US outland applicants' thread :)

[LovingMyCanuck]

I'm from the golden state California. I decided I didn't want to have my car up there. It'll be too much for a hassle to have two cars up there. I am just 100% hoping that this will go smoothly without a hitch. I will practically have no ties here besides family.

 

[LovingMyCanuck]

My suggestion is to buy a greyhound ticket for the trip back home...I should have done that it's not that expensive it shows intent to return and you can cancel or re-book it. Also this gives you a better chance of being let in with no big problems...then you extend your visa from within...take it from me being stuck at the border for almost 3 hours not pleasant!

Hey good idea! Yeah tell me about it, I got stuck for hours and I was getting grumpy because I wanted to sleep!!! Lol. I think I will do that actually thanks. Btw can you elaborate what happened with you? Thank you.

 

[tinytortoise]

Thanks for the answer as always I guess my problem is I don't want to spend extra money for a round trip ticket if they give me a good length of time to stay in Canada. I just hope things runs smoothly and also you said something about border agents ... I have heard that people have experience tough times at Edmonton International Airport, including me! What shall I ever do. I just want to be cheap haha.

As OhCanadiana said, usually round trip tickets are cheaper than one way. If I were you I'd purchase a round ticket because it looks like you do have intent to come back to the US. I plan to drive in (from Houston to Ontario) with my husband and show a copy of my lease at my brother's house (where I currently live in Texas).

Have you thought about it long term? Are you planning to import a car? It may be worth biting the bullet and driving up now if you'll have to do it later.

 

[tinytortoise]

You just answered my car question

 

[LovingMyCanuck]

Thank you TT if I can call you that lol Yes I have been "shopping" around for cheaper flights and such and since it's the summer it's a lot pricier. I could usually buy a round trip ticket from California to Alberta for under 400$! Now it's 600$, which is still expensive in my eyes for a three hour flight

 

[cgagnon]

Hey good idea! Yeah tell me about it, I got stuck for hours and I was getting grumpy because I wanted to sleep!!! Lol. I think I will do that actually thanks. Btw can you elaborate what happened with you? Thank you.

We flew into burlington vermont (as 2 hours from my house in the outskirts of montreal) and 500$ cheaper per ticket...so we crossed with my car by land...well the CBSA was in not a great mood...and so i had not bought i return ticket... when he ask my husband how long he intended on staying here my laid-back husband answered ummm I dunno under 6 months....to the left we went and in the building! we waited for over an hour just sitting, the guy finally called my husband and as I had been doing all the research on immigration and in contact with the lawyers well for lack of a better work...my husband was ignorant on all the details ( he hadnt shown any interest he thought i could handle it all) so after 15 minutes of talking to him...he came back to sit down at that point i was like this is it they are going to search my car I started making phone calls for planB ( my sister's bf to come get him ( he is american too)) the charter of rights was right behind me and I start reading it and I go wait a minute we are in our rights....I spoke to the guy in french and told him if i would have said he was only coming for 2 weeks to go skiing and then he would return home you would have let us in no problem but because I was honest with you we are being detained here? I have rights...i pointed to the charter of rights...i said we are starting the immigration process and he has never lived in canada so he is coming to visit during the winter to see if he could live here! I can give you all my lawyer info...and I can book a return flight if that would make you happy I do not intend on breaking any laws...think about it...if I do I will never be able to see my husband again! I said this is unfair treatment, i just want to go home and show him around he will not stay more than six months...and visa's are extended all the time aren't they? I will call my lawyer right now if you want and get the law involved in all of this....10 mins later he had a stamp in his passport and a no re-entry visa! I still get pissed off about all this...if i didn't know my rights and didn't give the guys a piece of my mind...i dunno what would happen...some of the french people here if you aren't french they sure try to take advantage of a situation. I wrote a novel!

 

[tinytortoise]

Sure, you can call me that!

I feel you on the flights! From Houston to Toronto it's usually $725, a year ago it was $505!! I try and get weekend deals through United for $404 (and we act like this is a deal!!) but our time is so limited because I don't get in until Sat afternoon and fly out early Monday morning so I don't miss too much work. I can't wait to visit him full time

 

[cgagnon]

Sure, you can call me that!

I feel you on the flights! From Houston to Toronto it's usually $725, a year ago it was $505!! I try and get weekend deals through United for $404 (and we act like this is a deal!!) but our time is so limited because I don't get in until Sat afternoon and fly out early Monday morning so I don't miss too much work. I can't wait to visit him full time

Have you tried flying into buffalo and then either being picked up or taking AMtrack? 2-3 times a day they go from buffalo airport to toronto...you would save all the international fees!

 

[tinytortoise]

Have you tried flying into buffalo and then either being picked up or taking AMtrack? 2-3 times a day they go from buffalo airport to toronto...you would save all the international fees!

That's a great idea!! I travel there at least once a month, sometimes twice. If I was going for a week or so I would definitely try that, but I typically go Friday night - Sunday evening which gives us 42 hours of time together. there aren't any nonstop flights to Buffalo from here, plus I imagine the train time would add some additional time to the trip. I would imagine that 42 hours would be greatly reduced after switching planes and hoping on the train. I'll pay a little more to see him a little longer...the things we do for love!

 

[cgagnon]

That's a great idea!! I travel there at least once a month, sometimes twice. If I was going for a week or so I would definitely try that, but I typically go Friday night - Sunday evening which gives us 42 hours of time together. there aren't any nonstop flights to Buffalo from here, plus I imagine the train time would add some additional time to the trip. I would imagine that 42 hours would be greatly reduced after switching planes and hoping on the train. I'll pay a little more to see him a little longer...the things we do for love!

Many different options I would look into it

 

[parker24]

We flew into burlington vermont (as 2 hours from my house in the outskirts of montreal) and 500$ cheaper per ticket...so we crossed with my car by land...well the CBSA was in not a great mood...and so i had not bought i return ticket... when he ask my husband how long he intended on staying here my laid-back husband answered ummm I dunno under 6 months....to the left we went and in the building! we waited for over an hour just sitting, the guy finally called my husband and as I had been doing all the research on immigration and in contact with the lawyers well for lack of a better work...my husband was ignorant on all the details ( he hadnt shown any interest he thought i could handle it all) so after 15 minutes of talking to him...he came back to sit down at that point i was like this is it they are going to search my car I started making phone calls for planB ( my sister's bf to come get him ( he is american too)) the charter of rights was right behind me and I start reading it and I go wait a minute we are in our rights....I spoke to the guy in french and told him if i would have said he was only coming for 2 weeks to go skiing and then he would return home you would have let us in no problem but because I was honest with you we are being detained here? I have rights...i pointed to the charter of rights...i said we are starting the immigration process and he has never lived in canada so he is coming to visit during the winter to see if he could live here! I can give you all my lawyer info...and I can book a return flight if that would make you happy I do not intend on breaking any laws...think about it...if I do I will never be able to see my husband again! I said this is unfair treatment, i just want to go home and show him around he will not stay more than six months...and visa's are extended all the time aren't they? I will call my lawyer right now if you want and get the law involved in all of this....10 mins later he had a stamp in his passport and a no re-entry visa! I still get pissed off about all this...if i didn't know my rights and didn't give the guys a piece of my mind...i dunno what would happen...some of the french people here if you aren't french they sure try to take advantage of a situation. I wrote a novel!

Yikes! My husband had a similar experience but he was alone at Ottawa International Airport. I was MAD as H-E- DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS! LOL The poor guy, he was coming here for the first time (visiting) and he was so excited. He said when they landed he saw the Canadian Flag and he was grinning from ear to ear. I guess not a lot of people get off the plane grinning since they automatically directed him to another desk. "What's your business in Canada?" "Just visiting my girlfriend *red flag#1*" "Where does she live?" "-name of extremely small town-, Ontario" *immigration officer obviously tried to look it up* "There's no such town! You better smarten up and stop lying" He was NOT lying, I DO live in a tiny town. So he went to another area and they take apart his suitcase in front of him, go through his laptop and deleted things that had to do with him moving here (We had talked about it then, so he had his resume built with my address etc) tried to go through his phone because I was texting him trying to find out what was going on! But it died. All while my mom and I were standing outside the doors waiting.. for an hour. I was worried as heck that they had sent him back! Finally some british guy comes out, calls my full name, my mom said "She's over here" (Since I didn't hear him, being that he had an accent) He comes over, asks if I know Mr. Parker. "Yes..." "Where is he staying?" "...With me" "Where's that?" "-same small town-" "How long?" "Two weeks" "Is he staying with you?" *long pause as I stare at him and my mom anwsers* "Yes, we said that already" "Just making sure ma'am. I'd like the miss to anwser not you" "She's hearing impaired, you have an accent. She is obviously having a hard time understanding you!" (I had to have him repeat 3-4 times each question). He was finally satisfied and went back, after saying it'll be another 10 minutes. Well 30 minutes go by and FINALLY my poor boyfriend(now husband) comes out and when he saw me, he looked SO relieved! I felt so bad for him! I think I hugged him for a full two minutes haha.

Moral of the story? Don't give any impression of you moving here, don't say you're visiting a girlfriend/boyfriend and don't be grinning ear to ear! Or just land in Syracuse(closest US airport to us) and drive across

 

[luckcy]

Hello,

We sent our application on June 11, 2012.
We used first class mail.
What kind of notification will we be receiving to show that they received it?
Thanks for any info you may have.

 

[parker24]

Hello,

We sent our application on June 11, 2012.
We used first class mail.
What kind of notification will we be receiving to show that they received it?
Thanks for any info you may have.

Did you get tracking on it? If not, you won't get anything.

 

[LovingMyCanuck]

Cganon, you're like our very own immigration booker agent hahah!!! I'd that's the right term lol.

Parker, I'm sorry you're husband had to go through that. Poor guy had to go through it, his first time visiting.

 

[Amoss]

Yikes! My husband had a similar experience but he was alone at Ottawa International Airport. I was MAD as H-E- DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS! LOL The poor guy, he was coming here for the first time (visiting) and he was so excited. He said when they landed he saw the Canadian Flag and he was grinning from ear to ear. I guess not a lot of people get off the plane grinning since they automatically directed him to another desk. "What's your business in Canada?" "Just visiting my girlfriend *red flag#1*" "Where does she live?" "-name of extremely small town-, Ontario" *immigration officer obviously tried to look it up* "There's no such town! You better smarten up and stop lying" He was NOT lying, I DO live in a tiny town. So he went to another area and they take apart his suitcase in front of him, go through his laptop and deleted things that had to do with him moving here (We had talked about it then, so he had his resume built with my address etc) tried to go through his phone because I was texting him trying to find out what was going on! But it died. All while my mom and I were standing outside the doors waiting.. for an hour. I was worried as heck that they had sent him back! Finally some british guy comes out, calls my full name, my mom said "She's over here" (Since I didn't hear him, being that he had an accent) He comes over, asks if I know Mr. Parker. "Yes..." "Where is he staying?" "...With me" "Where's that?" "-same small town-" "How long?" "Two weeks" "Is he staying with you?" *long pause as I stare at him and my mom anwsers* "Yes, we said that already" "Just making sure ma'am. I'd like the miss to anwser not you" "She's hearing impaired, you have an accent. She is obviously having a hard time understanding you!" (I had to have him repeat 3-4 times each question). He was finally satisfied and went back, after saying it'll be another 10 minutes. Well 30 minutes go by and FINALLY my poor boyfriend(now husband) comes out and when he saw me, he looked SO relieved! I felt so bad for him! I think I hugged him for a full two minutes haha.

Moral of the story? Don't give any impression of you moving here, don't say you're visiting a girlfriend/boyfriend and don't be grinning ear to ear! Or just land in Syracuse(closest US airport to us) and drive across

That would make me upset too. Immigration can be so intimidating. I lived in Amsterdam on a working holiday visa a couple years ago, and then I finally went home after a whole year. I flew into Ottawa as well and got the worse treatment! And I am Canadian! They sent me over to a different section interrogated me and wanted to search through my bags. The second guy, who was meant to do the searching, was a decent guy and just look confused why I was even sent to him. He didn't bother to even unzip my bags and just welcomed me home and sent me on my way. It's such a crap shoot with immigration.

But to those wanting to go wait out the process, I would definitely recommend just getting the return ticket, and not talking too much about intending to stay