U.S. Customs and Border Protection

My elderly mother, travelling alone, was subject to completely unnecessary abuse by one of the US customs officers. She was flying down to visit me (her daughter) in North Carolina for 5 days. The custom official berated her for not knowing her return flight number, yelled at her, and told her she should be more appreciative given that visiting the US as a Canadian was a privilege, not a right. She was so distraught when finally arriving at her flight that the flight attendant pulled her aside and asked if she needed assistance. She was still in tears two hours later when I picked her up in North Carolina. This kind of treatment is completely unacceptable. This man, being in a position of power, was obviously praying on the weak and vulnerable and had no excuse for the way her treated this innocent woman, who had done nothing wrong. He should be ashamed of himself.
8 years ago (16-02-2018)

After coming back from my first trip ever out of the United States from Canada, I had the enourmous pleasure of going through this facility. Entering Canada at Toronto Pearson was quick, pleasant, and not a big deal. Heading back home was far from that. There was a substantial line so first of all be very sure you arrive plenty early to the airport otherwise you may very well miss your flight. I watched countless people running, gasping, and out of breath trying to connect their flights as gates changed on them because they took too long to get through customs and security. Then there was the line to get through customs. A guy stands at the registers and watches everyone in line and screams at everyone "no cell phones, no cell phones!!!". While I'm sure this serves a security need, it might've been more helpful if he was also communicating the expectations of the agents before you go up to one because you know, not all of us have been out of the country before. So I go up to the booth and I had my boarding pass and passport documents check receipt with me, both neatly presented with my passport open to my information page . Immediately I get yelled at for not scanning my boarding pass immediately, and told hurry up you need to learn how to multitask. This not more than a fraction of a second after being told to scan my boarding pass which I was in the process of trying to do. Oh well, I just smiled and moved on after she was done with me. So beware, they expect you to know exactly what to do and if you don't do it instantly like a robot you are going to get yelled at like some sort of criminal or a dog off the street. I work for the government and treating people this way by my employees would not be tolerated whatsoever as a public servant . All I can say was that it was a nice welcome home and quite an experience to see the stark contrast between the United States and our kind northern neighbor.
8 years ago (13-02-2018)

@ Toronto Pearson Airport 4:50 pm, the pre clearing line 3 (just before the gates) staffed ONE person to clear at least 80 people. Each person took 5 minutes and it was ridiculous. Many passengers were late and missed their flights entirely. Never have I been so disappointed, and it shocks me how there's nothing keeping them from doing this. Terrible experience.
8 years ago (23-03-2018)

If you're looking to submit a waiver application they don't do so here anymore! Don't waste your time
8 years ago (17-02-2018)

We are in the 6th year of using Nexus and border crossings are a breeze. US Customs has a job to do, and if you want to speed up the process, apply for a Nexus card.
8 years ago (03-05-2018)