Border Crossings

Has anyone been across the Canada/US border in the last little while, since the new rules went into effect on June 1st? I know that I am probably being delusional in hoping that I might be able to cross at a relatively small crossing (from Canada back into the US), without necessarily having my info entered into the system. You used to be able to get an officer that would just come out, ask you questions, look at your id, and then wave you on your way. Does this happen at all anymore, or is it standard procedure to enter all data into the system? If I did cross, I would be crossing somewhere between Toronto and Montreal, into the states. I would be travelling with an American and both of us have our passports. I don't think that the Canadian passports have the electronic chips in them yet...but I'm not sure. Any advice would be appreciated.

Not clear why this would be of any advantage to you, but if you're using a passport the June 1st changes are immaterial, it all goes in the same database and your previous entry record is available to them as well as CPIC and NCIC. In fact I would recommend not crossing at small border crossings because they aren't just going to take your word for it, they will sit and wait for the information to show up in their system and some POEs have really slow connections.

I think it's possible some of the Class B and C POEs may not have that much access to the system (e.g. marinas) but they certainly aren't going to make the public aware of that.

There's a huge programme of improvements that is supposed to take place between now and 2017 (and that date has been pushed back twice) to massively upgrade IT and so on. From Q4 2011 the plan is for all new Canadian passports to have RFID in them for example.

Thanks for the information...I was hoping that I might get lucky, and have an officer simply look at my passport at my car window, but not go back into the booth and enter it. I am Canadian, with a current passport, who needs to go home for a brief period of time. I am not supposed to leave the US right now, according to my lawyer, and applying for parole is not an option. I'm not worried about getting back into the states, but if I am entered into the system as having crossed the border, it is going to jeopardize my green application...long story...no need to go into it. There was a time when a Canadian crossing into the states was almost a no brainer...I often got asked a couple of questions, they took a peak at my ID, then waved me on my way. I haven't been across the border in the last few years, and wanted to get a sense of whether that happens at all anymore. If there is no way for me to cross back into the states without being entered into the system, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Could you briefly explain what the acrinoms stand for? I appreciate any advice you could give.

They're criminal history databases, but anyway if you've already ruled out advanced parole I can't see a way of doing it.

Actually, you really should be worried about getting back to the US. The problem is not with you leaving, the problem is with you coming back. If you do not have an Advanced Parole document in your hands before you leave the country they will assume that you have abandoned your application for adjustment of status and won't let you back in.

Canada doesn't give a hoot what your application status is in the US, so it wo'nt matter if they check your passport or not. But the US certainly will once you try to come back!

**edit to add** Advance Parole Document instructions