Border Crossings Recent News?

I heard about the same scenario at the US/Mexico border. The Canadian was denied entry.

Thanks, CB. I'm returning by air in a couple weeks, but we were planning, my wife and I, to drive down in January. I best do some more research.

hbdoss1 wrote:All good points, and here below is the text from the US Border folks that I am hoping will work in our favour:

“Essential travel” still permitted includes: work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

I have 2 Dr's letters stating that I have an immediate health need to go to Mexico. That along with a 'hotel stays only' transit to Nogales, might cause the Border folks to relent, and be wise enough to know the southern border issue is the real cause. Xing date is the 15th, so I can try and update soon after then if nobody else has insights?

I would definitely have a plan B for your plan to cross the US to access medical care in Mexico. The border guard you happen to get at the US crossing has the final say on whether or not you will get admission. There is no way to predict how that border guard will respond. Last month my husband and I crossed at Blaine (south of Vancouver) because I had eye surgery, and other medical appointments scheduled in Portland Oregon. We had written proof from the doctors concerned. We expected no hassle because my husband is American!! But we had hassle. Our border guard was very reluctant to allow us to cross and my husband could only convince her by telling her that we had Oregon medical insurance for the surgeries. We have no idea how that made the difference to her.
We have no idea why that changed her mind.

Good to know. There is a plan B, but Health Insurance from Medipac cannot be purchased from outside of Canada, and has no refund on the Add-on piece, so that and 1st night's hotel, and last minute airfare aren't desirable! It's scary to have the variability on this key piece for Snowbirds.

After quite a bit of dialing and holding I learned that a spouse is not entitled to enter the US with an American citizen. As per El Nido above, it is ultimately up to the crossing officer, but the default is no.

Canada_Mike wrote:After quite a bit of dialing and holding I learned that a spouse is not entitled to enter the US with an American citizen. As per El Nido above, it is ultimately up to the crossing officer, but the default is no.

If we had been turned down, it would have meant a trip to the airport in Vancouver and a flight for me to Seattle where my husband would have picked me up. It would have doable but definitely inconvenient.

Finally, light at the end of the tunnel for NONessential travel into the US from Canada and Mexico:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/12/politics/us-travel-restrictions-canada-mexico-fully-vaccinated/index.html

The United States will lift restrictions at its land borders with Canada and Mexico for fully vaccinated foreign nationals in early November, ending historic curbs on non-essential travelers in place since March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unvaccinated visitors will still be barred from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land borders.

One question unanswered is whether the United States will accept vaccines from visitors who received doses of two different COVID-19 vaccines.
From Reuters

One comment in that story raises a question:

"Travellers to Canada can only be considered fully vaccinated if they have two doses of Health Canada-approved vaccines at least 14 days before entering the country."

I of course have Sinovac, NOT approved, and had no problem entering Canada in August, under quarantine. But I'm Canadian. So my question is, what difference does it make? ANYbody who is double-vaccinated, regardless of vaccine, should be allowed in just like I was. Or are foreigners more dangerous because they are foreign?

I should add that this comment: "Health Canada said in a statement that the list of accepted vaccines may expand in the future as research grows" is from a Health Canada Web page and is over a year old.

Right, a major point. But as far as I know, the basic rules will now apply to land anyway, and so does my question.

And I think getting rid of the tests is a stupid change. You can be vaxxed and still get sick and still be a carrier.

My concern was for January when my wife will be driving down with out dog. But now it appears it will not be an issue.

Just saw on CNBC a report that included the comment "Travellers allowed to less-infected states"... missed the story beginning, but isn't this an odd new twist?

So now my brother, who has been trying to move here since Covid started, is double-vaxxed but with different vaccines in Canada. And at the moment, the new rules are nebulous enough that at the moment he STILL won't be able to drive into the US. Absolute disregard for real people, this whole mess.

Well Canada won't recognize Sinovac so they shouldn't complain when the US doesn't recognize split vaccines....lol.

This is excellent new news, and I want to thank ferret for sending it to me early today.

I promised news of my Xing attempt, and it was unsuccessful, although now just delayed to Nov 8th.

Despite this below wording, a letter from a Cdn and Mexican Dr saying that it was health essential, we were still denied: “Essential travel” still permitted includes: work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

The guard said that health entry is only allowed if it's a US Dr.'s letter. ...Not sure exactly how I would get that, but that's moot. Thanks to all for your considered thoughts, and hopefully November 8th ends this stuff.

.... but it will be allowed in a few weeks which shows that it is NOT a problem at this moment either.