Visa record explanation needed

[bigBadWolf]

Hi folks! Just curious if anyone can help me to explain the visa record. First, please allow to introduce my situation briefly.

I applied family sponsor outland in May 2018 (wife is Canadian citizen). Since my work place is at a border town in the US, I started travelling back and forth between US and Canada and stayed at my wife's place most of nights in a week from beginning of July. Everything was all cool until yesterday. I was called in for secondary inspection as the officer at the booth told me that I spent way too much time in Canada which can jeopardize my visitor status (no complaints there as the guy was trying to help ). The officer at secondary inspection issued me a visitor record for 1 year and told me that I just need to renew it before it expires if I still don't have PR then. The question is with the 1 year validity on the visitor record, does it mean that I can live in Canada for the whole year? The other question is whether I can attend school in Canada. On the visitor record, the third rule states that I can't attend any study unless authorized. I have a part time program coming up in September, it will take 3 months to complete. Is this allowed?


Thanks for all the help in advance!

 

[scylla]

Hi folks! Just curious if anyone can help me to explain the visa record. First, please allow to introduce my situation briefly.

I applied family sponsor outland in May 2018 (wife is Canadian citizen). Since my work place is at a border town in the US, I started travelling back and forth between US and Canada and stayed at my wife's place most of nights in a week from beginning of July. Everything was all cool until yesterday. I was called in for secondary inspection as the officer at the booth told me that I spent way too much time in Canada which can jeopardize my visitor status (no complaints there as the guy was trying to help ). The officer at secondary inspection issued me a visitor record for 1 year and told me that I just need to renew it before it expires if I still don't have PR then. The question is with the 1 year validity on the visitor record, does it mean that I can live in Canada for the whole year? The other question is whether I can attend school in Canada. On the visitor record, the third rule states that I can't attend any study unless authorized. I have a part time program coming up in September, it will take 3 months to complete. Is this allowed?


Thanks for all the help in advance!

The visitor record allows you to live in Canada provided you don't leave. It does not allow you to work in Canada or attend school in Canada for a program that runs more than six months in length.

You can take a course that is six months or less provided it's not part of a larger / longer program.

If you hold a visitor record and leave, always some chance you could have issues re-entering. So it doesn't guarantee re-entry.

 

[bigBadWolf]

The visitor record allows you to live in Canada provided you don't leave. It does not allow you to work in Canada or attend school in Canada for a program that runs more than six months in length.

You can take a course that is six months or less provided it's not part of a larger / longer program.

If you hold a visitor record and leave, always some chance you could have issues re-entering. So it doesn't guarantee re-entry.

Thanks for the reply! I do have a valid TRV which won't expire anytime soon. I guess the TRV would serve the purpose for reentering and the VR governs the time period that I can live in Canada?

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the reply! I do have a valid TRV which won't expire anytime soon. I guess the TRV would serve the purpose for reentering and the VR governs the time period that I can live in Canada?

TRV doesn't guarantee re-entry either. You are reassessed as a visitor each time you enter Canada. Those with valid TRVs can still be refused entry.

 

[bigBadWolf]

TRV doesn't guarantee re-entry either. You are reassessed as a visitor each time you enter Canada. Those with valid TRVs can still be refused entry.

Agreed, but I'm taking my chances. Worst case, I'll stay at the US till I get my PR. Another question is whether the VR becomes void when I leave Canada? I got mixture of answers in the forum, it's kind of confusing....