Jargon Workshop: Reminder about crossing the border

At 07:56 PM 9/16/98 GMT, Jeffrey Kopp wrote:
>Klahowya!  For the workshop attendees: =20
>
>I am packing up to go today, and just remembered I am indeed leaving the
>U.S. (golly!) so I should bring some citizenship I.D. with me.  When I
>lived in Seattle there was never any problem getting back and forth by =
car,
>we just sailed through, so I never thought about it.  But a couple years
>ago I few to Winnipeg and had an awkward moment at U.S. Immigration in
>Vancouver on the way back, as all I had on me was my driver's license =
and
>credit cards.  (A cranky young officer let me catch my plane after =
scolding
>me, perhaps because my wife--who had her green card on her--was in a
>wheelchair.)
>
>So a birth certificate is recommended for those lacking passports,
>especially if you're flying, but if you don't have it handy, I have =
heard
>an SS card and/or voter's registration is good enough.

It's different at land crossings than at airports - a driver's licence =
and
similar items should be sufficient for Canada Customs or for the INS
(coming back); a Social Security Card won't hurt, however (the best
possible thing is a Passport; I've heard that native status cards work
quite well, also).  If you _are_ a naturalized citizen or permanent
resident, or on a student or work visa, there may be limitations on it =
that
you are unaware of if you haven't left the country before; we always hear
horror stories about people without the proper paperwork who get marooned
on the Canadian side of the border because they didn't know their visa
didn't allow them exit/re-entry privileges; non-visa non-citizens don't
have quite so much to worry about - just make sure you have your
immigrant/naturalization papers or green card handy - you probably won't =
be
asked for it, but you never know.

One other thing, that _many_ Americans get tripped up on - DO NOT attempt
to bring firearms into Canada; they WILL be confiscated at the border.  =
We
don't have a 2nd Amendment, and the border is quite strict on the =
subject.

=46or you smokers, you're allowed to bring one carton of ciggies =
duty-free
into Canada.  No booze is allowed at St. Mary's, but if you want to get
some as gifts or whatever you're allowed 1.14 litres - or 24 bottles of =
beer.

Mike C.


Mike Cleven
ironmtn at bigfoot.com
http://members.home.net/ironmtn/

The thunderbolt steers all things.
                           - Herakleitos