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My situation:

I hold two citizenships, Pakistan and British.

I was refused a US visa back in 2011, then was approved later last year and it is valid for the next 5 years.

I already have an answer here.

Based on that answer I will use my Pakistan passport to travel to NY. Now I am planning to visit Canada as well. I am planning to cross border by driving. As I understand, being British Citizen means I can just enter without a visa if passing through a road border.

I don't want to apply for a Canada ETA because it will be refused as I have had US visa refusal back in 2011.

Question

If I use my Pakistani passport to enter the US, can I still use my British passport to cross the border, or I will be asked which passport I used to enter the US? (Because I cannot use Pakistani passport as I will require visa)

Or, if I can use my UK passport, will they ask me if I have valid ESTA or Visa in the UK passport?

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    If you have a visa, ESTA does not apply. If you cross a land border to Canada, eTA does not apply. Having two passports does not make you two different people; if you were refused entry/visa on one, you as a person have that refusal-- not you with that passport.
    – Roddy of the Frozen Peas
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 14:40

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Canada will not care which passport you used to enter the US. Nor will they care how you got into the US. In the unlikely event that they ask, there is no problem with showing them the visa in your Pakistani passport.

You can and should use your British passport to enter Canada.

By the way, I don't believe a US visa refusal automatically means you will be refused an ETA.

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  • Thanks a lot. I just assumed since my US visa was refused and if I answer YES for Canada ETA it will be refused.
    – Makky
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 14:49
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    @Makky is there a question about visa refusals? It seems to me that the question is "Have you ever been refused entry into Canada or any other country?" A visa refusal is not the same as refusal of entry. But even still, for the avoidance of any appearance of deception, you could answer "yes," explain what happened, and note that your subsequent US visa application was approved. I suppose that would probably delay your eTA application so a person can look at it, whereupon the eTA would probably be granted.
    – phoog
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 16:00
  • Oh that is my mistake. I thought it included the visa refusal. Its only entry refusal. I will not have to answer yES then :)
    – Makky
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 16:31
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    @Makky Don't risk perjuring yourself on an immigration form based off a misread of someone's anonymous comment on a travel website. Saying "no" when you should say "yes" may get you banned even if the "yes" wouldn't have been a problem.
    – Yakk
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 20:43
  • @Yakk sure I will read further and will see. Though based on the answer I don't have to apply ETA anyways
    – Makky
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 20:54

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