Border Crossing (Information supplied on this topic is from experience only, and in no way reflects policies, regulations, or laws from either Canada, USA, Manitoba, or Minnesota).

General:
Cross international borders can make some people a little anxious. We were a little. I mean, we have both quit our nice jobs in Winnipeg, sold our house, packed up all our possessions, and are now off to the border to get a visa which could theoretically be denied if they are in a bad mood. Well, it isn't quite that way. We did a lot of preparation - asked LOTS of questions, phoned the US border almost weekly with new questions. The process is quite simply. I will describe in below for getting a TN-1 visa. I wish I could describe for other types of visas, but we have no experience in that area.

Departing from Winnipeg:
If you have the slightest doubt in your mind, and you want to get that damned visa before you are heading down for good, they (US Immigration) will issue a TN-1 visa up to 2 weeks before your "start working" date. They are pretty sticky on this. We wanted to go down before you turned in notice at our current jobs, but this was not possible.

You should plan on driving down to Emerson (if you plan on crossing there-most people heading to the Twin Cities, or other US city by car do). From the Winnipeg boundary, it is 55 minutes. Bring with you everything on the TN Checklist. If you do not have US cash, when you initially get to the border, tell them you are just visiting Pembina. There is a bank machine at Gas-Trak you can use to get the US$. Drive back to the border (1 minute), and re-approach the US border crossing. Tell the immigration officer that you are applying for entry into the USA under a TN visa. He will ask you to drive ahead, park the car and come inside.

At Pembina Border Crossing:
Once inside, nobody will be waiting for you specifically. Go to the Immigration counter - its nice and new in the Pembina Border Crossing. Tell the officer you are here to get a TN-1 visa. Have everything you need, and present it to him. Unless there is something really strange, you should not have to explain anything. He may or may not take all your paperwork, and go to another room. This is just so he can examine everything to ensure it meets all TN-1 criteria. The most common jobs that are being used to get TN-1 visas currently are Computer Systems Analyst, Nurse, and Doctors (and other related fields).

After he has finished examining your paperwork (expect maybe 10 minutes), he will (should) either inform you that this qualifies, or not - and provide a reason if not. Next step. He will now want some primary identification (passport is best, next best in birth certificate, or Canadian Citizenship card). A driver's license is not good enough. He will now conduct a criminal records background check. They are not looking for speeding tickets, or minor stuff. They are looking for the big ones! This will take about 5 minutes.

Now, if you pass the criminal test, he will fill out what is called an I-94 card. Real simple looking card, which he will record your name, visa type (TN-1), place of employment in the USA, and the valid-to date (exactly 365 days from date of issue). This takes about 5 minutes.

Final step (stop sweating!). Pay the guy. Currently $55.00 total I believe. If you have a passport, he will staple this visa inside your password. Otherwise, keep this card in a very safe place. You will need this card when you start work, and later when applying for your social security card. You will also need this card when (if) you go back to Canada, and re-cross the border. In fact, if you forget this card when trying to re-cross, they can actually deny you entry!

Please feel free to contact