Not Sure Of Departure Date

[qyss]

Hey there!

If I am entering the USA for an extended period of time on non-immigrant status and plan to leave within the 6 months allowable, do I need to specify the exact date I will be departing when I enter the US?

Having not actually booked my return flight yet as it is a few months off, will this work against me on entry if I dont have a specific time frame to provide them?

I enter on December 28th and I want to be clear in my intentions with this just being an extended visit.

I also want to bring any information that would show ties to Canada in case they request it, but I dont want to take too much, or go overboard. Entering the USA makes me so nervous after all the horror stories I've heard about people getting banned or denied, I want just want to be sure they dont think I want to move there!

Any tips for how to answer any of their questions about duration?

[Reba]

You're better off to book a return flight, just pick a date, and if you want to change it later you can. If you don't have a return ticket, they'll definitely give you a hard time.

[Steven]

If you're going for that long, the more info you have the better to prove your non-immigrant intent. Business card, bank statement showing you have enough money, obvious stuff like that.