Recemment j'ai croisé la frontière de Madawaska (Maine) à Edmonston (Nouveau Brunswick). J'étaient au Canada plusieurs fois sans problèmes. On m'a demandé combien de jours je voulais rester au Canada. J'ai repondu, 2 ou 3 jours seulement. Il trouvait ca bizarre. Il m'a dit d'aller voir un autre agent dans le bureau. L'autre agent etait vraiment méchant. J'y étais pour plus qu'une heure. Il m'a posé des douzaines de questions, souvent en hurlant. Il m'a demandé les noms de tous les états americains où j'avais vécu, et puis il faisait une recherche pour chaque état afin de constater si j'avais un dossier policier. (je n'en ai aucun). Il a non seulement examiné tout dans ma petite valise, il examinait chaque fichier dans mon netbook (parfois il m'a demandé des questions personelles), chaque photo numérique dans mon appareil de photo, et chaque papier sur moi. Il a examiné ma valise avec une machine comme aux aéroports pour les x-ray.
Tout ce que j'avais repondu était la verité, et il y avait de la preuve pour plusiers réponses (depart en avion de Manchester, NH, argent, papiers pour la voiture de location, preuve que j'avais visité Acadia NP, etc.)
Après plus qu'une heure, il m'a dit, "je crois que vous mentez, mais je vous laisse entrer le Canada parce que vous n'avez pas un dossier policier et vous avez de l'argent. Mais j'attache cette fiche à votre passport qui dit que vous ne pouvez rester que 5 jours au Canada (jusqu'au jour de mon vol de Manchester). Il vous faut arreter à la frontière avant de rentrer aux USA. Vous devez laisser cette fiche chez un agent canadien. Si vous ne faites pas ça avant cette date, il y aura un mandat d'arrêt pour vous."
Je ne restais que 2 jours au Canada. Les agents aux deux côtés de la frontière Québec/USA etaient sympa. Personne ne pouvait expliquait les actions de l'agent de Edmonston.
J'ai raconté cette histoire à un ami canadien qui m'a dit que c'était intérressant d'entendre parce qu'il n'entend que des histoires des canadiens qui ont des problèmes en allant aux états-unis.
Une fois quand j'avais 21 ans, une agent canadienne m'a posé des questions pour 20 minutes, mais elle n'était pas du tout méchante, et elle n'a rien examiné.
Je me demande si quelques forumeurs canadiens avaient des problêmes similaires à la frontière américaine?
L'agent à Edmonton te soupçonnait visiblement d'être un visiteur de mauvaise foi (personne cherchant à travailler ou résider illégalement au Canada, fuir ou prise avec casier judiciaire). Il est donc normal que tu aies eu droit à un interrogatoire plus poussé, c'est leur boulot et ça fait partie du processus d'examen, même si ça ne plait pas toujours!
Ce qu'il t'a remis c'est une fiche de visiteur, elle sert entre autre à vérifier que tu quittes le pays dans le délai autorisé. Tu n'as qu'à remettre ce document à n'importe quel agent d'immigration AVANT de quitter le Canada. En remettant cette fiche, une note sera inscrite à ton dossier comme quoi tu as respecté les conditions de ton séjour. Ce sera donc un point positif à l'avenir puisqu'ils verront cela à ton dossier lors de ton prochain séjour.
Il est difficile pour nous de te dire pourquoi tu as eu ce traitement, nous n'étions pas là. Mais pour te donner une idée, les indices qui poussent les agents à soupçonner un "voyageur de mauvaise foi" sont:
- l'âge (moins de 35 ans)
- la situation personnelle (sans emploi, sans situation établie dans le pays, ex: boulot, logement, enfants, etc.)
- la situation financière (avec très peu d'argent ou de ressources permettant de subvenir à ses besoins durant le voyage)
- voyage en solitaire, itinéraire imprécis, vague ou illogique
Il y a d'autres indices mais ce sont les principaux.
Une chose que tu dois savoir: si l'agent a réellement HURLÉ et que tu as senti que indépendamment du fait de subir un examen secondaire (ça fait partie du processus) tu as senti un manque flagrant de professionnalisme et/ou de respect, tu peux déposer une plainte. L'ASFC (l'agence des services frontaliers) accorde une grande importance au professionnalisme des employés. Peu importe qu'on traite un touriste retraité, un enfant ou une personne avec un casier judiciaire ou même un bandit qui transporte de la drogue, chaque personne a droit d'être traitée avec respect et professionnalisme. Ça ne veut pas dire accrocher un sourire Colgate et faire la conversation, mais ne pas injurier, humilier ou faire des commentaires discriminatoires qui sont inutiles.
Un agent frontalier qui agit de cette manière peut se voir recevoir une mesure disciplinaire.
Si l'agent en question a fait l'obtenir d'autres plaintes similaires, alors il aura une mesure disciplinaire mais pour cela il faut porter plainte. L'ASFC fera son enquête afin de déterminer ce qui s'est vraiment passé.
Je me demande si quelques forumeurs canadiens avaient des problêmes similaires à la frontière américaine?
Cela ne te donnera rien. Chaque voyageur, chaque agent, chaque entrée est différent. Mais autant chez l'ASFC que le Customs & Border Protection (CBP), les valeurs de l'employeur sont le respect et le professionnalisme. Et les plaintes adressées sont réellement prises en compte.
"Aloha!Guide sur Hawaii.
Nouveau! Visitez notre blogue "Vivre au Mexique". Aventures et conseils sur la région de Riviera Maya
Il semble que les douanes canadiennes ont acces aux fichiers de justice US et depuis 2/3 ans, pas d'Americains se sont fait refouler aux frontieres canadiennes pour avoir eu des demeles avec la justice US sans egard a la gravite (conduite en etat d'ivresse ou homicide c'est du meme bois) et a l'anciennete ( meme il y a 20 ans). Certains paient maintenant tres cher leurs erreurs de jeunesse a l'epoque ou ils etaient etudiants.
Les journaux en ont meme parle.
Le probleme semble specifique aux passages routiers par opposition aux passages aeroports.
Pas depuis 2-3 ans, ça fait bien plus d'années que ça ! Ce n'est absolument pas nouveau...
Les Canadiens et Américains ont tous deux accès aux fichiers criminels et ce, réciproquement pour les 2 pays.
La loi canadienne et américaine interdit l'entrée aux étrangers qui ont été reconnus coupables d'un crime au cours des 10 ans dernières années. Mais la vérification du casier judiciaire dans le système ne se fait pas automatiquement , c'est seulement si l'agent décide de fouiller un peu pour cause de soupçons .
Le gars dans l'article qui a été condamné en 1975 ne peut s'être fait retourner de bord comme on dit chez nous. Au Canada la réhabilitation est automatique 10 après le crime. Les Américains n'apprécient pas quand ils se font contrôler c'est tout.
Cet article est franchement n'importe quoi.
"Aloha!Guide sur Hawaii.
Nouveau! Visitez notre blogue "Vivre au Mexique". Aventures et conseils sur la région de Riviera Maya
Formalités administratives › États-Unis / Canada · 35 replies
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Bonjour à tous,
Un résident au Benin (Cotonou) aurait t'il l'amabilité de m'informer que est le meilleur fournisseur d'acces telephonie mobile et connexion internet,
Je vous en remercie beaucoup,
Cordialement,
Juan
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi everyone,
I’ll explain my situation.
Unfortunately, I lost my passport, and I only realized it two weeks before my departure for a humanitarian mission in Libya. I’m a nurse, and this mission really means a lot to me.
First, I applied for an emergency passport, but it was denied by the Val-d'Oise prefecture on the grounds that a planned humanitarian mission wasn’t considered an urgent reason.
So, I submitted a biometric passport application on July 20th. Since then, the tracking has been stuck, and the town hall can’t (or won’t) give me any clear information. Every time I call, I get a different story. The last update I received was that the passport had been produced since July 23rd with a status of "about to be shipped," but nothing since then.
I’ve managed to push my departure back to next Tuesday at the latest, but I’m starting to really panic.
Have any of you submitted an application around July 20th, especially in Val-d'Oise (95)? How long did you wait between the passport being produced and it being available at the town hall? Is it normal for this step to take this long?
This mission means so much to me. I had everything organized, and I’m also supposed to attend a friend’s wedding right after near the border.
Thanks so much to those who take the time to respond or share their experience. 😔
Can anyone tell me exactly if a passport "valid for the duration of the stay" is enough, or does it need to be valid for 6 months after the trip?
I checked the embassy’s website, but that info is missing.
Hi there,
I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India.
Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hi everyone,
I have to leave for Perth, Australia in a week, for 7 days, and I couldn’t get my international driver’s permit due to processing and delivery delays.
The information I’ve found about whether an international permit is required is contradictory. Some sources say you need one, others say you don’t.
Could anyone let me know if an international driver’s permit is necessary to rent a car in Australia (Perth), or if a French license is enough for a 7-day rental?
I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist!
But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point.
I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing!
In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing!
I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me!
If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.
hi there
I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....
So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...
Question for those who’ve done it:
In theory (French national), I’m visa-exempt for a 30-day tourist stay, but on France Diplomatie it says on this page
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
