Getting to a border crossing

You can apply for certain work permits at a land border crossing if you are visa-exempt for entering Canada. Visa-exempt individuals include:

• Travellers who don’t need a visa and need only an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada
• People with valid study or work permits who would normally need a visa to enter Canada but are exempt because they are returning to Canada after staying in only the United States

The types of work permits that you can apply for include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• Co-op work permit (to do a mandatory internship through your study program)
• Co-op (Internship) work permit through International Experience Canada (IEC) (IMPORTANT: You must get a work permit approval from IRCC in advance)
• Open work permit for spouses of international students

Important: as of June 21, 2024, it is no longer possible to apply for the post-graduation work permit at a port of entry (land border or airport).

Important: Only U.S. citizens, permanent residents of the U.S., and residents of Greenland and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon can apply for a study permit at a port of entry into Canada without needing approval beforehand. If you don’t fall into these groups, do not go to a Canadian port of entry to apply for a study permit or an amendment to your study permit.

It is preferable to cross the border by car rather than on foot. If you are carpooling, we recommend that you travel with trustworthy people that you know, since the status and situation of other travellers may influence your journey.

Immigration services are limited to specific times and by appointment only. 

Armstrong border crossing

999, Highway 173
Saint-Théophile (Québec)
G0M 2A0

The closest border crossing to Québec City is the Armstrong border crossing. 

You can get there by car. The 300km trip there and back will take you about 4 hours. If you need to rent a car, make sure you are allowed to enter a different country with the rental car. (The main rental companies are Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, and Sauvageau.)

You can get there with ridesharing through sites like www.covoiturage.ca, www.poparide.com and www.amigoexpress.com (in French only) that connect you with other people who want to get to the same place. You can specify Armstrong or Saint-Théophile as your destination. (Saint-Théophile is the name of the village closest to the border on the Canadian side).

Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle and Saint-Armand/Philipsburg border crossing

These two border crossings are the closest to Montréal. 

Stanstead border crossing

This border crossing is the closest to Sherbrooke. 

You have to bring with you all the documents you need to support your application. The following list is for information purposes only and is not exhaustive. You may be asked to provide other documents. We advise you to bring your computer or cell phone with you so you can access other documents and information if needed.

• Passport
• Current study or work permit: Make a digital and/or paper copy in advance in case the officer processing your application keeps the old document.
• For a co-op work permit application: See the list of documents required for online co-op work permit applications under the “Mandatory internship” section of the Doing an internship for credit as part of your Université Laval study program page. The “Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker [IMM 5710]” form is not required.
• Debit card, credit card, or cash to pay for your application.

Before you get to see a Canadian border services officer at a land border crossing between Canada and the U.S., you must first leave Canada, go to the U.S. border crossing, and then return to the Canadian border crossing. As you will have to pass through both border crossings, find out what items you cannot take with you into the U.S. and Canada (marijuana, weapons, etc.).

U.S. border crossing

To enter the U.S. legally, you generally need a valid U.S. visa or ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). When you enter the U.S. as a tourist, you will need to explain your travel plans, give your destination, and provide information like the address of your accommodation (hotel, Airbnb, etc.). The I-94 or I-94W electronic document is then issued with an authorized length of stay ($6 fee in 2024). 

When you go through U.S. customs only to return to Canada to apply for a Canadian immigration document at the border, you are not entering the U.S. as a tourist, but rather for the purposes of “flagpoling”. The U.S. customs officer will have to give you an “administrative refusal” and then escort you back to the Canadian border.

Take the time to explain to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent that you want to “flagpole” back into Canada. These agents generally speak only English, so be prepared to communicate with them in English.

An administrative refusal will be issued to everyone engaging in flagpoling, whether or not they have a U.S. visa or ESTA, including companions and drivers. Only Canadian citizens are exempt. 

Being issued an administrative refusal should not generally result in any negative consequences when entering the United States in the future. Although the administrative refusal will be recorded in your file and you will have to declare it when applying for immigration to Canada later on, it should not be held against you in these proceedings or in future interactions with U.S. authorities.

Please be polite and truthful during your visit, as U.S. customs officials may also issue a withdrawal of application or denial of admission, which you will be required to indicate on all future immigration applications, and which could have negative consequences for future stays in the United States. 

Finally, please note that it is strongly recommended not to flagpole with minors who are not accompanied by all their legal guardians.

Canadian border crossing

If you have never given your biometrics for a Canadian visa or permit application or if your biometrics are no longer valid, you will have to give them when you apply for your work permit at the border. There is an $85 biometric collection service fee. That is in addition to the fee for the work permit you are applying for.

If you already have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), a new eTA will be issued automatically and will cancel your old one when a new permit is issued. It will also work like this at the border. So, after your work permit is issued, take the time to ask the Canadian border services officer what your new eTA’s number and expiry date are (if possible).

When you get your new document, take the time to check it and make sure that all the information on it is correct. If there is an error, go back to an officer and try to have the information changed.

Tips and advice

• Take the time to explain to the Canadian and U.S. customs officers why you are doing what you are doing and what your intentions are.
• If someone is coming with you who can’t legally enter the United States, ask that person to wait for you in the parking lot on the Canadian side just before the border crossing.