Girlfriend 'visiting' for 6 months USA-Canada

[Hohn]

Hi, I have a couple questions for the experts here.

My girlfriend has a degree and is going to be applying for express entry, but if express entry doesn't work, I want to go the other route of family sponsorship (common law/marriage) and in order to do so we need to 'establish a life together' for 1 year. She is on my current lease, and is visiting here until the end of the month. She will be flying back to the US for a wedding and then her and her parents are coming up in her car and she will be perpetually visiting from that point on (they are flying back).

What should she tell the border agents when she comes through?

This time they asked her about employment and she said she is a secretary (she used to be) that has her fall break and took some banked vacation.

Do they log what you say every time you come through? How honest should she be about her intentions? We've thought of saying she works part time online and has saved some money for an extended vacation, but I'm concerned they will ask about why that changed from the last time. Should she even say she is visiting me at all?

Many thanks

 

[scylla]

You're posting in the wrong section. You need to move to the Family Sponsorship section. Having said that, I'll answer a few of your questions.

Yes - they log visits. She should assume they will know when she last entered and how long she was here.

She can only visit Canada at this time - she is not legally allowed move here permanently or come here indefinitely. As such, she should ensure she behaves as a visitor at the border. If she says she's coming to live in Canada - she risks being refused entry. She should ensure she doesn't arrive with a car full of belongings looking like she's moving (again, this creates a greater risk of refusal). She should pack like she's just visiting (a couple of suitcases at most). She should also avoid bringing any belongings that visitors don't normally bring (e.g. desktop computer, furniture, etc.). It's possible they may ask her for proof of ties to the US (employment, property ownership/rental) and she should be prepared to show something in case she is asked.

FYI - if you want to sponsor her through marriage, you don't need to live together for a year first. You just need to get married. Only the common law route required one year of cohabitation.

 

[IMTS]

I'm pretty sure I read there is an option for couples in a common law partnership that aren't able to be together for a year and among the reasons for not doing so Immigration is listed. You would have to prove that have actually lived together and prove the inability of doing it for the last year. Go through CIC's we site, I'm sure I read about it somewhere

 

[Hohn]

I believe that only applies to immigration restrictions from certain countries and US is not one of them. There is technically no reason she can't immigrate here, beyond waiting for absurd amounts of time to do so.

 

[scylla]

I'm pretty sure I read there is an option for couples in a common law partnership that aren't able to be together for a year and among the reasons for not doing so Immigration is listed. You would have to prove that have actually lived together and prove the inability of doing it for the last year. Go through CIC's we site, I'm sure I read about it somewhere

You're talking about the conjugal class. This applies to very few people - only those who absolutely cannot get married and cannot live together. A conjugal application for an American will be refused and is the wrong way to apply.