Can US Immigration see EXIT records or only ENTRIES (for Canadians)? Have heard conflicting info...

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domino66

Registered Users (C)
In other words, do the US and Canadian immigration systems "talk" to each other / share info? Some lawyers I've spoken with say the answer is definitely *no*, while others have told me yes.

I ask because I'm a Canadian and I've been in the US as a tourist for 5 months (not working, obviously). I am under the impression that I would not be breaking any laws/regs by going back to Canada for a weekend, then coming right back into the US -- again as a tourist -- for another 5 months.

(First of all, is that correct?)

HOWEVER, I've been told that if US Immigration sees me spending a lot of time in the US (even if it's no more than 6 months consecutively), they'll eventually hassle me, and probably deny me entry. But I don't understand how US Immigration can see just how long I spent in the US as a tourist. In other words, I entered on March 1st, but how would they know whether I stayed 5 days or 5 months?

At the end of the day, I just want to know if -- when I go back to Canada and then try to come back in a few weeks later -- USCIS will say "Hold on, you just spent 5 months in the US as a tourist, and now you want to come right back in? No way, something's fishy." But like I said, I don't even understand how they'd know that I was here for 5 months unless Canada shared *their* entry/exit info with USCIS.
 
Yes, they do. I have been crossing the US-Canadian border on average 3-4 times a year for the last 14 years or so. My personal experience states that both share a lot of information with each other.

domino66 said:
In other words, do the US and Canadian immigration systems "talk" to each other / share info?
Click to expand...
 
I've heard that they DO share information. Both the US and Canada do not have exit controls, so it's mutually beneficial for each country to share information to complete the picture.

Even if information ISN'T shared, or is spotty, what would you do if the US asked you how long you stayed the last time? You would hopefully tell the truth, and that would give them the information necessary to assess your intentions as a tourist. Can you prove how you are supporting yourself without working for so long? I do not suggest lying at the border.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes, it dawned on me that Canada and the US are 2 countries where there aren't exit controls (unlike almost every other country I've been to.) I had one lawyer (who sounded like he knew what he was talking about) tell me a couple years ago that there was NO sharing currently going on, although it had been a long-debated topic between the two countries, and that some sort of agreement would probably be reached eventually.

And no, I would never consider lying to USCIS; I'm hardly a noob when it comes to crossing the US/Canada border; have prob done so 50+ times in the last 5-10 years. If asked, I would tell the truth (and have backup documentation.) I just wanted to educate myself as best I can about just what knowledge USCIS would have about me when I showed up. i.e. If I show up to enter the US on Sept 1st, would they be able to see that I was in the US from March through July? Or would they only know that I last entered in March? Sounds like you're both saying they'd see exactly what dates I was present in the US.
 
No, I'm not saying they DEFINITELY know. On this forum, I feel the opinion leans towards the two countries sharing a great deal of information. And, if they don't, flight manifests are most likely used to determine entry and exit dates by the US, and probably Canada. Triple Citizen's experiences documented here show that when one drives across the border, cameras are used to read number plates to record crossings. So, if there isn't much or any information sharing, there most definitely are ways they might be keeping track of border crossings.

I'm sure you're an experienced traveler, and I am in no way trying to patronise you. But, this forum has proven that a large percentage of immigration attorneys are inexperienced or downright ignorant, at least with respect to a number of immigration issues, so it's hard to know for certain how the border is managed. I am hardly an expert here, but I can say that you should be prepared in every way possible to prove that you will be a legitimate tourist in the US when you attempt to re-enter.

Good luck.
 
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