Marrigold said:
Hi there,
I'm looking for advice on how to maximise the likelihood of my US husband getting a 6 month entry stamp when he drives across the border next week. He was last in Canada Oct-Dec 2013 and has been in US since then. I have been approved as sponsor, and his files have been transferred to CPC Ottawa for processing.
What documentation can he bring that helps support his intention to not illegally stay in Canada? To me, it makes no sense to have a plane ticket as he is driving up.
Can he come right out and say he has a wife in Canada and PR application is in process, or should he avoid mentioning that unless directly asked?
To get more than 6 months in Canada - is it safer to exit and return within a few days of exit OR apply for an extension?
Thank you for your advice and Happy Valentines Day
Hi there. I`m in a similar position as your husband in that I am an American who is being sponsored by my Canadian spouse.
Here are some of the things I`ve learned in the last couple of years coming back and forth to visit my husband.
1. First, your husband always has to tell the guard the truth. Since you are in the process of immigration, I suspect chances are they might already know about it.
( being that everything is digital and shared) Even in the event that they don`t know that you guys are married and in this process, your husband may find himself on a slippery slope if he isn`t truthful about how long he wants to stay.
2. He needs to explain to the guard that he is married to a Canadian and directly in the middle of the immigration process and would like to visit as much as possible while it`s going on. He can ask to stay for 6 months.
3. He understands he is just a visitor and cannot work. ( or attend school )
4. Your husband should make sure he has with him at all times when crossing the border :
a.) Your letter stating that you have been approved as a sponsor. (VERY important.)
b.) Any other documentation about your application..particularly receipts for fees paid in the process.
c.) EXTREMELY IMPORTANT : Your marriage certificate. Not the license, but the actual certificate.
d.) If your husband still has a means of income in the States, he should bring proof of that. ( Maybe a bank statement wouldn`t hurt. ) --I know..you are approved as his sponsor so this seems like it should be a moot point. But they have asked me that before. Being as I actually had to quit my job so that we can sort of live like a married couple, I was just honest with them and it didn`t have any bearing on whether or not I was allowed to visit.
e.) Any other thing that shows that he still has ties to the States. ( registration for class or workshop or something that is to take place at a future date.)
f. ) Often they have asked if I have travel health insurance. ...So..that`s good to have and of course, carry the proof of insurance doc.
5. Your husband should always make sure he`s traveling fairly lightly. A couple of suit cases is normal. Do not pack any boxes of stuff in the car. They do NOT like that.
Lastly, tell him not to freak out if they make him come inside for secondary questioning. ( they may or they may not- kind of depends on the guard he gets, I guess. I don`t really know how they decide on this.
If they ask him to come in for secondary questioning, he will just have a conversation about his documents ( the aforementioned docs) that he will present to them. They may give him a paper stating the date by which he has to leave. If they do, he has to make sure he abides by that date, even if he just goes back to the States for a few days and comes back to Canada. ( I don`t know how far from the border he lives in the States, so I don`t know if this is practical for you. )
Also, if they give him that paper, he needs return the paper to the Canadian border station upon exiting Canada. He needs to stop by the CANADIAN border and give it to them at the desk when he is exiting Canada. If he just gives it to the American side to give to the Canadian side, it might confuse matters. ( I learned this the hard way.)
Also concerning that paper they may or may not give him, if they give him the paper that says he can stay for 6 months and he comes to Canada and goes back to the States before 6 months are over and returns to Canada within the same 6 months time period, he does not need to return it to the border upon exiting, but he can show it at the entrance next time to ask to stay the remainder of the time left on it. NOTE: if he doesn`t know if he will come back within the same 6 months time, it is best that he hand the document over at his exit..even if there are 3 months left on it.
Hmmmm... I guess that`s all the advice I have right now.
I hope my words were helpful. Let me know if you don`t understand something I said or have any questions regarding it.
Good luck in your process.
