No Idea Where to Start

[JDC655 0]

So this question I'm sure has been posted time and time again but here is the situation:

I'm Canadian, my boyfriend is American. We travel back and forth to visit each other. Recently I stayed in the USA for 2 months of the summer living with him. I was unemployed because I did not have a Visa or Green Card to work.

I recently came back to Canada for a weekend wedding and was denied entrance back into the United States because I could not prove "Strong enough ties to Canada". I know I need a work visa, or something to work there, but I was under the impression I was able to visit the United States for up to 6 months per calander year.

I really want to move there, unfortunately I have no "skill" (other than an Arts degree) that "no other american can/will provide" to get a company to sponsor me. I'm also not about to take out a huge debt for a student loan when I have already attended post-secondary education in Canada.

I have no idea how to get down there legally now, We're not 100% ready for marriage, and I'm red flagged at the border.

Does anyone have any idea of where i could START to begin to look at some options?

The immigration websites are extremely overwhelming and I have no idea what I could qualify for...if I do at all...

Any link or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Operator 1,927]

Did you by chance tell them you were living with your boyfriend?

[stronger 43]

This happened to me in 1998. If you do not have a return ticket to Canada, or bills back in Canada in your name, you will not be allowed in. I believe it's now 6 months with no entry allowed. Or they probably gave you a checklist of what you will have to show before they allow you to return. Gather all these things. And unfortunately, as for me, for the next several years, they will grill you on why you were detained before. Always answer yes to this question when they ask. They already see it. Just want to catch you lying. The next time you try to enter is the most important. Have a good amount of cash on you, bills in your name back in Canada and tell them the truth.

[Inky 1,110]

work and school are the two main ones if your not ready to marry yet.

You could always collect very good ties to Canada and try to cross again with return tickets for a time LESS than 6 months, try 1 month.

[Juan & Nan 12]

So this question I'm sure has been posted time and time again but here is the situation:

I'm Canadian, my boyfriend is American. We travel back and forth to visit each other. Recently I stayed in the USA for 2 months of the summer living with him. I was unemployed because I did not have a Visa or Green Card to work.

I recently came back to Canada for a weekend wedding and was denied entrance back into the United States because I could not prove "Strong enough ties to Canada". I know I need a work visa, or something to work there, but I was under the impression I was able to visit the United States for up to 6 months per calander year.

I really want to move there, unfortunately I have no "skill" (other than an Arts degree) that "no other american can/will provide" to get a company to sponsor me. I'm also not about to take out a huge debt for a student loan when I have already attended post-secondary education in Canada.

I have no idea how to get down there legally now, We're not 100% ready for marriage, and I'm red flagged at the border.

Does anyone have any idea of where i could START to begin to look at some options?

The immigration websites are extremely overwhelming and I have no idea what I could qualify for...if I do at all...

Any link or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

You mut have told them that you are visiting your boyfrined and that you lived with him. Right?

[JDC655 0]

Yeah, I told them I was staying with him while I was there..

That`s what made them very unhappy.

[Operator 1,927]

Yeah, I told them I was staying with him while I was there..

That`s what made them very unhappy.

You need a visa to live, work or go to school. When you said staying with him they heard living with him. You didn't mean to break the rules but now you know. I hope it works out for you.

[CourtneyRox 25]

Yeah, the key word used was "Living" with your boyfriend... That's what caused the "Red Flag" in their eyes! I had a friend that said the same thing and they wouldn't allow her to cross back into the US with her boyfriend, so she had to call her parents and have them drive 3 hours to the border to pick her up at 3am!!

Edited September 14, 2011 by CourtneyRox

[CanuckGurl 3]

work and school are the two main ones if your not ready to marry yet.

You could always collect very good ties to Canada and try to cross again with return tickets for a time LESS than 6 months, try 1 month.

You definitely need to have strong ties and having a return ticket already booked will work in your favour. Keep in mind though, and I say this not to dishearten you, but whether you get in or not is not always based on how strong your ties are to Canada but also on what kind of day the border agent is having.

This isn't right, it isn't fair and I don't agree with it - but as we don't make the rules, it's not something we can fix - we just have to live with it.

I was denied entry earlier this year as well. I had very strong ties to Canada on hand to prove I was not going to be staying. I had my bank statements, a letter from my employer stating I only had X amount of time off work, and my return ticket booked.

Have you thought about having him come up and stay with you for a visit? (It wouldn't hurt to start and keep track of dates of travelling back and forth, in case you decide to go the K1 or CR1 Visa routes.)

Good luck!

[warlord 73]

Have you looked at the various visas or status's you might qualify for? Most common visa is the H1-b and the most common status is a TN status. See if you qualify for either a visa or status.

Of course even if you do qualify for either type of work related documents, you would still need a job to sponsor you and you'd have to luck out finding one close to your boyfriends town. But it's about the only option for moving there I can see without going through the entire marriage process which is time consuming...

Edited September 14, 2011 by warlord

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Have you looked at the various visas or status's you might qualify for? Most common visa is the H1-b and the most common status is a TN status. See if you qualify for either a visa or status.

Of course even if you do qualify for either type of work related documents, you would still need a job to sponsor you and you'd have to luck out finding one close to your boyfriends town. But it's about the only option for moving there I can see without going through the entire marriage process which is time consuming...

Keeping in mind that the 'block' of H1-B visas are released once a year (cannot remember when) and gobbled up very quickly. Since you aren't a rocket scientist or celeb entertainer (no insult intended) you more then likely aren't going to qualify for a work VISA for a position that could be filled by an American as you've noted.

Canadians do not have the RIGHT to enter the US for 6 months - they have the PRIVILEDGE. Don't get the 2 confused....the border guards may choose at their discretion to not allow you in (as you have experienced) or to allow you in for a reduced amount of time if they think you have intent to stay illegally or are moving without a proper VISA.

It's hard to be a US/Canadian couple if you don't have intentions of marrying eventually - it will be endless visits where you 'hope' they'll let you in each time.

Good luck

[Flames9_RN 358]

Lot of advice from above. You as a Canadian have no RIGHT to enter the USA, its a totally different country (duh,lol) So like the guard stated you need strong ties to Canada to proove you are going to return to Canada. That included return airfare, letter from employer stating they expect you back to work on a certain date, Cdn utility bills, lease, etc etc!! Even then the POE officer does not have to let you in!! Never use the word "live", as your "visiting" let them know if they ask, that its not a serious relationship at this time and that ur aware of the fiance and marriage based visas. 1 thing you NEVER want to do is LIE!!! My free advice is in my signature. Best of luck

[warlord 73]

I think right now the only option (since the degree probably won't be good for a TN status and the new H1-b visa releases mentioned I think it's in Oct), is to have the boyfriend now visit you in Canada for the time being if you two are going to continue to see each other. Being flagged now will make it harder even to cross for simple things, so that's probably the best bet and hope he can visit you in Canada until you're possibly ready for marriage...

[SapphireDreams 71]

From the information you provided, it doesn't sound like you qualify for any work visas unfortunately. Neither did I, so we ended up dating long distance for a long time until we were ready to file for a K1. In the end we dated long distance for 5 years, filed for the K1, waited out the 10 months process and then I moved here, after 6 years being apart.

Travelling back and forth to visit will be difficult, especially if you are going for long periods of time and also now that you've been denied. You can try to visit again, but you'll likely be asked to show strong ties to Canada, proving that you LIVE in Canada and are just visiting.

I never had a problem visiting back and forth and think it was because I had a good full time job in Toronto and I only went for long weekends or for 1 week tops and also had a return ticket. I think that having a full time 9-5 job, made all the difference. They asked me what I did for a living a lot, where I worked etc.

If you're not willing to live apart, then you need to consider marriage. If you're not ready for marriage, well then you just have to be patient. You may also consider going to live in another neutral country together until you're ready to marry and immigrate (like go teach english in South Korea, for example).

[neiks 19]

Here's my suggestion if you are seiously wanting to go back to the US to "visit" your boyfriend - to be considered a visitor in the US you have to start "living" in Canada. Meaning, get yourself a job, get an income, get some bills, get yourself a reason that you have to return to Canada because you have obligations there. No job, no responsibility in Canada and just hanging out in the US = that you have no invested interest in Canada and thus no reason to leave the US which inturn = living in the US.

but also on what kind of day the border agent is having

I just also have to reply to this as I think this comment is not necessary (and I've seen it lots). Border Officers are there to do their job, they have certain criteria that they consider, I think it is ridiculous that people think that their decision is based soley on "what kind of day" they are having. Really??? So do Doctor's decide on if they are going to save someone's life based on "what kind of day" they are having? Do bankers only issue a loan to people if they are "having a good day"?