So apparently it's legal to escort in Canada as a Canadian but not an American? BULL!

[JoeyBryant]

I have hired escorts travelling from the US but they always had another reason for visiting Canada such as the Black & Blue Ball in Montreal. They work the escorting in on the side but are in Canada ostensibly for touristy things. I don't think being black was really an issue, Canada is very multicultural. Heavens, the mayor of Calgary is a Muslim! And the mayor of Vancouver is openly gay. And gays are fully protected by our Charter of Rights so sex between consenting males is not an issue, neither is marriage for that matter. And escorting is OK as long as there is no open communication of sex in exchange for money (that is an anachronism in our law which some day will hopefully be expunged).

 

The other thing that someone else mentioned is that when travelling you need to have a plausible reason as a tourist (remember, you're not going there to work <wink>), which means you need to say you're going to visit a buddy from college days, you're going to see Banff or Jasper, (I'm not sure I would say I was going to see a mall), and have a credit card so you don't need to account for your means for travelling. Other than that always smile, be confident, polite and keep the answers short and not the type that invite further questions.

 

Thanks, all good advice.

 

But that's the thing. I told them I was visiting and I also informed them that someone I had met in the US before was waiting for me there and that's where I'd be staying the night. I mean, whenever I travel I always try and find some attraction to go to as well...even if it's just a change of scenary in nightclubs or a mall LOL. I mean, people travel to Mall of America JUST to go to that mall. They go to New York JUST to shop 5th Ave. They go to Miami JUST for the beach (and the beach at Edmonton mall is what I wanted to see I can't see why they couldn't buy my wanting to see the Edmonton Mall which is the 1st largest in the continent.

 

In addition, I like to work escorting in so I can afford to do touristy things. It's like horse and carriage. I don't go simply to escort.

 

I can understand Canada is multicultural especially Toronto. But I don't believe the ones patrolling the border in the middle of the boondocks were in that mindset. Even the second I walked into immigration they treated my like crap right away.

 

For example, most places (driver's license, DMV, etc) you don't just walk right up to the desk. You take a number. That's the respectful thing to do. So, that's what I thought. When I didn't see a number ticket thing, I sat down and waited to be called.

 

The lady says, "Don't just sit down, do you need to see immigration?" in a bitchy tone.

 

FYI, it is okay to talk about sex for money in Canada. Again: Prostitution, engaging in sex for money, is not a crime if you are over 18 years old. When someone has a date or “turns a trick” he or she is not breaking the law. However, Section 213 of the Criminal Code of Canada states that any person who stops or attempts to stop a motor vehicle, impedes the flow of traffic (which includes pedestrians or vehicles), or communicates for the purposes of prostitution or to obtain the sexual services of a prostitute in a public place is guilty of a summary conviction offence.

 

That's why I'm upset that they told me in front of all those people that it was a crime, when in fact it is not. When I've researched that it's not on multiple occasions. Those people behind the desk are taught to probe information, they aren't knowledgeable in the law. They thought that because America has that law, that I would not know any better to know Canada is different.

 

They tried to cut me off from the money because they know damn well those people out there are making a killing off of it. And they couldn't stand to see an American get in on it. They waited all the way til I drove back to Montana the next day to say anything about a work permit and I had to pry it out of them at that. They didn't even give me the option at the time. They just said, "it's a crime. Get out."

 

It's a conspiracy!

[instudiocity]

I read the quote of what instudiocity said, but I'm not going to get caught up reading his post which I only quickly glanced at which was probably a bunch of garbage and jibberish to try and distract me from what I need to find out.

Really, you read THE QUOTE? WHY DID YOU MISQUOTE IT THEN? Why did you impose the error of saying Canadian Immigration doesn't talk to IRS. I didn't say that!

 

So what you don't like me. Get over it, that's your problem not mine. You don't know me well enough to make any assumptions anyway simply offf the forum and you weren't there to witness how I behaved (which was totally polite and professional) because I am a professional.[/Quote]Hum, I don't like you? Where did I say that? I think you come off arrogant on the forum. I think you believe you're the smartest man in the room. Even after you were kicked out of Canada, you're still arguing that Canadian Immigration is wrong and you're still right. You're still didn't get in so maybe somewhere you were just a little bit wrong? Why are you still far more intelligent than those officials. You even stooped to calling them racist, but you were the person who was debating their laws with them.

 

That said, Canadian border patrol is not interested in detailed information about anyone's filing status. They deal with millions of people entering in and out the country, so they are don't have the time nor means to play IRS.

That's a direct misrepresentation of what I said. And let's see who you get to meet in a US Border Patrol station when you attempt to reenter the USA with a large sum of cash ... IRS every time.

 

In addition, if you've done your research...they don't keep any of that information but simply flag you in their database as whatever issue occured. They dump all that information anyway. All they can see is any criminal type violations on your record. They can only get as much information as you tell them outside of that. But they try to intimidate you into giving them the information.

They WHO? Canadian Border Patrol? US Border Patrol? Who are you THEYING... if you draw their attention, THEY KEEP RECORDS.

 

See, I knew it all along. It's a conspiracy.

 

I guess the motto for Canada should be like the motto for Austin, Texas. But instead of keeping it weird, they rather keep it 'White'.

 

They probably never seen a single Black person my age crossing over in their life. So their narrow mind has it, they had to concoct an intricate scheme any way they could to keep me out. Their technology may be in the millenium but their mindset is in the 1950s.

 

I still haven't had anyone tell me otherwise: How is it possible they can say they think I'm going to commit a crime, that being escorting; and then when I burst their bubble and say I READ (oh he's not an illiterate ******!!!!) that it's legal they turn around and say, UH, UH you need a work permit. And you can't get one because you need an employer?

 

Well here's what I say to that. If what I was doing was TRULY illegal they would have arrested me right there on the spot. If they found a bag of cocaine, or child porn I'm certain they would have. But they didn't. So it wasn't. Because they know there wasn't a basis for it.

 

Anyway, I'm not going to keep getting worked up over it. The way I see, it's their loss. If they want to piss off their patrons by denying friendly, well to do people into their providence which already has a SEVERE shortage of decent escorts and an even more SEVERE shortage of ethnic escort...so be it. Maybe Canadians themselves will get fed up with their shit.

After reading this last quote, you have confirmed to me the reason you were unceremoniously booted out of Canada - you had to be wearing that tin foil hat again.

 

Seriously, you are not possibly this confused...

[instudiocity]

Thanks, all good advice.

 

But that's the thing. I told them I was visiting and I also informed them that someone I had met in the US before was waiting for me there and that's where I'd be staying the night. I mean, whenever I travel I always try and find some attraction to go to as well...even if it's just a change of scenary in nightclubs or a mall LOL. I mean, people travel to Mall of America JUST to go to that mall. They go to New York JUST to shop 5th Ave. They go to Miami JUST for the beach (and the beach at Edmonton mall is what I wanted to see I can't see why they couldn't buy my wanting to see the Edmonton Mall which is the 1st largest in the continent.

 

That's why I'm upset that they told me in front of all those people that it was a crime, when in fact it is not. When I've researched that it's not on multiple occasions. Those people behind the desk are taught to probe information, they aren't knowledgeable in the law. They thought that because America has that law, that I would not know any better to know Canada is different.

 

They tried to cut me off from the money because they know damn well those people out there are making a killing off of it. And they couldn't stand to see an American get in on it.

 

It's a conspiracy!

Have you read this post of yours? You told them you were visiting a friend? But they went through your laptop and saw your browser history? Did you really lie to them? Lying to government officials is enough to keep you out.

 

And you keep quoting the prostitution section of the Canadian Code, but what about the work permit? And how does that jibe with your 'visiting an friend'? It is a crime for an foreign national to work in Canada without a work permit. Guess what! It's a crime for any foreign national to work in the USA without a work permit (aka GREEN CARD.)

 

So which lie are you going to go with? I'm visiting a friend, but I've got ads up in Canada to engage in work but I have not work permit, but it's still legal for me to escort - you make no sense.

[jackboy48]

I'm pretty sure that Joey is pulling our leg, I mean complaining about the cost of a passport vs the cost of a video game, not expecting to be questioned at customs and taking no precaution to password protect his personal info on a laptop while traveling, etc. And who has ever told any one at a security check that he is an escort, even on the way into an after-hours bar or sex club?, let alone at customs!

[JoeyBryant]

I'm pretty sure that Joey is pulling our leg, I mean complaining about the cost of a passport vs the cost of a video game, not expecting to be questioned at customs and taking no precaution to password protect his personal info on a laptop while traveling, etc. And who has ever told any one at a security check that he is an escort, even on the way into an after-hours bar or sex club?, let alone at customs!

 

I was asked for my laptop password. Like what's been mentioned here, you comply or risk being immediately deported or detained (then again that happened anyway so I should have witheld regardless)

 

I did not tell them I was an escort...their pulling my browser history and seeing my ads was how they found out. Even if I had no face pictures, they still would have found out because they also confiscated my phones and my ad shows my phone numbers. Like I said, they deviated a plot to find ANY thing, something to pick me out on since I didn't have anything on my record. So they have to take it to that level to scoop something out.

 

Well that was easy. Any more questions? Why would I go through the trouble making this up?

 

Same thing someone said when that truck driver hit me near Seattle. That I was just "making it all up". Less than a month later they were paying for a rental for 2 weeks and had a check for a new car. The same day of my birthday. And on my blog I posted the photos of the new car. I don't make these things up.

 

Anyhow, nice to see someone else from Colorado!

[bigvalboy]

Why would I go through the trouble making this up?

 

Joey, I sent you a private message!

[jasoncarter_dfw]

Well I have vast experiences visiting Canada for business...both on my own and to visit a regular overnight client in the Maritimes. Yes, Canada asks a few probing questions, but nothing that a little preparation can't handle. Thrice I visited Toronto to work, had my visiting ad up on RB, etc...I simply told them I was on vacation. Once I got pulled to the side for a random search and that was that. Halifax, my regular port of entry, I have flown into about 40 odd times...only questioned the first time I flew in. I explained my "story" (visiting "college roommate"...went to school in PA with me), showed a round trip itinerary and a car rental receipt, and after a quick check of my criminal record (CBSA has full access to the FBI database post 9/11) I was free to go, and was never stopped for questioning again. The only place I was grilled hard was Montreal...I think they flag young, single males there often. I was flying in to meet a client for the weekend and staying at the W...I was asked if I had a receipt and I didn't because my "friend" booked it. He asked me a bunch of questions about the hotel (where it was, how much it was, how did I plan on getting there). Ends up that he was googling the W at the same time and trying to make sure my answers matched up. I even flew into the tiny PEI airport one time via DTW and got no issues with their single immigration officer!

 

I even had 2 work permits from 2002 when I was booked as a special guest dancer at Remington's and that being on my history never impeded my entry to Canada.

[instudiocity]

I'm pretty sure that Joey is pulling our leg, I mean complaining about the cost of a passport vs the cost of a video game, not expecting to be questioned at customs and taking no precaution to password protect his personal info on a laptop while traveling, etc. And who has ever told any one at a security check that he is an escort, even on the way into an after-hours bar or sex club?, let alone at customs!

 

I believe it all happened. I don't believe it happened in the order that it has been laid out in this thread. I cannot believe anyone could so confuse the facts of a fictional story.

 

But I do get your point, how could anyone who can plan a trip, place ads and book appointments not know the basic rules of getting across the border. And have all the evidence of his intent to WORK IN CANADA readily available in his browser history and cell phones for Border control to see.

[orbital sander]

I believe it all happened. I don't believe it happened in the order that it has been laid out in this thread. I cannot believe anyone could so confuse the facts of a fictional story.

 

But I do get your point, how could anyone who can plan a trip, place ads and book appointments not know the basic rules of getting across the border. And have all the evidence of his intent to WORK IN CANADA readily available in his browser history and cell phones for Border control to see.

 

Well Joey must be human like the rest of us...

[instudiocity]

Well Joey must be human like the rest of us...

 

I'm starting to think he may be a little more OCD than most of us. If I'd been turned back at the border, telling the world would be near the bottom of my list. Obsessing over the fact that escorting is legal in Canada while not getting the fact that you need a work permit is a little bizarre, too.

[EZEtoGRU]

I'm starting to think he may be a little more OCD than most of us. If I'd been turned back at the border, telling the world would be near the bottom of my list. Obsessing over the fact that escorting is legal in Canada while not getting the fact that you need a work permit is a little bizarre, too.

I agree with isc in this case. This is a very simple case of not having a work permit to work in Canada. Very simple...yet the OP doesn't get it. I can forgive him for not knowing the rules in advance. However, instead of sharing the story with the board from the perspective of "wow did I screw-up when trying to cross the boarder to Canada",he instead turns it into a conspiracy story where he is totally innocent. Huh??

[cany10011]

Joey, I'm sorry that you encountered this, but please don't assume people in canada do not like ethnic escorts or are racially biased. In fact, Toronto is one of the most racially diverse cities there is.

 

I'm a canadian living in nyc. I travel frequently back and forth for family reasons (aging parents, house to decorate) and professionally. I work in the US on a professional visa; can do basically everything including buying a condo, getting loans, etc... but not vote. I can assure you that Canadian Immigration communicates frequently to their US counterparts and vice versa. I've experienced delays in renewing licenses etc.. when they fail to communicate. Moreover, immigration can run an instant background check on you and make sure your story is legit; I've experienced that too. They are not being racist.

 

Immigration is just doing their job to prevent illegal entry to anyone in (US or Canada) that is not entitled to work there or does not have the funds to support themselves. Even if you stated you were an "engineer or physician", and you told them you were going to "work", without the proper documentation from the employer etc... you would still encounter some problems. I've been given a stern warning once when I used an inaccurate explanation at US immigration. For example, my visa allows me to treat patients and do some (<50%) clinical research. If I said I do research as the main focus of my job here, then immigration would turn me around as it is not the sole purpose of my entering the country. I've learned to just tell them the minimum without elaboration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really, you read THE QUOTE? WHY DID YOU MISQUOTE IT THEN? Why did you impose the error of saying Canadian Immigration doesn't talk to IRS. I didn't say that!

 

Hum, I don't like you? Where did I say that? I think you come off arrogant on the forum. I think you believe you're the smartest man in the room. Even after you were kicked out of Canada, you're still arguing that Canadian Immigration is wrong and you're still right. You're still didn't get in so maybe somewhere you were just a little bit wrong? Why are you still far more intelligent than those officials. You even stooped to calling them racist, but you were the person who was debating their laws with them.

 

That's a direct misrepresentation of what I said. And let's see who you get to meet in a US Border Patrol station when you attempt to reenter the USA with a large sum of cash ... IRS every time.

 

They WHO? Canadian Border Patrol? US Border Patrol? Who are you THEYING... if you draw their attention, THEY KEEP RECORDS.

 

After reading this last quote, you have confirmed to me the reason you were unceremoniously booted out of Canada - you had to be wearing that tin foil hat again.

 

Seriously, you are not possibly this confused...

[JoeyBryant]

But I do get your point, how could anyone who can plan a trip, place ads and book appointments not know the basic rules of getting across the border. And have all the evidence of his intent to WORK IN CANADA readily available in his browser history and cell phones for Border control to see.

 

Ok give me a mother fucking break already. I've braved what most people my age haven't dare tried on their own. I bet when you were my age, you didn't even see all the cities and states that I've seen, in the amount of time that I seen it in. And then doing it and being able to get back home, bounce back and get things back to normal again. Think about it, what person do you know my age would be willing to visit a NEW country on their own FOR THE FIRST TIME? Don't give me any, "people from foreign countries do it all the time". I want names. And I don't want to hear about people who can run back home to mommy or roommates when things don't work out. I do know the damn basic rules for getting across the border. I spent several weeks planning it. However, after lots of googling about Canadian border crossing...I still read nothing about what immigration would be doing until after that fact.

 

FYI, the basic rule of getting across the border is having a U.S. passport. Before I had a passport, clients would always ask me, "do you have a passport?" Not, "do you have a work visa?" Either you have a card for land and sea travel across Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, or you have a book for international flight travel. For fucks sake, when I went through all that delay in getting my passport to begin with, they didn't even explain any of that to me. The Department of State seems to be more interested in getting your money than actually figuring out if you're eligible and fully prepared to enter a country.

 

Besides, I'm not the 1st person to be deported from Canada. It's happened to others before but perhaps for not the same reason. Even people who said they were just on vacation and had thousands of dollars in the bank have been deported for minor charges 10 or 20 years ago.

 

Joey, I sent you a private message!

 

Thanks! But it's not about that. I'm not trying to really win. I can lose on here all I want. I'm not gaining or losing money based on the outcome of what people want to hear. I'm just making sure people don't get me mixed up. I'll reiterate and clarify as necessary.

 

As long as people keep pointing fingers at tourists and excusing this BARBARIC Canadian (and U.S.) behavior, they're just going to keep doing it. When I look at earth from satellite, I don't see any friggin borders. I didn't even see one along the Montana/Canadian rockies either. If God wanted to divide the U.S. and Canada, he would have put an ocean there! Or atleast a Rio Grande...

 

Cobb was denied entry into Canada even though he had visited previously with little problem.

 

"I've been to Vancouver four or five times," he said. "I've always had this extra screening, every single time, and this time was the most brutal. It was quite possibly the most humiliating experience I've ever had in my life, being escorted all around the airport and people looking at me like, 'What did that guy do?'" -Canadian visitor

 

Got into Canada before? You might not be so lucky next time...

[Guest]

I have traveled the six continents, and visited countless countries of all faiths and persuasions. Yet I don't think there's any other country that quite seems to be so obsessed about what a privilege it is to visit it than Canada. I remember once taking an Alaskan cruise, and I took a tour at a port town of Skagway that involved a bus ride to Carcross, Yukon. Getting there involved going through the border town of Fraser, BC, the most godforsaken place I've ever seen. Thankfully, our bus went through, but when we got back to the ship, we heard that the bus behind us got stopped because the driver didn't have a "work permit" to enter Canada! Never mind the fact that no money was changing hands in Canada. All of the business took place in Skagway, AK. And never mind, of course, that the businesses in Carcross couldn't survive without the cruise tour bus stops. Certainly, no one could argue that jobs were taken from Canadians, quite to the contrary. The Canadian Border Services agent just got her jollies at turning a busload of dollar-spending tourists from blessed Canada.

I've also had the dubious privilege of visiting Canada twice in recent years, mainly because my domestic partner is not quite eligible for a U.S. Passport yet, and Canada is one of the few countries which doesn't require a visa from those holding a U.S. Refugee Travel Document (Germany is another, and we've gotten to know that country even better--when we flew into Frankfurt in September, my DP recognized the immigration officer!).

Although I consider myself a very respectable citizen (never any trouble with the law), and certainly no young punk (and far from poor--generally staying at higher-end places), I can always count on the 3rd degree from Canadian Border Service personnel. No other country treats me this way (although I must say the Cayman Islands officials rather pissed me off as well). I'm not sure if it's because U.S. border agents treat Canadians this way--this may be a "Monkey see, monkey do" reaction. That being said, it really turns me off from wanting to visit there, and I've spoken to a number of other Americans who avoid Canada for this reason. If there is a good reason to turn back an undesirable, I can understand, but Canadian Border Service agents seem to be looking for trouble. I believe they're only harming their own economy.

Frankly, our last vacation in Canada, a road trip through the Canadian Rockies and Cascades, was one of the most expensive trips I've taken--exceeding the cost of a trip of a similar time frame in southern Germany in southern Saxony and Bavaria. I think that the Canadians should get off their high Mountie Horsies, and treat people visiting them with more courtesy and gratitude. When I recently visited the Peoples' Republic of China, there is a button where below the immigration officer's window in which the tourist rates how satisfied he is with how he was treated. Other countries have also given me surveys on my experience going through immigration. Believe me, it makes a difference when I sit around planning my next foreign trip. And these experiences also get relayed to my friends and co-workers when I get home.

[socalboy2283]

I'm sorry but why would you tell immigration authorities you intend to "work freelance" when you have no work permit? Seems incredibly stupid, and another absolutely dumfounding part of this story is why you would attach you legal name and passport to your escort work.... seems incredibly dumb imo

[instudiocity]

... I remember once taking an Alaskan cruise, and I took a tour at a port town of Skagway that involved a bus ride to Carcross, Yukon. Getting there involved going through the border town of Fraser, BC, the most godforsaken place I've ever seen. Thankfully, our bus went through, but when we got back to the ship, we heard that the bus behind us got stopped because the driver didn't have a "work permit" to enter Canada! Never mind the fact that no money was changing hands in Canada. All of the business took place in Skagway, AK. And never mind, of course, that the businesses in Carcross couldn't survive without the cruise tour bus stops.

Well, in defense of the Canadians - a driver without a work permit would have been an uninsured driver in Canada. It's kinda straight-forward, If you're driving a vehicle into Canada for hire, you have to have a driving license, insurance and a work permit. Failure to have one would invalidate the rest. If that driver had negligently wrecked and injured the passengers, the insurance company wouldn't have had to pay a dime. And every passenger would have to go after the bus company who violated Canadian law by having a non-permitted, foreign national driver at the wheel. Some rules exist to protect us.

[Guest]

BTW, re-reading my post I may have come off too harshly in criticizing Canadians in general. What I meant to primarily criticize was the Canadian Border Services personnel, who, I think, do a poor job of welcoming tourists to their country. Here's a picture I have of the Fraser, BC border crossing on July 21. An isolated outpost at 2300 meters' elevation, I think some supervisor must really hate any Border Services agent assigned there!

http://explorenorth.com/bc/images/fraser-bus-3409-890.jpg

[Mark Gordon]

But at this point, I have to say it sucks myself and Mark Gordon in Toronto won't get to meet up like we've planned. Mark, if you decide to come to the US, I'll buy you a beer instead

 

Hey Joey,

 

Sorry to hear about your ordeal at the border. I hope it won't put you off international travel generally, now that you have a passport. Let me know if you'd like any tips on how to avoid future hassles. I've always wanted to meet you, so hopefully our paths will cross in the US..