Beginning October 1, 2022, all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers intending to enter the United States by land will be required to obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization ( ESTA) approved before applying for admission at land border ports of entry.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recommends that travelers apply for travel authorization at least 72 hours before their anticipated arrival at a United States land port of entry.
Canadian citizen passports are NOT required to be valid for six months after the intended departure date. Your tickets should only be valid until the date of your planned departure.
Canadian citizens entering the United States by air must present a valid passport or NEXUS card when leaving Canada. Please note that if you are arriving in the United States on a flight not pre-approved by the CBP Canada Office, passengers who only have a NEXUS card cannot use the Global Entry kiosks, and regular inspection lanes must be used.
By land and sea (including ferries): Canadian citizens traveling to the United States by land or sea must present one of the travel documents listed below and can generally visit the United States for up to six months. The CBP Office will accept the following:
- Canadian Passport
- Enhanced Driver’s License / Enhanced ID Card
- NEXUS, FAST / EXPRESS
- SENTRI Membership Card.
Children: Canadian citizens 15 years or younger arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory may present an original or copy of their birth certificate or a Canadian Citizenship Card. Canadian citizens 16 years of age or older must have a valid passport unless traveling as part of an organized group described below:
Groups of Children: Canadian citizen children under the age of 19 arriving by land or sea from the contiguous territory and traveling with a school group, religious group, social/cultural organization, or sports team may also present an original or copy of their birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
• Group must provide, on organization letterhead: The name of the group and supervising adult, list of children on the trip, main home address, phone number, date of birth, place of birth, and the name of at least one parent or legal guardian of each child.
• A written statement signed by the supervising adult certifying that parental or legal guardian consent has been obtained for each participating child.
Canadians coming as Trade Agreement participants, family members, fiancés/fiancées (including their children and the children of their spouses) from the United States who are Legal Permanent Residents must have a visa to enter the United States.
Native American Indians born in Canada with at least 50% American Indian blood are exempt from having a visa and passport to enter the United States by land. However, they must have their tribal identity card to present to the CBP Officer. In addition, if a Native American arrives in the United States by air, the traveler must have a passport.
The responsibility of the Canadian citizen not entering the United States with the intent to immigrate (she plans to make the United States her principal residence) always rests with the applicant for admission. There is no set period of time that Canadians must wait to re-enter the United States after the end of their stay.
Still, it appears to the CBP Officer that the person applying for entry spends more time in the United States than in Canada. In that case, the traveler will need to prove to the officer that they are not a de facto resident of the United States. One of the ways to do this is to demonstrate significant ties to your home country, including proof of employment, residency, etc.
Residents of Canada who are permanent immigrants (also known as “Landed Immigrants”) generally need a passport and visa to enter the United States unless they are citizens of a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program ( VWP). If you are coming by land and are a citizen of a VWP-eligible country, you only need to have a valid passport.
If you are coming by air or sea, you must have prior approval to travel via
It is the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA, for its acronym in English). The ESTA application fee is $21.
Please visit the Department of Homeland Security (also known as DHS) website for a list of VWP-eligible countries.
Canadian Citizen- Do I Need to Apply for an ESTA?
Contents
Am I a Canadian citizen/citizen?
No, Canadian citizens with a Canadian passport do not need ESTA authorization.
Am I a Landed Immigrant from Canada?
If you are a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) country traveling by land entry to the United States, you do not have to apply for an ESTA. However, if you still need to get ESTA, complete the paper Form I-94W and proceed with a manual entry process at the land border crossing.
If you have an approved ESTA when entering the United States at a land border crossing, you will not be required to complete the paper Form I-94W, and your entry process will be expedited.
And, if you are coming to the United States by air or sea, you MUST apply for ESTA. If you are not a citizen of a VWP country, you must have a visa; therefore, ESTA does not apply to you.
Am I a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States and a citizen of a VWP country?
No, you do not need to apply for an ESTA.
I am a citizen of a VWP country, and I am visiting the United States from Canada or Mexico.
If you are a citizen of a country that participates in the VWP Program and you enter the United States by land from Mexico or Canada, ESTA is not required.
So, if you do not have ESTA, you must complete the paper Form I-94W and proceed with a manual entry process at the land border crossing.
If you have an approved ESTA when entering the United States at a land border crossing, you will not be required to complete the paper Form I-94W, and your entry process will be expedited.
However, if you are issued one, you must return your I-94W green card upon leaving the United States. If you are arriving by air or sea, you must apply for ESTA.
I am a citizen of a VWP country, traveling by air to transit to the United States.
Yes. You must apply for ESTA even if you are only transiting the United States. In the address field of the application, type “In transit.”
Do I have dual citizenship in a VWP country and a non-VWP country?
If you are traveling under the VWP Terms, with your VWP passport, you must apply for ESTA. However, if you are using the passport of your non-VWP country, you will need a visa; therefore, ESTA does not apply to you.
An ESTA is required for international travel to Guam/CNMII under the VWP, an ESTA is required. However, nationalities eligible for Guam/CNMII under the VWP may travel to Guam/CNMII without an ESTA.
Under the VWP for Guam/CNMII, the maximum stay is 45 days, restricted to the islands, and no travel to the United States.
Travel from the United States to Guam/CNMII is considered a domestic flight, so ESTA is not required. However, travelers go through an inspection before traveling from Guam/CNMII to the United States. Therefore, if that trip is under VWP, you need the ESTA.
I am a citizen of a VWP country traveling for short-term business or tourism under the VWP to Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands.
Yes, the ESTA is necessary to travel to these places.
Am I traveling with a minor (boys/girls under 18) who is a citizen of a VWP country?
If the minor travels to the United States under the VWP as a tourist for 90 days or less, obtaining a separate ESTA authorization is necessary.
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Am I a dual citizen in a VWP country?
US citizens are not required to have an ESTA and must use their US passport to travel to the United States.
What if I have a valid visa?
Persons holding a valid visa will still be able to travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose it was issued. In addition, people traveling on valid tickets are not required to apply for ESTA authorization.
