jessaruh said:
okay so a few months back in july i was denied access into canada because i was "flagpoling". I had no idea what that was or that it was even wrong. the guards told me that i need to stay out of canada for 6 months and have proof that i have been living and working for that time period before i could be let back in. so that all lapsed over and i was wondering
can i just show up to the border with my information? or do i need to apply somewhere to get back in? i'm an american, if that helps.
Flagpoling is a figure of speech defining the process by which you exit a country's formal borders then return immediately or within a short time..the land border was/is usually marked by a flag and once you went past the flag (with supporting pole) your return was a fresh entry. Of course many non citizens/ permanent residents find this process of great convenience to extend their time in the relevant country without spending significant resource (time and/or money) travelling back to their home country.
This convenience doesn't necessarily tie in with the country's immigration laws mostly because it is often abused especially by visitors who max their admission time run to the border, flagpole and show up at the customs booth wanting a fresh max admission. When you start spending more time in Canada in a year than you do back home then you are not really a genuine visitor - visitor admission isn't for you to hang out in Canada. CBSA/ CIC start questioning your true intentions of being in Canada and more importantly how you are surviving in Canada for such a long duration...often you are working illegally. So border agents love those visitors who flagpole and return to get a fresh standard 6 months because they are easy to bounce right of the bat.
Flagpoling to change status especially from a non employment status to an employment status or PR status is less or not an issue depending on the situation. Your admission will depend on your ties to the US...what is the nature of your job and are you on a vacation? You need to show up at the border with solid documentary proof you won't be 'hanging out' in Canada past your visit. CBSA will also consider how often and the duration of your previous visits to Canada. Admission too depends on your type of actual denial last time and what paperwork was issued i.e. if there inadmissibility issues and if any say exclusion order was issued.
