ezbordercrossing

Guide to Crossing the US Canada Border

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Entry Denied for Medical Reasons

The databases being shared by the U.S. and Canadian Customs and Immigration officials contain a vast amount of personal information – including health related issues.

A Canadian woman was denied entry to the U.S. because of a suicide attempt years earlier.  Although officials cannot get into your personal medical records, they do have access to any record that involves law enforcement.   In this case, the woman was judged to be a mental health risk and was not allowed to enter until she paid a fee of $250, and her family doctor provided certain medical records.  She was also required to sign a form stating she understood the information would be passed to the U.S. government and that she had no control over how it would be used.

See ezbordercrossing.com for more information on what a border official knows about you.

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Canada Implements Border Crossing Closures

The Canadian Border Services Agency has implemented the closure of the U.S. / Canadian border crossings at Jamieson’s Line, and Franklin Centre in Quebec as well as Big Beaver in Saskatchewan.  Barriers and cameras will be installed at these former checkpoints to deter further use of these ports.  They also reduced the hours of operation at the Glen Sutton, East Pinnacle and Morses Line border crossings.  See our links to these border crossings for more information.

Ezbordercrossing.com will provide updates when the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announces their decision on whether to keep it’s side of these ports open.   It is very likely that the U.S. will match the Canadian action and close the ports, but it will take the better part of 2011 given the hearings and other actions that must be taken to implement these changes.

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RFID Security Issues in Passport Cards and EDL’s

A new paper released by Researchers at the University of Washington spelled out several privacy and security vulnerabilities of the RFID tags embedded within Enhanced Driver’s License’s (EDL) and U.S. Passport Cards.  The researchers found that the RFID tags in these documents can be remotely copied from as far away as 50 meters away (162 ft.).   Even if EDL cardholders have their card within a protective foil sleeve provided by the Washington State Department of Licensing, the unique identification number on the RFID still can be read from up to two feet away.

They also found that a malicious intruder can permanently disable the RFID tag within an Enhanced Driver’s License, without the cardholder ever knowing.  This will invalidate the enhanced driver’s license.

You should consider using some of the protective sleeves found in ezbordercrossing.com travel store.  See our website for more information on Passport Cards and Enhanced Driver’s Licenses.