Study Permit for US Citizen questions, please help.

[OldEndeavor]

Hi there!

I'm a US citizen who recently got accepted into Grad school in Canada. I've been doing a lot of research on the web concerning the VISA process, but I still have some questions that I'm hoping someone here can help me with. Even if you can only answer one of my questions, I would greatly appreciate it.

1) I don't have enough time to apply for a Study Permit through the immigration office, so I plan on doing it as I'm crossing the border, at the airport. Apparently that's okay if the applicant is a US citizen (please inform me if this is incorrect/no longer applicable). The thing I'm worried about is the police certificate, which on the CIC website, is noted as "MIGHT BE NECESSARY." I don't have a criminal background, not even a parking ticket, so it's not like I'm suffering from a guilty conscience. It's just that I've been living in Japan for the past few years and won't be home until 1 month before I have to leave for Canada. To get police certificates from both the US and Japan is very tedious and time-consuming. What are the chances that I'll be asked to show them to the border agents?? I'd rather not have to go through that process, but it would suck even more to get stopped at the border.

2) I've read that in order to get my Study Permit, I have to show that I intend on leaving Canada when I'm done with my studies. However, my partner is Canadian, and I'm not ruling out marriage sometime in the future and staying in Canada permanently. I don't want to lie to the border agent if I don't have to, but in case I can't omit it, will the fact that I'm in a relationship with a Canadian cause any problems in getting my Study Permit?

Those are the two things that are bothering me the most right now. Again, any knowledgeable responses will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

 

[world.citizen]

1) Not very confident here but from what I know, only citizens of certain countries are required to produce police certificates. The USA is not on that list.

2) Have you gone through the study permit application forms? I don't think they ask you about your partner unless there's a paper to prove your relationship (like marriage or any other relationship that Canada recognises). If they don't ask, don't tell.

P.S. That's "a" US citizen, not "an"

 

[OldEndeavor]

lol, thanks, I fixed that along with another mistake I caught.

2) I don't have property in the US. My only "proof" that I'll go home after Canada is that my parents might kill me if I stay away from home for too long. Not sure if border agents will take that as an answer.

Maybe I should just stop worrying and hope everything will magically work out.

 

[world.citizen]

I don't think they're concerned about you living in Canada permanently (in the future) as long as you do it legally. When they say they need you to leave Canada by the end of your authorised period of stay, they mean they don't want you overstaying illegally. Historically, U.S. citizens have had a great record of leaving foreign countries by the end of their authorised period of stay, so that's definitely in your favour.

Sometimes, there are troubled people who have had it with life in their own country (for whatever reason) and end up abusing the immigration systems of countries like Canada by using a study permit as a vehicle to get themselves in the country with no intentions of returning after their authorised period of stay. These are the kind of people that are denied a study permit. Make sure you present your case in such a way that you don't seem like one of these people. If you do that, you should be fine.

 

[Nawtyp]

lol, thanks, I fixed that along with another mistake I caught.

2) I don't have property in the US. My only "proof" that I'll go home after Canada is that my parents might kill me if I stay away from home for too long. Not sure if border agents will take that as an answer.

Maybe I should just stop worrying and hope everything will magically work out.

If your parent have a registered company,you can go with a notarized copy of the registration certificate,to atleast,proof that your parent have business they will definitely need you to help them on.

If their is any possibility of getting a statutory declaration "if no time for police certificate",then get it.Incase you get asked ,you can present it to them.It cause no harm to get prepared,even if they won't ask.

 

[evynnlanderson]

Hi there!

I'm a US citizen who recently got accepted into Grad school in Canada. I've been doing a lot of research on the web concerning the VISA process, but I still have some questions that I'm hoping someone here can help me with. Even if you can only answer one of my questions, I would greatly appreciate it.

1) I don't have enough time to apply for a Study Permit through the immigration office, so I plan on doing it as I'm crossing the border, at the airport. Apparently that's okay if the applicant is a US citizen (please inform me if this is incorrect/no longer applicable). The thing I'm worried about is the police certificate, which on the CIC website, is noted as "MIGHT BE NECESSARY." I don't have a criminal background, not even a parking ticket, so it's not like I'm suffering from a guilty conscience. It's just that I've been living in Japan for the past few years and won't be home until 1 month before I have to leave for Canada. To get police certificates from both the US and Japan is very tedious and time-consuming. What are the chances that I'll be asked to show them to the border agents?? I'd rather not have to go through that process, but it would suck even more to get stopped at the border.

2) I've read that in order to get my Study Permit, I have to show that I intend on leaving Canada when I'm done with my studies. However, my partner is Canadian, and I'm not ruling out marriage sometime in the future and staying in Canada permanently. I don't want to lie to the border agent if I don't have to, but in case I can't omit it, will the fact that I'm in a relationship with a Canadian cause any problems in getting my Study Permit?

Those are the two things that are bothering me the most right now. Again, any knowledgeable responses will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

H

Hello OldEndeavor,
I am in the same situaion as you. How did the whole process go?