us/canadian border

BORDER CROSSING INFO
At this time, travelers must have a picture ID to prove citizenship to cross back and forth between the US and Canada: a photo drivers license AND a birth certificate OR a passport are acceptable forms of identification. The land crossing at Alexandria Bay is being equipped to accept NEXUS, but the date for implementation has not been set as yet.

As of January 23, 2007, passports are required for air travel only into the US for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda when arriving BY AIR from any part of the Western Hemisphere
The only acceptable alternative documents to a passport for air travel will be the Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) and the NEXUS Air card.  Members of the United States military, when traveling on official orders, may continue to present their military ID and orders for entry.

A separate proposed rule addressing LAND AND SEA documentation requirements is expected.  This will address the specific requirements for travelers entering the United States through land and sea border crossings.  As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea will be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.  While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible.  Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain acceptable documents for land and sea entries.

NEXUS
NEXUS is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low risk, pre-approved travelers into Canada and the United States. The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are cooperating in this joint venture to simplify border crossings for members, while enhancing security.

The NEXUS card may be used instead of a passport for all land, air, and water travel between the US and Canada. NEXUS entitles the card holder to use dedicated express lanes at land borders and airports. Children under the age of 18 must apply but, if eligible, are admitted to the program free of charge.

Membership will allow you to save time by:crossing the border more quickly, using automated NEXUS self-serve kiosks in designated areas at participating international airports;
enjoying a quick and simplified entry process while traveling back and forth between Canada and the U.S., using dedicated lanes at the land border; and
reporting to border officials by phone in the marine mode.

The non-refundable processing fee for NEXUS is US$50, per applicant. Membership is valid for five years. You must provide a photocopy of an acceptable proof of your citizenship and admissibility and a second document to demonstrate your current place of residence. Send photocopies only. Do not send original documents with your application form, since we will not return them to you. You will need to bring the original documents to the enrolment centre for your final processing interview.

To become a member in this program, you must: submit an application and go through a registration process;
satisfy the eligibility criteria; be admissible in Canada and the United States; and pass risk assessments by both countries.

If you are approved to participate in NEXUS, you will receive a membership identification card to use when entering Canada or the United States at all participating NEXUS air, land and marine ports of entry.
WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO CANADA?
Visitors to Canada may bring in one 40oz. bottle of alcohol and one carton of cigarettes as part of their duty free allowance as well as goods for their personal use, when visiting for 48 hours or more.

WHAT CAN YOU BRING INTO THE US?
After a 48-hour visit to Canada, each American may return home with $800 US worth of goods including 1 litre of alcohol (or 24 bottles of beer), one carton of cigarettes and 100 cigars (not Cuban). Americans traveling as a family may combine their personal allowances for a larger family allowance.

After any visit to Canada, even after a couple of hours, each American may return home with $200 US worth of goods including 50 cigarettes, 10 cigars, and 5 oz of liquor.

Anyone may take in more than their duty free allowance if they choose. They will be subject to the applicable taxes which are very low entering the US. For example, an extra bottle of Canadian wine is subject to approximately 14¢ US additional, and extra case of beer, approximately $1.50 US.

GST REFUNDS
As a visitor to Canada, you may qualify for a refund on the GST tax you have paid on your hotel accommodations or cottage rental and on goods that you will be removing from Canada.

To obtain an instant cash refund where no processing fees are charged, bring your receipts to the Canadian Duty Free Store at the border.

You will need:

• Original itemized receipts for hotel accommodations and qualifying goods
• The goods that you have purchased must be in your car and available for inspection
• Valid drivers license of picture ID with your address and signature

To qualify for a refund:

• Each receipt for goods must show a minimum purchase of $50 Canadian (before taxes)
• You must have spent a minimum of $200 Canadian (before taxes) on goods and hotels
• Eligible receipts must indicate the date, suppliers name and/or GST registration number, and that the bill has been paid in full

The following receipts do not qualify:

• Food receipts
• Service (i.e. labor on car repairs)
• Entertainment (i.e. theatre tickets)
• Transportation (i.e. bus tickets)
• Houseboat rentals

(Note: This is not an all-inclusive list. If you have questions about what qualifies, contact the 1000 Islands Duty Free Store at 877-676-6673 or www.tidf.ca)


THOUSAND ISLANDS BRIDGE AUTHORITY
The Thousand Islands Bridge System extends from Collins Landing near Alexandria Bay, New York to Ivy Lea near Gananoque, Ontario covering a distance of 8.5 miles and provides direct connection between US Interstate Rt. 81 and Canada Highway 401.

For more information, please visit: www.tibridge.com


WESTERN HEMPHISPHERE TRAVEL INTIATIVE (WHTI) 2/6/07
In 2006, Congress provided the Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with an alternative date for the implementation of new land border crossing requirements. This new provision (included in the conference report for Homeland Security Appropriations) delays implementation of the proposed Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative from January 1, 2008 to June 1, 2009.  It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State to certify to Congress that several standards are met before implementing the Passport Card system. These include: 

•  Ensuring that agreed upon technology for Passport Cards meets certain security standards.
• Sharing the technology with the governments of Canada and Mexico.
• Justifying the fee set for the Passport Card.
• Developing an alternative procedure for certain groups of children traveling across the border.
• Installing all necessary technological infrastructures at the ports of entry to process the cards and train U.S. agents in all aspects of the new technology.
• Making the Passport Card available for international land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean and Bermuda.
• Establishing a unified implementation date for all sea and land borders. 

The states along the US-Canadian Border have been actively lobbying to slow this process down because of the lack of understanding about the negative economic impact WHTI will have on not only the border states, but on the entire US economy.  Legislators from Maine to Washington are working to change the Departments of State and Homeland Security regulations to:

• Extend the WHTI implementation deadline (until September 15, 2009)
• Require that DHS and State develop a plan to re-admit into the country spontaneous U.S. travelers who do not possess a passport or an acceptable alternative document. 
• Vastly expand expedited traveler programs such as NEXUS and FAST. 
• Cap the cost of the North American Travel Card (the “PASS card” or “passport card”) at $20. 
• Require DHS and State to complete a cost-benefit analysis of their final WHTI plan before implementation. 
• Exempt children younger than 16 from the WHTI documentary requirements.For more information on WHTI, click here