Still, potential long lines notwithstanding, crossing the border from Canada should be easy, assuming everyone has proper ID (passports are best).  The Customs and Border Patrol maintains a Web site (http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt) that tracks the crossing times at major points on an hourly basis.

When your turn comes, drive up to the stop point and roll down the window. Border CBP agents may ask the normal questions such as where you were born, where you reside, and where you hold citizenship, how long your trip will be, why you are visiting and what you're bringing back with you.

These are not trick questions, so don't be nervous. Answer clearly, but neither stall, joke or lie. Holders of foreign passports should be prepared for additional questioning and requests for documentation.  Unfortunately these days, we sometimes greet visitors with a suspicious eye rather than a friendly smile.

And of course, there are the usual customs prohibitions and requirements, such as declaring purchases and not bringing back more that $10,000 in cash or negotiable paper. Finally, be sure your seat belt is buckled, a law in New York.

Otherwise, relax, enjoy your journey, and have a safe drive back home.

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