I'm 17 and my brother is 19, we are traveling by bus from canada to U.S. all we have are california drivers

Question

licenses and california school ID cards. what kind of questions do they ask?

Answer 1

First, the Canada/U.S. border is over 3,000 miles long ... are you asking in regards to the entire border, or a certain portion of it?

Second, the customs officers are all trained the same, to ask the same questions, look for the same things, and follow the same regulations and laws. However, rookie officers tend to be more "by the letter of the law" and thus, large border stations that train a lot of new officers may have a reputation for being tougher.

Third, a drivers license and a school I.D. are NOT proof of citizenship, which is what you need to enter or re-enter the U.S. A birth certificate showing you were born in the U.S., a valid Visa, a U.S. Passport, or a certificate of permanent Residency (green card) would be required to prove citizenship/legal residency.

Fourth ... you seem unduly concerned about re-entering the U.s. and whether or not you will be allowed to. This leads me to believe that you may not be a citizen or legal resident of the U.S. If this is the case, your nervousness and concern may be evident, and may cause the customs officials to look closer into your documentation. If it is NOT the case, then I highly recommend getting hold of your birth certificate or other documentation and having it with you when you cross.

Answer 2

This guy's question is fairly genuine looking. And that is Canada's own tourism money that finally come out of this. After June 2009 you'll want a passport. For bus commute i'm not confident in the journey that they stamp each passenger on the bus. truly, they'd achieve this, or they'd do an unscheduled random search for on the fringe of the border. OR they'd go down the line bus row by technique of row and in simple terms ask each and each passenger to exhibit passport.

Answer 3

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.
The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Answer 4

They will always ask you about half a dozen questions. More if it sounds suspicious.

Are you a US citizen? You have less questions to answer about your business if you are. (Where are you going? How long? How can you afford it especially if going a long time?) They will probably ask you about your parents or your living conditions. Do you just live with your brother? Your crossing would be easier if you had a copy of your birth certificate.