B2 VISA for 3 Months ONLY! I AM Canadian Citizen WHY?

For the first time after 20 years living in Canada (from Russia) and many times visiting US .. I decided to move to LA to live with my sister who is US Citizen. However, when they asked me in Toronto airport - US Customs for how long I am going there, I said maybe 6 months, then they asked If I have a return ticket, I said no cuz maybe I will come back earlier (is true) so I'll buy it when I need it. Then they asked me to show some ID from work which I didn't have of course on me, so they sent me to investigation room.

Here is where all crap begun. The officer was really a prick and did not like me for no reason. I work in the government for 10 years in Canada I never even got stoped by police for anything.. not even a parking ticket. He said: convince me WHY I should let you go to my country? I said I have a good very clean record, I also work in the government like him I just sold my condo so I paid all my debts and have 10,000$ in my account to live in LA with my sister. Anyw he said NO I cannot go cuz I have no ties to canada and I need to prove it. So my father sent quickly a fax with documents from work that I have to come back after 1 year of sabbatical leave. but he just laugh saying you are wasting my time and in my country we don't speak French (cuz the letter was from Quebec government from my employer).
Then he checked my luggage, found some Adult Modeling business cards i made long time ago for1 website I used to design( I am a webmaster) and put all that info in my File and made me sign it.. that I might go to LA to hire Adult Models for Castings. Crazy.

Finally I stayed 1 night at the Toronto Hotel to try my luck next day, so another agent let me pass but didn't really wanted to.. I don't know why. He gave me B2 US VISA for only 3 months before Feb 15 I have to come back.

So now I don't know what to do, since I am a Canadian citizen with a good clean record, what can I do to extend my stay here in LA or when I go back before Feb 15 2012, can I re-enter immediately through the border by car to make it easier? I mean I am Canadian citizen with a Canadian Passport, I should have no need for B2 VISA again right if I just cross the border? Or from now on I will have hard time?
What do you guys experts suggest?

Thank You in advance,
Alex

Cdn citizens do not have the "right" to visit US. They request permission.

The are granted permission subject to the conditions imposed by the admitting officer. If no conditions are imposed, then one has 6 months.

You obvioulsty have been flagged in the CBP system, so now your "record" with them is NOT clean, and you will be highly scrutinized from now on. Expect short-duration B2 I-94s every time you enter.

Your lack of preparation, your attitude, and the evidence they found and you provided all made you suspect. You really earned thios one, regardless of CBP's attitude.

where did you see my attitude excuse me? I was all the way nice to him even though he was really mean. I have a very clean record everywhere, this is my first time ever this guy flaged me for NO REASON. just because I didn't have a return ticket??? or is it because I didn't have a work ID in English from a french province? or because I sold my condo and I paid all my debts? what attitude you are talking about? I did nothing wrong and did not argue. Why he made me a BAD record I don't get it.
And you did not answer my question. which is How long I have to wait until I re-enter US again after FEB 15 when my B2 expire? cuz I don't want to buy an air ticket if they won't let me pass.
Thank you

what attitude you are talking about?

How about this:

I said maybe 6 months,...

The officer doesn't want a smart-ass answer like that when you enter on B2.

And you did not answer my question.

You asked several questions:

what can I do to extend my stay here in LA or when I go back before Feb 15 2012, can I re-enter immediately through the border by car to make it easier? I mean I am Canadian citizen with a Canadian Passport, I should have no need for B2 VISA again right if I just cross the border? Or from now on I will have hard time?

I chose to answer one of them. Your welcome.

See what I mean about attitude?

dasvidanya, alex

You said: "I choose to answer one of them" which one?
and what's wrong when I said honestly I go there for 6 months.? YES, I was saying honest! What's wrong with YOUR ATTITUDE reply to me this way?
and then you make fun of me saying I decide to answer only 1 question but the main question you are not. I don't need any more replies from you smart ass!

For the first time after 20 years living in Canada (from Russia) and many times visiting US .. I decided to move to LA to live with my sister who is US Citizen.

However, when they asked me in Toronto airport - US Customs for how long I am going there, I said maybe 6 months, then they asked If I have a return ticket, I said no cuz maybe I will come back earlier (is true) so I'll buy it when I need it. Then they asked me to show some ID from work which I didn't have of course on me, so they sent me to investigation room.

Here is where all crap begun. The officer was really a prick and did not like me for no reason.

Then he checked my luggage, found some Adult Modeling business cards i made long time ago for1 website I used to design (I am a webmaster) and put all that info in my File and made me sign it.. that I might go to LA to hire Adult Models for Castings. Crazy.

Finally I stayed 1 night at the Toronto Hotel to try my luck next day, so another agent let me pass but didn't really wanted to.. I don't know why. He gave me B2 US VISA for only 3 months before Feb 15 I have to come back.

Alex

Alex, reading the very first few lines of your post seems to me that it wasn't your intention to just visit the US as a tourist, maybe, just maybe, possibly you'd never come back ... only you know that.

The CBP guy doing his/her job asked you when you were coming back, had you a return ticket & had you any ID ... which you answered no to all of that!

So, imagine you are the CBP officer and someone answered the way that you did - would you be suspicious?

Then on top of that your luggage contained some materials which seemed kind of awkard

Never mind the first CBP guy, If I was the second CBP officer (based on what you posted here) - for sure as heck I would not have been so considerate.

Next time, try having your ID with you, a changeable return ticket, confirmed address & contact details in the US as well as Canada ... you should breeze through - then again not so easy because you have caused & put yourself on the watch list ... they'll be looking for you each & every trip

IMO, you caused the problem to happen, not the CBP officer

For what its worth

I don't think calling Alex a smart ass is appropriate, in fact it's uncalled for. Lets keep it clean ok?

We don't know exactly how the interview went let alone tone of voice, etc etc...All those factors do indeed make a difference. I don't think saying 'Maybe 6 months" is a smart as remark - it's honest, and when you have flexible travel plans, very common. What would have been a smart ass remark is saying something like "Whenever I want!" or something like that. I probably would have said "No longer than 6 months" and explained why.

Either way the fact he made you sign something that says you were trying to recruit russian models? That seems a little extreme (assuming I understand correctly).

You can try to apply for an extension while you're in the US - it's just a matter of filling out some paperwork and paying a fee. And I think you're allowed to stay while the application is being processed..But don't quote me on that. I'd check the US government Immigration website, I'm sure I've seen the forms on there before.

Thank You PORTICO!
You are right, I might have been too honest not in my favor. cuz I shouldn't had to mention that I sold my condo, or get a return ticket but I was thinking to buy it when I need it. cuz yes I wasn't sure if I come back sooner or not.. so I just said "maybe 6 months.. I don't know - I'll buy it when I will need it". No one told me how they think and what they are looking for.. I just answered their questions honestly as always.
I just called CBP they told me I cannot stay in US more than 6 months per year anyway. AND I can try to extend my stay by calling US CIS office but I need to spend more time in my country per year than in US and have a return ticket always ready. I mean it's a joke thie return ticket.. you can refund it immediately after you pass through them.. what's the point of it, anyways I'll do have it next time.

I know they were doing their job, but there is other ways to talk and target criminals. I am not telling you here how they talked to me but believe me they were Really rude! I want to make a complaint through their website maybe.

Thank You again,
Alex

I don't think calling Alex a smart ass is appropriate, in fact it's uncalled for. Lets keep it clean ok?

We don't know exactly how the interview went let alone tone of voice, etc etc...All those factors do indeed make a difference. I don't think saying 'Maybe 6 months" is a smart as remark - it's honest, and when you have flexible travel plans, very common. What would have been a smart ass remark is saying something like "Whenever I want!" or something like that. I probably would have said "No longer than 6 months" and explained why.

Either way the fact he made you sign something that says you were trying to recruit russian models? That seems a little extreme (assuming I understand correctly).

You can try to apply for an extension while you're in the US - it's just a matter of filling out some paperwork and paying a fee. And I think you're allowed to stay while the application is being processed..But don't quote me on that. I'd check the US government Immigration website, I'm sure I've seen the forms on there before.

You get my point THANK You for your understanding. Next time I travel I'll use your advice. The first officer was asking: "I give you 15 seconds to convince why should I let you in my country? Everyone here say they are nice guys - but I don't believe you.. We have over 61 Million illegal immegrants who say the same things..; u are just wasting my time.. in my country we don't understand and speak french so he kicked me out from the back door". All this time I had a very innocent voice cuz I don't like to be stressed and I was calm.. he just did not like me for some reason to put all this in my file about adult models, etc.. so crazy.
I mean I didn't even expect it was going to happen so I answered as honest as I could so they believe me, and they didn't.

OK i'll try to extend and THANK YOU guys for the Amazing forum you have created here! Looks very professional, clean and easy to navigate! Support is Fast and I am surprised you had interest to read my story - Thank you!
Alex

canuck
I didn't say he was a smart-ass, I said he gave a smart-ass answer to the officer, (that was my opinion of his response, which he asked for) which is why he is in the hot borst he now finds himself. Once you are ever given an I-94 for B2 as a Cdn, you are almost guaranteed to be person of high interest each time you enter.

But, OK, smart-alex would be more appropos

As portico said, he was lucky to be let in at all. He will need to be lucky from now on.