immigration check in

Don't need an attorney if wanting to cross national borders unless one has a criminal background.

Last two summers (2016, 2017) we have done bare boat charters in the Pacific NW.


Our experience has been entry into larger ports. Entering CA there will be a customs dock. Often times it will not be attended, a sign which says to call from the phone on the dock.


Only the captain is allowed off the boat (crew docking assistance is fine, but they must return immediately to the boat).


On the phone with CA officials they go through several questions: Boat Documentation information, Passport #'s of everyone on board. Questions about fruits with seeds, amount of Alcohol, etc. On the phone 10-15 minutes. At the conclusion you are given a clearance number and instructed to display the number on the boat while you are in Canadian waters.


Returning to the US. Multiple ports of entry, easy to find.


Same docking rules, only the captain can be off the boat. Have seen Custom's staff come out of the office and tell crew to get back on the boat.


Captain goes inside with Boat Documentation and passports. In general more questions were asked on the US side than the CA side (I am ok with that).


Not painful at all.

That was the discussion...what if you have a DUI in the States, how long the issue will cause problems, what are the options to fix it, etc.

The OP was asking about border entry...I didn't mean to hi jack the thread earlier but the DUI thing can trump having every correct form for Customs, when going into Canada. It got a discussion going.

Strange. One arrives on a boat and one is questioned about their automobile driving history.

The world questions the fairness of USA's immigration policy, while it's much more liberal in practice and contrary to the country's law than most any other country. Wish the USA could be as restrictive to immigration as Canada and Mexico.

markpierce said:

Strange. One arrives on a boat and one is questioned about their automobile driving history.

Click to expand...

In fact it is simpler than that and not a question of transportation.
If you have any criminal record you cannot cross the border, whatever the record is, and DUI is a criminal record.

L

AKDoug said:

...apparently they $ell something called "forgiveness" for his past sins, it sounds like the lawyers get mo$t of the money...

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Made me think of back in the day, when Catholic priests would sell "indulgences."

Thanks for posting the link to the legal info. They are really strict about this. Wow.

Just a related question: Someone (who will remain nameless) runs his boat to the Bahamas, checks in, passport stamped, then spends like ten days cruising around on his boat. Comes back to the states solo and arrives in a smaller port town and calls the 1-800 customs number and leaves a message with name, passport number, boat name, boat doc number and cell phone number. Asks for further instructions to clear. No return call from customs at all. Boat owner thought it strange, but just continued on his business.

Thoughts?

Re-entry

Ski in NC said:

Just a related question: Someone (who will remain nameless) runs his boat to the Bahamas, checks in, passport stamped, then spends like ten days cruising around on his boat. Comes back to the states solo and arrives in a smaller port town and calls the 1-800 customs number and leaves a message with name, passport number, boat name, boat doc number and cell phone number. Asks for further instructions to clear. No return call from customs at all. Boat owner thought it strange, but just continued on his business.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

I once took a girl to Cozumel for a week. It ended a lot like that.

Ski in NC said:

Just a related question: Someone (who will remain nameless) runs his boat to the Bahamas, checks in, passport stamped, then spends like ten days cruising around on his boat. Comes back to the states solo and arrives in a smaller port town and calls the 1-800 customs number and leaves a message with name, passport number, boat name, boat doc number and cell phone number. Asks for further instructions to clear. No return call from customs at all. Boat owner thought it strange, but just continued on his business.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

I would either try to contact CBP again or go to see them at the nearest bureau just to be sure there is nothing wrong . When you fall in the imbroglio of the procedure it is just too painful and too difficult to just consider to take any risk.
At least this is what I would do.

L