Book 6: Success in

Customs and Immigration

 Student Checklist

Page
  61 Story: Going to the U.S.; Ask Your Classmates
  62 Dialog: At the U.S. Border
  Read Mr. Leung's Answers
  Personal Questions with 'BE'
  63 Dialog: Coming Back to Canada
  Border Questions
  64-65 Story: Home, Sweet Home!
 66 Customs Declaration Card
  67 Dialog: At the Immigration Counter
More Immigration Questions
  68 Dialog: At Canada Customs
  Word Families
  69 Grammar Check: Anything to Declare?
  70 Canadian Customs Rules; Gifts
  71 Customs Problems: What Do You Think?
  72 Story: Steve's Watch
Jewelry; Children; Restrictions
 Supplement 1… Irregular Verbs
  Supplement 2… Extra Song: Taiwan, Here I Come!


*Answer not in story.

Success in Customs and Immigration page 61

 Dialog: At the U.S. Border
Who is A? Who is B? How else can you say the underlined parts?
A. Hi there folks.
B. Good morning.
A. Where are you headed?
B. We’re going to Seattle to catch a plane to Hong Kong.
A. Where were you born?
B. In China.
A. How about the rest of your family?
B. They were born in China too.
A. Are you Canadian citizens?
B. No, we’re not. We’re landed immigrants.
A. Do you have a U.S. visa?
B. Yes. Here you are.
A. How long are you planning to stay in Seattle?
B. Just overnight.
A. Okay. Enjoy your trip.

 Read Mr. Leung’s answer. What question did the Customs officer ask?
1. ________________________________________? I was born in China.
2. _______________________________? We’re staying in Seattle overnight.
3. _____________________________________? We’re landed immigrants.
4. _____________________________________? My son is four years old.
5. ________________________________________? Yes, I have a U.S. visa.
6. __________________________________________________________?
We’re going to Seattle to catch a plane to Hong Kong.
7. ________________________________? My family was born in China too.

Personal Questions with ‘BE’

Past or Present? Fill in the blanks. Then ask your partner the questions.

1. Where ____________ (be) you from? 5. What ____________ (be) your job in
2. Where ____________ (be) you born? your home country?
3. _______(be) you a Canadian citizen? 6. Where _________ your parents born?
4. What __________ (be) your job here? 7. Where _________ your teacher born

page 62 Success in Customs and Immigration

 Dialog: Coming Back to Canada
Listen and fill in the blanks.

A: Good _____________. _________ do you people ___________?

B: In ________________.
A: ___________ ___________ have you been gone?
B: A day and a __________.
A: What __________ the ____________ of your _____________?
B: To visit some _______________ in Seattle.
A: Are you ____________ back _____________ with you today?
B: About $____________ worth of ___________.
A: Okay. _____________________________________________.
B: You ____________.

Discussion Questions Why do Canadians go the States?

What is cross-border shopping?
Why do some Canadians like to shop in the U.S.?

 Border Questions
1. How are the Canadian customs officers’ questions and American customs officers’
questions different ? Why are they different? 2. Fill in the blanks with the correct verb.

At American Customs: At Canadian Customs:

1. How long _______ you ___________
(spend) in the U.S.?
2. Where ______ you __________ (go)?
3. Can I ________ (see) your papers?
4. What ________ (be) the purpose
of your visit?
5. ________(be) you a Canadian
citizen?
6. Where ___________ (be) you born?
7. How much money ___________ you
_______________ (have)?
8. _____ you ______ (have) a U.S. visa?
1. How long _______ you __________
(spend) in the U.S.?
2. Where _______ you _________ (go)?
3. Can I ___________ (see) your papers?
4. What ___________ (be) the purpose
of your visit?
5. _______ (be) you a Canadian citizen?
6. Where __________ (be) you born?
7. How much money ________ you
____________ (spend)?
8. _________ you ________________
(bring) back anything?

Success in Customs and Immigration page 63

 Story: Home, Sweet Home!
Listen to your teacher tell the story, then fill in the blanks.

 Last month Steve Lau _____________
to Hong Kong for a business __________.
On the _______________ home the flight
attendant __________ him a Canadian
immigration form to _________ out.
 After he __________ off the plane,
he _______________ in line at the
_____________________ counter
until it ________ his turn.

 The immigration officer ___________  Next, Steve ______________ to the

at his ___________ and ____________ baggage carousel to _____________
him some __________________. up his ________________________.

page 64 Success in Customs and Immigration

 After that, he __________ to Canada  Finally Steve ______ through Customs.
____________. The customs officer His family ______ ______________
___________ through his suitcase and for him outside the door. He _________
__________, “Do you ___________ tired, but ________ to ________ back
anything to _______________?” home.

New Words: carousel flight attendant be (someone’s) turn declare

finally until through Home, sweet home. 

 Story Questions
Fill in the blanks with the correct question word, then answer the question.
How long 1. _______ did Steve go?_________________________________________
What 2. _______ was the purpose of his visit?_____________________________
Where 3. _______ was he gone?_________________________________________

How long 4. _______ did he fill out the form?_________________________________

Who 5. _______ gave him the form?____________________________________
Where 6. _______ did he wait in line?____________________________________

What 7. _______ did the immigration officer look at?_______________________

Where 8. _______ did the immigration officer ask?__________________________
What 9. _______ did Steve go next?_____________________________________

What 10. _______ looked through his suitcase?_____________________________

Who 11. _______ did the customs officer ask?_____________________________
How 12. _______ was waiting for him?__________________________________
Who 13. _______ did he feel?__________________________________________

Success in Customs and Immigration page 65

Instructions: Read the form. Answer your partner's questions.
PAX CREW IMM FR REF DIP MILT
Canada Border Services Agency Declaration Card  
Part A – All travelers (must live at the same home address)
Last name, first name, and initials
1
Date of birth          Citizenship
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Last name, first name, and initials
2
Date of birth          Citizenship
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Last name, first name, and initials
3
Date of birth          Citizenship
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Home address – Number, street Town/city

Province or state Country Postal/Zip Code

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Arriving by Purpose of trip Arriving from
Airline Study  U.S. only 
Flight No. Personal  Other country direct 
Business  Other country via the U.S. 
____________________________________________________________________________________________
I am/we are bringing into Canada: Yes No
 Firearms or other weapons  
 Goods related to my/our profession and/or commercial goods, whether or not for
resale (e.g., samples, tools, equipment)  
 Animals, birds, insects, plants, plant parts, soil, fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs,
dairy products, living organisms, vaccines  
 Articles made or derived from endangered species  
I/we have shipped goods which are not accompanying me/us.  
I/we will be visiting a farm in Canada within the next 14 days.  
Part B – Visitors to Canada
Duration of stay Full value of each gift over Specify quantities
in Canada (days) CAN$60 Alcohol Tobacco

Part C – Residents of Canada (Complete in the same order as in Part A)

Date left Canada Value of goods – CAN$ Specify quantities
Y M D (including gifts, alcohol, & tobacco) Alcohol Tobacco
1
2
3
Part D – Signatures (age 16 and older)
1
2
3

page 66 Success in Customs and Immigration

 Dialog: At the Immigration Counter
A: Hello. May I see your passport
and immigration papers?
B: Here you are.
A: You’re a Canadian resident?
B: Yes, that’s right.
A: How long were you out of the country?
B: One week.
A: What was the purpose of your visit?
B: For business.
A: Fine, that will be all. Next!

More Immigration Questions:

Fill in the blanks, then practice the questions with your partner.
Questions about your status:
were 1. _______ I see your passport and immigration papers?
are 2. _______ you a Canadian resident?
are 3. _______ you a permanent resident?
may 4. _______ you a landed immigrant?
are 5. Where ________ you born?
Questions about Canada:
does 6. _______ you live in Vancouver? How long have you lived there?
do 7. What _______ your address? (Where do you live?)
do 8. _______ you own a house in Canada?
do 9. _______ you work in Canada? (Do you have a job in Canada?)
is 10. _______ your family live here? (Is your family here?)
11. What family members live here?
Questions about your trip:
did 12. How long _______ you away? (How long were you outside Canada?)
did 13. When _______ you leave Canada?
did 14. What _______ your exit point? (What city did you leave from?)
did 15. Why _______ you go to Hong Kong? (What was the purpose of your visit?)
was 16. ________ you work in Hong Kong?
were 17. ________ you have a business in Hong Kong?
do 18. How many times have you gone to Hong Kong this year?
19. ________ you stop anywhere else on your trip?

Success in Customs and Immigration page 67

 Dialog: At Canada Customs
A: Anything to declare?
B: Yes. I bought some clothes for my
wife and some books for my children.
A: How much did they cost altogether?
B: Altogether they cost $345.
A: May I see your receipts?
B: Here you are.
A: Could you open your suitcase please?
B: Sure thing.
A: Okay. Everything seems okay. Next!

Other Things the Customs Officer May Ask:

What is the value? (= How much did it cost?)
Any gifts, souvenirs, cigarettes, liquor, jewelry?
Where did you buy this?
Are you bringing back any food?

Word Families: Fill in the missing words. Then use them in the sentences below.
NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE
1. declare
2. duty-free
3. limit
4. cost
1. (a) Do you have anything to ____________________________?
(b) You need to fill out a customs _____________________ form.
2. (a) This cost $400. Do I have to pay any __________________?
(b) He bought some liquor at the _____________________ shop.
3. (a) The speed ___________________ is 50 kilometres an hour.
(b) Please ______________________ your coffee break to ten minutes.
4. (a) Food _____________________ are cheaper here.
(b) This will __________________ $89.99 with tax.

page 68 Success in Customs and Immigration

  Grammar Check: Anything to Declare?
A. Fill in the blanks with any*/some/no/every....body/one/thing/where.
*Use ‘any’ with questions or negatives.
1. Do you have ______________________ to declare?
2. Can ______________________ help me with these suitcases?
3. I can’t go ____________________ until I’ve found my passport.
4. ____________ left this book on the plane. Is it yours?
5. I had a lousy trip. I got sick and couldn’t go ____________________.
6. Did you declare __________________ you bought?
7. She can’t find her passport ___________________. Have you seen it?
8. Is there _______________ in the washroom?
9. Would you like ______________ to drink?
10. I have _____________________ important to ask the flight attendant.
11. Bad news! There is _____________________ wrong with your ticket.
12. Is _________________________ sitting here?
13. I talked to ____________ at Canada Customs and they gave me this form.
14. Excuse me! Does this bus go _________________ near the airport?
15. I’m hungry! Could I get ___________________ to eat?
16. He comes from ________________ in Ontario.
17. ______________ in the class would like to win the 649, but
______________ has won it yet!
18. I looked _____________ for my passport, but I couldn’t find it
_____________. Do you think that ____________ took it by mistake?

 B. Write your own sentences.

1. everybody: __________________________________________________
2. nobody: _____________________________________________________
3. somewhere: __________________________________________________
4. somebody: ___________________________________________________
5. something: __________________________________________________
6. anybody: ____________________________________________________
7. anything: ____________________________________________________
8. anywhere: ___________________________________________________

Success in Customs and Immigration page 69

 Canadian Customs Rules
How much can you bring back to Canada
duty-free? If you are out of Canada for more
than 24 hours, you can bring home things that
cost up to $50 duty-free. You may have to show
the receipts for the things that you bought. You
can’t bring cigarettes or alcohol.
If you are out of Canada for 48 hours or more, you can bring
home goods that cost up to $200 without paying duty. This can
include up to 200 cigarettes, 1.1 litres of wine or liquor, or 24 cans of
beer.
If you are out of Canada for 7 days or more, you can bring back
goods worth $750. This can include up to 200 cigarettes, 1.1 litres of
wine or liquor or 24 cans of beer.
If you bring back more than your limit, you will have to pay
duty. How much will it cost? Usually it costs around one third of the
original price.

Instructions: Fill in the chart with information from the story.

limit (no duty) cigarettes alcohol/liquor
under 24 hours
===============================================================================================================

over 24 hours
===============================================================================================================

48 hours or more
===============================================================================================================

7 days or more

GIFTS
You can mail back gifts to people in Canada as often as you want. Each
gift must cost less than $60. You can’t send cigarettes or alcohol.
If someone gives you a gift while you are away, you must declare it when
you come back through Canadian Customs.

page 70 Success in Customs and Immigration

 Customs Problems: What do you think?
Read each of the following and discuss the answer with your partner.
A. How long were they gone?
B. Do they have to pay duty? Why/Why not?
C. If they have to pay duty, how much will it be?

1. Mr. Smith went to Taiwan for a
week. A friend gave him a Chinese
painting worth $800.
2. Mrs. Lee flew to China on a
business trip. She was gone for
three days. She bought $300 worth
of books.
3. While Mrs. Lee was in China, she
bought two litres of wine. Can she
bring it back to Canada?
4. You are in Japan for a week.
You have bought $400 worth of
souvenirs. You want to mail some
gifts back to some friends. How
many gifts can you send home?
5. You went back to your home
town for a three week visit. While
you were there you bought $600
worth of clothes and souvenirs.
Your family gave you a beautiful
watch worth $250 as a going-away
present.
6. You bought $900 worth of gifts
at the duty-free shop on your way
home from England. You were out
of Canada for ten days.
7. Donna Bei went to Vietnam for
two weeks. Someone there gave her
a beautiful dress worth $800. She
also bought $200 worth of
souvenirs. Will she have to pay
duty? How much?
8. Fred McDonald went to England
for a week. He bought back $750
worth of gifts for his family and a
litre of alcohol worth $35. Does he
have to pay any duty? How much?
9. Mr. and Mrs. Singh went to
India for a month. They brought
back $950 worth of souvenirs and
gifts. How much duty will they have
to pay?
10. When Linda was in Vietnam,
she sent back 100 gifts to Canada.
They were all sent to the same
address and to the same person.
Is this a problem?
11. Mary Williams lost all her
receipts for the things she bought
in Taiwan. Is this a problem?

Success in Customs and Immigration page 71

Story: Steve’s Watch
When Steve Lau went to Hong Kong, he brought his gold watch
with him. He bought the watch in Hong Kong three years ago.
Before he left, he showed the watch to a customs officer. The
customs officer gave Steve a card. The card said Steve had the watch
before he left Canada. Now when Steve comes back through
Customs, he won’t have to pay duty on the watch. They will know he
didn’t buy it this trip.

 Questions
1. What did Steve bring to Hong Kong? ______________________________
2. When did he buy it? ___________________________________________
3. Where did he buy it? ___________________________________________
4. What did he do before he left? ___________________________________
5. Why did he need a special card? __________________________________

Jewelry They may ask your children some

If you take expensive
jewelry with you on your trip, you
may need to bring an appraisal
report, certified photo, and a copy of
the bill of sale. If you have already
brought the goods through Customs,
make sure you have a copy of your
old Customs receipt.
Children
Customs officers are
on the lookout for missing children.
questions. Make sure you bring ID
for each child.
Restrictions 
There are some things that you
may not be able to bring into
Canada. These could include: meat
and meat products, some things
made from endangered species, and
some antiquities. Check with the
Customs Office if you are not sure.

What other things are difficult to bring across the border?

page 72 Success in Customs and Immigration

Irregular Verbs (*Irregular past participles in bold print.)

PRESENT PAST PAST PRESENT PAST PAST

PARTICIPLE* PARTICIPLE*
BE: am, is; are was; were been lead led led
become became become leave left left
begin began begun lend lent lent
bite bit bitten light lit lit
bleed bled bled lose lost lost
break broke broken make made made
bring brought brought mean meant meant
build built built meet met met
buy bought bought put put put
catch caught caught quit quit quit
choose chose chosen read read read
come came come ride rode ridden
cost cost cost ring rang rung
cut cut cut run ran run
do did done say said said
drink drank drunk see saw seen
drive drove driven sell sold sold
eat ate eaten send sent sent
fall fell fallen shake shook shaken
feed fed fed sing sang sung
feel felt felt sit sat sat
fight fought fought sleep slept slept
find found found speak spoke spoken
fit fit fit spend spent spent
fly flew flown stand stood stood
forget forgot forgotten steal stole stolen
freeze froze frozen sweep swept swept
get got gotten swim swam swum
give gave given take took taken
go went gone teach taught taught
grow grew grown tell told told
have had had think thought thought
hear heard heard throw threw thrown
hit hit hit understand understood understood
hold held held wake woke woken
hurt hurt hurt wear wore worn
keep kept kept win won won
know knew known write wrote written

Success in Customs and Immigration supplement 1

 Extra Song: Taiwan, Here I Come!
sing to the tune of ‘California, Here I Come!'*

 Taiwan, Taiwan, ______ I ________!

_______ to ________ I _________ from.
Good _________, __________, and old ____________ to see....
I ________ that in Taiwan I’ll be ________, oh so _________!

 At the __________ ___________ I’ll go

To the ________________________, oh,
I’ll _______ them my ___________ and __________ in my bags,
And _______ I’ll be ________ back to Taiwan, back to Taiwan!

 In my __________ there’ll _____________ be

___________ for Taiwan and _________
No matter how I __________ old friends and _________
I know that Vancouver’s __________ for me, _________ for me!

 My ____________ ___________ is 6:08.

Sure ___________ my plane won't be ___________.
___________ up that boarding ____________
Because Taiwan ___________ ________ __________!

Discussion Questions
1. What do you miss most about your home town?
2. What would you do if you went back for a visit?
3. What would you miss most if you left B.C.?
* CALIFORNIA HERE I COME written by Al Jolson, Buddy DeSylva, Joseph Meyer
© 1924 Warner Bros Inc., Administered for the World by Warner Chappell Music.
supplement 2 Success in Customs and Immigration