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[kkt]

Alright, trip report. I took a day trip to Ontario today from Buffalo. I have NEXUS, so my experience likely differs from most of yours, but it was surprisingly close to normal. Both of my crossings were at the Peace Bridge.

Entering Canada: very little traffic entering Canada at 9:30 AM, which was unsurprising. Decent amount of cars entering the US. 2 NEXUS lanes and 1 general purpose car lane were open entering Canada. GP lane had a few cars, NEXUS lanes were both empty. My card wouldn't scan at the reader before the booth, but that didn't cause any issues. Handed NEXUS card, CDC card, ArriveCAN receipt, and PCR test results from Monday over to the officer. Got the standard series of questions [where, any weapons], he confirmed that I was just staying for the day, got my paperwork back, and was through in less than a minute. CBSA officer was not wearing a mask, which surprised me.

Entering the US: business as usual, except VMSes on the bridge entering the US said "masks required at booths" and CBP was wearing masks. 1 NEXUS lane and 2 general purpose car lanes entering the US. Trucks entering Canada were backed up onto I-190 with the reversible lane accommodating cars to Canada at about 3:15 PM.

Overall, the process was far easier than I expected. Basically make sure all of your paperwork is in order, submit a reasonable place you could quarantine in Canada even if just taking a day trip, and it'll be a breeze.

Thanks for the trip report

[Bruce]

Apparently the Canadians are confused about the requirements. ArriveCAN is required for all trips no matter the length.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2021/11/30/canada-us-border-arrivecan-app/

[7/8]

Apparently the Canadians are confused about the requirements. ArriveCAN is required for all trips no matter the length.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2021/11/30/canada-us-border-arrivecan-app/

“I’m pretty pissed off because all they needed was some signs,” Leslie says.

“We were waiting a long time to get through the border line up. There was lots of time to [get the app] if we’d known we had to.”

She's got a good point here.

[andrepoiy]

I wouldn't have known about ArriveCAN if I hadn't looked at this forum...

[Rothman]

I wouldn't have known about ArriveCAN if I hadn't looked at this forum...

I knew about it only because I planned a trip through Canada and checked on how to cross the border.  Canada's online instructions were pretty clear.

[7/8]

Canada's back to requiring a negative PCR test for all returning Canadians, regardless of trip length:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2021/12/17/canada-lifts-african-travel-bans-restores-covid-19-pre-arrival-tests-for-short-trips.html

[zzcarp]

Canada's back to requiring a negative PCR test for all returning Canadians, regardless of trip length:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2021/12/17/canada-lifts-african-travel-bans-restores-covid-19-pre-arrival-tests-for-short-trips.html

Once again the knees are jerking.

[froggie]

^ The shorter incubation period for the Omicron variant is a likely reason why.  There are documented cases of people catching (and testing positive for) the Omicron variant just a  day or two after testing negative.

[kalvado]

^ The shorter incubation period for the Omicron variant is a likely reason why.  There are documented cases of people catching (and testing positive for) the Omicron variant just a  day or two after testing negative.

Frankly speaking, since PCR is pretty much a "yes or no" test, any version would go from "yes" to "no" in a day,  if a daily test taker would get infected.
My assumption is that "within 72 hours" is mostly to weed out asymptomatic cases. Those were seen as pretty common originally; by now that estimate is much lower

[Duke87]

Don't try to make too much scientific sense of it. Public policy decisions like this are invariably driven primarily by a political need to "do something".

Any health-related border restrictions between the US and Canada are about as helpful as taking a swimming pool that someone has pissed in both ends of and putting a partition down the middle to try and stop the piss from spreading.

[cu2010]

Anyone else having issues with ArriveCAN telling them they need to do their daily quarantine check in despite (a) being fully vaccinated and exempt, (b) having been cleared by the officer for entry and not told to quarantine, and (c) not even being in Canada anymore?

Apparently this happens sometimes. What a hunk of shit that app is. Seems like its only purpose is to make it so people don't want to cross the border as opposed to any legitimate public health considerations.

[MikeTheActuary]

Trivia: Based on what I observed today while waiting on a work permit to be processed, if you are driving into Canada and forget to do ArriveCan, the border guards are empowered to send you in to the CBSA facility to download the app and complete registration.

[kphoger]

Trivia: Based on what I observed today while waiting on a work permit to be processed, if you are driving into Canada and forget to do ArriveCan, the border guards are empowered to send you in to the CBSA facility to download the app and complete registration.

So how does the process work for people without a smartphone?

[jakeroot]

Trivia: Based on what I observed today while waiting on a work permit to be processed, if you are driving into Canada and forget to do ArriveCan, the border guards are empowered to send you in to the CBSA facility to download the app and complete registration.

So how does the process work for people without a smartphone?

You can complete the process on the web too, and then print the relevant documents.

[MikeTheActuary]

Trivia: Based on what I observed today while waiting on a work permit to be processed, if you are driving into Canada and forget to do ArriveCan, the border guards are empowered to send you in to the CBSA facility to download the app and complete registration.

So how does the process work for people without a smartphone?

You can complete the process on the web too, and then print the relevant documents.

I suspect that if you forget to do that and don't have a smartphone or a computer (the CBSA lobby advertised "free WiFi to access AriveCAN"), you're simply denied entry.

I did observe (because I was trying to figure what class of visitor I was in the app) that cross-border commuters apparently only have to do the app once, and the registration is good until revoked.  I ended up selecting "foreign worker", which got me a single-entry code; I had to indicate when and where I was crossing the border, but I wasn't asked to file a quarantine plan.  (Probably because most people selecting that option live or are coming to live in Canada.)

[jakeroot]

Trivia: Based on what I observed today while waiting on a work permit to be processed, if you are driving into Canada and forget to do ArriveCan, the border guards are empowered to send you in to the CBSA facility to download the app and complete registration.

So how does the process work for people without a smartphone?

You can complete the process on the web too, and then print the relevant documents.

I suspect that if you forget to do that and don't have a smartphone or a computer (the CBSA lobby advertised "free WiFi to access AriveCAN"), you're simply denied entry.

Possibly, yes. Although, as I’m sure kphoger would agree, people without smartphones tend to be a little better at preparing ahead of time since they’re acutely aware of their lack of connectivity when not near a computer. So hopefully those showing up to the border completely unprepared are 99% smartphone users and will be able to complete ArriveCan then and there. The tiny percent of non-smartphone, totally-unprepared users is likely minuscule.

[kphoger]

Although, as I’m sure kphoger would agree, people without smartphones tend to be a little better at preparing ahead of time since they’re acutely aware of their lack of connectivity when not near a computer. So hopefully those showing up to the border completely unprepared are 99% smartphone users and will be able to complete ArriveCan then and there. The tiny percent of non-smartphone, totally-unprepared users is likely minuscule.

Go to any airport and look around at the people talking on dumbphones.  (They're easy to pick out, because they probably have it on PTT mode, and they're probably pacing back and forth.)  A rather large percentage of them are actually middle aged or elderly, apparently not feeling any pressing need to upgrade.  So I'd say your assumption that people without a smartphone are more likely to be extra-prepared has a big hole in it.

[bubblewhale]

At least in WA i5, the typical CMS sign just before NB Exit 250 would have Border Wait times for i5, 543, 539, 11. Recently I noticed that the CMS sign was changed to say something along the lines that ArriveCAN must be filled out before entering. I guess in the case with the rise of border traffic, they decided to put that on the CMS sign.

[andrepoiy]

Yup, on I-190 in Buffalo the VMS also says "Use ArriveCAN to enter Canada"

[kphoger]

CMS sign

trigger alert

[elsmere241]

Are COVID tests currently required to enter Canada?  The State Department website just says vaccination has to be current.

[andrepoiy]

Are COVID tests currently required to enter Canada?  The State Department website just says vaccination has to be current.

no covid test requirement for land borders

[elsmere241]

Thanks.  I'm planning a trip in a couple of months, and I know that could change in the meantime . . .

[kkt]

How about air travel, with a layover in Canada but final destination beyond?  I have a trip planned for about three months from now.

[jakeroot]

CMS sign

trigger alert

Even WashDOT uses VMS.