USA to Canada Outland/Inland

[polyester]

Background: spouse is American, I am Canadian, he plans on coming up in the next month or so on a temp visitors visa, I'll be crossing the border with him with all relevant paper work (marriage certificates, proof of income on my side and his savings, etc.) We have no pending PR application at this time.

I need some clarification. I've read that Outland sponsorship can be done while the spouse being sponsored is in Canada, besides doing Inland sponsorship. Is this possible? Why apply inland at all if you can apply outland while the spouse is in Canada? Presently the processing times on cic.gc.ca say 12 months for both inland/outland.

He'd come up with me, with limited possessions, he'd be without a job put a permanent address should he have to leave and a few thousand in his US bank account, I can easily support each other. End result would be him being here in Canada while we wait for PR approval, I just need some clarification on doing outland while he is in Canada vs Inland.

I've also read about dual intent (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/visa/dual.asp) and we're being mindful of what we say at the border. He is visiting, is it better if we apply for PR before or after? We plan on having a import form with everything he plans to bring with him. Do we inform the border guard of intent to apply for PR or only do so if asked?

EDIT: I scrolled down a bit (whoops!) and found another thread that seemed to answer most of my questions. http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/what-to-do-spousal-sponsorship.518280/ If anyone has anything to add it's most appreciated!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I need some clarification. I've read that Outland sponsorship can be done while the spouse being sponsored is in Canada, besides doing Inland sponsorship. Is this possible? Why apply inland at all if you can apply outland while the spouse is in Canada? Presently the processing times on cic.gc.ca say 12 months for both inland/outland.

I've also read about dual intent (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/visa/dual.asp) and we're being mindful of what we say at the border. He is visiting, is it better if we apply for PR before or after? We plan on having a import form with everything he plans to bring with him. Do we inform the border guard of intent to apply for PR or only do so if asked?

It's perfectly fine to apply outland while in Canada. People who choose inland over outland generally do it because it allows them to receive an OWP 2-4 months into the process.

If you plan to apply outland, submit now, no need to wait. There's no point in having an import form. He can't actually bring anything until he lands as a PR, so having that could be seen by CBSA as a bit of a red flag.

If you haven't already applied before entering, I suggest you pay the full PR fees and have that receipt in case CBSA questions you further. Don't bring up dual intent or volunteer information. If asked, don't lie.

 

[bafonso]

Look up a recent thread about someone wanting to bring their stuff together. The bottom line is don't and the last thing you want to tell the officer is that your spouse has no ties to US and plans on staying forever with you.

 

[polyester]

If you haven't already applied before entering, I suggest you pay the full PR fees and have that receipt in case CBSA questions you further. Don't bring up dual intent or volunteer information. If asked, don't lie.

Look up a recent thread about someone wanting to bring their stuff together. The bottom line is don't and the last thing you want to tell the officer is that your spouse has no ties to US and plans on staying forever with you.

Thank you to you both! Looks like the plan is to go with inland application because of the open work permit, stick to just clothes and a few books, and purchase a return ticket for four-five months after arrival. My other concern was him being unemployed and them asking, and the time line of stay. I've read conflicting reports about whether or not to say there is intent to apply for PR, some saying volunteer the information and others say don't do so unless asked. I suppose to really does depend on the border guard.
I wasn't able to find that recent thread bafonso mentioned but found a bunch of others echoing the same sentiment, bring minimal stuff, you're only visiting, etcetc.

 

[bafonso]

In my experience if he flies in saying he's going to visit his wife it won't make the officer go down the road of questioning. This is specially true for an American since so many do that and it's not like US is a poor country. Having a return ticket and an answer ready for "so what is the plan for the future" is not a bad idea.

Definitely do not volunteer information unless asked, it just sends the wrong message. There is nothing wrong with visiting your spouse and halfway through your visit realize you don't want to be away from each other and decide to apply inland.

4-5 months return ticket if asked will raise questions, that's no longer a normal visit. That's staying in Canada for many months which means he's not employed or he's working remotely - another avenue of questions...

Having paid the fee is fine but then don't forget that dual intent does not preclude having strong ties to your home country so you don't overstay. That means more than just being a us citizen.

I'm telling you how to protect yourself from the worst case scenario of an officer he may encounter. I have experienced a wide range so the likelihood is that you'll find someone much nicer...