Great..Do you have any email or contact info so that we can connect offline? Thanks.
Daily commute (Detroit-Windsor) (H1b and Canada PR)
- Thread starter prudhvi
- Start date
If i schedule a H1b stamping appointment with Toronto consulate in April or May then till that time can i commute between Windsor/ Detroit on AVR?
Has anyone done this? Per my understanding, once you schedule an appointment you can’t do commuting but the problem is wait times for stamping are too long. How to navigate this?
Has anyone done this? Per my understanding, once you schedule an appointment you can’t do commuting but the problem is wait times for stamping are too long. How to navigate this?
@lifeincan23 / @swan0206 / @VOBuckeye I traveled on last Fri evening. Here's how it went:
I traveled via Windsor-Detroit border in a shuttle and I had a flight from Detroit to Oklahoma later.
Questions asked:
1. Show me paperwork (I-797)
2. Where are u going?
3. Whom do u work for?
4. What's ur role?
5. Do u live in Oklahoma (where my workplace is)?
6. What brought u to Canada?
7. Were u a student earlier
8. As a student what do u need to carry while going thru a port of entry
9. When did u get ur 1st H1B
10. Give me ur driver's license
The officer went inside after collecting my documents and closed the window and the door. After about 1 min he came back and gave me the documents and said that I am good to go.
@lifeincan23 / @swan0206 / @VOBuckeye I said them that I am traveling to Oklahoma and I live there. I do have an apartment rented in Oklahoma. Actually I went there to have a discussion with my team on the project. We met on Saturday as we need to accomplish a small project before Thanksgiving release. I came back today and my I-94 says I have departed. I have a plan to go again in January.
Actually I moved to Windsor in October permanently and thought of traveling to the US once in a while on some weekend. My job is completely remote.
When I came here in Windsor in October, my I-94 wasn't updated and it didn't show that I have left US.
So when I was going to US on last Fri, when the officer asked that what brought me to Canada I just said I came here to spend time with my parents who have recently moved to Canada. I was afraid that if I say that I have moved to Canada permanently and my job is remote, they might say then why do I even need H-1B. I thought anyway my I-94 wasn't updated so officer will think I just visited for a few days to see my parents and let me go. This time when I came to Canada today, my I-94 does show that I have departed the US. I am afraid that when I go back in January and they will ask me why I was in Canada for so long. @lifeincan23 / @swan0206 / @VOBuckeye Can u give some guidance please. Your help will greatly be appreciated.
I traveled via Windsor-Detroit border in a shuttle and I had a flight from Detroit to Oklahoma later.
Questions asked:
1. Show me paperwork (I-797)
2. Where are u going?
3. Whom do u work for?
4. What's ur role?
5. Do u live in Oklahoma (where my workplace is)?
6. What brought u to Canada?
7. Were u a student earlier
8. As a student what do u need to carry while going thru a port of entry
9. When did u get ur 1st H1B
10. Give me ur driver's license
The officer went inside after collecting my documents and closed the window and the door. After about 1 min he came back and gave me the documents and said that I am good to go.
@lifeincan23 / @swan0206 / @VOBuckeye I said them that I am traveling to Oklahoma and I live there. I do have an apartment rented in Oklahoma. Actually I went there to have a discussion with my team on the project. We met on Saturday as we need to accomplish a small project before Thanksgiving release. I came back today and my I-94 says I have departed. I have a plan to go again in January.
Actually I moved to Windsor in October permanently and thought of traveling to the US once in a while on some weekend. My job is completely remote.
When I came here in Windsor in October, my I-94 wasn't updated and it didn't show that I have left US.
So when I was going to US on last Fri, when the officer asked that what brought me to Canada I just said I came here to spend time with my parents who have recently moved to Canada. I was afraid that if I say that I have moved to Canada permanently and my job is remote, they might say then why do I even need H-1B. I thought anyway my I-94 wasn't updated so officer will think I just visited for a few days to see my parents and let me go. This time when I came to Canada today, my I-94 does show that I have departed the US. I am afraid that when I go back in January and they will ask me why I was in Canada for so long. @lifeincan23 / @swan0206 / @VOBuckeye Can u give some guidance please. Your help will greatly be appreciated.
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First thing first officers wouldnt remember you and whats the reason for your past past visits unless theres something really fishy.
Now coming to your future visits, you can tell them that you stay in Canada you are a permanent resident there if questioned. If asked about your job tell them that you have to be in office for some important Production releases that happen once a month or once in 3 months whatever frequency you are visiting.
And always have a point that, for now you need to be present there for only releases and in future offices are opening and also hybrid work mode thats coming up(you can keep telling this or a variation of this, again remember they wouldnt ask you this question everytime). No one would really call your office to check these points as 1000s of people travel daily for different works. Everyone have their schedules and work modes or changes that comes up often. So dont panic. You are good to go. If you are really that worried just visit detroit for some shopping or having chick-fil-A or meeting a friend once a month so that you have some travel history and while you go to work it wouldnt be that tensed as you will get used to it.
I agree with @swan0206 . You should be good.
And if you need to correct your I-94 you can email the CBP office. I highly recommend as I was asked to submit all my I-94 records as part of my Canadian citizenship application as I used to cross a lot for work.
I did cross border few times but now a days they don’t update I94 every-time you cross the border right? So, does i94 actually proves helpful to determine your days count in Canada?
I'm not sure but I think they would update the I-94 records to keep track of non-immigrants.
I was asked by the citizenship office to request and submit my records. Granted, I was crossing daily for work before the pandemic. Did this for 3 years so it was a lot of entries for me and IRCC wanted to cross check ith their records. That was what the agent told me during my interview.
@VOBuckeye What happens when we file H-1B extension? Do I need to be present in Oklahoma until my extension is approved. Do u know?
I think it is advised that you file the extension while in the US to avoid consular processing. When I filed my extension and transfer I made sure that I was in the US when the application was delivered to USCIS and that I gave a US address for the filing (used the lawyer's office address).
Please check with your company's lawyer for your specific case though.
People generally are inside US until their packet reaches USCIS and then travel, some people wait for the receipt number and then travel(like me,my case was a premium).