US outland applicants' thread :)

[michminn]

your profile says your application is in ottawa. if that's the case, then why are you sending updates to mississauga. you want to be sending updated name information to the visa office that has your application.

My profile say Miss to Ottawa, hopefully it will be processed there. I have yet to receive SA, therefore it's still in Miss. to my understanding. My question was regarding length of processing times not where the application is; do you have that information? Thanks for your time

 

[Amalthea]

My profile say Miss to Ottawa, hopefully it will be processed there. I have yet to receive SA, therefore it's still in Miss. to my understanding. My question was regarding length of processing times not where the application is; do you have that information? Thanks for your time

Took Ottawa 5 hrs to update my mailing address via e-mail. About a week or two to show the update in ECAS, which you probably haven't logged into yet if you don't have SA. Personally I would wait until after SA to e-mail them regarding your name change if you are the sponsored. If you are the sponsor, I would email them now.

 

[michminn]

Took Ottawa 5 hrs to update my mailing address via e-mail. About a week or two to show the update in ECAS, which you probably haven't logged into yet if you don't have SA. Personally I would wait until after SA to e-mail them regarding your name change if you are the sponsored. If you are the sponsor, I would email them now.

Yes, our information is loaded in ECAS. Do you happen to have an email to Miss not Ottawa?

 

[blueangel371115]

Yes, our information is loaded in ECAS. Do you happen to have an email to Miss not Ottawa?

Personally, I'd fax it. I emailed them 3 or 4 times about my name change but they never changed it. But I did get responses on other things. Here's the email I used CPC-CTD-Ottawa@cic.gc.ca

 

[Mariac819]

Yes, our information is loaded in ECAS. Do you happen to have an email to Miss not Ottawa?

Ottawa emailed me back fairly quickly too when it came to my address change.

 

[michminn]

Personally, I'd fax it. I emailed them 3 or 4 times about my name change but they never changed it. But I did get responses on other things. Here's the email I used CPC-CTD-Ottawa @ cic.gc.ca

I faxed my name change request along with documents. Did you eventually get your name change processed via your fax?

 

[natodincan]

Hi Everyone, I hope there is someone on here that has a similar situation and can help us out

My American husband and I were married in Sept 2014 and in November he resigned from his position at work and planned to live off of his savings, so he could be with me more in Canada to help raise our children who both have special needs. (I was not coping well and it was hard for him to hear it in my voice through the week). My husband also has a son from another marriage who lives in the US, lives with his mom and stays with his dad every other weekend usually. Prior to our PR app I called CIC and looked on this forum to find out if he would indeed be allowed to travel back and forth like this every couple of weeks. I was told that was fine and that as a visa exempt US citizen he had 6 months in Canada. We submitted our paper work for PR Dec 23rd 2014 and it was received but it hasn't been opened yet according to my recent inquiry using my receipt number.

Anyway...he has been travelling back and forth since December and has had no issues, sometimes with me and sometimes by himself. But yesterday an agent seemed to misunderstand what he was saying and sent him in to the building for stage 2 check in. The agent there said everything was fine and that he believed my husband. He understood the circumstance but said he would now have trouble crossing and he would need to ask for a "visitor record" the next time he enters Canada. The agent asked my husband if he spends more time in Canada or the US and if he spends more than 3 or 4 days with me at a time. My husband honestly replied that on average he spends more days of the month in Canada than the US. The agent told him that he is not allowed to do that...that he has to spend more time in the states than Canada!

Its as if there are a number of different rule books handed out to the border employees...
Everyone else we have spoke with in crossing has been very understanding and pleasant. I don't understand.

Now my husband is worried they won't let him in Canada again and is wondering if he should take his job back and stay in the states until pr is granted!! Is this necessary? Is there a chance we could screw up our chances at him obtaining PR?

I am sorry if this has been answered somewhere but I have been looking and can't find an example of someone who travels back and forth a couple times a month like my husband does. :'( Any help you can offer would help settle his worry and make an informed decision, thank-you!

 

[saria1]

Hi Everyone, I hope there is someone on here that has a similar situation and can help us out

My American husband and I were married in Sept 2014 and in November he resigned from his position at work and planned to live off of his savings, so he could be with me more in Canada to help raise our children who both have special needs. (I was not coping well and it was hard for him to hear it in my voice through the week). My husband also has a son from another marriage who lives in the US, lives with his mom and stays with his dad every other weekend usually. Prior to our PR app I called CIC and looked on this forum to find out if he would indeed be allowed to travel back and forth like this every couple of weeks. I was told that was fine and that as a visa exempt US citizen he had 6 months in Canada. We submitted our paper work for PR Dec 23rd 2014 and it was received but it hasn't been opened yet according to my recent inquiry using my receipt number.

Anyway...he has been travelling back and forth since December and has had no issues, sometimes with me and sometimes by himself. But yesterday an agent seemed to misunderstand what he was saying and sent him in to the building for stage 2 check in. The agent there said everything was fine and that he believed my husband. He understood the circumstance but said he would now have trouble crossing and he would need to ask for a "visitor record" the next time he enters Canada. The agent asked my husband if he spends more time in Canada or the US and if he spends more than 3 or 4 days with me at a time. My husband honestly replied that on average he spends more days of the month in Canada than the US. The agent told him that he is not allowed to do that...that he has to spend more time in the states than Canada!

Its as if there are a number of different rule books handed out to the border employees...
Everyone else we have spoke with in crossing has been very understanding and pleasant. I don't understand.

Now my husband is worried they won't let him in Canada again and is wondering if he should take his job back and stay in the states until pr is granted!! Is this necessary? Is there a chance we could screw up our chances at him obtaining PR?

I am sorry if this has been answered somewhere but I have been looking and can't find an example of someone who travels back and forth a couple times a month like my husband does. :'( Any help you can offer would help settle his worry and make an informed decision, thank-you!

Has he considered applying for a Nexus Card? We applied for ours and have our interview in a few weeks. We want to mitigate this kind of issue in the future, especially if my husband lives in Canada, but chooses to work in the USA.

If he's a US citizens he would apply through the CPB on the GOES system.

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus

 

[Panamai]

I agree with saria1, get him a NEXUS card! I have one and I never even have to talk to a person in the airports, just a kiosk. We've only been through the land border crossing once, but I had my car, packed full of stuff. She looked at our cards, asked where the car was registered, and waived us right through, no other questions. It was so easy and stress free.

 

[OhCanadiana]

Hi Everyone, I hope there is someone on here that has a similar situation and can help us out

My American husband and I were married in Sept 2014 and in November he resigned from his position at work and planned to live off of his savings, so he could be with me more in Canada to help raise our children who both have special needs. (I was not coping well and it was hard for him to hear it in my voice through the week). My husband also has a son from another marriage who lives in the US, lives with his mom and stays with his dad every other weekend usually. Prior to our PR app I called CIC and looked on this forum to find out if he would indeed be allowed to travel back and forth like this every couple of weeks. I was told that was fine and that as a visa exempt US citizen he had 6 months in Canada. We submitted our paper work for PR Dec 23rd 2014 and it was received but it hasn't been opened yet according to my recent inquiry using my receipt number.

Anyway...he has been travelling back and forth since December and has had no issues, sometimes with me and sometimes by himself. But yesterday an agent seemed to misunderstand what he was saying and sent him in to the building for stage 2 check in. The agent there said everything was fine and that he believed my husband. He understood the circumstance but said he would now have trouble crossing and he would need to ask for a "visitor record" the next time he enters Canada. The agent asked my husband if he spends more time in Canada or the US and if he spends more than 3 or 4 days with me at a time. My husband honestly replied that on average he spends more days of the month in Canada than the US. The agent told him that he is not allowed to do that...that he has to spend more time in the states than Canada!

Its as if there are a number of different rule books handed out to the border employees...
Everyone else we have spoke with in crossing has been very understanding and pleasant. I don't understand.

Now my husband is worried they won't let him in Canada again and is wondering if he should take his job back and stay in the states until pr is granted!! Is this necessary? Is there a chance we could screw up our chances at him obtaining PR?

I am sorry if this has been answered somewhere but I have been looking and can't find an example of someone who travels back and forth a couple times a month like my husband does. :'( Any help you can offer would help settle his worry and make an informed decision, thank-you!

Many people have done this. One who used to be quite active and shared details of her travels was GOGOGO. See http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/moving-with-spouse-while-application-is-pending-t102071.0.html;msg1411584#msg1411584 for one of her posts. Others have even visited for 6 months at a time (or longer after applying for visitor extensions to wait out the application process).

There is no rule on number of days he spends where from a CBSA/CIC perspective (from a CRA standpoint, though, he may become a resident for tax purposes if he, for example, spends 183+ days in Canada even as a visitor).

It's important to show that he understands the rules and may be helpful to have some 'proof' of things they may look for. So, being clear with the fact that he is visiting you but lives in the US. Taking recent utility bills can help show he lives in the US. Have a copy of the application ready in case they want to see he has really applied - folks have reported that helps, including especially the proof of payment. Some folks have reported that having NEXUS and using NEXUS lanes helps speed up crossings as you can see from the prior two responses too. If he decides to apply, don't be scared off by the timeline. I know a few folks that recently were interviewed within a week of applying (keep checking for available appointments which pop up as people cancel and then got the card within a week from the interview. And, don't be concerned if he does go into secondary. They may want to check whether he's applied or ask a few more in-depth questions. Just like he did last time, he'll need to explain the details of your situation.

To summarize, think about what you would look for if you had to (skeptically) assess whether he is visiting and will abide by the rules (e.g., leave once his authorized period of stay, not work, etc.) and prepare to address these questions if posed.

 

[saria1]

Many people have done this. One who used to be quite active and shared details of her travels was GOGOGO. See http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/moving-with-spouse-while-application-is-pending-t102071.0.html;msg1411584#msg1411584 for one of her posts. Others have even visited for 6 months at a time (or longer after applying for visitor extensions to wait out the application process).

There is no rule on number of days he spends where from a CBSA/CIC perspective (from a CRA standpoint, though, he may become a resident for tax purposes if he, for example, spends 183+ days in Canada even as a visitor).

It's important to show that he understands the rules and may be helpful to have some 'proof' of things they may look for. So, being clear with the fact that he is visiting you but lives in the US. Taking recent utility bills can help show he lives in the US. Have a copy of the application ready in case they want to see he has really applied - folks have reported that helps, including especially the proof of payment. Some folks have reported that having NEXUS and using NEXUS lanes helps speed up crossings as you can see from the prior two responses too. If he decides to apply, don't be scared off by the timeline. I know a few folks that recently were interviewed within a week of applying (keep checking for available appointments which pop up as people cancel and then got the card within a week from the interview. And, don't be concerned if he does go into secondary. They may want to check whether he's applied or ask a few more in-depth questions. Just like he did last time, he'll need to explain the details of your situation.

To summarize, think about what you would look for if you had to (skeptically) assess whether he is visiting and will abide by the rules (e.g., leave once his authorized period of stay, not work, etc.) and prepare to address these questions if posed.

I agree, the timeline the site states isn't the "true" timeline. When we applied, 2 days later all three of us had conditional approval and when I went to schedule online for our interview, they were able to interview us the next day. This didn't work for us, since we have to drive 7hrs, make plans, book hotel rooms, take time off of work and pull our son from school for a day. So I called and set a day that would allow us time to orchestrate everything.

The nexus process seems pretty fast, in my experience.

 

[natodincan]

Thank-you so much OhCanadiana, Saria1 and Panamai ! My husband is feeling a little better. I will check out GOGOGO.

I was just about to apply for Nexus for my husband when it occurred to me that his driver's licence still has his old US address on it. He lives with his mom (therefore utilities are in his mom's name) when in the states and his mail goes there but didn't see the need to change his address on his licence since he will hopefully be living in Canada with me at some point this year. That may cause confusion at the border during Nexus interview?... So I deleted the application for now. He could use his birth certificate as ID I suppose instead of DL....

He always carries with him his banking information, lets them know when we submitted application, and tells them he doesn't live in Canada as he does not yet have PR but travels regularly from his home in US to visit his wife in Canada.
I think the border agent thought he was "visiting" his son in the states but my husband was simply terming the joint custody arrangement with his son's mother as "visitation" explaining that he has visitation with his son. Needless to say, he won't be using that term next time he crosses. I told him to explain he has his son "every other weekend". I believe that sometimes American English and Canadian English are quite different and it can be confusing! lol

Thanks again!

 

[OhCanadiana]

Thank-you so much OhCanadiana, Saria1 and Panamai ! My husband is feeling a little better. I will check out GOGOGO.

I was just about to apply for Nexus for my husband when it occurred to me that his driver's licence still has his old US address on it. He lives with his mom (therefore utilities are in his mom's name) when in the states and his mail goes there but didn't see the need to change his address on his licence since he will hopefully be living in Canada with me at some point this year. That may cause confusion at the border during Nexus interview?... So I deleted the application for now. He could use his birth certificate as ID I suppose instead of DL....

He always carries with him his banking information, lets them know when we submitted application, and tells them he doesn't live in Canada as he does not yet have PR but travels regularly from his home in US to visit his wife in Canada.
I think the border agent thought he was "visiting" his son in the states but my husband was simply terming the joint custody arrangement with his son's mother as "visitation" explaining that he has visitation with his son. Needless to say, he won't be using that term next time he crosses. I told him to explain he has his son "every other weekend". I believe that sometimes American English and Canadian English are quite different and it can be confusing! lol

Thanks again!

I think you got it with the 'visitation' bit!

For NEXUS, they will request his DL as proof of address. I'd consider updating his DL whether he applies or not. While an extra step, it would make sure all his documents match.

Speaking of Canadian vs American English and DL's ... the c vs s in a US Driver's License vs a Canadian Driver's Licence keeps me on my toes for posts like http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/driving-into-canada-in-your-own-american-car-and-staying-there-for-one-month-t270760.15.html that i just wrote. You may want to look at that thread as well for some helpful advice too!

 

[RWoods]

I was just about to apply for Nexus for my husband when it occurred to me that his driver's licence still has his old US address on it. He lives with his mom (therefore utilities are in his mom's name) when in the states and his mail goes there but didn't see the need to change his address on his licence since he will hopefully be living in Canada with me at some point this year. That may cause confusion at the border during Nexus interview?... So I deleted the application for now. He could use his birth certificate as ID I suppose instead of DL....

Just to add more about Nexus. If you have a Nexus card but have been flagged by CBSA (which your husband sounds like he may have been?) it will show up on the border guard's screen when you scan your card. So it won't necessarily be the "easy" Nexus crossing that many have. So another possible reason just to wait on the Nexus thing...

 

[michminn]

SA received 02/25/15