4
a) Canadian citizens entering the United States as visitors for business at a land port of
entry must present one of the following: a Canadian passport, an enhanced driver’s
license or enhanced identification card, or an enrollment card from a DHS trusted traveler
program (NEXUS, FAST/Expres or SENTRI). There are certain limited exceptions for
individuals such as children or boaters which are not generally applicable here. Canadian
citizens are not required to obtain a B visa prior to seeking admission in that status at a
U.S. port of entry.
b) Mexican citizens entering the United States as visitors for business are required to
present a valid passport and nonimmigrant visa. Mexican citizens may present either a
traditional B-1/B-2 visa or a Form DSP-150 Border Crossing Card, which also may be
used as a B-1/B-2 visa.
All trucks and all drivers entering the U.S. are inspected and screened by CBP Officers at each
and every crossing. This inspection may include a number of elements including document
verification, radiation portal monitoring and/or x-ray inspections of certain cargo. In addition, all
vehicles are subject to inspection by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) or State CMV
enforcement agency at any time.
4. Federal statutes require that commercial drivers licensed in Canada or Mexico may not
transport hazardous materials (hazmat), including explosives, within the United States unless
they have undergone a background check similar to that required for U.S. operators with a
hazmat endorsement (HME).
1
In order to comply with Federal statutes, drivers licensed in Canada or Mexico are required to
undergo a background check similar to the one required of U.S. licensed operators who have an
HME on their commercial drivers’ licenses.
2
Canadian and Mexican drivers may satisfy this
requirement by either having a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential
(TWIC) card
3
or satisfactorily completing a background check under the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection’s (CBP) Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program.
4
Any driver must
comply with this requirement before crossing the border and transporting placarded amounts of
hazmat
5
in the United States.
1
See the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users Act (SAFETEA-LU),
Pub. L. No. 109-59 (2006). In 2004, TSA initiated the Hazmat Threat Assessment Program, which requires
commercial truck drivers applying to obtain, renew or transfer the hazardous materials endorsement (HME) on their
state-issued commercial drivers licenses (CDL) to undergo security threat assessments conducted by TSA. To obtain
an HME, applicants must provide biographical and biometric information.
2
See 49 CFR 1572.201.
3
TWIC was established by Congress through the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA), Pub. L.
No. 107-295, and is administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast Guard.
TWICs are tamper-resistant biometric credentials issued to workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of
ports, vessels, outer continental shelf facilities and all credentialed merchant mariners. Over 1 million workers
including longshoremen, truckers, port employees and others are required to obtain a TWIC.
4
The FAST program is a cooperative effort among CBP and the governments of Canada and Mexico to coordinate
processes for the clearance of commercial shipments at the border. Northern and southern border FAST driver cards
are valid at any CBP land border crossing where the technology currently exists. Information on the application
process may be found on the CBP Web site at www.cbp.gov.
5
See 49 CFR part 172.