crossing the figgin border
- Thread starter mustangjoe
- Start date
MJ,
I also cross the boarder often, and have been stopped and questioned buy Canada customs. Passing US customs has always been easy, unlike passing security checks in smaller US airports.... Not happy about Canada customs getting guns now, I will have to be more polite! Remember Canada customs is also Revenue Canada, so depending on what you told them they could have reason to look further. ei confirm your address, your place of employment. You don't have to worry, you will not be getting a credit card from them, they are cash and carry!
It's obvious, if you attract too much attention, they will single you out. They have quota's on every flight they have to look at someone, so if you stick out, you get the special treatment, and the rest of the people on the flight say thank-you! Simple, they didn't believe your story, and wanted to check you out? Were the guards females?
I also cross the boarder often, and have been stopped and questioned buy Canada customs. Passing US customs has always been easy, unlike passing security checks in smaller US airports.... Not happy about Canada customs getting guns now, I will have to be more polite! Remember Canada customs is also Revenue Canada, so depending on what you told them they could have reason to look further. ei confirm your address, your place of employment. You don't have to worry, you will not be getting a credit card from them, they are cash and carry!
It's obvious, if you attract too much attention, they will single you out. They have quota's on every flight they have to look at someone, so if you stick out, you get the special treatment, and the rest of the people on the flight say thank-you! Simple, they didn't believe your story, and wanted to check you out? Were the guards females?
I got tired of the questions when I lived in Canada and had a work visa and was traveling back to the US a dozen times a year, but I never got pulled aside for backroom questioning except the time I was throwing up all over the floor waiting in line. Once they realized I had the flu and was not a drug mule with a busted packet in my stomach they got me out real quickly. Now when I go to Canada and I am asked why I am coming into the country my response is simple - "Litigation." They have never asked another question.
IMO being polite shouldn't have anything to do with a customs officer being armed or not. When you pre-clear US Customs in Canada none of the officers are armed and I can't imagine why anyone would treat them with less/more respect then one at Coutts. On the issue of CBSA getting guns I think its a great idea as long as they're properly trained and limited to areas where their safety is at risk (i.e. ground crossings, harbor inspections, etc) and not in administrative or clerical positions.visiting said:
Sorry but no. Canada Customs no longer exists. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is responsible for the security of our ports of entry and to collect any applicable taxes or duties. The Canadian Revenue Agency is a separate department responsible for personal and corporate tax.visiting said:
G
Buddha said:
Some times customs agents get information from "other sources". So the agents may target certain flights, but once your on the "black List", your on there for a while, they will be pulling you aside regularly, but not every time. If you have nothing to hide, then there is no worry. The unfortunate thing is in this case, security means a few have to suffer for the good of many?
yes, sometimes border guards to get a profile to search for from a particular place, just sucks if you meet that profile. everything they do is for a reason, having you sit in a room by yourself for an amount of time is probably mainly to see if you get nervous. Also, MJ, if you have been associated with someone with a criminal background, then it's gonna suck for you to cross the borders.
Interesting thread,
Couple of thoughts crossed my mind maybe some of the more informed members could rationalize for me.
1. Canada customs and revenue agency, the last word in their name is Agency. I looked into this as far as I could but from what I could determine they are just that an agency. My example of that would be. Student debt is held by the Crown they are non-negotiable debts once owed they are never not anchorable, Agency debt such as income tax is a forgivable debt, they can be forgiven, negotiated or discharged completely thru bankruptcy. My point being one obviously has more power then the other. Why would an agency have such power?
2. Credit inquires. These I have personal and experience with and usually will see upwards of 200 per month. There are 2 types of inquires "hard inquires" and "soft inquires". Hard inquires will be present on your bureau for a period of not less then 3 years and will report as numerical inquiry after that period for up to 7 years depending on the province you live in. Everyone in the future who you grant permission to see your bureau can view hard hits. Soft inquires can only be viewed by you and are used most often by companies who have previously viewed your credit e.g. CMHC, your bank etc. soft inquires are not visible on a standard bureau like I would pull on a client. They are only visible when you personally request a copy of your credit bureau. they cause no harm to your credit score.
My question to the poster would be did you pull your own bureau? if so it will differentiate between the two types.
My next question, would be if CMHC can pull soft bureaus as an agent of the Crown why would CCRA not do the same?
On a personal note I would be more upset about the drag on your score caused by the inquiry then the intrusion itself. Potential lenders, landlords etc. View bureaus and will look at who previously had viewed your bureau. They look for things like excessive inquires and here is the big one, things like CCRA and collection agencies. As a lender would you want to risk lending money to a client if you knew they were recently being looked into by CCRA or collection agents. Inquires tell a lot about a person and make up a good percentage of the Matrix used to calculate your credit worthiness
Cargo
Couple of thoughts crossed my mind maybe some of the more informed members could rationalize for me.
1. Canada customs and revenue agency, the last word in their name is Agency. I looked into this as far as I could but from what I could determine they are just that an agency. My example of that would be. Student debt is held by the Crown they are non-negotiable debts once owed they are never not anchorable, Agency debt such as income tax is a forgivable debt, they can be forgiven, negotiated or discharged completely thru bankruptcy. My point being one obviously has more power then the other. Why would an agency have such power?
2. Credit inquires. These I have personal and experience with and usually will see upwards of 200 per month. There are 2 types of inquires "hard inquires" and "soft inquires". Hard inquires will be present on your bureau for a period of not less then 3 years and will report as numerical inquiry after that period for up to 7 years depending on the province you live in. Everyone in the future who you grant permission to see your bureau can view hard hits. Soft inquires can only be viewed by you and are used most often by companies who have previously viewed your credit e.g. CMHC, your bank etc. soft inquires are not visible on a standard bureau like I would pull on a client. They are only visible when you personally request a copy of your credit bureau. they cause no harm to your credit score.
My question to the poster would be did you pull your own bureau? if so it will differentiate between the two types.
My next question, would be if CMHC can pull soft bureaus as an agent of the Crown why would CCRA not do the same?
On a personal note I would be more upset about the drag on your score caused by the inquiry then the intrusion itself. Potential lenders, landlords etc. View bureaus and will look at who previously had viewed your bureau. They look for things like excessive inquires and here is the big one, things like CCRA and collection agencies. As a lender would you want to risk lending money to a client if you knew they were recently being looked into by CCRA or collection agents. Inquires tell a lot about a person and make up a good percentage of the Matrix used to calculate your credit worthiness
Cargo
Just to add an answer to someone else's question.
All that is required to pull a credit bureau is name,address and date of birth S.I.N numbers are optional and not required. All that information is offered on your drivers license which is considered public information.All you have to get is any 2 out of the 3 things matching the info that exists on your bureau.
Unless of course you try to pull a civilian bureau on your best buddy, then they will ask you a ton of skill testing questions about your buddy that you have to get 100% correct.
Cargo
All that is required to pull a credit bureau is name,address and date of birth S.I.N numbers are optional and not required. All that information is offered on your drivers license which is considered public information.All you have to get is any 2 out of the 3 things matching the info that exists on your bureau.
Unless of course you try to pull a civilian bureau on your best buddy, then they will ask you a ton of skill testing questions about your buddy that you have to get 100% correct.
Cargo
As gravitas pointed out earlier, the CCRA no longer exists. There are two separate entities now. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) which is roughly the Canadian equivalent of America's Internal Revenue Agency (IRA) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) which has to do with border security.CARGO1 said:
Thank-you
Thank-you for correcting me, I had not noticed the change in agencies, from time to time I do my own customs paperwork, which they customs does collect monies for Revenue Canada or should I say, The Canadian Revenue Agency.
Regarding the guns and being polite, that was a joke, and I do agree guards should be armed, as not all border crossings are in populated area's. A report last summer, if I remember correctly said in some cases it could take up to 1 hour for police to show up if there was trouble.
gravitas said:
Thank-you for correcting me, I had not noticed the change in agencies, from time to time I do my own customs paperwork, which they customs does collect monies for Revenue Canada or should I say, The Canadian Revenue Agency.
Regarding the guns and being polite, that was a joke, and I do agree guards should be armed, as not all border crossings are in populated area's. A report last summer, if I remember correctly said in some cases it could take up to 1 hour for police to show up if there was trouble.
