Entry to US and Canada

[nzfisher]

Does anyone know for sure if the new “enhanced Drivers license” is acceptable to return to US after visiting Canada? This DL appears to be acceptable to enter Canada but we would like to get back in US after visit.

Thanks
Swims with Tuna

 

[dbsea]

This chart should help. It looks like yes an enhanced DL should work.

https://www.rushmypassport.com/blog/us- ... -licenses/

 

[Tippetknot]

It worked for me two weeks ago. Cleared at Roche Harbor using the enhanced DL.


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[SJI Sailor]

It worked for us, too ... but I have also read somewhere that EDLs may only be accepted from border states (WA, MN, NY, etc). Apparently it is largely up to the agents. We have been 2x in the past year using the dock at Sidney, and once were cleared by phone and once by agents in person. Passport once, and WA State EDL once (forgot the passport).

The CA website does not specifically list EDLs as far as I can find: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html although it may be somewhere there among the links! I'd suggest to take passports if at all possible.

 

[nzfisher]

Thanks. We called US customs and they thought we should be ok but they were equivocal. Good to know people used them successfully. Our license is Oregon. Of course the Canadians are very clear that enhanced license will get you into Canada and likewise, of course, customs on US side is not sure. Everyone is afraid of making a mistake- the mantra of bureaucracy I guess.

 

[FlyMeAway]

The term you want to look up (and use at the border) is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

In my experience at more land, air, and sea borders than I care to count, the most important thing if you are a "non-standard" traveler (e.g., aren't traveling with a full-fledged passport and/or the most common visa where required) is to know whatever government's own term for the program you are entering under. These are usually the magic words.

Here is CBP's WHTI site, which has tons of details and spells it out:

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

So what you would say to the border guard is something like: "I am a US Citizen re-entering the US using my Oregon EDL, as permitted under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative".

I've learned this lesson the hard way in countries much less friendly than the US of A, but it works pretty well when coming home too. Government bureaucrats are the same the world over, and throughout history 😀

(also, one thing that I have always found interesting about WHTI. If you're a US Citizen traveling by air from Canada, you have to present a passport unless you have a NEXUS card, but non-US-citizens can just present their green card, no passport required)