New BC WA Border rule

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webtiger

Registered Users (C)
Just got a new 12 month TN at the Pacific Truck Crossing today. Be aware if you apply for a TN at Peach Arch, Pacific Crossing, Aldergrove or Sumas POE's they will not process or consider your TN application if you are not reporting to work the same day. This was a suprise to me I'd not heard of this new requirement.

Webtiger
 
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Work location: Phoenix, AZ - HELP

This particular news really concern me alot.

I live at Vancouver, and recently got offer of working as a transportation engineer at Phoenix, AZ for a largest engineering consulting firm in the US. I have bachlor and master degree in Civil Engineering in Canada.

After much researches, the HR drafted a letter of support without specifying a start date except: "Company XYZ requires Mr. X's service temporarily for a period of one year immediately, upon approval of TN status." In reality, it takes time to drive from Vancouver, BC to Phoenix, AZ so can BC / WA USCIS enforce the start date on the letter to be the same day as the job reporting date?

Will this approach of "upon approval of TN status" work in BC / WA border?

Any thought? Please help.

Thank you.
 
message to itspeng

I moved to Phoenix and am also a Canadian. I have a one year work visa called OPT (under a F-1 visa) which I received when I graduated from nursing school in the US. It is soon to expire so I am applying for a TN this weekend (Feb 11). My husband has had TN's previously and I have never heard of that rule before at any of the BC/WA border crossings. Although the interview was pretty stressful when he got his last TN. He is currently not working so is under my visa now. I would think it might be easier to come out to Phoenix and then go to the Mexico border if you are worried about your travel time. Not sure how hard it would be though to get into the US since you wouldn't have a valid work visa because I don't think you are allowed to come in as a visitor and then later apply for a TN at another port.
 
webtiger said:
Just got a new 12 month TN at the Pacific Truck Crossing today \. <br>Be aware if you apply for a TN at Peach Arch, Pacific Crossing, Aldergrove or Sumas POE's they will not process or consider your TN application if you are not reporting to work the same day.<br> This was a suprise to me I'd not heard of this new requirement.

Webtiger
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Seems like it's almost easier now for even people living on the border to just mail in for the new TN rather then going to the border for it. That will make it hard for those driving up and getting their TN's while on vacation then...
 
Hi Webtiger,

So are you saying that I can get the TN at the Truck crossing, if the start date is different from my border crossing date?

This sucks that each Border Guard can make up his own rules and ideas. This totally screws up my drive to California from BC..
 
Uh, no I explicitly said; "they will not process or consider your TN application if you are not reporting to work the same day"
If you are intending to apply for a TN and not going directly to work then I would suggest you call a POE along the WA/BC border and ask if you can apply for the TN and cross before starting work.
I'm just reporting what I was told at both the Truck Crossing and Sumas nothing more nothing less.
 
I phoned POE at Piegan in MT, and asked the officer if I can apply for the TN in advance. He said that " he may not process my application if I don't go to work when I apply for TN visa". It seems that the response is not clear. Any other suggestion or ideas....

Thank you.
 
I talked with POE on Blaine today and got a similar response. I interpreted the response as " we won't let you in if you are not showing up for work right away, but you can try"..

So I am not counting on this, and I am preparing for the evantuality they won't let me in before my work day. I am thinking of entering as a tourist, drive down, setup bank acounts, credit card, apartment, then fly back, get TN, fly to California. I don't know how this would affect the importing of my vehicle..

Yeah this screws me up loyally..
 
ualberta said:
I phoned POE at Piegan in MT, and asked the officer if I can apply for the TN in advance. He said that " he may not process my application if I don't go to work when I apply for TN visa". It seems that the response is not clear. Any other suggestion or ideas....

Thank you.
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-- Try calling Sweetgrass. Port of Piegan and Sweetgrass are just 1 hr away. You can do "border shopping" in case they refuse (and not reject) to process your TN.
 
Just got the TN from Peace Arch crossing in Blaine,WA. Very good experience, awesome CBP guys.

The leason I learned today is to apply for the EPA DOT documentation from your vehicle manufacturer BEFORE you get the TN documentation from your employer. The EPA and DOT compliance document takes a very long time to get from your car manufacturer. I lost a week without pay, just waiting for the stupid car company to send it to me..

Good luck to everyone..
 
I know that. We just drove our vehicle over and registered it after having a smog check done in California.
 
Hi simd,

Where did you register our vehicle in California, which DMV did you use? Can you outline the steps for successfully registering your car in California and getting California plates? This would be an awesome reference post...
 
I am in the Bay Area. Also I found out that there is a 10 day delay between the time that you pass the border, and the time that you can apply for a TN( Social Services does not get the data from CBP right away)...so bummer, no SSN for 10 days at least.
 
Note that being able to plate your car is not a sign that you have IMPORTED your car federally, which you will need to do should you ever want to sell it.

Also, there have been cases where insurance will not pay on a car that was not imported (You need to import the car at a POE).
 
I imported my car last year and the local DMV in VA took my Canadian registration papers and issue me the US title.

Now can I sale this car in USA? do I have do take some extra steps if I wanna sale it?

I just received a notice from DMV says to renew my plates also said that no emission test required. does that means that my car is imported for good.
 
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Shyboy said:
I imported my car last year and the local DMV in VA took my Canadian registration papers and issue me the US title.

Now can I sale this car in USA? do I have do take some extra steps if I wanna sale it?

I just received a notice from DMV says to renew my plates also said that no emission test required. does that means that my car is imported for good.
Click to expand...

No. It merely means your car is registered in VA. You need to look at the US custom's site for importation info.
 
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