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I am considering flying to New York, spending a week there, and then going to Montreal or Toronto for a week before flying home.

For those who don't know, when entering the US by air, the CBP (US border agency) records your entry electronically, while when entering by land, you get a paper form.

Because the US does not do exit border checks, when leaving by air the Airline reports the departure to the CBP.

My question is: if I leave on an Amtrak Train to Montreal or Toronto after having entered by air (and thus received an electronic record rather than a paper form), will they send my info to the CBP so my departure can be recorded?

When booking a train to Canada online, they do ask you to fill out out your ID Information (for non-North Americans: passport or green Card).

However, the staff at Amtrak don't seem to understand the process well, because when I asked both on the phone and by E-Mail if they send the info to the CBP or just Keep it for their own records, they said I should contact the nearest Canadian consulate (seriously!!?? facepalm)

So, does anyone know if Amtrak sends the info to the CBP so my Exit can be recorded? Because if not, then I know I have to send my Train ticket and copy of my passport+Canadian entry stamp to the dedicated Coleman Data Solutions address.

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  • Aha I confused your travel plan.
    – DumbCoder
    Jun 24, 2016 at 15:03
  • 2
    I have walked out on foot before, and just updated my record next time I came back to the US.
    – Calchas
    Jun 24, 2016 at 16:07
  • Not an option for me. If Amtrak won't do it, I'll send the evidence to Coleman Data Solutions. Before entering the US again, I'd definitely want the record to be updated, because otherwise it'd seem like I've overstayed by "God knows" how much. I wouldn't want to stand at the Immigration booth at the Airport knowing I could be sent back and blacklisted if for some reason they don't consider my evidence of having left the Country as sufficient
    – Crazydre
    Jun 24, 2016 at 16:42
  • They're talking about a system where Canadian and US border agencies will share information such that a land entry into one country is automatically sent to the other to be recorded there as an exit. I think it's still in the pilot phase though, if it's even gone that far.
    – phoog
    Jun 25, 2016 at 0:41
  • Found some more information. Canadian and US citizens are not included in the system: cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/2013-07-03-040000/…. If you're Canadian, by the way, you really don't have much to worry about because of the privileged status Canadian and US citizens have in each other's countries. That's why they're not too concerned about recording Canadians leaving the US and Americans leaving Canada.
    – phoog
    Jun 25, 2016 at 0:48

1 Answer 1

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No, Amtrak does not send passport information to the CBP. Only air and sea carriers do. Source: CBP. However note that Canada exchanges entry details with the US, so Canadian border security should automatically send your exit information to the Americans.

Note that Amtrak doesn't routinely verify the IDs of passengers on-board, at most they make sure you have a Canadian visa or visa free passport. And even if the conductor checked your ID in New York, what would stop you from simply disembarking at the next station? Therefore they're not part of the "electronic I-94" program.

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  • I see. Because when booking Trains to Canada online (and only Trains to Canada) you're asked to provide Details of your travel document (e.g. passport, US passport Card, Green Card, enhanced driver's licence...). That's why I wondered if they use that to Report to CBP. Shame if they don't :/ Though I do get what you mean by People getting off early
    – Crazydre
    Jun 26, 2016 at 10:45
  • Amtrak does check passportss going into Canada.
    – ajd
    Jun 2, 2018 at 5:13
  • @ajd it's a very cursory check. They don't verify your name or anything.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Jun 2, 2018 at 5:35
  • OK, that's not what your answer says.
    – ajd
    Jun 2, 2018 at 15:10
  • @ajd answer fixed
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Jun 2, 2018 at 17:41

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