Firearms Across Border with Dual Citizenship

[tinkering]

My friend has dual citizenship (has Greencard) and is living in the US at present. His rifles are in Canada. How does he get them to the US. Is it possible for him to drive them across the border when returning to the US.
Is there some kind of papers he needs to get?

[Trochu]

Yes it's possible, depending on the firearm, and he'll need import forms.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by tinkering

My friend has dual citizenship (has Greencard) and is living in the US at present. His rifles are in Canada. How does he get them to the US. Is it possible for him to drive them across the border when returning to the US.
Is there some kind of papers he needs to get?

Is a greencard dual though? As far as I know a greencard is just to let one work and live but you are not a citizen.

The USA does not like dual citizenship generally. My wife is a born American who now has proper Canadian citizenship and every single time we cross the border they give her crap for travelling on a Canadian passport and says they do not recognize her as a Canadian and she is American only as far as they are concerned. Really quite annoying.

[FishOutOfWater]

Originally Posted by Trochu

Yes it's possible, depending on the firearm, and he'll need import forms.

This... If he's trying to escape the Liberal tyranny on Modern Sporting Rifles and take any across the border, he might find his on the "inadmissible" list. Check with CBP for more information.

I had one such rifle, but I sold it to Mike from Canmore...

[Dewey Cox]

If he goes on the ATF website, he should be able to determine which forms he needs to import them.

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

If he goes on the ATF website, he should be able to determine which forms he needs to import them.

Would he need export forms on this side too?

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by tirebob

Is a greencard dual though? As far as I know a greencard is just to let one work and live but you are not a citizen.

The USA does not like dual citizenship generally. My wife is a born American who now has proper Canadian citizenship and every single time we cross the border they give her crap for travelling on a Canadian passport and says they do not recognize her as a Canadian and she is American only as far as they are concerned. Really quite annoying.

He decided to get a greencard instead of paying another $1500 to go through with a US citizenship. He married an American lady.

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by tinkering

Would he need export forms on this side too?

Who gives a **** about this side.
I would get my ducks in a row for the American side, and if letting Canada know about it comes up in the process, worry about that then.
If you ask the Canadian government if they need to be involved in something, they'll say yes, and it will be expensive.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by FishOutOfWater

This... If he's trying to escape the Liberal tyranny on Modern Sporting Rifles and take any across the border, he might find his on the "inadmissible" list. Check with CBP for more information.

I had one such rifle, but I sold it to Mike from Canmore...

Short barreled shotguns and stuff made in China among them.

[FishOutOfWater]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Short barreled shotguns, and stuff made in China among them.

Yeah, exactly... Or any MilSurp's / Russian stuff.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by tinkering

My friend has dual citizenship (has Greencard) and is living in the US at present. His rifles are in Canada. How does he get them to the US. Is it possible for him to drive them across the border when returning to the US.
Is there some kind of papers he needs to get?

You don't understand the difference between dual citizenship and a Green Card, and it is a VERY big difference. Do your buddy a BIG favour and don't help him because you will likely end up with him in jail or worse. Tell him to go talk to a good immigration lawyer and get all of this stuff exactly right. There is a lot of things that are worth spending money on to get top notch expert advice.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by tirebob

Is a greencard dual though? As far as I know a greencard is just to let one work and live but you are not a citizen.

The USA does not like dual citizenship generally. My wife is a born American who now has proper Canadian citizenship and every single time we cross the border they give her crap for travelling on a Canadian passport and says they do not recognize her as a Canadian and she is American only as far as they are concerned. Really quite annoying.

Green card is the equivalent to the Canadian Landed permanent resident, not citizenship. It allows you to live and work.

I've had dual Canadian/US citizenship my entire life. My son has it and am currently working on it for my daughter. Wasn't an issue when I enlisted into the Army or getting jobs in law enforcement so a bit confused on what your basing the USA does not like dual citizenship statement on??

If it's a border guard concerned about a passport, I could say the same thing as I stopped using my Canadian passport in 2018 when it expired. Canadian border guards are always asking me why I don't use my Canadian ID. My answer is always I use the one that is valid. They've only asked to see the expired Canadian passport once.

In general border guards are like any other government employee that has some level of authority. If they're having a bad day, your having a bad day. If your disrespectful, your having a bad day. Not saying its right or wrong, there's just certain people/professions you avoid aggravating.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Green card is the equivalent to the Canadian Landed permanent resident, not citizenship. It allows you to live and work.

I've had dual Canadian/US citizenship my entire life. My son has it and am currently working on it for my daughter. Wasn't an issue when I enlisted into the Army or getting jobs in law enforcement so a bit confused on what your basing the USA does not like dual citizenship statement on??

If it's a border guard concerned about a passport, I could say the same thing as I stopped using my Canadian passport in 2018 when it expired. Canadian border guards are always asking me why I don't use my Canadian ID. My answer is always I use the one that is valid. They've only asked to see the expired Canadian passport once.

In general border guards are like any other government employee that has some level of authority. If they're having a bad day, your having a bad day. If your disrespectful, your having a bad day. Not saying its right or wrong, there's just certain people/professions you avoid aggravating.

Oh it isn't me having an issue. It is my wife, and if you knew her she gives zero greif to anyone, especially border guards. Just commenting on our experiences with crossing the border as a born Amercian who got Canadian citizenship later in life. It is always a hassle for her.

Maybe different for a Canadian who got American citizenship? I don't know if that is it or not. I just know we have been told on multiple occasions she needs an American passport when we have tried to cross into the USA and her Canadian one is not acceptable. She then explains she has lived in Canada longer than she ever lived in the US and her US passport long ago expired and they say it doesn't matter and that she needs one. She then asks if she is not allowed and they always say they can't say no to admitting a returning American citizen, so she asks if she can go then and they circle back to not recognizing her Canadian passport and she must get a US one... It has always eventually landed on letting her in but it has happened multiple times. She has been straight up told they do not recognize her Canadian citizenship.

My son has it too as he had to be born in the US because her landed status in Canada was not finalized yet and then we came back with him when he was just a few days old. Here we just had to apply for a citizenship card based on being a Canadian born out of country and he was immediately granted Canadian citizenship and has never had a hassle, but my wife is an entirely different ball game.

I know what the law is, but that doesn't mean every borderguard does or agrees with it.

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by Dean2

You don't understand the difference between dual citizenship and a Green Card, and it is a VERY big difference. Do your buddy a BIG favour and don't help him because you will likely end up with him in jail or worse. Tell him to go talk to a good immigration lawyer and get all of this stuff exactly right. There is a lot of things that are worth spending money on to get top notch expert advice.

He is no dummy. Neither one of us are going to storm the border. I am digging up information for him. So I guess I presented the details in a dummy fashion. I stand as a dummy but only I can say that.
Thanks for your concern.
I will go to ATF online and dig around.
Thanks again.

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Green card is the equivalent to the Canadian Landed permanent resident, not citizenship. It allows you to live and work.

I've had dual Canadian/US citizenship my entire life. My son has it and am currently working on it for my daughter. Wasn't an issue when I enlisted into the Army or getting jobs in law enforcement so a bit confused on what your basing the USA does not like dual citizenship statement on??

If it's a border guard concerned about a passport, I could say the same thing as I stopped using my Canadian passport in 2018 when it expired. Canadian border guards are always asking me why I don't use my Canadian ID. My answer is always I use the one that is valid. They've only asked to see the expired Canadian passport once.

In general border guards are like any other government employee that has some level of authority. If they're having a bad day, your having a bad day. If your disrespectful, your having a bad day. Not saying its right or wrong, there's just certain people/professions you avoid aggravating.

Excellent. Thanks for the first hand information. My friend's forefathers were American citizens kind of the same as you and your kids. He didn't think it was necessary to go the full distance with his US citizenship because it was going to cost $1500.00 to jump through the hoops. He's 78 and doesn't care to do it now. He's married to an American lady, and collects US old age pension and his grandfather is in Arlington from the Civil War (North side). He would like to get his rifle and shotgun to his home in the US now. They are not milsurp or sawed off or testy in any way... wants to shoot some birds and get some wild meat, that's all.
If he has to pay a lawyer to get some import forms officiated, that's ok too.
I always like to look for solutions rather than fret over the problem for too fartin long.

I like how you describe how to deal with the authorities. Don't dick around, and do as you are asked while displaying a respectful, kind, good attitude.
Thanks

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by tirebob

Oh it isn't me having an issue. It is my wife, and if you knew her she gives zero greif to anyone, especially border guards. Just commenting on our experiences with crossing the border as a born Amercian who got Canadian citizenship later in life. It is always a hassle for her.

Maybe different for a Canadian who got American citizenship? I don't know if that is it or not. I just know we have been told on multiple occasions she needs an American passport when we have tried to cross into the USA and her Canadian one is not acceptable. She then explains she has lived in Canada longer than she ever lived in the US and her US passport long ago expired and they say it doesn't matter and that she needs one. She then asks if she is not allowed and they always say they can't say no to admitting a returning American citizen, so she asks if she can go then and they circle back to not recognizing her Canadian passport and she must get a US one... It has always eventually landed on letting her in but it has happened multiple times. She has been straight up told they do not recognize her Canadian citizenship.

My son has it too as he had to be born in the US because her landed status in Canada was not finalized yet and then we came back with him when he was just a few days old. Here we just had to apply for a citizenship card based on being a Canadian born out of country and he was immediately granted Canadian citizenship and has never had a hassle, but my wife is an entirely different ball game.

I know what the law is, but that doesn't mean every borderguard does or agrees with it.

Thanks for that. That is great info too. My grampa and greatgrama and grampa came from North Dakota. My dad was born in canada. Is there a chance I could get citizenship in the states, and have duality too?

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by tinkering

Thanks for that. That is great info too. My grampa and greatgrama and grampa came from North Dakota. My dad was born in canada. Is there a chance I could get citizenship in the states, and have duality too?

Generally they only allow 1 generation to have it passed down. I got it passed to me from my father who was born in Maryland as I was born in Ontario. My son and daughter were born in Montana and I can pass my Canadian citizenship to them but they can’t pass it on to their kids. There also used to be an age limit but they may have done away with that. I’ve only worked things 1 way.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Generally they only allow 1 generation to have it passed down. I got it passed to me from my father who was born in Maryland as I was born in Ontario. My son and daughter were born in Montana and I can pass my Canadian citizenship to them but they can’t pass it on to their kids. There also used to be an age limit but they may have done away with that. I’ve only worked things 1 way.

So you basically ended up with citizenship the reverse direction as my son... You are essentially a US citizen born abroad. Did you do it all later in life or was it done for you by your parents as a child? My son has it automatically because of being born there but my daughter would have to apply and has yet to do so.

I think they give more respect to citizens such as yourself as when seeing your history as you are essentially one of theirs who chose to come home to your fathers land where as my wife is seen as someone who chose to leave hers and go elsewhere. It shouldn't matter but they definitely do have an entirely different level of patriotism in the states.

That actually reminds me of one time when we were driving down to visit my wife's parents with our newborn son and after checking all our papers the border guard asked why my wife was leaving the US. We were both a bit dumbfounded as we just had handed her our passports, son's papers, marriage certificate and her visitors visa to Canada pending landed immigrant status. My wife said it was because she married a Canadian and it was where we intended on living. The border guard lady looked me in the face totally deadpan for like 3 seconds and then looks to her and says "You'll be back one day" and tossed our papers across the car into my wife's lap walked away ha!

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by tinkering

Is there a chance I could get citizenship in the states, and have duality too?

I don't think that would be an advantage unless you plan on living/working in the USA. Think about tax time.

Some basic information:
https://www.hrblock.com/expat-tax-pr...es-for-expats/

[brendan's dad]

https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/the...-into-the-u-s/

If it is not temporary, like for a hunting trip or shooting competition, then you are basically importing the firearm into the USA. You will need a residence down there and most likely a state drivers license depending on the state laws. Using an FFL to import the firearms for you might be the easiest way, but there will be a fee and probably importer stamping requirements that we don't have here in Canada.

[EZM]

My son is dual citizen and has had zero issues moving firearms across the border into the US. Just do some research to make sure there aren't any import restrictions for that particular firearm and do your paperwork. They will likely check some serial numbers (to match paperwork) and you are back on the road in 10 minutes. Should be easy. Maybe the border guy was good, but it was really pretty seamless and quick.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by tirebob

So you basically ended up with citizenship the reverse direction as my son... You are essentially a US citizen born abroad. Did you do it all later in life or was it done for you by your parents as a child? My son has it automatically because of being born there but my daughter would have to apply and has yet to do so.

I think they give more respect to citizens such as yourself as when seeing your history as you are essentially one of theirs who chose to come home to your fathers land where as my wife is seen as someone who chose to leave hers and go elsewhere. It shouldn't matter but they definitely do have an entirely different level of patriotism in the states.

That actually reminds me of one time when we were driving down to visit my wife's parents with our newborn son and after checking all our papers the border guard asked why my wife was leaving the US. We were both a bit dumbfounded as we just had handed her our passports, son's papers, marriage certificate and her visitors visa to Canada pending landed immigrant status. My wife said it was because she married a Canadian and it was where we intended on living. The border guard lady looked me in the face totally deadpan for like 3 seconds and then looks to her and says "You'll be back one day" and tossed our papers across the car into my wife's lap walked away ha!

I dunno about that. My dad was born in Maryland, got his LPR status in Canada when my parents got married, then eventually got his Canadian citizenship so he is dual now as well. He never has any issues going back visiting the States even though he's lived in Canada since the 70s.

Who knows, maybe one of the border guards put a note on your wife or you just have crap luck?? Crossing either border I always do the same thing. Pull up, drivers/passenger window down. No sun glasses. Vehicle off, keys on dash where they can see them. Look straight at them when asked questions and only answer what they ask, don't volunteer extra. Going into Canada back in 2007/2008 was the worst stretch I had where Canadian customs always gave me the run around. Accused me of trying to sell my truck, wondered why I had 3 gas cans in my truck bed, took me aside and searched truck and contents etc... I truly think it depends on the guard and crossing. They're just trying to do a relatively thankless job and keep their country safe/monitor who is coming/going etc... Folks in North America overall should be thankful how lax the Canadian/US border is. I've been in Europe and the Middle East and they have the military guarding the border. Scenes right out of a cold war film. Unfortunately I see us getting like that due to Uncle Joe's border failures

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by EZM

My son is dual citizen and has had zero issues moving firearms across the border into the US. Just do some research to make sure there aren't any import restrictions for that particular firearm and do your paperwork. They will likely check some serial numbers (to match paperwork) and you are back on the road in 10 minutes. Should be easy. Maybe the border guy was good, but it was really pretty seamless and quick.

Thanks for that.
He has his canadian documents.
He has his greencard which says permanent resident right on it. He has his American driver's license and social security number. He has his marriage certificate. The firearms are not 'restricted' in any way.
There shouldn't be any trouble as long as he has any/all required forms completed.
I will reference the ATF website.
Thanks again.

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

I dunno about that. My dad was born in Maryland, got his LPR status in Canada when my parents got married, then eventually got his Canadian citizenship so he is dual now as well. He never has any issues going back visiting the States even though he's lived in Canada since the 70s.

Who knows, maybe one of the border guards put a note on your wife or you just have crap luck?? Crossing either border I always do the same thing. Pull up, drivers/passenger window down. No sun glasses. Vehicle off, keys on dash where they can see them. Look straight at them when asked questions and only answer what they ask, don't volunteer extra. Going into Canada back in 2007/2008 was the worst stretch I had where Canadian customs always gave me the run around. Accused me of trying to sell my truck, wondered why I had 3 gas cans in my truck bed, took me aside and searched truck and contents etc... I truly think it depends on the guard and crossing. They're just trying to do a relatively thankless job and keep their country safe/monitor who is coming/going etc... Folks in North America overall should be thankful how lax the Canadian/US border is. I've been in Europe and the Middle East and they have the military guarding the border. Scenes right out of a cold war film. Unfortunately I see us getting like that due to Uncle Joe's border failures

I like how you list all of the border procedures. It's all common sence. It's all done with respect. We have a big part to play in the whole thing. Thanks for those wise words.

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

I don't think that would be an advantage unless you plan on living/working in the USA. Think about tax time.

Some basic information:
https://www.hrblock.com/expat-tax-pr...es-for-expats/

"Think about tax time." That is a key consideration! Thanks

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by tinkering

He decided to get a greencard instead of paying another $1500 to go through with a US citizenship. He married an American lady.

What?!?!

[tinkering]

Originally Posted by Fradaburidi

What?!?!

Ya, he said it was going to cost a bunch more money to go the full nine yards to become a bona fide 'citizen of the USA'.
Is that not true? Maybe my memory fricked up somewhere on that.

[Cement Bench]

in order for me to get usa citizenship my dad would have to file back tax returns for 5 years and continue to file, dad said no way hosay

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Cement Bench

in order for me to get usa citizenship my dad would have to file back tax returns for 5 years and continue to file, dad said no way hosay

Your dad’s taxes have nothing to do with YOUR citizenship status.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Your dad’s taxes have nothing to do with YOUR citizenship status.

It might if he is hoping to get his citizenship application grandfathered via his dad.