Waiting Out Process In Canada

[Silver_Spirit]

We have sponsorship approval for my spouse, and i have just had to undergo a psych analysis to continue with the application. Im UK and my partner is canadian.
We plan on attempting for me to get a visitor 'record?' so i can live with my husband for the remaining time (we have a flight on the 24th). My question is, if the psych analysis is insufficient (none of my docs, DMP or Psych knew what they should be covering) can i get it done again within canada if requested, or must all things go through a UK Psych?
And if further things are required once i change my address to let them know im in Canada, will i again need to fly back to the uk or can it mostly be done within canada?

The thought just dawned on me (amongst the stress of if ill manage to get into the country!) and i thought i'd better ask.
Also as someone landing in canada trying to get a visitor record, does this increase the chances of them searching my luggage? I dont intend to be bringing anything illigal, my case is just VERY well packed and i find the officers who do it to be very rude (Last time this happened they were holding up ONLY my underwear and making rude comments)

Thank you for any replies

 

[abedelia]

In my experience crossing into Canada as a US citizen both before my PR application and during (with a visitor record), I have not noticed any difference in the amount of scrutiny they give my personal effects, i.e., they haven't seemed any more or less interested in searching my luggage. I don't know about the other stuff, but I think there is no reason to think you'd have trouble with them unpacking your suitcase, though we all know, you never know what you're going to get at the border.

I don't know about the other stuff, but I did have my regular medicals done in Canada on a visit to see my husband. I don't see any reason why your followup psych eval. should be different, unless maybe because you started the medicals process in the UK--I'm not sure.

Good luck!!! Try not to worry, I'm sure you'll be fine!

 

[The Ichi]

Abdelia - so as a US citizen after you applied for your PR you had to obtain a visitors record,
is that right? As opposed to just crossing the border with your 6 month visitation allowance?

 

[abedelia]

The Ichi--

Basically, here is what happened with me. I appeared at the border with my husband and a pickup truck with some household items (we stored most of our things in a storage unit just on the US side of the border) and said that I was about to put in my PR application and would like to stay with him in Canada as long as possible (ideally as long as the PR application process took, but if that wasn't possible, then as long as they would allow me). I had not sent in the application quite yet but we were married at that point and I had started working on the application. I also have a job in the US I can work for from Canada so I think that was enough to satisfy them that I would not seek work in Canada illegally. Based on all of that, they just issued me the visitor record. I didn't ask for it... if I had come across just by myself and with a single suitcase, and been less forthcoming about the reasons and length of my visit, I expect they would not have given me a visitor record. I probably would have come in with the implied 6-month tourist visit limit.

The benefit of a visitor record is that it can be extended from inside Canada. So when it is coming up to expire, you can go online, pay $75, attach whatever documentation you think they need in order to be convinced that you still won't overstay or look for work under the table, and be issued another 6-month visitor record. If you come in without a visitor record, I'm not sure what the process is to extend your stay. It is, I am sure, more straightforward if you already have a visitor record because they have documentation of the date you entered originally and you're in their system.

And, contrary to popular belief, you can't "reset the clock" after 6 months by leaving Canada and doing a U-turn at the border and coming back in...so in order to be legally in Canada, you need an extension to your visitor status, it's not as simple as just leaving every 6 months.

Hope that helps, it is only my experience, I am no great authority on this subject!

 

[sbwv09]

Although it does make it easier to renew your status in Canada with a visitor's record or passport stamp, you can actually still do it without either of those things, as long as you don't overstay or anything. I don't know a whole lot of details about that, though.

 

[BeShoo]

And if further things are required once i change my address to let them know im in Canada, will i again need to fly back to the uk or can it mostly be done within canada?

It can mostly be done within Canada, but if you're applying though the UK office, the interview will have to be done in the UK if an interview is required.

Also as someone landing in canada trying to get a visitor record, does this increase the chances of them searching my luggage? I dont intend to be bringing anything illigal, my case is just VERY well packed and i find the officers who do it to be very rude (Last time this happened they were holding up ONLY my underwear and making rude comments)

I don't think there's a increased chance of them searching your luggage. I drove my US partner into Canada a couple of months ago and they didn't look at our luggage at all. I've driven back and forth several times over the last 2 years and they usually at least look in the trunk of my car but this time they didn't. We were a little worried because we had the car stuffed very tightly with clothes and such and it would have been awful to have to repack, plus it was raining when we crossed. I've had my car searched thoroughly for about 20 minutes on a previous crossing, but the time we got the VR they weren't even thinking about searching it.

 

[Silver_Spirit]

thanks for all the answers - helps put my mind at rest as the dates sneaking closer!