Entering the US from Toronto?
May 28, 2020 2:57 PM Subscribe
I am a Canadian citizen currently living and working in the US. I need to leave the US and then re-enter for work visa activation. It's tricky, and I'd love any resources/advice/anecdata you might be able to point me to.
What I know so far:
- I need to leave the US at some point so that I can re-enter and activate my work visa.
- I am exempt from Canada's travel restriction, because I am a citizen. Upon entering Canada I will need to do a 14-day mandatory quarantine.
- On the US side, I'm entering for work (i.e. essential travel). I have not been to any of the travel restriction places, and have not be outside of the US or Canada.
What I am hoping to do:
- I don't want to/ can't go stay with family in Canada, because they are high risk. I find the prospect of arranging for hotel and taxis (can't take public transportation) to be really unappealing with a much higher chance of exposure.
- In the ideal world, then, I'd like to fly to Toronto, enter Canada there, and then re-enter the US there later on the same day. I can't find any documentation on the US border side that prevents me from entering on account of not having completed quarantine in Canada, and I will be able to properly quarantine in my home in the US anyway.
My questions for you:
- Do you know/ have you heard of anything about people not being able to enter the US because they haven't completed the 14 day quarantine in Canada yet?
- Where (else) can I look for information, or is there a phone line I can call?
What I know so far:
- I need to leave the US at some point so that I can re-enter and activate my work visa.
- I am exempt from Canada's travel restriction, because I am a citizen. Upon entering Canada I will need to do a 14-day mandatory quarantine.
- On the US side, I'm entering for work (i.e. essential travel). I have not been to any of the travel restriction places, and have not be outside of the US or Canada.
What I am hoping to do:
- I don't want to/ can't go stay with family in Canada, because they are high risk. I find the prospect of arranging for hotel and taxis (can't take public transportation) to be really unappealing with a much higher chance of exposure.
- In the ideal world, then, I'd like to fly to Toronto, enter Canada there, and then re-enter the US there later on the same day. I can't find any documentation on the US border side that prevents me from entering on account of not having completed quarantine in Canada, and I will be able to properly quarantine in my home in the US anyway.
My questions for you:
- Do you know/ have you heard of anything about people not being able to enter the US because they haven't completed the 14 day quarantine in Canada yet?
- Where (else) can I look for information, or is there a phone line I can call?
Border crossing questions are always tricky since border guards have the final discretion over who is admitted to the country, but I can't imagine that the US will care whether you've complied with Canada's quarantine restrictions. I haven't heard of it happening. Just make sure you comply with whatever conditions are listed on the US border control website for entering the US.
(I'm a US citizen living in Canada so I spend a lot of time reading/talking/thinking about border crossing issues)
posted by mekily at 3:30 PM on May 28, 2020
(I'm a US citizen living in Canada so I spend a lot of time reading/talking/thinking about border crossing issues)
posted by mekily at 3:30 PM on May 28, 2020
Given the possible risk (i.e. a "maximum fine of $750,000 and/or imprisonment for 6 months" for Canadians returning to the country from abroad who violate the Canadian quarantine order), I suggest that you consult with an immigration attorney who focuses on employment issues (e.g. the American Immigration Lawyers Association offers a search feature on their website that can be searched by type of lawyer, language spoken, and location), to not only confirm whether you can enter the US and whether it is possible to leave Canada so quickly, but also if there are any other options that may exist for your work visa activation.
posted by katra at 4:53 PM on May 28, 2020
posted by katra at 4:53 PM on May 28, 2020
You should be able to call the CBP office at the border crossing you are planning to apply through (whether airport or road) and ask them directly what their protocol is at the moment (I have done this before to ask about hours). This should be on the State department website. Since with Canadian airports you must clear immigration when you arrive, even if you have a connection right back to the US, I don't know if this will create headaches for you (ie if you tell them your plan they may not allow you *in* to Canada, thus you might miss the US immigration checkpoint) - for this I guess you would call the Canadian immigration offices at Pearson and ask them for advice on whether your plan is allowable. Road border crossings might be easier for avoiding any quarantine issues, since a lot of road crossings they have cutbacks that allow you to just cross back to the US side without really entering Canada. Depending on the crossing you might even be able to just park on the American side and walk through and around.
Consulting an immigration lawyer is also solid advice these days - I did for my last renewal and they had critical up to date advice about which crossings to use to avoid unnecessary delays and what requirements might be shifting - I would even say you should do this regardless, apparently visa denials for nitpicky reasons have increased significantly.
If you are on a TN, they also have a mail-in renewal process now where you can skip the border trip, although I think you must send in your materials months ahead of when your renewal would take effect - might be worth looking into anyway in case there is an expedited process. Again, should be on the state department website, or a lawyer could guide you.
Here's a recent post from the r/toronto subreddit on doing a road-border run for work reasons, although it's CA-US-CA not the other way around. Not sure if any of the particulars are applicable to you, but there is information on what questions and such they are asking at the crossings there.
posted by aiglet at 5:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Consulting an immigration lawyer is also solid advice these days - I did for my last renewal and they had critical up to date advice about which crossings to use to avoid unnecessary delays and what requirements might be shifting - I would even say you should do this regardless, apparently visa denials for nitpicky reasons have increased significantly.
If you are on a TN, they also have a mail-in renewal process now where you can skip the border trip, although I think you must send in your materials months ahead of when your renewal would take effect - might be worth looking into anyway in case there is an expedited process. Again, should be on the state department website, or a lawyer could guide you.
Here's a recent post from the r/toronto subreddit on doing a road-border run for work reasons, although it's CA-US-CA not the other way around. Not sure if any of the particulars are applicable to you, but there is information on what questions and such they are asking at the crossings there.
posted by aiglet at 5:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty sure you can walk from Terminal 3 to the Sheraton at Pearson without stepping outside, if you need to lay up for a day or two.
posted by mhoye at 6:41 PM on May 28, 2020
posted by mhoye at 6:41 PM on May 28, 2020
Temporary accomadation doesn't help. The problem is once you enter Canada you are required to proceed directly to your place of quarantine and then stay there for 14 days without leaving except for medical emergency on the pain of the penalties mentioned above. You are specifically prohibited from going to a public place like an airport. You technically aren't even supposed to hang around the airport once you arrive.
atetrachordofthree there is a carve out for some essential workers who are permitted to cross the border without quarantine if that applies to you.
You can call 1-833-784-4397 with quarantine questions but I bet they tell you that you can only go directly to your quarantine location.
posted by Mitheral at 8:51 PM on May 28, 2020
atetrachordofthree there is a carve out for some essential workers who are permitted to cross the border without quarantine if that applies to you.
You can call 1-833-784-4397 with quarantine questions but I bet they tell you that you can only go directly to your quarantine location.
posted by Mitheral at 8:51 PM on May 28, 2020
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posted by jacquilynne at 3:30 PM on May 28, 2020