Eight tips for crossing the U.S./Canadian border with speed and style

Between U.S. Homeland Security and the Passport Agency, it seems like the government has been changing the rules for border crossings faster than light bulbs. We rounded up the latest news, and asked a few frequent international travelers how they handle crossings, and here's what we've come up with:

A few tips to make a fast, easy go of  border crossings:

1. Know the rules. Currently, U.S. and Canadian citizens don't need passports to cross one another's border by bus — just a government-issued photo ID and proof of citizenship (such as certified birth or naturalization certificate). Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, starting January 31, 2008, U.S. Customs and the Border Patrol says it will stop accepting routine oral declarations of citizenship. At that time, the government will start requiring a "WHTI-compliant" document or government-issued photo ID AND the aforementioned proof of citizenship. The U.S. expects to require stricter documentation (i.e. a passport or valid "trusted traveler card") sometime in the summer of 2008.
   
   Then again, the U.S. recently had to backpedal on new passport requirement for American citizens traveling the Western Hemisphere by air, giving a pass to whose who have applied for but not yet received passports — they can currently enter and leave the country with a government-issued photo ID and State Department proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007, but those individuals may be more likely to be selected for a secondary screening. The travel industry has also been working to ease proposed document changes for land travel between the U.S. and Canada. The government outlined the latest proposed revision of land-and-sea rules in a June 20 notice. You can read it here: http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1182350422171.shtm.


2. Keep your passengers informed. Most operators say they're getting more questions than usual from prospective travelers, and many tour companies send out mailings to their customers, outlining what's needed for border crossings. Dave Willis, president of Ontario's Ayr Coach, "strongly suggests" that his customers obtain and carry passports. Putting the information on your website may be the easiest way to let people know — and be prepared to contact your clients to make sure they know what's expected of them.


3. Choose your time. Various border stations have busy times and slow times. Weekends, predictably, offer some of the longest wait times. A look at one of the border agency's websites can help operators plan their crossings. The Canadian Border Patrol posts estimated wait times at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html The U.S. does the same at http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/. Experienced operators take the information with a grain of salt.


4. Schedule enough time. Most operators we talked to typically were able to go through the entire border-crossing process in about 45 minutes or less. But some acknowledged the occasional snag.


5. Be organized. Make sure all of your paperwork is in order, and ideally gathered in one easily accessible file. Willis says that his drivers typically make up a detailed manifest that they offer to show (but not give) to border officials.


6. Keep a positive attitude. Gil Williams, sales and marketing director at Trobec Bus Service, says that, in his opinion, the biggest decider of whether or not a border official decides to haul everyone off of the coach or inspect all luggage is driver attitude. Drivers who appear friendly, open and cooperative generally have the fewest problems.


7. Put your driver in control. Trobec learned this the hard way, after a passenger shouted out that he was from Czechoslovakia, as a joke, causing the coach and its passengers to be delayed for six hours of questioning and inspection. Trobec's drivers now request passengers to let them act as the primary contact for border officials (of course allowing for direct questioning of passengers by authorities).


8. Keep a list of resources. Stay on top of the latest U.S. info at www.travel.state.gov; Canadians can get their information at http://www.cbsa.gc.ca.

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