Of course for fleeing the country by boat across Lake Michigan :lol:Naturally Amtrak police in Chicago questioned why I had a passport card during a “random” ID check. Such is life. Ha.
That makes it all the worse according to the Amtrak PD!!!!!But if one flees across Lake Michigan it is still entirely within the US!
No. I've done it several times by land and know people who did it by air. A US citizen (or permanent resident with a green card and passport) isn't required to have a visa. They do sometimes check for criminal records and have been known to deny entry if someone has a DUI or conviction for another serious crime.you may need a Canadian visa too for entry.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/entry-requirements-country.html#eta-exemptions
Visa-exempt
The following travellers need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board their flight to Canada. However, these travellers do not need an eTA if entering by land or sea – for instance driving from the U.S. or coming by bus, train, or boat, including cruise ship.
- United States, lawful permanent resident of
Although it looks like you should be good to go in this particular case, do keep in mind that 99% of international travel still requires a traditional passport. An American passport is one of the most versatile travel documents you can possess. Unless you are absolutely sure you will never travel beyond North America, at any point over the next decade, I advise anyone considering a pseudo-passport card/book to bite the bullet and get the conventional version instead.
Nearly any criminal conviction that involves potential incarceration could bar you from entering Canada. Making the effort to acquire a formal visa ahead of time can help resolve border concerns in your favor. Even if you have a spotless record if you travel often you can end up running afoul of unauthorized employment concerns and waiver maximums.No. I've done it several times by land and know people who did it by air. A US citizen (or permanent resident with a green card and passport) isn't required to have a visa. They do sometimes check for criminal records and have been known to deny entry if someone has a DUI or conviction for another serious crime.
Having done that, I do remember being asked a lot of questions. They seem friendly but professional. Stuff like "where are you going", "where are you staying", "are you meeting someone you know"? Once I was asked where we were from and (won't apply to a train) if it was our car. That time it was a rental from SeaTac that had Oregon plates.Nearly any criminal conviction could potentially bar you from entering Canada. Making the effort to acquire a visa ahead of time is by no means a guarantee but it can help resolve border concerns in your favor. Even if you have a spotless record if you travel often you can end up running afoul of unauthorized employment concerns and waiver maximums.
I doubt they'd hold the train very long. If you've been grilled by immigration for more than five or ten minutes it's probably not going to end well. There are some exceptions but for the most part it's either fast or fail.I don't know exactly how that would work on a train though. At the vehicle crossing they just take people as they arrive and can't really help it if there are lines. One a train how long would they hold up the train?
I thought about taking the Cascades to Vancouver, BC. I thought on Maple Leaf they send agents on board, while in Vancouver they have an entry station at the Pacific Central Station. Also US CBP pre-clearance (I've done that at the Sidney, BC ferry terminal) there too. Might make a difference compared to holding up a train.I doubt they'd hold the train very long. If you've been grilled by immigration for more than five or ten minutes it's probably not going to end well. There are some exceptions but for the most part it's either fast or fail.
That's very good advice, but I would like to add to it, consider emergences too. Your plan/intent is to travel by land (car, bus, train, bike) or sea (cruise, fishing, yacht), but something can go wrong or bad (medical, legal, etc) that would normally require you to return home by air. If that happens, you'll need a passport book.An EDL or passport card is only good for land or sea.... even if you are travelling in the areas where they are accepted, you can't use them to fly internationally so the book is a much more useful document.
I remember AlanB was banned from entering Canada for a while because he was traveling there too often to do volunteer work at the Shania Twain Center.Nearly any criminal conviction that involves potential incarceration could bar you from entering Canada. Making the effort to acquire a formal visa ahead of time can help resolve border concerns in your favor. Even if you have a spotless record if you travel often you can end up running afoul of unauthorized employment concerns and waiver maximums.
Nobody is "innocent until proven guilty" at any border checkpost. They are always "guilty until proven innocent" and additionally they are in pretty much of a legal limbo should anything go wrong. The situation may be compensated for later, but at that point you are where you are, and border agent holds every card. That is why the best thing to do is cooperate and take necessary action to fix any problems and accept return to the country you came from, should it come to that, since that takes you out of the legal limbo of a border agency detention center. A border checkpost is not a place to get hoity toity about anything. Just IMHO of course.Denial of entry by Canada is by their discretion, you may think you are "innocent until proven guilty" , but an open or adjourned case in the US may be cause for denial. There is a process known as "rehabilitation" you can undergo to clear up certain past issues and make you admissible. It is explained on Canada's Border Service website. Remember, their house, their rules.
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