question for Reba!!!

Hi i am a canadian and came to Los Angeles at the end of october...i was previously denied entry because they suspected i was going to illegally immigrate, and i come to the usa quite often because my best friends live here in the states. So i tired to enter agin a month later and i lied alot to be able to get in...anyways so now i'm here...and i saw i could stay for 180 days in a 12 month period , so does this mean i can stay 6 months in a 12 monthperiod like ayear or just that i cant stay fro more that 180 consecutive days nomatter what...i'd be great if i could stay from jan to june. but i have been here sincethe end of october!...
also do you think i will have a really hard time coming back in into the usa ? i'll probably have to stay out for a year or so??!!!

looking forward to your reply. Thank you!

You can stay six months continuously then you have to leave. It's a bit tricky how they calculate it actually, different CBP guys seem to interpret it in different ways. But basically it's 183 days in a calendar year. Obviously if you spend six months in the US every year they're going to wonder what you're up to, which is why you keep getting hassled.

I've been told by US CBP that you are allowed 6 months per calendar year, OR 6 months per visit, whichever comes first. So, because you entered in October, you can stay only until this month I'm afraid.

And the general rule of thumb is you must be OUT as long as you were IN. So you should plan to stay back in Canada for another 6 months. This will also prevent losing your provincial health care benefits.

How do you support yourself so long without a job?

The real trick to it (because it's required by law) is that you MUST have proof of an abode outside the US. Bank statements, lease/rent agreements, DL, healthcare card, property title, pay stubs etc. The more the better.

If you show up with four suitcases, your cat and the family photo album and no proof of having a home or a job abroad you will get denied entry, which is exactly what happened in last night's episode of Homeland Security USA.