I just wanted to share my experience when I travelled to Canada for those of you who haven't done it yet.
I got my i-551 stamp on my passport on 8/18/03. While in Buffalo for my stamp, I asked the officer whether I need the Advanced Parole documents anymore and she asked me to surrender them to her since I don't need them anymore.
My brother is visiting and wanted to cross the border to go to the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls which are more fun than the american side. I was a little scared at first so I took every document I had with me and attempted the experiment.
Crossing the Canadian border was easy and ... to my surprise ... I got no visa on my passport stamped. I have been in the US for about 10 years with all kinds of Visas F1, H1-B, AP and everytime I needed a Visa from the Canadians to cross the boarder. Not this time. They asked me where I was going and for how long. They stamped my brothers passport and let us go (~ 1 minute).
After having fun at Canada, we decided to cross back to the US.
I gave the passports to the officer, and I tell you ... my brother got more questions than me crossing with a Tourist Visa. I tried to tell the officer that I have a stamp and he replied "I saw your stamp sir ... Did you get your brother from Canada, How long is he staying here ... blah blah blah". All questions about my brother ... none for me. He finally asked me if I was carrying any Cigarettes or Alcohol and let us go (~2 minutes).
The moral of this E-mail is that you only need your I-551 stamp in your passport to cross Canada and they treat you as a Resident.
So for all of you who travel to canada (well take any other documents you may have anyway) but don't be scared. Thinks are easier that you might have feared.
I got my i-551 stamp on my passport on 8/18/03. While in Buffalo for my stamp, I asked the officer whether I need the Advanced Parole documents anymore and she asked me to surrender them to her since I don't need them anymore.
My brother is visiting and wanted to cross the border to go to the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls which are more fun than the american side. I was a little scared at first so I took every document I had with me and attempted the experiment.
Crossing the Canadian border was easy and ... to my surprise ... I got no visa on my passport stamped. I have been in the US for about 10 years with all kinds of Visas F1, H1-B, AP and everytime I needed a Visa from the Canadians to cross the boarder. Not this time. They asked me where I was going and for how long. They stamped my brothers passport and let us go (~ 1 minute).
After having fun at Canada, we decided to cross back to the US.
I gave the passports to the officer, and I tell you ... my brother got more questions than me crossing with a Tourist Visa. I tried to tell the officer that I have a stamp and he replied "I saw your stamp sir ... Did you get your brother from Canada, How long is he staying here ... blah blah blah". All questions about my brother ... none for me. He finally asked me if I was carrying any Cigarettes or Alcohol and let us go (~2 minutes).
The moral of this E-mail is that you only need your I-551 stamp in your passport to cross Canada and they treat you as a Resident.
So for all of you who travel to canada (well take any other documents you may have anyway) but don't be scared. Thinks are easier that you might have feared.