My wife received an exclusion order last January from Canada. She's a US Citizen and I'm Canadian. We currently live in the US and are building a life here. We are musicians who have toured both countries. In our time away from Canada there's been a lot of build-up and excitement for us to return to perform and we now have almost 40 concerts booked (mid-January to mid-March). We were turned around at the Canadian border due to confusion from both parties around work permit requirements (Canada has recently revoked any requirement for a work permit for touring musicians) and she flew home from Spokane with a few stamped papers. We have a few questions.
1) She was excluded from Canada on January 19. The border guards told her it would be forgiven after a year. Does this mean we can return to Canada on January 20? We are hoping to book our flight this week. Our first concert is scheduled for January 21. We fly back home to California after our last concert toward the end of March. They told her if she returned before the year was up they would ban her from Canada for life. The precise date of our return is very important and nobody at the border seems to have the information.
2) I read online she would need a "Certificate Of Departure". I'm wondering if the papers she was given with a stamp of the date and the signature of the ministers delegate that my wife also signed is this certificate. She was not given an actual "certificate" type document. We turned around immediately in our car and went back through the US border and so she was not actually admitted into Canada.
3) What are the chances that she will be held back from performing this concert tour with me again? We have worked really hard and a lot of people love hearing us together. We have dozens of shows booked and would like to appear together. How can we make absolutely certain a terrible drama will not unfold at the airport next January?
Thank you for your input/suggestions/reassurances.
1) She was excluded from Canada on January 19. The border guards told her it would be forgiven after a year. Does this mean we can return to Canada on January 20? We are hoping to book our flight this week. Our first concert is scheduled for January 21. We fly back home to California after our last concert toward the end of March. They told her if she returned before the year was up they would ban her from Canada for life. The precise date of our return is very important and nobody at the border seems to have the information.
2) I read online she would need a "Certificate Of Departure". I'm wondering if the papers she was given with a stamp of the date and the signature of the ministers delegate that my wife also signed is this certificate. She was not given an actual "certificate" type document. We turned around immediately in our car and went back through the US border and so she was not actually admitted into Canada.
3) What are the chances that she will be held back from performing this concert tour with me again? We have worked really hard and a lot of people love hearing us together. We have dozens of shows booked and would like to appear together. How can we make absolutely certain a terrible drama will not unfold at the airport next January?
Thank you for your input/suggestions/reassurances.