Kevin Keane

Yes, to some extent. Canadians benefit from the following special rules.

• Canadian citizens do not need to get a visa for most activities in the US. Their paperwork can be processed at the port of entry. However, Canadian citizens still need to comply with the same immigration laws as everybody else. This means, among other things:
  • Do not work without the appropriate status.
  • Leave the US within the permitted time.
  Pitfall Warning: If you were waved through at the border, you are considered a tourist admitted for six months. If that is not what you meant to get, be sure to get out of the car and stop at the office! Also, be sure to keep evidence of when you leave the US, in case there ever is a question.
• Canadian citizens (and Mexicans) can benefit from special NAFTA-only rules. Specifically, Canadian citizens can get TN status.
• Canadians currently do not need a passport to enter the USA by land or sea. This is set to change June 1, 2009, though.

Please note that Canadian citizens DO need a passport if arriving in the USA by air.

Unlike most other countries, the Canadian passports do not need to be machine readable.