Spouse entering Canada

[Doglover18]

Hi everyone. Our situation is that I am Canadian and my husband is American. We have not submitted PR application yet but plan to submit inland around mid-August. I have 2 questions.

1. He plans to visit me next weekend in Canada, JUST for the weekend. When he drives across the border, should he say he is just visiting his wife for the weekend? Will the border agent believe him?

2. When he drives back again 2 weeks after that, that will be when he enters Canada so we can submit the inland application. I will NOT be with him. We plan to have him have a copy of the mostly completed inland PR application as well as the receipt for the fees paid. He will also have a copy of his bank statement and traveller's insurance to show that he will not overstay his visit. Should he tell the border agent that he plans to apply inland? Or should he just say that he is visiting me for 3 months? At this point he will have quit his job. Will it raise red flags that he is entering alone?

Thanks!

 

[Doglover18]

I should clarify that I currently live in Canada and my husband currently lives in the states.

 

[KBH]

I wouldn't recommend applying inland as a US applicant. Outland US applications (as long as they are straightforward) are processed in 4-6 months, and you can apply outland from within Canada.

Has he never come to visit you in Canada before during your relationship? He shouldn't have any issues visiting.

 

[Doglover18]

Thanks for your response. The website is currently showing 12 months for outland and inland processing which is why we have decided to go with inland.

I only moved back to Canada from the US 1 month ago so he has not visited me here yet.

 

[noonnabi]

Thanks for your response. The website is currently showing 12 months for outland and inland processing which is why we have decided to go with inland.

I only moved back to Canada from the US 1 month ago so he has not visited me here yet.

There's really no advantage to applying inland if your husband is American and your case is straightforward. Even if he's really counting on the open work permit, that takes a few months - and processing time for uncomplicated American apps has been ~3-6 months. And like KBH said, you can apply under outland even from within Canada.

 

[Doglover18]

Wow reading through both of your timelines gives me hope and we may consider changing to outland now. If we did apply outland even from within Canada, does he tell the border agent that he is applying outland when is crossing into Canada?

 

[Doglover18]

What would be classified as a straightforward/uncomplicated case?

 

[busybee123]

Do not let your husband tell the border agents that he’s planning to move to Canada and filing papers when he gets to Canada. This happened to my husband (US citizen who visited me for years prior to this incident and he wasn’t even moving during that visit). He was told to withdraw his application to visit at that time and file his immigration papers and every time he’d visit to show that he’ll go back to his the US until he got his PR. I sponsored him and we got his CoPR in about 6 month but he didn’t visit me after he was turned away at the border.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Wow reading through both of your timelines gives me hope and we may consider changing to outland now. If we did apply outland even from within Canada, does he tell the border agent that he is applying outland when is crossing into Canada?

If they specifically ask, then yes. Otherwise, don't volunteer information.

 

[noonnabi]

What would be classified as a straightforward/uncomplicated case?

No criminal record for sponsor or primary applicant, first marriage for both of you, sufficient proof of relationship, etc.

 

[hetvi]

Do not let your husband tell the border agents that he’s planning to move to Canada and filing papers when he gets to Canada. This happened to my husband (US citizen who visited me for years prior to this incident and he wasn’t even moving during that visit). He was told to withdraw his application to visit at that time and file his immigration papers and every time he’d visit to show that he’ll go back to his the US until he got his PR. I sponsored him and we got his CoPR in about 6 month but he didn’t visit me after he was turned away at the border.

Hi I was also turned away from border for the same reason and that is impacting my PR application.I have been called for interview next month. What is the status of your husband's PR?