The boys, and you’ll recall I have three between the ages of 11 and 15, will be leaving for Vancouver in a week. We’ll be flying into Seattle as it is sooo much cheaper to do that than it is to fly straight into Vancouver. The four of us can make the roundtrip flight to Seattle for $640 (that’s $160 each) – roundtrip to Vancouver was something better than $2,000.
My new wife, The Canadian Gal, will meet us at SeaTac and whisk us away to the Peace Arch Border Crossing and, finally, Surrey.
This is how it will look to the Canadian Border Patrol.
An American who has just married a Canadian is trying to cross the border with his three boys.
It doesn’t sound complicated or dangerous does it? However, I’ve been advised, and read, that is could be a problem unless I take certain precautions.
Before I go any further, let me say I’m not arguing against the process. After all, I’m sure the rules/regulations/precautions are in place as someone had tried something in the past to make them necessary.
I’ve been told the Canadian Border Patrol (and we’ll call them CBP) will likely want some sort of assurance that I intend on returning to the United States. After all, I’ve just married a Canadian and I’m bringing my three boys for a visit. For all they know I may have every intention of crossing the border and disappearing into the Great White North with my boys – all without their mother’s knowledge.
With this in mind we’ll take with us:
- A letter from the ex giving me permission to take the boys to Canada. We share joint custody, and I didn’t get one when the boys and I went to the Bahamas but, at that time, there wasn’t going to be any sort of announcement that I was going to visit a wife of mine who was not their mother.
- A couple of bills to prove I have roots in the United States. (This is an odd one to me. What if the bill I have is the final bill from whatever company it’s from? You know, now that I think about it, if anybody can track you down it’s someone you owe money to – maybe the CBP wants to know you’re carrying a little debt so they won’t be the only ones looking for you should you overstay your welcome.)
- My most-recent paycheck.
- And, just to be safe, a note from my mom. Mom’s don’t lie, after all.
I could be making the bit up about a note from my mom, and it seems I’ve left something off the list.
So, why tell the CBP we’re going to visit my wife and their step mother? Why not say “we’re coming up to visit a friend”? Well, lying is wrong. And in any case I’m not good at it. Not to mention getting caught in a lie like this probably wouldn’t do us any good. (And I can’t trust my kids to keep quite.)
The Canadian Gal and I have both called our respective Border Patrol Teams up at the Peach Arch and we really don’t expect any problems. However, you don’t want to find you’re poorly prepared when you’re 2,500 miles from home and a mere 10 from your vacation destination.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
