Blacklisted from canada?

[sbwv09]

Back in 2008/2009 I stayed with my fiance for 6 months. Then in jan. I thought I could go back for another six months. The refusal of entry were the cause of several things. No money in my account, even though his family was paying for me. No return ticket, no ties to america, and no insurance. I admit, now, that what they did makes sense, but at the time it was depressing, confusing and oh so costly to get me home. So for valentine's day we adressed all those problems, except for the ties to america. Which is why they stapled that thing in my passport and then told I had two weeks.

Well, you said it right there. If you can provide proof of all of those things you will probably be able to come across again. However, since you have had those problems before they might look at you more closely, but it doesn't mean they will refuse you for sure. Have a lease on a place, money in the bank, a job letter or other ties to the US and it should be ok.

As long as they let you in without putting anything in your passport, you automatically have 6 months and you can extend your stay from within Canada. Even if they give you a shorter amount of time (say a month or something), you can apply to extend that status, and you will have implied status while you wait for that approval.

 

[journeyman]

My husband was actually one of the unlucky ones that was sent back from the border when we tried to cross while having a PR Application in process, even though I was accompanying him. It was not a pleasant experience. That was last year when we were applying as conjugal partner. They did not bar him for any length of time, just made him sign a paper that he was voluntarily leaving Canada and would not try to re-enter again until his PR was granted.

This time, we are applying under spousal sponsership but since last year's experience was so unpleasant, we are choosing for him to remain in the U.S. until the sponsorship is approved and I travel back and forth periodically.

It is not ideal, but we are hanging in. We feel we do not want to experience the same "scene" at the border again.

 

[sogwap]

I think we as American Citizens assume that coming to Canada is no big deal. When in fact certain conditions apply.

I've come across the border by car with my Canadian gf (now wife) and the border IO never even opened our passports. Other times I've gotten the third degree. Being asked where I live; which I tell them the City and State since I am only a visitor. Where I work. How long I'm staying. The nature of my visit. How do you know the person(s) you are visiting, where you met them and how long you known them.
When I fly they have asked how much money I have, since you can't travel or visit for free. They have asked to see my return ticket. If you are traveling with someone make sure you discuss these terms before hand. So that one person does not say you are only staying a week, when the other party says two months.

If you are a frequent traveler across the border they know that and may let you pass more easily or drill you like crazy.

If you give them any indication that you could possibly stay long term, have illegal good, or that you do not have proper means of travel (money, itinerary, etc), they could easily refuse you entry.

 

[michaelab]

Hi Journeyman,

That's aweful that he was denied to enter! Was he trying to get a visitor record when he was denied? How long did he say he was visiting you? Did they give him any reasons besides "may not leave the country after visit" when they sent him back? How far into the PR (conjugal) process when he was denied?

Sorry for asking so many qustions..I will be trying to get a visitor record in a near future I wanted to know what my chances of being sent back... :'( We have an infant daughter (father/my husband is a Canadian citizen) and it would be totally devastating for us if something like that happens.

My husband was actually one of the unlucky ones that was sent back from the border when we tried to cross while having a PR Application in process, even though I was accompanying him. It was not a pleasant experience. That was last year when we were applying as conjugal partner. They did not bar him for any length of time, just made him sign a paper that he was voluntarily leaving Canada and would not try to re-enter again until his PR was granted.

This time, we are applying under spousal sponsership but since last year's experience was so unpleasant, we are choosing for him to remain in the U.S. until the sponsorship is approved and I travel back and forth periodically.

It is not ideal, but we are hanging in. We feel we do not want to experience the same "scene" at the border again.

 

[journeyman]

Hi Michaelab,

He flew to Toronto for Christmas 2008 and stayed until the end of January, stating at the airport that he was visiting his partner for Christmas and they waived him through, not even asking how long he was going to stay. They only asked if he was bringing anything into Canada, to which he answered "Christmas presents". Then at the end of January, we went back to his home to visit his parents and some friends for about 2 weeks and to pick up a few more of his things (he needed some more of his clothes, some financial and other personal records, etc). When we tried to cross back into Canada, the Canadian Border Crossing Guard "went ballistic". She started accusing him of crimes against Canada because at Christmas he had not fully disclosed that he was intending to stay in Canada and a few other accusations I've probably blanked out, she was quite worked up to say the least (he had said he was visiting his partner and they never asked anything else at the time)....................anyways, the whole scene disintegrated from there. We had to pull over and he had to go in to be interviewed by the Immigration Officers. Even though I was there to prove responsibility so he could get a visitor record, I had to remain outside and they took him into the office. We were separated and an officer came out once to check my source of income and amount and that was my only contact with them. The questioned him for almost two hours, most of which he has blanked out but he basically had to give details of everything he had done, i.e. study, work, where he had lived since he was 16 plus all sorts of questions regarding any potential illegal activities and driving infractions, of which he had nothing, but they still grilled him anyways. Then they wanted details of our relatlionship.

I'm sorry but the rest is a blur. It became a pretty emotionally charged situation resulting in us having to immediately return to the U.S. I then made the mistake of "stopping the car briefly" to find my passport in my purse so I didn't get flustered with the U.S. official and having the Canada officer run out to the car to tell us I couldn't stop and to keep going. : He was not given any specific reason. We can only guess.

Anyways, then the conjagal was turned down (another long story which you can look up) so we decided the best for us was to marry and resubmit as sposusal, even though it was not the way we had envisioned our wedding initially. But we have no regrets on that level now. The separation has been really hard, and hopefully it is over soon. Good luck to you. Others have been successful in obtaining a visitor record.

 

[Captain Camel]

hi every body.
My wife and I had seperated skilled worker immigration files for Quebec in 2010 or 2011. Unfortunately our lawyer did some tricks in our documents to raise our chance, and we reported it to immigration office. I know that our files were closed after that but I didn't know the exact date.
I don’t know if we can apply for a university in Canada and get a student visa while we are in a 5 year limit of black list. Could you help me please?
Do you know any sort of department or institution in Canada to help us and to respond to our questions about the black list?

 

[scylla]

hi every body.
My wife and I had seperated skilled worker immigration files for Quebec in 2010 or 2011. Unfortunately our lawyer did some tricks in our documents to raise our chance, and we reported it to immigration office. I know that our files were closed after that but I didn't know the exact date.
I don't know if we can apply for a university in Canada and get a student visa while we are in a 5 year limit of black list. Could you help me please?
Do you know any sort of department or institution in Canada to help us and to respond to our questions about the black list?

If you have been banned for 5 years for misrepresentation then you cannot come to Canada for any reason during that 5 years period. So no - you cannot apply for a student visa. If you try applying - it will be refused.

If you want the ban removed - you will have to hire an excellent immigration lawyer. However I don't think there is any point in appealing the ban and hiring a lawyer will just be a waste of money. If there were lies/misrepresentations in your skilled worker application then it was correct that you received the misrepresentation ban. It doesn't matter whether you were the ones who did this or your lawyer did this - you are held responsible because it is your application and by signing it you declared all of the information in the application was accurate.

You will have to wait out the five year ban before you apply to come to Canada again.

 

[Decoy24601]

I had a similar experience a while ago. I'm a US citizen. When I went to visit my Canadian boyfriend (now fiancé and soon to be husband) for three months, the officer was generally unconcerned and was satisfied that I would leave after the three months I said since I had college to go back to in the fall. However, I left a month early to visit my mother in Washington and tried to go back a few days later. A few weeks before I had found out that I couldn't get enough financial aid and had to cancel all of my college plans. I was left with no job, little money, no plans, and little ties to the US. I was pulled in for a secondary inspection and the woman grilled me for quite literally hours. She even went as far to ask how my boyfriend and I met and Googled the forum we met on and asked specifically what subforums and threads we met on. She o continued to ask me pointless and intimate questions about our relationship and then made me sit down for a whole hour. Then she finally called me back up to tell me that she was allowing me in for only three days, and seized my passport to make sure I came back and wrote down the address I was staying at to have me deported if I didn't show. I left heartbroken that my visit with my fiancé was cut short, confused, and feeling like a criminal. She even told me, they do that to everyone,but it looks like my case was quite severe.

I'm afraid to try and visit my fiancé after we get married and file the application. Will they allow me to visit for two weeks? I want to at least visit him for my birthday. I will be traveling by train and have a job and apartment now and will have a return ticket and enough money and a credit card. I am just afraid they will take me off the train, grill me for a few hours, and then I am stuck without transportation. I had a much much smoother time at the airport in Vancouver than I did at the peace arch crossing by washington/BC. The land crossing was hell. Ironically, both times I came back to the US it was easy. They asked me two questions so and that was it.

Also, on the form that they gave me to give the officer in secondary, he listed me as a resident of Canada, not a visitor. Even though I had only been there two months. I pointed this out but they ignored me, they were trying to make it seem like I was illegally living in Canada.

 

[rugrat907]

I had a similar experience a while ago. I'm a US citizen. When I went to visit my Canadian boyfriend (now fiancé and soon to be husband) for three months, the officer was generally unconcerned and was satisfied that I would leave after the three months I said since I had college to go back to in the fall. However, I left a month early to visit my mother in Washington and tried to go back a few days later. A few weeks before I had found out that I couldn't get enough financial aid and had to cancel all of my college plans. I was left with no job, little money, no plans, and little ties to the US. I was pulled in for a secondary inspection and the woman grilled me for quite literally hours. She even went as far to ask how my boyfriend and I met and Googled the forum we met on and asked specifically what subforums and threads we met on. She o continued to ask me pointless and intimate questions about our relationship and then made me sit down for a whole hour. Then she finally called me back up to tell me that she was allowing me in for only three days, and seized my passport to make sure I came back and wrote down the address I was staying at to have me deported if I didn't show. I left heartbroken that my visit with my fiancé was cut short, confused, and feeling like a criminal. She even told me, they do that to everyone,but it looks like my case was quite severe.

I'm afraid to try and visit my fiancé after we get married and file the application. Will they allow me to visit for two weeks? I want to at least visit him for my birthday. I will be traveling by train and have a job and apartment now and will have a return ticket and enough money and a credit card. I am just afraid they will take me off the train, grill me for a few hours, and then I am stuck without transportation. I had a much much smoother time at the airport in Vancouver than I did at the peace arch crossing by washington/BC. The land crossing was hell. Ironically, both times I came back to the US it was easy. They asked me two questions so and that was it.

Also, on the form that they gave me to give the officer in secondary, he listed me as a resident of Canada, not a visitor. Even though I had only been there two months. I pointed this out but they ignored me, they were trying to make it seem like I was illegally living in Canada.

Usually it's easier once the application process has started - it shows that you are serious about doing things the right way. You've already said you'll have a return ticket, so just make sure you have other things with you that show ties to the U.S., (like a lease, recent pay stub) and also bring a copy of the receipt from paying the fees for the application. If you do that, I'm guessing you will have a pretty smooth entry. Also try to be as self assured and matter of fact as you can.

The first time I came through I was also taken to secondary, although my grilling wasn't nearly as bad as yours. The next time, we'd already started the process and I told the person at entry that I had a copy of the receipt for fees, return ticket, etc and she just waved me through.

 

[Aquakitty]

I had a similar experience a while ago. I'm a US citizen. When I went to visit my Canadian boyfriend (now fiancé and soon to be husband) for three months, the officer was generally unconcerned and was satisfied that I would leave after the three months I said since I had college to go back to in the fall. However, I left a month early to visit my mother in Washington and tried to go back a few days later. A few weeks before I had found out that I couldn't get enough financial aid and had to cancel all of my college plans. I was left with no job, little money, no plans, and little ties to the US. I was pulled in for a secondary inspection and the woman grilled me for quite literally hours. She even went as far to ask how my boyfriend and I met and Googled the forum we met on and asked specifically what subforums and threads we met on. She o continued to ask me pointless and intimate questions about our relationship and then made me sit down for a whole hour. Then she finally called me back up to tell me that she was allowing me in for only three days, and seized my passport to make sure I came back and wrote down the address I was staying at to have me deported if I didn't show. I left heartbroken that my visit with my fiancé was cut short, confused, and feeling like a criminal. She even told me, they do that to everyone,but it looks like my case was quite severe.

I'm afraid to try and visit my fiancé after we get married and file the application. Will they allow me to visit for two weeks? I want to at least visit him for my birthday. I will be traveling by train and have a job and apartment now and will have a return ticket and enough money and a credit card. I am just afraid they will take me off the train, grill me for a few hours, and then I am stuck without transportation. I had a much much smoother time at the airport in Vancouver than I did at the peace arch crossing by washington/BC. The land crossing was hell. Ironically, both times I came back to the US it was easy. They asked me two questions so and that was it.

Also, on the form that they gave me to give the officer in secondary, he listed me as a resident of Canada, not a visitor. Even though I had only been there two months. I pointed this out but they ignored me, they were trying to make it seem like I was illegally living in Canada.

Don't feel bad at all, this is a mistake many, many people make. When my now-husband crossed the border the first time, we were both clueless. He first tried to cross by bus with no return ticket. Big mistake! He had no money to show them, no ticket so they made him get off the bus and he got stuck at the border with no ride. I can't remember all the details but he phoned me and told me what happened. I was horrified, so we quickly bought him a return ticket and he got a bank statement and went back to the border. After further grilling they phoned me and asked me questions to see if he was telling the truth. They let him on another bus and he got a 1 month visitor record. That was our first introduction to the realities of crossing borders.

The second occurred when he overstayed by 2 weeks but we dumbly didn't know this was a big deal and he tried to get his working holiday visa at the border by flagpoling. The lady grilled him hard, called his freaking MOM and told me to shut up because I was "talking for him" which I was in fact doing . So I sat there and cried. Then she suddenly changed personality and let him go with his work permit, lol. Tears for the win? I can say that traumatised me about the border and since then it's never been bad like that again, thank god, but we learned our lesson hard.

The key is to follow the rules, do some research, know what to have on you and what to say, and you will be fine. I've even dumbly said my then-bf (now husband) was living in Canada and they were ok with it, so it's all in the CBSA officer you get.

I swear you have to have a bit of a sociopathic streak to be able to grill someone over visiting their loved one to the point of crying, job or no job. It's pretty awful.

But, due to that mishap, you are going to be given a harder time every time you cross now. So, you really need to have your ducks in a row when you cross. Try not to let it get to you though, just be confident and make sure you have all the required information.

 

[Decoy24601]

Thank you both for your responses. Luckily, the border guard who grilled me assured me that what happened that day would leave absolutely no record, so I shouldn't have any more hassle than I otherwise would have. She gave me a "voluntary withdrawal" (Yeah right, "voluntary") when I came back to the office to collect my passport and leave. Honestly, if i hadn't had to cancel my college admissions and was currently attending, I would likely have little isssue. I think I just happened to get the border guard in the worst mood and with the most sassy attitude (seriously, she must have rolled her eyes at me fifty times). She made me sign forms so her "superiors" knew that she let me go and told me that was their main purpose. Sadly I think it may have also been a slight racial issue. I don't like to mention it, but it does happen. She was black and I'm white with red hair. I don't know what all of her motivations were, but it was unpleasant.

When my fiancé came to visit me and returned to Canada, the CBSA officer asked how long we had been together etc, but also asked if he was planning to move here. When he said no, the officer asked if I was planning to move there. He said yes, after we get married in November. The officer asked if we knew about spousal sponsorship for permanent residency, and seemed like he was generally trying to be helpful and give advice on top of making sure we do things the right way.

I think it's worth noting that the officer at the airport who let me in without issue was older, and very likely worked on his position before they grilled people so hard. He had a different attitude than all the other officers I have come across.

I just can't wait until I have permanent residency. No more monthly visits and very minimal border hassles. Let's hope I get it by the end of next summer.

 

[Aquakitty]

Thank you both for your responses. Luckily, the border guard who grilled me assured me that what happened that day would leave absolutely no record, so I shouldn't have any more hassle than I otherwise would have. She gave me a "voluntary withdrawal" (Yeah right, "voluntary") when I came back to the office to collect my passport and leave. Honestly, if i hadn't had to cancel my college admissions and was currently attending, I would likely have little isssue. I think I just happened to get the border guard in the worst mood and with the most sassy attitude (seriously, she must have rolled her eyes at me fifty times). She made me sign forms so her "superiors" knew that she let me go and told me that was their main purpose. Sadly I think it may have also been a slight racial issue. I don't like to mention it, but it does happen. She was black and I'm white with red hair. I don't know what all of her motivations were, but it was unpleasant.

When my fiancé came to visit me and returned to Canada, the CBSA officer asked how long we had been together etc, but also asked if he was planning to move here. When he said no, the officer asked if I was planning to move there. He said yes, after we get married in November. The officer asked if we knew about spousal sponsorship for permanent residency, and seemed like he was generally trying to be helpful and give advice on top of making sure we do things the right way.

I think it's worth noting that the officer at the airport who let me in without issue was older, and very likely worked on his position before they grilled people so hard. He had a different attitude than all the other officers I have come across.

I just can't wait until I have permanent residency. No more monthly visits and very minimal border hassles. Let's hope I get it by the end of next summer.

If you are travelling every month, I suggest getting a Nexus card, it will save you some border wait times and scrutiny.

 

[Decoy24601]

If you are travelling every month, I suggest getting a Nexus card, it will save you some border wait times and scrutiny.

Even when I am travelling by bus or train? I've considered getting one, but I wasn't sure if I would actually benefit much from it since I'm not driving. I might just do that when I go to Seattle to do the medical and go in at the International airport there and get both done in one trip.

 

[Aquakitty]

Even when I am travelling by bus or train? I've considered getting one, but I wasn't sure if I would actually benefit much from it since I'm not driving. I might just do that when I go to Seattle to do the medical and go in at the International airport there and get both done in one trip.

Well, if you plan to fly you can get your retina scanned for it and use the fast lanes, bus or train won't save time necessarily but it could save scrutiny as you are now a so called "trusted traveller".

Perhaps something has changed in the last few years to improve the system, but at the time when we went to make an appointment for the card, the calendar was booked up for months. However what they don't tell you is that every day new appointment times come up and you have to keep checking (people cancel etc.). So while it first seemed like it would take months we got an appointment within a week just by checking.