The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has advised Americans to leave their guns at home when crossing into Canada.
Any American that does bring a gun with them should declare it up front and not try to hide it, the CBSA says.
A new awareness campaign is designed to remind Americans that gun laws are different in Canada than in the United States.
“We welcome our U.S. neighbours in Canada — to make your journey more pleasant, travel light and always remember to declare all goods with you,” a CBSA statement said.
“It is strongly recommended that you not carry your firearm when travelling to Canada and/or transiting through Canada to reach another U.S. destination.
“However, should you choose to travel with your firearms, you must declare all firearms in your possession at the first Canadian designated port of entry.”
Quick Facts: The Canada-US Border
Longest international border in world at 8,891km, 2,475km of which is with Alaska.
400,000 people and $2.4 billion in trade cross the border each day.
Canada and U.S. are second and fourth largest countries in the world by area.
Canadian provinces and territories with U.S. borders: Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick.
US states with Canadian borders: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine.
Widely-publicized U.S. laws make guns much more available south of the border than in Canada, where they are strictly controlled.
Despite several high-profile mass shootings like the one at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in June that saw 49 people die, U.S. President Barack Obama has been unable to win support for increased gun control in America.
Evidence suggests that a significant amount of the gun crime in Canada uses weapons that originated in the U.S.
In the first six months of 2016, 413 guns were seized by the CBSA at Canada’s U.S. borders. The second half of 2015 saw 163 guns seized on the Ontario border alone.
The Canadian federal government recently agreed an information-sharing deal with the U.S.
Under the legislation, a log will be created of every traveller who leaves the country, primarily to close a security gap that has seen Canadians leave the country to join terrorist groups untracked.
The deal will also allow better monitoring of the amount of time Canadians are spending south of the border. The current yearly cap is 120 days, or 182 with special permission.
Those exceeding the yearly limit face being considered a U.S. resident, and having to pay the resultant taxes. They could also lose their Canadian residency and access to health care, or be deemed an illegal resident in the U.S., which could result in being banned from the country for up to 10 years.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
Recent News Articles:
- Canadians Buck Global Trend With Positive View on Immigration
- Canada Ranks #1 in World’s Best Quality of Life
Read more news about Canada Immigration by clicking here.