Crossing the border to stay for 6 months?

[bluecanary]

How do people cross the border when they intend to stay for a long period of time? I am American, my boyfriend is Canadian. Our plan is for me to cross into Canada, stay for 6 months, then apply to extend for another 6 months so we can reach Common-Law status. I have seen this plan used elsewhere on this forum. So far, I have only visited for a couple weeks the three times I've been in Canada. What about for longer than that?

Telling CBSA that I want to come in for 6 months sounds like a good way to be flagged. So if I went to the border with a return ticket, say, a couple weeks out and then canceled that return flight and stayed for the whole 6 months + extension (provided that I don't get a "must leave by ____" date), would this be okay?

 

[Ponga]

Absolutely.

If CBSA doesn't tell you when you must leave (even if you say you only `plan' to stay for a couple of weeks), you get the full 6 month stay.
Everyone knows that sometimes `plans' change.

 

[bluecanary]

Absolutely.

If CBSA doesn't tell you when you must leave (even if you say you only `plan' to stay for a couple of weeks), you get the full 6 month stay.
Everyone knows that sometimes `plans' change.

Haha okay, good. This is what I thought, but I felt weird about it because it's kind of fibbing. I was also worried because I won't have very many proofs of ties, i.e a job or lease, and I will be graduating from university before I attempt to do this. Maybe I could still register for some classes after graduating to show I 'plan' to return for those, and then cancel them as well... what do you think? Same thing?

 

[jwnmm]

I was wondering something similar. Though we're going through the PR process currently and we're married, so the situation itself is a bit different. But I'm planning on spending the summer with him (so about 4 months) and was wondering if it'd be wise to tell them I'm staying that long considering the situation.

Because I mean, in a matter of 4 months, my PR could be approved. And in that case I probably would only leave to return for landing.

I always feel conflicted between being completely open and not telling them more than what they need to know. Hoping someone has good advice for you.