Cycling UK Forum

Has anyone had experience of travelling into the US from Canada recently?

Having just booked my flight (for next May - BA have a good sale on) it occurred to me that immigration may be different if you are a British subject arriving by road from Canada and not directly into the US by air.

Tks

The normal visa waiver scheme still applies if you enter by land (from Canada or Mexico), though you need to pay a $6 fee. (On the plus side, the new Electronic pre-authorisation system which is being introduced from next January won't apply to land crossings, so that's one less thing to worry about).

In my experience, the immigration people need to be reassured that you're definitely going to leave (and go back to the UK, not just Canada), so will want to see evidence of your return ticket. They also often like to know where you're heading, so having some sort of typed-up itinerary you can wave in their faces is a good idea (including a few addresses, e.g. of hotels/motels/campsites along the route, and particularly some details of where you plan to spend your first night after crossing the border). Of course, you might get one of the cheery immigration guys who'll just wave you straight through, but it's probably best to be prepared to meet someone at the grumpier/jobsworthier end of the spectrum.

Thanks for the info.