US outland applicants' thread :)

[cbego318]

We relocated to Canada on 1st Jan 2019 and shipped our car from Texas US. Car had a lien since I had a loan on car. Went through all hassles here since I didn’t have original title. I had to visit service ON 6 times to register my car coz they don’t know procedure for temporary import of US cars with liens. They asked me to get letter from DMV. Spoke to DMV where in they helped me to apply and get certified title history which shows that you are the owner of the car and other info. They sent me the certified letter which finally helped to register it in Ontario.

Hope this helps for anyone who is looking to bring in their US cars with loans. Yes you need even lenders authorization letter notarized to take car out of US.

Thanks for the info!

 

[renataQC]

Hi,

I, a Canadian citizen, returned to live in Quebec and I'm sponsoring my American husband. We mailed the outland application on April 25th and it was received in Sydney on April 30th. No AOR yet.

My question is, my husband wants to come in about two weeks as a visitor by car for hopefully close to 6 months. Is the delivery confirmation and the receipt for paid fees enough for him to claim Dual Intent? He's retired, our house sold quickly and he's living with friends so he doesn't have a lease. He can show the car insurance bill and the cell phone bill for proof of residence. Is that enough?

If he gets the request for biometrics and/or medical, can he have that done in Canada or would he have to go back to the US for that? If so, can it be done is a bordering state, not his state of residence (in the South)?

I'm also preparing a letter saying that he'll be staying with me and our child and that I'll be financially supporting him during his stay. Anything else I should mention in the letter? Thank you

 

[Jsouz]

Hi, I’m sponsoring my husband from US to Canada and it was sent in since last May. I’m not sure about crossing the border but for the medical you can definitely do it in Canada. You just go on the website and find a doctor and book an appointment. You must bring the medical letter with you and his passport. It’s been a year for us and our case was sent to LA but haven’t heard anything. My husband has only done his finger prints for criminal record check. Don’t think we’ve done any biometrics yet.

Hi,

I, a Canadian citizen, returned to live in Quebec and I'm sponsoring my American husband. We mailed the outland application on April 25th and it was received in Sydney on April 30th. No AOR yet.

My question is, my husband wants to come in about two weeks as a visitor by car for hopefully close to 6 months. Is the delivery confirmation and the receipt for paid fees enough for him to claim Dual Intent? He's retired, our house sold quickly and he's living with friends so he doesn't have a lease. He can show the car insurance bill and the cell phone bill for proof of residence. Is that enough?

If he gets the request for biometrics and/or medical, can he have that done in Canada or would he have to go back to the US for that? If so, can it be done is a bordering state, not his state of residence (in the South)?

I'm also preparing a letter saying that he'll be staying with me and our child and that I'll be financially supporting him during his stay. Anything else I should mention in the letter? Thank you

 

[timbitpep]

Hi there! Make sure that you can provide proof of funds to be able to support him. You likely won't get AOR until a month after receipt. So it should be soon!!

Also, he needs to be very careful about what he brings with him on this trip over. It should only be the bare minimum. No uhaul! Otherwise you risk duties on what he is carrying with him. If they even allow him to bring it in at all.

Yes, he can do the medical in Canada.

I'm an American PA on dual intent in Quebec (spousal sponsorship, married for 2.5 years). My house had just sold, I'd quit my job... And I was issued a 1 year visitors visa. They had me go me inside and asked a bunch of questions. They gave me an official document and stapled it into my passport.

I've got a long history of crossing the border (as leaving!!), have Nexus card, etc. I already have my CSQ, etc.

Anyway, since you are so early into process, there may not be anything in their system yet for immigration. The letter you are referencing along with some copies of the paperwork submitted should help.

Do you have a strong history of going back and forth?? Really, the most important thing is that they trust that he will leave Canada if he is refused PR.

Hi,

I, a Canadian citizen, returned to live in Quebec and I'm sponsoring my American husband. We mailed the outland application on April 25th and it was received in Sydney on April 30th. No AOR yet.

My question is, my husband wants to come in about two weeks as a visitor by car for hopefully close to 6 months. Is the delivery confirmation and the receipt for paid fees enough for him to claim Dual Intent? He's retired, our house sold quickly and he's living with friends so he doesn't have a lease. He can show the car insurance bill and the cell phone bill for proof of residence. Is that enough?

If he gets the request for biometrics and/or medical, can he have that done in Canada or would he have to go back to the US for that? If so, can it be done is a bordering state, not his state of residence (in the South)?

I'm also preparing a letter saying that he'll be staying with me and our child and that I'll be financially supporting him during his stay. Anything else I should mention in the letter? Thank you

 

[renataQC]

Hi there! Make sure that you can provide proof of funds to be able to support him. You likely won't get AOR until a month after receipt. So it should be soon!!

Also, he needs to be very careful about what he brings with him on this trip over. It should only be the bare minimum. No uhaul! Otherwise you risk duties on what he is carrying with him. If they even allow him to bring it in at all.

Yes, he can do the medical in Canada.

I'm an American PA on dual intent in Quebec (spousal sponsorship, married for 2.5 years). My house had just sold, I'd quit my job... And I was issued a 1 year visitors visa. They had me go me inside and asked a bunch of questions. They gave me an official document and stapled it into my passport.

I've got a long history of crossing the border (as leaving!!), have Nexus card, etc. I already have my CSQ, etc.

Anyway, since you are so early into process, there may not be anything in their system yet for immigration. The letter you are referencing along with some copies of the paperwork submitted should help.

Do you have a strong history of going back and forth?? Really, the most important thing is that they trust that he will leave Canada if he is refused PR.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. We still haven't got the AOR (it's now almost 6 weeks, crossing my fingers). We do have an history of going back and forth over the years. My husband did make it over the border this time but it wasn't easy. One officer didn't believe he would go back to the States because he's retired. My husband had to spend one hour in the office answering questions and could overhear some discussions. They went through his phone as well. Thankfully he wasn't too packed. Finally they gave him a visitor record for 4 months because of something that was mentioned in the letter I wrote for him. My husband sure doesn't want to compromise in any way his application and he was finally able to convince them of that. I sure wish they had given him more than 4 months.

 

[renataQC]

Hi, I’m sponsoring my husband from US to Canada and it was sent in since last May. I’m not sure about crossing the border but for the medical you can definitely do it in Canada. You just go on the website and find a doctor and book an appointment. You must bring the medical letter with you and his passport. It’s been a year for us and our case was sent to LA but haven’t heard anything. My husband has only done his finger prints for criminal record check. Don’t think we’ve done any biometrics yet.

Thank you and I wish you the best of luck!

 

[timbitpep]

You should get AOR very shortly! Fingers crossed!
Make sure to get your CSQ paperwork completed ASAP, that way you can send that off immediately after it's requested (it will happen when they transfer your file). That can save you a few precious days.

If all timing goes as usual, you should have sponsorship approval as the CSQ in hand by the end of the 4 months (plus file transfer and biometrics. Hopefully medical, too.. but Quebec seems to be slower). At that point, I am confident that they will issue your husband a longer visitors visa. The only reason why I got a year on mine was because of how far into the processing I am. So all things considered, a 4 month visa is pretty good when they haven't even opened your file yet!

They'll really grill you at the border! Sorry he had to go through that. Sometimes, I think that they are practicing their interrogation skills on easy cases to see if someone might crack. Makes it easier to detect when something really is amiss.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. We still haven't got the AOR (it's now almost 6 weeks, crossing my fingers). We do have an history of going back and forth over the years. My husband did make it over the border this time but it wasn't easy. One officer didn't believe he would go back to the States because he's retired. My husband had to spend one hour in the office answering questions and could overhear some discussions. They went through his phone as well. Thankfully he wasn't too packed. Finally they gave him a visitor record for 4 months because of something that was mentioned in the letter I wrote for him. My husband sure doesn't want to compromise in any way his application and he was finally able to convince them of that. I sure wish they had given him more than 4 months.

 

[renataQC]

I've been approved to sponsor my husband to Quebec from outside Canada. We received the request for biometrics last night. He's currently in Canada on a visitor record ending September 30th 2019. Reading the government website, I understand that he can go to Vermont to get his biometrics done and come back to Canada using his visitor record with no problems. Am I understanding correctly?

And, is it normal to get my approval to sponsor before the AOR?

 

[timbitpep]

Congrats!! And yes, sometimes it comes before the AOR! Mine came around the same time.

Yes, he can go to Vermont to do the biometrics! That's where I did mine, too! It's super quick. Make sure he brings the printed request form/etc.

He should not have any problems with re-entry to Canada so long as he is transparent about his actions. Bring the passport with the visitors visa and when he is asked questions by the border agent, he needs to answer matter-of-factly. The visitors visa will demonstrate that he has already satisfied a previous agent's confidence in that he will leave if he is not granted PR. So really he just needs to be honest and say that he is staying with you - his wife - in QC while his PR application is being processed. If needed, he can then provide proof that you have been approved to sponsor him. (Yay!)

I've been approved to sponsor my husband to Quebec from outside Canada. We received the request for biometrics last night. He's currently in Canada on a visitor record ending September 30th 2019. Reading the government website, I understand that he can go to Vermont to get his biometrics done and come back to Canada using his visitor record with no problems. Am I understanding correctly?

And, is it normal to get my approval to sponsor before the AOR?

 

[hans106]

Hello fellow US outland applicants,

I have received a biometrics request for my wife (US citizen outland applicant). She currently lives with me in Ottawa, Canada. She entered as a visitor several months back, and we applied for an extension based on the fact that we have applied for a PR. We were granted one until September 2019. It looks like the closest biometrics centre is either in Syracuse, NY, or Albany, Vermont.

Can someone offer advice on which is better? and is crossing back into Canada not an issue given that we have a visitor record? (though it explicitly says on it "This does not authorize rentry", but also says "Temporary resident status maintained as per R183(6)"). I am a bit worried about the crossing back into Canada at the border. Any advice or experience from people that have done this would be much appreciated. Also, any preference in terms of Albany or Syracuse would also help.

Thanks!

 

[timbitpep]

Hi there! I did my biometrics in saint Albans Vermont! It was very fast & painless.

The key to crossing the border is being honest and transparent. Your wife is currently staying in Ottawa with you. That is where she is living while she is on a visitor's visa.

the fact that you were granted a visitor's visa demonstrates that you have already satisfied an agent's concerns that they might have as to whether or not she will overstay her visa.

Fwiw, I am a US citizen currently on a one-year visitor Visa in Quebec. I have crossed over the border at least six times in the past month alone. because I've been transparent and had the Visa and my passport with me, I have not faced any further questions from the border agent. I have sold my house and quit my job! And right now I'm just waiting. And they know that. Add an American, your wife is the least of their concerns.

So don't panic! Just be transparent and honest. They will have no issue with what you were doing as long as you are honest.

Hello fellow US outland applicants,

I have received a biometrics request for my wife (US citizen outland applicant). She currently lives with me in Ottawa, Canada. She entered as a visitor several months back, and we applied for an extension based on the fact that we have applied for a PR. We were granted one until September 2019. It looks like the closest biometrics centre is either in Syracuse, NY, or Albany, Vermont.

Can someone offer advice on which is better? and is crossing back into Canada not an issue given that we have a visitor record? (though it explicitly says on it "This does not authorize rentry", but also says "Temporary resident status maintained as per R183(6)"). I am a bit worried about the crossing back into Canada at the border. Any advice or experience from people that have done this would be much appreciated. Also, any preference in terms of Albany or Syracuse would also help.

Thanks!

 

[renataQC]

We’re doing biometrics in St. Albans Tuesday! My husband is a US citizen on a visitor record. Our big question is, do we need to show the visitor record at the Canadian border before crossing into the US?

Did you tell the US border agents what you were doing biometrics?

We’ll have plenty of documentation for the way back to Canada. Than you!

 

[timbitpep]

The short version is that everything will be fine! Just be honest. Don't give them a reason to be concerned - you have nothing to hide.

 

[hans106]

Hi there! Make sure that you can provide proof of funds to be able to support him. You likely won't get AOR until a month after receipt. So it should be soon!!

Also, he needs to be very careful about what he brings with him on this trip over. It should only be the bare minimum. No uhaul! Otherwise you risk duties on what he is carrying with him. If they even allow him to bring it in at all.

Yes, he can do the medical in Canada.

I'm an American PA on dual intent in Quebec (spousal sponsorship, married for 2.5 years). My house had just sold, I'd quit my job... And I was issued a 1 year visitors visa. They had me go me inside and asked a bunch of questions. They gave me an official document and stapled it into my passport.

I've got a long history of crossing the border (as leaving!!), have Nexus card, etc. I already have my CSQ, etc.

Anyway, since you are so early into process, there may not be anything in their system yet for immigration. The letter you are referencing along with some copies of the paperwork submitted should help.

Do you have a strong history of going back and forth?? Really, the most important thing is that they trust that he will leave Canada if he is refused PR.

Thanks for the reply, that's reassuring. With a visitor record in hand, US passport, and biometrics letter request, and asking questions transparently, would we be waived through, or would they do pull us inside for a closer interrogation? I am not really worried, as all our papers are in check, but I would like to know what to expect so we are prepared.

 

[hans106]

We’re doing biometrics in St. Albans Tuesday! My husband is a US citizen on a visitor record. Our big question is, do we need to show the visitor record at the Canadian border before crossing into the US?

Did you tell the US border agents what you were doing biometrics?

We’ll have plenty of documentation for the way back to Canada. Than you!

We are looking to do this same thing the week after. I have been asking people, and looked at other threads. Seems like getting into the US as an American to do biometerics is not an issue at all. We plan to cross via the 233 point (closest to Ottawa), and will simply tell them we are going to St. Albans to do our biometrics, and maybe do some shopping sight/seeing there, and come back the same day. We will have our biometrics request letter if they ask.

On they way back, we will have our visitor record, a copy of our application, and all IRCC correspondence with us, and answer their questions as honest and as transparent as we can. Hopefully we have no problems.

Good luck, and please report back!