Making sure I'm prepared when crossing border...please help.

Hello,

I'm in the final stages of getting ready to move to the US and want to make sure that I have everything prepared.

Here is my case:

(1) I will be going to the US via a L-1B visa. My company who I have been working for 6 years in Canada is transferring me to the US location. I just sold my house and it is closing on Nov 20th, however my official start date for work is not until Dec 1st. My company's lawyers have told me that I can enter before the start date and apply for my visa. Is this true? Are there any watch-outs I should know about?

(2) Can I apply for the visa during any day of the week? Are visas being processed on the weekends at the POE at Pearson airport?

(3) I will be providing the following at the border (i) Form I-129S (ii) A copy of Form I-797 (iii) company letter of support (iv) copy of my passport (v) my actual passport (v) vopy of my diploma (vi) Form G-28, is there anything else that I should bring to ensure that I can get my visa the day-of?

(4) What type of questions are asked at the border? What is the best way to respond to them? Any watch outs?

(5) My lawyer told me that I will have to pay a $500 Anti-Fraud fee by case or credit card at the border, has anyone heard of this before?

(6) Finally, I will need a car while I am in the US, but I will not be able to purchase one until I get my SSN number. As such, I was thinking of bringing one of my brother's car to the US to use until I can get my SSN which will probably take approximate 1 month. Can you foresee any issues with this?

Thanks for all your help. I feel so overwhelmed right now and need all the help I can get.

KareBear

Just a note regarding purchasing a car IF you do it on credit. You will have no credit at all once you enter the US. I have no idea if you will be able to purchase a car if you want to do it on a loan or lease. Once I entered the US on a TN visa, it took 6 weeks to get a SSN (although I hear that can vary dramatically) and nobody will give me any credit whatsoever. They will not take into account your Canadian credit. But if you purchase it with cash, then great!

1) You can apply up to ten days prior;
2) I think you can phone and check, but I'd be surprised if they didn't at Pearson;
3) Bear in mind this is not a visa, there is no visa for most non-immigrant categories for Canadians. What you are doing is applying for L-1B status. They don't actually approve it at the POE, they check to make sure you've submitted everything correctly (most importantly the $820 fee) and then they let you enter while the application is processed. Generally speaking they aren't going to let you in unless they're pretty sure it's going to be approved;
4) I wouldn't worry about it if you've got all the supporting documents. L-1B is dual-status (i.e. you can get LPR status later if the company sponsors you for it) and you're clearly entering to work legitimately so there isn't really much to worry about;
5) Yep, it's $320 plus $500 for the "discourage foreigners from working in the US" fee;
6) You don't need an SSN to buy a car in the US, why would you think you would? Are you talking about getting credit?

If you're talking about getting credit, quickest way is to get a secured credit card, i.e. they give you a credit card with a limit upto whatever you have in your bank account.

I wouldn't borrow a car and bring it into the US because it's not part of your personal effects. That will cause complications at the border.

Just a note regarding purchasing a car IF you do it on credit.

One of the important points is that it's a bad idea to buy a car using credit if you haven't finished paying for it by the time you come back to Canada. You must have the title to be able to import it.

Thanks Steve and Fiestagirl!

So if I understand you correctly.

(1) Given the 10 day requirement, if my official start date is Dec 1st, then the earliest I can apply for L1-B status is Nov 21st?

I need to go to the States on Nov 16th to 18th for training and wanted to process my application then. This way, I can have peace of mind knowing that everything is kosher for when I move my personal items across the border after my home closes on Nov 20th. If I must wait until Nov 21st now for processing my application, then I will need to apply at the border with my moving truck. I'm just worried that they might deny my application that day and leave me stuck with my truck of belongings.

Can you please confirm that Nov 21st is indeed the earliest date for putting in my application?

(2) For the purchase of a car, the dealerships I visited told me that if I wanted to finance or lease a car, I would need a SSN. The funny thing is that my boyfriend who moved to the US about 3 years ago, leased a car without a SSN or a credit history.but that can explain the credit crunch in the US now.

All in all, do I need a SSN or not to lease/finance a car? If paying for the car in its entirety with cash is the only way to go, then I will have to plan accordingly.


Thanks again!

When I went for my L1B I also had to have a copy of the company prospectus, and a copy of the company registration (something or other) to show the relationship between the US and Canadian companies. The first time I went I did not have the prospectus with me, and they denied my application. Next time I went I made sure I had it with me, and it was approved.

You have to show that the US company you are going to work for is in fact directly related to the Canadian company you currently work for, so you need documentation to back that up. At least it was a requirement 7 years ago when I got mine.

All in all, do I need a SSN or not to lease/finance a car? If paying for the car in its entirety with cash is the only way to go, then I will have to plan accordingly.


Thanks again!

I am pretty darn sure you would need one. You need one to do anything credit related. EVERYTHING here is linked to your SSN. And then when they discover you have no American credit, it is unlikely you will get a loan (in my experience and I'm here now). Maybe you can get a loan in Canada before you arrive in the US.

Ten days means ten days. If you're going in for training at that company then I guess you could go in ten days prior to that date.

You probably do need an SSN to get car financing, but with no credit record you're not likely to get it anyway. Getting a bank loan in Canada before you leave would seem to be the best alternative, unless you've got relatives who can loan you the money.