With the holiday season underway, expect a busy trip if you're headed to the U.S. to enjoy some time off or spend the holidays with loved ones.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is expected to handle heavier traffic than usual this weekend and next. Long wait times are likely in Windsor at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge and in Sarnia at the Blue Water Bridge. The CBSA has given pointers for making sure the border crossing is as smooth as possible.
The border agency says if you can, consider multiple border crossings, so if one option doesn't work for you, another might. Traveling during non-peak times, such as the early morning or late evening, may be less stressful.
All documentation, such as passports and permanent residency cards, should be out and ready for inspection by the agent in the booth. For last-minute Christmas shoppers, have receipts ready and declare anything purchased outside Canada.
If you go shopping at a brick-and-mortar store or pick up an online purchase and bring it back to Canada, know your exemption limits.
If you're bringing holiday gifts over the border, the CBSA suggests leaving them unwrapped. This way, if you are directed to secondary inspection, it will be easier for agents to search them.
Are you planning to bring a turkey over the border for a holiday meal? It's allowed only under certain circumstances.
"Poultry products must be retail packaged, for human consumption, and labelled as a 'Product of the USA'," read a release from the CBSA. "Homemade food or leftovers containing poultry cannot be brought into Canada."
If you're bringing children over the border to see loved ones, and the parents are not travelling together, carry a letter that authorizes the person to travel with the kids. CBSA agents are trained to watch for missing children and may question you further.
Recreational cannabis is legal across Canada and the state of Michigan. But, do not attempt to bring it over the border, whether it has the ingredient THC or not. You must have a valid exemption or permit issued by Health Canada if you need cannabis for vital medicinal purposes. CBSA agents will not accept a prescription from a physician. Penalties are stiff for people convicted of smuggling cannabis, including potential travel bans.
If you are flying in or out of a major Canadian airport, like Toronto's Pearson or Billy Bishop, the CBSA offers the Advance Declaration option. Details can be found on the official CBSA website.