Outside Canada Spousal Sponsorship - USA spouse wants personal belongings now

[VermiciousKnish]

Hey all,

Sponsor is here living in Canada and will be married next week in the USA at which point he will be sponsoring his wife from outside Canada. Wife will accompany him home to Canada after the wedding and wait with him here while PR is processed. She will try not get visitor record but in any case will travel back and forth to the USA about once every 2 months.

Spouse already tried unsuccessfully to bring in all her clothing here to Canada but was not allowed to bring in all her personal belongings. Customs official told her she can bring in all her goods after the wedding if she shows marriage certificate and proof that application is in progress. (This does not seem to be accurate to me. My understanding is that she can not bring in all her belongings until after she lands, even if she wants to pay duty or whatever. True?)

This is outland application and wife wants to be living here in Canada with her husband while she waits but since she is still technically a visitor, she will not stay longer than 6 months at a time. What should the couple say when they arrive to Canada together after the wedding? My understanding is that she can say she is staying with her husband while she waits for PR (since Canada is not in the business of splitting up families) but that she will not stay longer than 6 months at a time? She will keep her official USA address throughout.

Also, I am still confused by this point with the visitor record. First off, are VR and TRV the same thing?
If they issue 6 month visitor record at the border when she arrives, what happens when she goes back to the USA after 2 months? In reality, the VR dies once she leaves Canada, buuuuut CBSA always gets upset when applicant does not renew the TRV, and if they do apply to renew before it expires and then applicant leaves Canada, they also get upset.

What is the best strategy for spouse to stay in Canada with her husband and travel freely back and forth to USA (within 6 months) without upsetting CBSA? Best strategy I would imagine is not to get a VR, but how to avoid that?

Can Spouse bring in all (or most) of her personal belongings while she waits here? She would like to have most (if not all) of her wardrobe here in the meantime.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Ponga]

Until she has landed as a Permanent Resident, she cannot `move' her items into Canada. Aside from whatever she can pack in her luggage, when she enters Canada as a visitor, everything else will need to remain South of the border...for now.

 

[Snowisland]

Hey all,

Sponsor is here living in Canada and will be married next week in the USA at which point he will be sponsoring his wife from outside Canada. Wife will accompany him home to Canada after the wedding and wait with him here while PR is processed. She will try not get visitor record but in any case will travel back and forth to the USA about once every 2 months.

Spouse already tried unsuccessfully to bring in all her clothing here to Canada but was not allowed to bring in all her personal belongings. Customs official told her she can bring in all her goods after the wedding if she shows marriage certificate and proof that application is in progress. (This does not seem to be accurate to me. My understanding is that she can not bring in all her belongings until after she lands, even if she wants to pay duty or whatever. True?)

This is outland application and wife wants to be living here in Canada with her husband while she waits but since she is still technically a visitor, she will not stay longer than 6 months at a time. What should the couple say when they arrive to Canada together after the wedding? My understanding is that she can say she is staying with her husband while she waits for PR (since Canada is not in the business of splitting up families) but that she will not stay longer than 6 months at a time? She will keep her official USA address throughout.

Also, I am still confused by this point with the visitor record. First off, are VR and TRV the same thing?
If they issue 6 month visitor record at the border when she arrives, what happens when she goes back to the USA after 2 months? In reality, the VR dies once she leaves Canada, buuuuut CBSA always gets upset when applicant does not renew the TRV, and if they do apply to renew before it expires and then applicant leaves Canada, they also get upset.

What is the best strategy for spouse to stay in Canada with her husband and travel freely back and forth to USA (within 6 months) without upsetting CBSA? Best strategy I would imagine is not to get a VR, but how to avoid that?

Can Spouse bring in all (or most) of her personal belongings while she waits here? She would like to have most (if not all) of her wardrobe here in the meantime.

Thanks in advance,

I mailed my clothes because I got tired of checking luggage each time I visited. Used US postal service and showed Used Clothing on the listed items. Make the value less than 100.00 if you don't want insurance.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Can you mail all of your clothes even if you are not a PR ?

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Until she has landed as a Permanent Resident, she cannot `move' her items into Canada. Aside from whatever she can pack in her luggage, when she enters Canada as a visitor, everything else will need to remain South of the border...for now.

What about the visitor record?

 

[Aquakitty]

Yes you can mail your clothes.

Some people choose to actually get a VR at the border. It's not a bad thing if you request it. It would help if she plans to cross often. It's proof of having status in Canada.

TRV = Visa

VR = Status

You can have a visa but be out of status, or have status but no need for a visa. USA is of course visa exempt.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Yes you can mail your clothes.

Some people choose to actually get a VR at the border. It's not a bad thing if you request it. It would help if she plans to cross often. It's proof of having status in Canada.

TRV = Visa

VR = Status

You can have a visa but be out of status, or have status but no need for a visa. USA is of course visa exempt.

So what does CBSA want when the issue a short term VR (3 months for example) and ask you to renew your status before it expires?

 

[Snowisland]

Can you mail all of your clothes even if you are not a PR ?

I only mailed winter clothes. I always take the advice of the senior posters like Ponga, so I wouldn't try to get all her belongings before she has PR.

 

[carr1]

I was visiting for 13 months when I received my VR, we needed to show our marriage certificate and SA. They just wanted proof we applied for PR, I was given a 1 year VR, since I was given the VR I hardly have to answer any extra questions when crossing.
When I first came to "visit" I took as much clothes I could check on the flight. My hubby also took a suitcase full of my stuff twice to Canada with him on trips.
I purchased these huge duffle bags from Bed Bath and Beyond and filled them to the brim. They are from Samsonite called "tote a ton" I think they were $20 US. I looked into shipping clothes but this was cheaper for me.

When I was given my VR I was asked if I wanted to import anything now but I said no as I wasn't prepared for that as we only crossed into the US for dinner and back.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Can you import goods with a VR alone? Everyone else seems to be saying that you need PR to bring in goods on the record.

Also, supposed you pay for extra baggage and bring in three or four suitcases packed with clothes. Won't customs realize that you are bringing in your entire wardrobe when you're not supposed to?

 

[carr1]

I don't know the rules on importing items on a VR but when I was given mine I was asked, I said no so I didn't push it anymore.

When I flew in I had a carry on and 2 of the duffle bags, I flew into Toronto Pearson and baggage is after customs so when I went through customs I only had my carry on. I said I was visiting for 3 weeks with a return ticket.

When I do get PR I'll go back to the states and get my personal items I left there, it's mostly photos and such, before I came last October I gave away most of my stuff and sold my car.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Ok so if I understand correctly, you can bring in all (or most of your items) if you mail them. You can also bring in as many checked bags as you can muster so long as you're not officially declaring the goods as personal items to stay in Canada.

Can anyone clarify the point about the VR. I've seen it issued once for 6 months at first, then second trip in was 1 month and applicant was told to make sure to apply for an extension online. Can you even extend a VR online? What is the point of extending if you can also chose to leave Canada and then re-enter? What is best option when given only a 6 month VR and PR application will likely not be finalized by the 6 month mark?

 

[Ponga]

Ok so if I understand correctly, you can bring in all (or most of your items) if you mail them. You can also bring in as many checked bags as you can muster so long as you're not officially declaring the goods as personal items to stay in Canada.

Can anyone clarify the point about the VR. I've seen it issued once for 6 months at first, then second trip in was 1 month and applicant was told to make sure to apply for an extension online. Can you even extend a VR online? What is the point of extending if you can also chose to leave Canada and then re-enter? What is best option when given only a 6 month VR and PR application will likely not be finalized by the 6 month mark?

This is a very slippery slope.

Until a person has either landed as a PR, or is otherwise entitled to actually `live' in Canada (meaning they have a work permit, study permit, etc.) they should only enter Canada with items (and quantity of items) that would be `normal' for the duration of their stay. Worse case...the CBSA officer suspects that she is moving to Canada and not only denies entry, but also issues an Exclusion Order, banning the traveller from returning for at least a year!


Regarding mailing personal items to themselves in Canada...this is also a bad idea. There have been more than a few people here that have tried that, only to find that their parcel had been intercepted (or at least flagged) by CBSA, who wanted to know what their status in Canada was. A better plan, albeit still not a good plan, would be for the Canadian sponsor to be the addressee on the parcel.

Better yet, she should just wait (like everyone else does) to minimize any problems.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Thanks for the help with the personal belongings fellas. I am still unclear about the whole visitor record thing though. The point is so that CBSA can keep tabs on you and how long you stay in Canada. Can they not do that anyway with the swiping of the passports now and the whole electronic system? As well, if they officer issues a visitor record for only 6 months or 3 months, what do they want the applicant to do in an ideal scenario? Do they want them to leave Canada before the 3 months are up (2 months and 29 day mark) and then just re-enter a couple days later? How does one renew the VR and is there a point to renewing for an applicant from the USA who does not need a visa and comes and goes as they please in any case?

Thanks

 

[carr1]

As a US citizen you are visa exempt so when you cross into Canada if they don't give you a leave by date you can stay for 6 months, at month 5 you can apply to extend you visitor status online. Current processing times for that is a few months while you wait if you applied before the 6 months are up you are on implied status.
Sometimes you can be hassled if you are crossing back and forth, at any point CBSA can deny you entry if they think you are living in Canada. I've had good and bad border crossings before getting a VR, my last crossing before my app was mailed I was almost denied as the agent was a dick, simple as that.
The best thing is to keep ties in the US and have a return ticket. Always say you are visiting, never lie but don't give info they don't ask for. Always have all your paperwork with you it's a bonus if you've already applied and paid all PR fees.

A VR is something different, I have a VR as its easier for me to cross with it, I'm allowed to live here while my PR app is processed but I cannot work or study here. I live in Windsor and cross into Michigan at least once a week. CBSA asked of I wanted a VR so I could live here while my app was in process. There is a lot of misconceptions on a VR and I don't know all the rules but I do know that I can cross now and have yet been asked any questions beyond what I'm bringing with me. We usually do all our grocery shopping in Michigan so usually I just say groceries and am waved through.
CBSA explained to me when handing me my VR that I'm allowed to say I live in Canada now but cannot work or study. I was given a year VR and was told to go back to border to renew if my app isn't approved within the year.

I've been in Canada for 14 months visiting, we married 8 months ago and I've applied for a visitor extension twice (the second is still being processed) I applied for the second before I got a VR.