US outland applicants' thread :)

[OntarioBound]

How long does it usually take from SA approval to the last approval for U.S. Applicants? (Just curious... trend-wise the last few months..)

 

[KarlR]

How long does it usually take from SA approval to the last approval for U.S. Applicants? (Just curious... trend-wise the last few months..)

Ottawa has slowed down a lot since xmas.most people are saying 6 to 8 months from start to finish of an application,but untill they pick back up again and start approving people it is very hard to say.


Check the Ottawa spreadsheet to get a better idea:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0Aq6VF-LGjkR9dGNpLUxQZ1Z0Mm80aE5ZWDBvWklEQUE

 

[OntarioBound]

Ottawa has slowed down a lot since xmas.most people are saying 6 to 8 months from start to finish of an application,but until they pick back up again and start approving people it is very hard to say.


Check the Ottawa spreadsheet to get a better idea:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0Aq6VF-LGjkR9dGNpLUxQZ1Z0Mm80aE5ZWDBvWklEQUE

Thank you. This spreadsheet has more than just US citizens though, correct?

I was asking because getting to the SA stage seems to be taking an extra month now, compared to last year...

 

[KarlR]

Thank you. This spreadsheet has more than just US citizens though, correct?

I was asking because getting to the SA stage seems to be taking an extra month now, compared to last year...

Yeah it does,but the timeline isnt particularly faster for U.S. citizens,timelines mainly depend on the visa office,and the applicants personal situation.

Yes,I've heard SA has slowed down a lot,not sure what the reason behind it is.

 

[michminn]

Yeah it does,but the timeline isnt particularly faster for U.S. citizens,timelines mainly depend on the visa office,and the applicants personal situation.

Yes,I've heard SA has slowed down a lot,not sure what the reason behind it is.

Beginning of the year, catch up on EOY from 2014 on other classes of sponsorship possibly?

 

[swestenzweig]

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

...

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!

Unfortunately, your admission is solely at the discretion of the CBSA agent you encounter. There are no rules and no regulations on what information or what proof is required to satisfy the agent at the border of your intentions. You may cross without issue nine times, only to get interrogated extensively by the tenth. The more you cross, the more likely it is that CBSA's level of interest in your activities will increase and the more likely you will encounter additional questioning. The fact that your husband was cleared and admitted by the agent at the immigration desk is a good start! If something was amiss or your husband wasn't prepared he would have been denied entry, so make sure he is prepared with all the supporting documentation every time he crosses. And, as it appears he is flagged in the CBSA system now, he should expect to be sent in to immigration each time he crosses.

I was traveling back and forth often visiting my wife while we were still dating, and I went through a similar set of circumstances. Unfortunately, I was not prepared to provide supporting documentation when I was sent in to immigration and was denied entry. Over the countless times that I've appeared at the immigration desk since, I've tried to gather as much information as I could to help make my crossings easier. I was advised, on more than one occasion, that, as a visitor, I was required to spend more time in my home country than in Canada. I was cautioned that different agents will have different thresholds for this, so encroaching on a 50/50 split would lead to problems. Even now, as a husband of a Canadian citizen who is about to submit my PR application, I am careful to monitor my time in Canada (although my situation is a bit different as I cross every weekend).

The good news is the NEXUS pass most certainly helps. I applied for a NEXUS about 18 months ago, concerned that being flagged in the CBSA system would result in me being denied the pass. To my surprise, it didn't make a difference. During the interview phase I was questioned about it, but it wasn't an issue. Since I started using the NEXUS pass, I was only required to check in with immigration once. I still carry all of my documentation with me every time I cross, but my experiences at the border have completely transformed when I use the dedicated NEXUS entry. If I have to enter at the standard entry, I still get lots of questions and I still will often be required to speak to immigration, regardless of whether I show my NEXUS pass or passport at the gate.

One tip: If you plan on crossing together, you should BOTH get a NEXUS pass in order to use the dedicated NEXUS entry (all occupants in the vehicle must have a valid NEXUS pass).

I am not sure how you would alleviate CBSA's concerns over spending too much time in Canada while awaiting your PR approval. I know many others have "visited" Canada for longer periods of time while waiting, but I don't think they were crossing back and forth regularly. As your husband does have visitation with a child in the US and will be crossing the border frequently, he will likely be under increased scrutiny... especially being flagged in the CBSA system. He may end up having to spend more time in the US to avoid complications.

 

[BeShoo]

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?

We are ridiculously slow, and finally got our application sent just over a year ago, but my common-law partner has been here in Canada with me for just over 5 years. Today we got another extension for 5-1/2 more months, so I hope that means that we'll have a decision by then.

Anyway, during every visit before he came here for a long-term visit and got issued a visitor record, my partner got pulled aside for secondary inspection. Since he's been here on a VR, we've been to the U.S. once a year, sometimes twice, and last year at least 4 times (two of those were just quick shopping trips). We just tell them we both live in Canada. After they see the VR, they don't usually ask any more questions than they would of a Canadian returning to Canada and we've never been to secondary since he's had the VR.

The first VR was only 3 months, but we renewed it a couple time for 6 months each, a few 1-year extensions, and this time we asked for a year and got just under 6 months. At this point, we are very close to a reply on the PR application, so we figure that's why it's shorter now.

Border agents have a lot of discretion. There are no hard and fast rules, because every case is slightly different, so they have to use their judgement.

 

[melgolchuk]

Hi everyone. I'm fairly new to posting on this site though I've followed it for a while. I have a question that may have already been answered but I can't find an example.

Some back story. I'm a November 2014 outland applicant (US citizen) with SA approval just waiting on the rest of the application to process.

I've been back and forth to Canada the last four years 'visiting' my husband. I've always just been waved through at the border (I guess I have an innocent face ;D ) I've only gotten an actual visitors record stamp one time (coming back from the Dominican at the airport) and I left again before that expired. This last time across was the same as usual. Border didn't even ask me a single question (my husband was driving) and my passport wasn't even scanned but this time I would like to extend my visa. I know you can extend it with out the stamp (or at least according to the website you can) but I'm just wondering if anyone out there has done it and if its a pain.
Thanks.

 

[rhcohen2014]

Hi everyone. I'm fairly new to posting on this site though I've followed it for a while. I have a question that may have already been answered but I can't find an example.

Some back story. I'm a November 2014 outland applicant (US citizen) with SA approval just waiting on the rest of the application to process.

I've been back and forth to Canada the last four years 'visiting' my husband. I've always just been waved through at the border (I guess I have an innocent face ;D ) I've only gotten an actual visitors record stamp one time (coming back from the Dominican at the airport) and I left again before that expired. This last time across was the same as usual. Border didn't even ask me a single question (my husband was driving) and my passport wasn't even scanned but this time I would like to extend my visa. I know you can extend it with out the stamp (or at least according to the website you can) but I'm just wondering if anyone out there has done it and if its a pain.
Thanks.

if you didn't receive a stamp on your passport when you entered, that means you have been admitted for 6 months. there's no need to extend your stay until 30 days prior to that end date. if you are at that point, there is no issue with not having a stamp. i'm pretty sure the application to extend asks you when you last entered canada, and they can easily check the records from cbsa if they need to. (typically passports are scanned upon entry, so it's assumed your entry IS recorded somehow) there's really no need to be concerned about it. most visa exempt visitors do not get stamps in their passport, and it does not negatively affect getting extensions.

 

[melgolchuk]

if you didn't receive a stamp on your passport when you entered, that means you have been admitted for 6 months. there's no need to extend your stay until 30 days prior to that end date. if you are at that point, there is no issue with not having a stamp. i'm pretty sure the application to extend asks you when you last entered canada, and they can easily check the records from cbsa if they need to. (typically passports are scanned upon entry, so it's assumed your entry IS recorded somehow) there's really no need to be concerned about it. most visa exempt visitors do not get stamps in their passport, and it does not negatively affect getting extensions.

It very well could've been scanned my husband said it wasn't but he's pretty worthless at noticing things lol I'm not overly worried about it I was just hoping it wasn't going to be a pain since I have no record myself. I still have a few months before I need to get it taken care of but maybe just maybe my PR will miracoulsly be done by then.....a girl can dream.

 

[rhcohen2014]

It very well could've been scanned my husband said it wasn't but he's pretty worthless at noticing things lol I'm not overly worried about it I was just hoping it wasn't going to be a pain since I have no record myself. I still have a few months before I need to get it taken care of but maybe just maybe my PR will miracoulsly be done by then.....a girl can dream.

they are very smooth, nonchalant and quick with the swiping. in my experience, it looks like they are just opening and reading it. i'm prett sure at some point they flip it over and swipe it on some sort of reader thing on/near the keyboard of their computer (at least at drive through borders). this is how i imagine they see your entry history and any notes in the system.

 

[OhCanadiana]

With RFID chips, they just need to have the passport near the reader (no actual scanning is required). It's like many employee ID door tags where you just need to place your ID near the reader to open the door/gate.

 

[melgolchuk]

With RFID chips, they just need to have the passport near the reader (no actual scanning is required). It's like many employee ID door tags where you just need to place your ID near the reader to open the door/gate.

I forgot about those chip things. Good glad to know they will be able to find me.

I have come through and they not have a record though. I know this because they called me when a friend was coming to visit and asked me when I came across. They then asked for my passport info and said well we have your last entry as the time before my most recent (at the time) when I got the visitor stamp at the airport so they had no record of me leaving Canada or returning four months later. They made a big deal BC this made me look out of status even though I wasn't. That was a couple years ago though so hopefully its not the case this time.

 

[OhCanadiana]

I forgot about those chip things. Good glad to know they will be able to find me.

I have come through and they not have a record though. I know this because they called me when a friend was coming to visit and asked me when I came across. They then asked for my passport info and said well we have your last entry as the time before my most recent (at the time) when I got the visitor stamp at the airport so they had no record of me leaving Canada or returning four months later. They made a big deal BC this made me look out of status even though I wasn't. That was a couple years ago though so hopefully its not the case this time.

The RFID tags make it easier for them to presumably pull up info.

Entrance records I understand are somewhat spotty, especially for land entry. From reports like your experience and those of others who apply for citizenship and find entrances missing my understanding is that they don't record every entry (especially via land), but don't know what the criteria is. To add to the mystery, crossings are sometimes recorded linked to the vehicle plates (vs. passports). Then again, I've crossed at very relaxed ferry points where the Officer is sitting in a beach chair out in the open. That's all part of the magic, I guess.

Exits are a different story. Until recent years, land exits weren't recorded. Now, the US and Canada have started sharing their entrance data and synching up their systems (so that when you enter the US they know you exited Canada and vice-versa).

 

[BeShoo]

With the coming of the entry/exit sharing initiative, I expect that the records will be complete (at least 99.999% complete). It should have started a few months ago, but I have a feeling that some border crossing might have missed the deadline. If it was the case, they 're not going to tell us that, for security reasons.