Moving with spouse while application is pending.

[muffy1]

LizaDoolittle-

I was in a similar situation and it has, thus far, worked out fine for me (knock on wood). I would travel back and forth from US to CA to visit hubby prior to us being married. Once, after being married, I was briefly "held up" and told to go inside to see Immigration. I had no clue why. They issued a visitor's record to me after finding out that we were still working on the PR app forms. They said it would be helpful to have this as I traveled back & forth quite a bit. Anyway, that visitor's record expired and on another trip back & forth, I stopped at Immigration to see if I could be issued a new visitor's record. I brought the pr app with me to show them the progress that had been made. They issued another vr to me good for one year as they said it could very well be longer than that before I heard something. Now, this vr doesn't GUARANTEE re-entry for me, but I have not yet had a problem. (Again, knock on wood.) I have my visitor's record, I bring along copies of necessary paperwork to show that I have a file #, etc and app is in process. I always tell the truth when I'm coming & going. I really have never been given a "hard time". Perhaps, I'm lucky, I don't know.

I would suggest looking into the visitor's record. I'm sure having this document might help. Again, it doesn't guarantee re-entry. If he does travel back & forth, I would bring along proof of his ties to the US, still.

Oh, and we, too applied outland. Hope this helps ease your mind a bit.

 

[koala18]

hi guys,

I am from the Philippines and I'll be visiting my husband while waiting for our application to be approved. i have the multiple-entry temporary resident visa, which I've used 2x when I visited him when we were still bf/ gf and when I went there for our wedding. I know that each visit is good for 6 months, which is perfect as we hope we'll get my PR visa before that. I have a round trip international ticket but only a one way domestic ticket with the reason that I may come from a different airport 'coming back'.

What else do you think i should bring? I can bring a print out of our receipt but we haven't received any emails from CPC-Mississauga so that's all I can show for now.

 

[miriamcoco]

It's always tricky when dealing with border officers and have to be very careful in answering questions.

Personal experiences (me being the PR applicant):

1) I'm visa exempt. I lived in US (H1B and subsequently B2 after employment terminated in US).

2) I used to drive across the border at Fort Erie or Niagara Falls every weekend or every other weekend. I didn't have problem crossing border before/after marriage, before/after PR application was filed, or before/after being granted the Visitor Record.

3) There was only one time (before marriage) I was on vacation for a month (via Toronto airport), back into US to check the apartment and mails, and same day returned to Canada intending to spend a few more days vacation in Canada before going back to work in US after New Year. I was interrogated for an hour or two because I did not have recent document with me proving my ties to US. Since then, I always carried documents, eg, lease/utility bills, every time I crossed the border.

4) Crossings became a bit trickier after my H1B had ended, after Visitor Record was granted. The border officers started asking more questions. I had to emphase a) I still had my apartment in US until my lease ended and was granted B2 a few months to wrap up my affairs in US (showing ties), b) I planned to VISIT my husband and planned to return to US in a week or 2 (even though my plan changed and I ended up staying for a month), c) I was driving a US plated car because I had to wait till my PR approval first then decide on selling or importing my car.

5) While wrapping up my apartment, I took some home/kitchen stuff with me across the border, but always tried to pack them in SUITCASES.

6) Occasionally, I took USED furniture with me but always claimed them as GIFTS to my husband's family/friend because they just moved, and total value was always UNDER C$60 (limit for VISITORS).

7) A couple of times, the border officer REMINDED me that I am not supposed to move before my PR application has completed and I always gave them firm postive answers that I know!

8 ) I SOLD some furniture to my husband's family (Canadian citizens), and they came to US to visit, stayed over 48 hours, and claimed the USED furniture @ under C$400 (used to be the limit for Canadians visiting outside Canada, now has increased). And I tried NOT to be in the same car as them.

Good luck everyone!

 

[louise8118]

Thanks for bumping this up, Miriamcoco. Are there more current comments (these are from 2012)? We are closing on a home in Ontario next month and I don't know if I can move or have to wait for approval; could be in a couple months but of course who knows. We are in the process of putting our US home up for sale and while we are not taking any appliances or most furniture, we will still have a lot to move. Canadian husband; we will be driving.

 

[Ponga]

Thanks for bumping this up, Miriamcoco. Are there more current comments (these are from 2012)? We are closing on a home in Ontario next month and I don't know if I can move or have to wait for approval; could be in a couple months but of course who knows. We are in the process of putting our US home up for sale and while we are not taking any appliances or most furniture, we will still have a lot to move. Canadian husband; we will be driving.

Even though the comments are from 2012, not much has changed regarding the risk you'll be taking by showing up at the border with a truckload/carload of your `stuff', before you are legally eligible to `move' to Canada.

 

[louise8118]

Thanks Ponga. The problem is he talked to someone at Service Ontario and was told I could get a visitors visa and have status in Canada and even put on the waitlist for OHIP. But he wasn't talking to Immigration! So I'll wait to put the US house up for sale until we have a DM. He said he will start to move his stuff over. Just not a moving van.