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North America Topics specific to Canada and USA/Alaska only.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #16  
Old 2 Oct 2009
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Location: Isle of Wight, U.K.
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Sorry to hear about your problems, we crossed from Victoria to port angeles last year with no problems, but after touring Mexico we ran into problems at the Brownsville border crossing in Texas, same deal no jobs and did not own property in our home country (UK) but were told if we had landed in the US on a flight we would have had no problems! perhaps you could look for the cheapest return flight into the US and once you have your 90 day visa in your passport go back to Canada and pickup your vehicle then drive across the border with less hassle as you already have a Visa? don't know if it will work but could be worth a try if your out of options.
Might be worth telling a few white lies at the border such as we're spending 2 weeks touring the states then returning to Canada, thats what we told the border guards when we entered the US as explaining that we were riding to Mexico might be more hassle to explain than it was was worth? as once you have your visa and your in you are free to change any plans as you wish.
Hope it works out.
Adam & Roz
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  #17  
Old 3 Oct 2009
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US to Canada crossing
I try to get to Canada every year from the US. Last year I was treated badly by the Canadian border officials. I don't know why, perhaps because I was a middle aged white male on a motorcycle. The young, rather attractive border official was rude and told me to pull off to be searched. When I finally went inside to ask when they were going to do the inspection, she acted like she was not the one who told me to pull off into the inspection area. Finally she told me to just leave. In 1996, long before 9/11 I was treated like dirt by another female border official crossing from Alaska to Canada enroute to the US. I've always been treated well by the US customs, but it is my home country. My conclusion: Some of the border officials are self-important bureaucrats (both in Canada and the USA) that don't mind hassling folks. But most US and Canadian officials are decent, hard working folks sometimes forced to adhere to obnoxious rules. Anyway, good luck with the trip and I hope by now you've worked through the problems with the US customs.
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  #18  
Old 3 Oct 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear View Post
I try to get to Canada every year from the US. Last year I was treated badly by the Canadian border officials. I don't know why, perhaps because I was a middle aged white male on a motorcycle. The young, rather attractive border official was rude and told me to pull off to be searched. When I finally went inside to ask when they were going to do the inspection, she acted like she was not the one who told me to pull off into the inspection area. Finally she told me to just leave. In 1996, long before 9/11 I was treated like dirt by another female border official crossing from Alaska to Canada enroute to the US. I've always been treated well by the US customs, but it is my home country. My conclusion: Some of the border officials are self-important bureaucrats (both in Canada and the USA) that don't mind hassling folks. But most US and Canadian officials are decent, hard working folks sometimes forced to adhere to obnoxious rules. Anyway, good luck with the trip and I hope by now you've worked through the problems with the US customs.
We need open-minded and experienced American travelers like you on the HUBB.
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  #19  
Old 3 Oct 2009
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Your motorcycle is 3' wide.
The border is almost 4000 miles wide......

There are rural check points in the midwest, North Dakota, Idaho, etc with genuine people who can figure out the difference between a potential terrorist and a tourist.

I used to work in the midwest and we travelled to Canada all the time, never had a problem.
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  #20  
Old 4 Oct 2009
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Smaller is better ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheatwhacker View Post
Your motorcycle is 3' wide.
The border is almost 4000 miles wide......

There are rural check points in the midwest, North Dakota, Idaho, etc with genuine people who can figure out the difference between a potential terrorist and a tourist.

I used to work in the midwest and we travelled to Canada all the time, never had a problem.
I'm an Aussie biker. I have crossed from the US into Canada and back, twice in the past couple of months, and many times over the past few years.

I ONLY use the smaller border crossings (eg: Lynden/Aldergrove, Sumas/Huntingdon, Osoyoos/Oroville, Midway, Danville, Cascade/Laurier etc etc (these are all in Washington state) These smaller crossings are a blessing - no huge queues, often no waiting at all (Midway, either time) and the staff are generally pleasant and friendly.

The only problem is when the officer is a noobie, and has never seen a foreign bike registration before, and doesn't know what to put in the computer - so I just tell them what to do!!

However, I do know that Australian Emergency passports are no longer accepted by the US, unless the holder also has a current visa. DAMHIK !!
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  #21  
Old 6 Oct 2009
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Hey folks,
I crossed the borderto the States! I took the border in Lynden, a small one with very friendly officers. For the first time. And it took only half an hour. I got my visa in Vancouver, and after that no problem. But for the visa I needed a lot of documents to show at the Consulate (1. bank account, 2. letter from my ex-employer - they just wrote, that I'm still employed, thanks to them, 3. a letter from my little workshop, I still pay rent for, 4. letters from insurances, I still pay in Germany, 5. a letter of my ownership of my HD, I still have at home)
For long travellers I recommend to apply for a visa. But it needs very long (at an US Consulate in Canada) for an interview appointment. I had to wait for 6 weeks. The visa costs 131 USDollars, but it is for 10 years + 6 US Dollar entry at the border.
But my girlfriend got through, without visa, only with this visa waiver programm, just paid the 6 Dollar at the border and passed with such a green card, which you get at the border, got entry for 3 months, without showing any proof of leaving America.
Now we are going south, it's getting cold now.
Thanks for your support and the offers!
Axel
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  #22  
Old 6 Oct 2009
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Location: Norwich,Ontario,Canada
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To Cruz, - shocking is the least I can say of how you were treated. Did you apply for the US travel clearance number for the visa waiver card before showing up at the border.?
The first officer by suggesting you try the other port did you a gross disservice when he already registered your names ,that would automatically show up at every border computer as an entry attempt denied.
I think you would do well to not give up yet, talk to your UK and Filipino consular authorities and ask for their help in clearing up this matter and to show that you are honest travellers set on only crossing the USA.
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  #23  
Old 12 Mar 2010
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Does anyone have a rough idea of how many times a foreign national can cross into and out of America?? How many different entry visas you are entitled to in one year?
Basically I fly to Vancouver soon, get a bike there where I continue on up to Alaska (American entry No 1), back down through Canada and into the States (Entry No 2), on towards Mexico, on down to a few other Central American countries, then back up through Mexico and back into the States again (Entry No 3) before planning to fly home to Ireland from NY in December.
Is this even possible, this many border entries??
I hope so or my plan is slightly ****ed...
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  #24  
Old 12 Mar 2010
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Location: Ramsden Heath, Essex, England
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We went into the USA by 'plane to Baltimore, up into Canada via Glacier National Park, rode up the Alaska Highway turning off into Skagway from the Yukon (Canada into USA), back to the Alaska Highway (USA to Canada), up into Alaska proper, rode around Alaska, back into the Yukon (Canada) and down to Haines (USA) to catch a ferry to take us down to Vancouver Island and then across Canada to Niagara Falls where we went back into the USA. No problem at all at any crossing, they asked a few questions but we didn't have any problems at all but officially you're only allowed 31 days (I think) out of the country on the same white card (the bit they give back to you when you first go in).

However, in '08 we went up to Nova Scotia and gave up the white card ('cos we didn't know any better) and when we came back into the USA, because we didn't have one we had to answer a few questions and buy a new one each for $6.00, but again, no problem, but that gave us another 6 months stay !

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