Prove I have enough money for 6 months if I stay with a friend?

[Yay_Canada]

I'm a US citizen and I want to stay with a Canadian friend for 6 months. Her rent is higher than the money she gets for her disability, so I guess I would have to be the one to convince them I can pay for my own expenses of food etc. I just want to use my debit card. Is it required that I have enough on my card for the total 6 months because my family wants to load money on the card for me each month or as-needed. I think I would only need $300 per month for my food and expenses since I'll be staying with a friend, do they consider that enough? I also wont have a return ticket to remain flexible in-case I want to return home much sooner than 6 months. Thanks

 

[scylla]

CIC will want to see that you have sufficient funds to support yourself independently while visiting Canada even if you do plan on staying with a friend. Ideally you should be able to show that you have $1,000 available for each month you plan to spend in Canada.

If you are flying to Canada - you should have a return ticket. Otherwise they may suspect you have plans to stay in Canada long term rather than just visit and this could create complications at the border.

 

[Yay_Canada]

Ok the issue is I don't know how long I'll stay because I have a condition that makes me "allergic" to nearly everything. If her house makes me sick I may fly back home after just a few weeks or sooner, but if it doesn't make me sick then I'll probably want to stay 6 months. So I was wanting to keep it flexible, but up to 6 months.

I think the most I could probably afford to put on my debit card(s) would be $2500-$3000. Would that be enough to convince them I can afford to stay with a friend in Canada for 6 months? I know I wouldn't need more than that for my expenses since I'm staying with a friend, but if I did see my money was dwindling faster than expected then I can simply fly home sooner than planned or get more money sent to me.

There is a high possibility she will quickly become more than a friend. I've gotten to know her over Skype for 6 months. We became best friends because we both have the same rare condition. Should I not mention some of this to them? I may also apply to extend my stay after 6 months.

If it's very important I could risk wasting $200 for a roundtrip ticket and then leave sooner or later. Is that allowed to buy a new ticket to fly back sooner, or to extend my stay and fly back later?

Is there an issue if I pack light with only like 4 changes of clothes?

Also I think I will wear a respirator on the plane to avoid getting sick from people's fragrances. My "allergies" are not dangerous or anaphylaxis, but I would prefer not to be really sick for days from it. Would that be acceptable to wear the respirator in the Canadian airport and explain or should I just risk being sick for days instead?

Thank you so much.