I am going to be going to Canada with a professor, one of her friends, and a couple other students in March. We will be going by land, driving to be exact, so no TSA, but since my professor is not from the States and neither is her friend, and the three of us students are Americans, I'm sure will get pulled over for secondary inspection.

My dilemma is that I'll be trying to outwardly appear as a guy like usual, which I'm pretty good at; even though my professor and the other students do not know I'm trans since I've never asked them to call me my my masculine name (I have hinted to the other students though and I'm pretty sure at least one of them has picked up on it).  I'm afraid that the CBC [customs and border control] officers will ask questions about my appearance, even though I should clearly look like my picture on my ID since I'm getting a new one in February. It will still have an F on it and it my legal name is still feminine.

Any help on how tight the US/Canada land border is, and what type of questions I should expect, going in either direction would be greatly appreciated.


Note: Michigan residents who are also Americans can have an "enhanced ID" or an "enhanced driver's license" where they don't need a passport to go to Canada with the exception of flying. I'll be using one.

Canada, at least the last time I drove across the border (its been a couple years now), is really open and friendly.  As long as you seem to know what you're doing you should be just fine.  People gain weight, they lose weight, their hair grows out, they get it cut short.  Meanwhile their ID's never change.  A friend of mine who worked for ICE at the Canadian border once said, we don't ask questions we don't already know the answer to.  So answer their questions truthfully.

As for a secondary inspection, as long as yours and their documents are in order there shouldn't be any problems.  I used to drive to and from Canada quite frequently and ended up in secondary less then half a dozen times, never once was I or my vehicle searched.

If I wasn't clear before, both directions through the border would be nice to know.


And Regan, I hope I can look like I know what I'm doing.   The last time -  and only time - I went over the border was over ten years ago. I was only ten years old and my mom and dad answered all the questions. I don't think I was even paying attention. 

Quote from: gilligan on January 09, 2011, 02:44:43 PM
If I wasn't clear before, both directions through the border would be nice to know.


And Regan, I hope I can look like I know what I'm doing.   The last time -  and only time - I went over the border was over ten years ago. I was only ten years old and my mom and dad answered all the questions. I don't think I was even paying attention. 

That was both directions...Canada is pretty open minded where are you from, where are you going, how long will you be there?  The US is tougher, but still pretty much the same where did you go, why, and how long were you there?  I've had ICE agents try to throw me off by speaking spanish, taking long and ususual pauses in their sentences, etc but as long as you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to to worry about.

If you really are worried, you can always ask your therapist to write a letter explaining your situation.

I haven't travelled to Canada since I was little, but the gist I've been getting from the US side (meaning the trip back) is that they might give you a little flack but I highly doubt there will be any real problems as long as your paperwork is all in order.

I  haven't done it in car, but I have flown to Canada twice and to the US once, within the first month of presenting full time as female (all within the last 2 months).  All my documents still have a male name, male picture, and the M.  I have even had some facial surgery further differing my appearance from my documents.

Having said that, not a single person treated me any different than if my presentation matched my documents.  From the ticketing agent, security, to customs.  Both directions were fine.  I don't think you should have any problems as long as your documents are in order.  Even further, on my way home from Chicago when my face was swollen and I didn't look anything like my picture, there were extra TSA agents in the tunnel to the plane and still didn't even ask a question or flinch.

Good Luck,
Jenna

Thanks, I hope things go as well for me as they did with you.

I live in a border town, on the Canadian side. Actually, you're probably going to end up coming my way, lol.

You wont have any troubles.

I crossed the border all the time looking like a male when I was younger. No issues for that. However - one thing I've learned. Border guards with sticks up their bums will give you troubles for any thing they feel like. And that's like 30% of border guards.

Quote from: Tad on January 10, 2011, 11:24:22 PM
I crossed the border all the time looking like a male when I was younger. No issues for that. However - one thing I've learned. Border guards with sticks up their bums will give you troubles for any thing they feel like. And that's like 30% of border guards.

Random checks are random.

Quote from: Lachlann on January 10, 2011, 11:28:19 PM
Random checks are random.

well not just random. Around here we have... guards that are... no better way to describe them.. then foot long ramrods up their ass. Typically the females, and the young fresh recruits. Thinking they have something to prove. They do the kinda stuff where they ask you to head inside.. where you can't see your car becuase they had you park it out of site, then they have you stand around for half an hour.. 'waiting to talk to soemone' some guy will come in and ask you a random pointless question, then you're free to go. Or the guys that are like.. oh teenagers - must shove drug dog in the car with them. Or.. guards who just have an attitude and talk to you treating you like crap. hehehe.

I heart the older experienced guys, they don't even check our passports sometimes. XD

They're not going to say anything.

I'm assuming you're not on T or anything.  Theres no way they'd hassle someone over that.  You could too easily just be a butch lesbian [no matter how male you seem.. no offense intended obviously]

I live up north - Minnesota and have been to Canada recently - since the new requirement of passport or enhanced driver's license ... and I have always looked more masculine even though my ID has the nasty f --- what I have noticed ... the border patrols are more concerned with drug runners, criminals and underage kids going to Canada to drink.  A professor with two students will likely cause not bells to go off or concerns -- I imagine you will get waived through fairly easily.

I almost forgot, if you have the choice, cross at Port Huron and NOT Detroit.  It is much easier.

Quote from: Tad on January 10, 2011, 11:48:52 PM
well not just random. Around here we have... guards that are... no better way to describe them.. then foot long ramrods up their ass. Typically the females, and the young fresh recruits. Thinking they have something to prove. They do the kinda stuff where they ask you to head inside.. where you can't see your car becuase they had you park it out of site, then they have you stand around for half an hour.. 'waiting to talk to soemone' some guy will come in and ask you a random pointless question, then you're free to go. Or the guys that are like.. oh teenagers - must shove drug dog in the car with them. Or.. guards who just have an attitude and talk to you treating you like crap. hehehe.

I heart the older experienced guys, they don't even check our passports sometimes. XD

That just sounds like a normal random check to me. They might be acting like jerks in general when they do it, but the rest of that sounds perfectly normal.

Quote from: regan on January 11, 2011, 09:45:25 AM
I almost forgot, if you have the choice, cross at Port Huron and NOT Detroit.  It is much easier.

Yeah, Port Huron is pretty lax.

Quote from: Lachlann on January 11, 2011, 10:32:39 AM
That just sounds like a normal random check to me. They might be acting like jerks in general when they do it, but the rest of that sounds perfectly normal.

Yeah, Port Huron is pretty lax.

It's not normal for around here really. And you can tell who is going to give you a hard time or not as you are rolling into the station. Gender and age of the guard always give it away here... hahaha