OntarioBound said:
If spouses just get up and leave their home country and fly to Canada to stay with their spouses while waiting for the PR, what do they usually do with their address in their home country? They will have to show the immigration officer their rental agreement (or mortgage paper, etc), right? How do they do that if they don't have a place? How would you explain? I am just curious as to how they could effectively explain that to the immigration officer.
let me clarify something. even though it's
recommended to bring proof of ties to your home country, it is not required, nor is it 100% guaranteed CBSA will even ask you to show it. generally how it works is there is primary and secondary inspection. the primary inspection officer asks the basic questions and decides whether to waive someone through or tag them for secondary inspection. if the person is waived through, they are in, and that's it. If they are sent to secondary, then they will be asked additional questions, and *may* have to provide proof of what they are saying. Again, this isn't always the case, it really depends on the questions asked, the answers provided and the mood of the officer.
there's really no reason at all to offer up information that is not specifically asked for (ie: if all they asked is where are you going and how long do you want to stay you give short answers and let THEM decide if they need more information. Or you can say "im here to visit my husband, i have a pr application submitted). IF the officer decides they need more information about your plans, you are sent to secondary. Again, it's not necessary to offer up information or paperwork until its SPECIFICALLY asked for. If they inquire about your pr plans, tell them, show them the paperwork. More than likely, they will look you up in the system, see your app status and let you through. Really, even though i've ALWAYS carried specific proof with me, the ONLY times I actually had to furnish proof of ties were the first couple (or few) times i crossed after my exclusion order was lifted.
The information on here is being shared to show "best practices". It is not guaranteed everyone will need to show proof of a lease or paystubs at every crossing. Be prepared, know the language, and let the officers decide on what information they want to know. There is no need to offer anything up to confuse the situation. I really think in this case you are over thinking it to the extreme. I've never been asked at primary to
prove where i'm from (i've only been asked the question). I've never been asked at primary to show my lease. I've barely been asked to show this at secondary.
Relax, attempt to cross, answer truthfully and let CBSA decide what information they need and how long you are allowed to visit for. If they can't prove you are living/working in canada illegally, then the risk of being denied entry is going to be super low. If they are concerned about the length of stay you plan, they will give you a visitor's record to track your stay. and NO - it's certainly NOT recommended to ASK for a visitor's records. I don't understand why people do this. in my opinion and experience it is ASKING to be red flagged in the system.
seriously, stop stressing about it. PR applicants are given a little bit of leniency for entry. my guess is you are going to be completely surprised when you cross the border and see they really have no concerns about your stay. the more you cross, the more they will want to talk about your plans, and the more they will check your answers against what they already know. this doesn't mean they will deny you entry or cause you issues. it just means they want to know that you know the rules - which you do.
i get that it's stressful. i get that it's nerve racking. when ever i cross, i get butterflies and am super nervous. and then once i'm through, i laugh about how much i worried about nothing. honestly, the more you're sent to secondary, the easier it gets. i actually had CBSA offers joke about me "not being a stranger to immigration" before. they are human beings, and for the most part are not there to be evil to people.
You never can know what will happen though till you're there :-\
