Help with becoming resident in the US from CANADA...

on the marriage idea, i just want to try and make it easier for us to be together and i am sure marriage will be in the future. it is just hard having a relationship from such distance.

i was only hoping it wouldn't be so hard for her to come here. i have a career here that has a pension and what not so it is a moral dilemma right now. if i go to canada i lose that. so i have talked to her and she has wanted to go to school so i think we might try that but if not we will have to just wait till we get to the point of wanting to get married.

thank you all for your help.

mike

okay i just came across another thread talking about the length of time a canadian citizen can stay in the us as a "vistor" not working or schooling. i figured i would post here since i already have some people helping me out.

i was reading that canadian citizens can stay as vistors(with no visas) for up to 6 months per calender year. i read that they just have to show how they will live(finacially) and proof that ties them to canada so they don't stay in the US indefinitely(such as a return plane ticket or job to return to). is this true?

thanks, again.

mike

Yes, Canadians are allowed up to 6 months per calendar year (or per visit, if you're staying the winter). They must be ale to show that they have their own money to support themselves during their stay, and must show proof of ties to Canada (ie: job to get back to, home to pay for, return ticket etc).

so how do they show this proof, would it be at the airport or do they need to do it before hand?

She would need this info in hand going through customs. You would also be able to visit Canada for this amount of time, providing the same info for Canada Customs. If she says she is coming to 'visit' her BF for the next six months, however, that could set her up for a refusal at the border as they may question her intent.

what would you siggest is a reasonable answer to why you are visiting for such a long time?

if she had proof of a job and a return plane ticket would they still turn her away? i would hate to invest all this money in a plane ticket and then have her turned around and waste all that money. can i call someone and ask what are good reasons for visiting and if they would turn her away if she had that proof?

She would need this info in hand going through customs. You would also be able to visit Canada for this amount of time, providing the same info for Canada Customs. If she says she is coming to 'visit' her BF for the next six months, however, that could set her up for a refusal at the border as they may question her intent.

when you say they may ask her intent, do you just mean why she is staying so long?

thank you all again for your help, i appreciate it all!!

I don't think calling would do you any good, each officer has the discretion to make his or her own call, there is no consistent directive they follow. It's all the luck of the draw as to whom she speaks with.

When you come through the border, they want to know where you are are going and for how long, in addition to the usual questions about residence and citizenship. Something else they want to know is how much money you have on you for your trip. What I mean by intent is if she were to come through the border and say she was going to visit her BF for an extended period of time, they may well turn her back suspecting intent to immigrate. If that happens, they'll tag her in the system and make subsequent crossings a pain. Proof of a job and obligations in Canada (pay stubs, rent, utilities,etc.) will strengthen her show of 'ties' to Canada.

If you are booking a ticket for a shorter term visit, perhaps you can change the return date once she is at your place. There are a few threads on here where people have spoken of their experience with this, definitely worth checking out.

if we plan for her to stay for like a month, which she just came down last month for with no problems, she could actually stay longer and than just book a ticket for a further date?

They can turn her away because they could suspect her of attempting to immigrate illegally. Especially with a boyfriend/partner in the US. If she has no ties to Canada that she has obligations to return to, why should they believe her that she says she will?

It's their job to suspect that *everyone* crossing the border intends to stay illegally. It is our jobs as travellers to prove them otherwise.

Mike,

Here is a thread you should take a read-through. There is quite alot of personal experience info there in regards to visiting an American BF/GF or partner in the US.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index ... 67796&st=0