Rights of Canadian Immigration Officers

sunshine_boy rolls eyeballs, shakes head, pulls out hair - and in tribute to other TT posters - drops knitting needles. Please note I did not say same person tp, I said same people, same uniforms. Click on the links on this page for both immigration and customs and see what happens. Its the new reality - the new method(since 2003) of delivering 'some' aspects of these federal services when they merged the Customs people with the border enforcement people from Immigration. Canada doesn't even have Customs inspection officers anymore. They're all Border Services Officers and Immigration Departments exist mostly in downtown office towers

sunshine_boy again rolls eyeballs, shakes head. Picks up knitting needles and throws them.

(this comment was in response to another poster's reply that has since been removed - it was pretty tasteless)

Edited by: sunshine_boy

Let me clear this matter up for everyone.

First of all:

"When you get in the immigration lineup after exiting the plane, all you have is your carryon luggage, just like every other person in the line. The Immigration Officer would have no idea how many bags you have, wouldn't ask and does not care. They do ask intrsive questioons here."

It is in fact a customs officer you first encounter after you exit the plane. Furthermore, the first customs officer can and often will enquire how many bags you have- I know this because I was asked that very question when I entered Canada by air internationally yesterday.

This customs officer will decide whether you need to see an immigration officer or not (example: you are not a resident of Canada and are here for studying, so you need to see an immigration officer).

After you pick up your bags (and clear immigration if necessary), you pass another checkpoint where you are either referred to secondary for further inspection or are free to leave the hall unhindered. Note: as far as I can tell this is usually based on the first officer's opinion.

Finally, OP: They probably find it a little suspicious that you don't have checked bags because people typically buy things when they go to places like Thailand and Hong Kong. For the record though, I almost never check in luggage when I go anywhere and have only been to secondary once. I reckon it's sometimes just luck of the draw or a perhaps a personality clash with the customs officer that lands people in secondary.

J_Bone: I understand what you are saying because it appears that the function of the officers is as an immigration officer and then a customs officer, but the reality is that there are no Customs Officers and there are no Immigration officers that most travellers encounter anymore. They are all 'Border Services Officers'. You couldn't even apply for a job as a customs officer anymore. They don't exist. Border Services officers perform enforcement services of both the Citizenship and Immigration Department as well as collection of duties and taxes for the Canada Revenue Agency. They work for the same agency of the government and wear the same uniforms, make the same pay under the same job classification. Check on it if you don't believe me.

Jbone, you pick up your bags before you speak to passport control?
Sorry, I don't believe that, not at airports.

We're getting bound up on terminology here, though in my mind I speak to two people, and in this order: first immigration who check papers, then customs who may or may not check bags.
As stated, whether you get secondary search depends on random selection, suspicion of immigration officer, or suspicion of customs officer at primary inspection.

No, I believe you sunshine boy. My point is Canadian citizens don't need to clear immigration at all. After the first officer stamped my card the other day in Toronto there was a checkpoint immediately afterwards and I overheard the customs officer telling the guy ahead of me he needed to go to immigration.

After the bag pickup area there was another checkpoint where they collect the customs cards and that's where they send you for further inspection- I know this because that's where I got pulled aside before :P

it was four of us backpacker types returning from Amsterdam, so it wasn't a big shock. Come to think of it it was a piece of piss, they just opened our bags and took a little poke around, not sure why everyone makes such a big deal out of it

Coming back to apologize to those offended for(my deleted) tasteless comment. May I suggest this thread has dead ended into pointless bickering...Let it die a whimpering death...carracar

{quote:title=hardnosethehighway wrote:}{quote}
There is no legal requirement for you to answer any questions you fell are intrusive from those people-if they bother you ask to see a Supervisor.

They cannot deny you entry into the country of your birth or if you're a Canadian citizen.

It's been my experience that Canadian Customs & Immigration officials are poorly educated/badly trained very limited individuals who should be treated like the low level functionaries that they are.

Just because someone is poorly educated or badly trained does not make them a bad person and or deserves being treated like a person of lesser worth.

Be realistic- post 9/11 all countries are putting every passenger a little more under the spotlight. They are just doing their jobs. Unless you gave them reason to hang you over to secondary inspection, they wouldn't waste your time or their coworkers. Lest of all on Super Sunday. Of course, if some ignorant fool gave you attitude, wouldn't you be less inclined to let them pass through easily?