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Port of entry: tips and what to expect?

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yoshimura

Star Member
Jan 30, 2010
51
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Hey everyone,

My gf received her visa to visit Canada. Now on to the next part :)…

She'll be arriving with a return ticket with a date that maximizes the limit of her stay (she received 6 months). Can she get a return ticket with a changeable date? (in case the officer at the port of entry decides to modify her duration).

Any other tips? What can she expect?


Thanks! 8)
 
yoshimura said:
Hey everyone,

My gf received her visa to visit Canada. Now on to the next part :)...

She'll be arriving with a return ticket with a date that maximizes the limit of her stay (she received 6 months). Can she get a return ticket with a changeable date? (in case the officer at the port of entry decides to modify her duration).

Any other tips? What can she expect?


Thanks! 8)
Click to expand...

Sometimes the officer at POE does not even ask for the return ticket; only if there's something suspicious so ask her to relax. She should really get a ticket with a changeable date, and there's always a fee when you change dates/departure cities. The officer asks what she's going to do in Canada, for how long does she think she's going to visit, where she's going to stay and then stamp the arrival date on the passport. If the officer did not place any other date then she's good to stay for 6 months.
 
yoshimura said:
Cool Seeker.

You're saying that the officer may not even bother to assign a departure date?
Click to expand...

It is understood that when the officer did not write a departure date, she's good to stay for 6 months. Otherwise, she stays up to the date written other than the date of arrival. 6 months is max if no other date written save for the date of arrival. Anyway she can always extend ;)
 
when my husband entered (with me) for a recent vacation, we came in at Pearson - he showed his passport, the officer reviewed it, asked how long we were staying, asked the purpose of our trip and then stamped his passport and put an X over his visa.

it was all over in about 2 minutes!

oh, she also asked the usual questions about if we were bringing alcohol, cigarettes, meat, etc.
 
AWESOME! thanks for the replies again. 8)

edit: when approaching the customs booth to see the officer, can I do it with my girlfriend?
 
for us it was fine. at the time of our vacation, we we're married, just engaged and we had no problems. my sister and her boyfriend have also done the same on various trips without problems -- since you are traveling together, same location, same destination, it should be fine.
 
Make sure you do not contradict details on your visa application when question (if you needed a visa)

Questions like: where are you staying, how long etc must be same as was in your visa application
 
mylota said:
Make sure you do not contradict details on your visa application when question (if you needed a visa)

Questions like: where are you staying, how long etc must be same as was in your visa application
Click to expand...

However; the visa officer gave her a 6 month long visa. She understood that my girlfriend applied for two weeks, but told her personally at the interview that she can stay up to 6 months. So my girlfriend bought a return ticket for 3 months.
 
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