What You Need to Know to Cross Canadian Border

Gone are the days when Canadians and Americans could freely bulldoze across their shared edge for a quick shopping trip or to visit family and friends.

Now, the Canada-U.Due south. land edge that was once wide open is airtight to non-essential travel, affecting the lives of many people on both sides.

Hither'south the latest on what y'all need to know about Canada-U.S. edge rules and why our neighbours to the southward may not be visiting for a while.

When will the Canada-U.Southward. edge reopen?

It came as no surprise to many people when the federal government appear on Friday that the Canada-U.S. land border — which closed on March 21 to non-essential traffic — would remain shut until at least Sept. 21.

Canadians can nonetheless wing to the U.S., but that rule isn't reciprocal: Canada prohibits U.South. visitors from entering via all modes of ship.

Canada and the U.Southward. review their border closure agreement every 30 days. Several experts in different fields accept told CBC News that they predict the border won't reopen until one-time next year.

The chief reason: COVID-19 cases are still surging in several U.S. states.

"It doesn't seem to be getting any better in the U.S.," said U.South. Immigration lawyer Len Saunders, whose office sits shut to the Canadian edge in Blaine, Wash. He believes the edge could stay closed for another vi months.

"In that location'south really no reason why the Canadian regime, at this point, would want to open up it up and subject Canadians to an increased charge per unit of COVID infections."

Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer in Blaine, Wash., predicts the Canada-U.Due south. edge could stay shut for another six months. (Gabriel Osorio/CBC)

Many Canadians accept also fabricated information technology articulate that they desire the border to stay shut for now.

When Leger Marketing asked 1,500 Canadians last month if they thought the Canada-U.Due south. edge should reopen at the end of July, 86 per cent of respondents said they were opposed to the thought.

In early July, 29 members of the U.Southward. Congresssent a joint letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Canadian authorities. In it, they asked that both countries beginning working on a phased reopening of the edge.

1 member of Congress posted the letter on Twitter and was bombarded with aroused comments from Canadians demanding the border stay shut. Some even suggested that Canada build a wall.

Given public stance, economist Moshe Lander said it would exist "political suicide" for Canadian politicians to contemplate reopening the border right now.

"As long as Canadians don't feel rubber, so why forcefulness open that edge when there's no strong political logic to doing it?" said Lander, a professor at Concordia Academy in Montreal.

He predicts a possible border reopening in middle to tardily 2021 — if there's plenty confidence at that point that the virus is under control.

What well-nigh separated families?

The federal government recently loosened its travel restrictions to allow Americans to visitfirsthand family unit in Canada, including dependent children, spouses and mutual-law partners.

To qualify equally common-constabulary, couples must take lived together for at least one year and prove it with documentation showing a shared address.

Some separated couples who don't run across the criteria have opted to tie the knot.

Couples separated past a closed border can yet meet — and marry — at a park at the Peace Arch border crossing between B.C. and Washington state. (submitted by Ian Geddes)

Lawyer Saunders said that at least ii dozen of his clients — who are in cross-border relationships — have expedited their marriage plans and then that they can reunite in Canada at present.

Canadians can wing to the U.S. to go married, or both partners can travel to the Peace Curvation border crossing between B.C. and Washington state.

That border crossing includes a neutral zone — a shared Canada-U.Due south. park. The Canadian section of the park is closed. However, Canadians can still enter the U.Southward. section of the park for the twenty-four hour period to visit with their American partner — or even go married.

Saunders said that he has advised many inquiring cantankerous-border couples that they can marry in the park, as long as they obtain a Washington land union licence and are wed by a Washington officiant.

"Information technology'southward totally legal to get married on the American side," Saunders said. "A lot of people are taking reward of that."

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) told CBC News that when Canadians return from the U.S. park, they must self-quarantine for fourteen days. B.C. RCMP said only people entering Canada at official border crossings — which excludes the park — are beingness tracked for quarantine compliance.

Crackdown on Americans driving to Alaska

Americans are allowed to drive through Canada to Alaska for essential reasons, such as for work or to return dwelling. Even so, they're not to make unnecessary stops along the way.

In June, Alberta RCMP issued nine fines of $1,200 each to U.S. residents purportedly headed to Alaska, who stopped in Banff National Park to come across the sights.

On July 10, B.C. RCMP fined an American boat operator $1,000 for entering Canadian waters for a holiday.

"Information technology was clear the persons on this vessel had misstated their intention to travel to Alaska and had entered Canada for the purposes of tourism," said the RCMP in a argument.

This is the top role of the tag issued by Canada Edge Services Agency that Americans driving through Canada to Alaska must hang from their car'south rear view mirror. (submitted past Canada Border Services agency)

To try to curb the problem, the CBSAintroduced stricter rules on Friday for Americans driving to Alaska.

They must enter Canada through ane of five designated edge crossings and hang a CBSA-issued tag from their car's rear view mirror that lays out the purpose and rules of their trip.

Before exiting Canada for Alaska, drivers must check in in one case again with the CBSA.

Even before the new rules took result, it appears that Americans were getting the message. Alberta RCMP said no fines were issued to wayward U.S. drivers in July.

"Information technology's heartening," said Alberta RCMP spokesperson Fraser Logan. "It'due south just of import that ... you're following the rules."

Picket | Why cross-border couples tin can even so meet up at the Peace Arch edge crossing:

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Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-u-s-border-travel-couples-alaska-1.5670867

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