US citizen visiting my Canadian husband for 6 months border questions

[JAndrade88]

Hello.. I am a US citizen and have been staying with my husband in Canada for almost 6 months and I'm worried about going back.
I do not have a job, my husband has been supporting me during my stay.. I would also like to be able to return to Canada after being back in the United States for a couple weeks.
I am just curious about how much trouble they will give me at the border when I go to the United States and then when I try to come back here. What documents should I carry with me in order to prove to them that my story is true? Also, some people say you can only stay in Canada 6 months out of a year and others say you can return to Canada the same day. Are there any time restrictions as to how long I have to stay in the US before coming back?
I am so scared they will not allow me to come back.. I want to be with my husband and we have already started the permanent resident paperwork, but it takes time to process.. right now we are waiting for my police clearance which may take a couple months and to my knowledge, I can not send out my paperwork without that. I also noticed that you can pay the fee online before sending out the paperwork.. should I do that before I leave and hold on to the reciept to show them at the border when I try to come back here? Maybe showing them I started the process for permanent residency will give them peace of mind? I have no idea. Please help!?

 

[Jalex23]

I am just curious about how much trouble they will give me at the border when I go to the United States and then when I try to come back here. What documents should I carry with me in order to prove to them that my story is true?

No one can say, some officers won't mind you at all, others can give you the hardest time in your life.

The problem is not your story is true or not, the problem is that you are using a visitor status to live in Canada. Visitors are supposed to stay for a short period of time, six months is already in the edge of what is allowed, more than that shows you are not a visitor, thus claiming you are one is dishonest.

Also, some people say you can only stay in Canada 6 months out of a year and others say you can return to Canada the same day. Are there any time restrictions as to how long I have to stay in the US before coming back?

Again, no set rule. A common advice is that you should live more out of Canada than in Canada for the last year. So if in the last 12 months you have been living 6 months, Canada would expect you to spend at least equal time abroad. That is a visitor.

No final word on that, some stay longer and do multiple visits without a single highlight, others stay shorter and have a hard time when coming back.

I am so scared they will not allow me to come back.. I want to be with my husband and we have already started the permanent resident paperwork, but it takes time to process.. right now we are waiting for my police clearance which may take a couple months and to my knowledge, I can not send out my paperwork without that.

You should be worried, leaving is not advised in your current situation.

Some members say you cannot, that is not true. You can send the application without police clearance. Many people do it. Just keep in mind it is safer to send a complete application as without the police clearance your application can be marked as incomplete. In my experience we always send the applications without the police clearance without any issues. Post these related concerns in the corresponding forum:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/family-class-sponsorship-b5.0/

I also noticed that you can pay the fee online before sending out the paperwork.. should I do that before I leave and hold on to the reciept to show them at the border when I try to come back here? Maybe showing them I started the process for permanent residency will give them peace of mind? I have no idea. Please help!?

Anything you can show to prove your intentions are genuine helps, paying, doing medicals, etc.


My advise is that you don't leave, extend your stay and wait for the process at least to start. If you leave, leave for at least 3 months.

 

[TracyCa64]

Hello.. I am a US citizen and have been staying with my husband in Canada for almost 6 months and I'm worried about going back.
I do not have a job, my husband has been supporting me during my stay.. I would also like to be able to return to Canada after being back in the United States for a couple weeks.
I am just curious about how much trouble they will give me at the border when I go to the United States and then when I try to come back here. What documents should I carry with me in order to prove to them that my story is true? Also, some people say you can only stay (as a visitor) in Canada 6 months out of a year and others say you can return to Canada the same day. Are there any time restrictions as to how long I have to stay in the US before coming back?
I am so scared they will not allow me to come back.. I want to be with my husband and we have already started the permanent resident paperwork, but it takes time to process.. right now we are waiting for my police clearance which may take a couple months and to my knowledge, I can not send out my paperwork without that. I also noticed that you can pay the fee online before sending out the paperwork.. should I do that before I leave and hold on to the reciept to show them at the border when I try to come back here? Maybe showing them I started the process for permanent residency will give them peace of mind? I have no idea. Please help!?

Do you need to go back to the US? I agree with Jalex23, you should stay in Canada and apply for a visitor extension. If you leave you are risking a border agent not letting you back in.

When you apply for your extension you can give the reason that you & your husband will be applying for your PR and you wish to stay in Canada with your husband while it is being processed. You can ask for more than 6 months when applying for your extension.
You can find the info here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5551ETOC.asp#overview

I hope this helps.