I watched my friend get grilled at the border

[trailmix 77]

I believe the story says she flew from SD to Bellingham then her Canadian friend picked her up and they drove across the border. My assumption was that this event occurred at the point of EXIT passport check. Can't Imagine she'd have any trouble once she reached the point of entry check on the Canadian side.

Could be wrong but that was my reading of the story.

I agree, that's how I now read it too...when the OP says 'let me back up a bit' she says 'on the way to the border'.

So yes, seems the person was grilled when entering the U.S. from B.C.. Surprised she got in at all, which seems to be what happened here.

There would be no reason for the Canadian Border persons to grill her about her U.S. stay. I would be surprised if the U.S. border persons let her back in without a visa - please let us know.

CherylandRichard - I'm not personally familiar with this scenario, however I have read many accounts and basically they say you should just document what happened and why - ie with your explanation about your employer not being in to answer the phone etc etc.

Generally the consulate doesn't frown on a denial where the person is truthful and it's simply a case of not being able to prove ties.

Edited August 1, 2008 by trailmix

[brown_eyes 0]

Sorry guys, let me clarify a few things. The conversation we had about the K1 process was on the way back to the border from Bellingham airport. What I failed to mention is that she is registered and has to go in to check out before leaving the US as she was born in Iran and has visited there in the last year. Because of this she has to go in to the US side of things and talk about her time in the US. She in fact is going back to Iran on Monday for a month. When she went into check out of the US that's where this all happened with the BO. We are both Canadian citizens living in Vancouver.

She has no real ties to Canada anymore. She is trying to fudge information so that it looks like she does. She lives at home, doesn't have a job and hasn't worked in a year, only knows a family friend who can supply her with this fake letter saying she works for him. I'm afraid that this letter will get HIM into trouble and I was wondering more about that if they research her actual work history.

When the BO asked what she was doing down in the US she said she was in SD vacationing and visiting with friends. THEN the BO asked her if she had a bf. She said yes - and he asked where and she said SD. That's when he clued in. He asked if they were engaged and she said no. He was very suspicious.

I, too, would love to know what is on her file now and she seems to think it is that one official (another friend of ours got denied entry to US by the same guy) and her better option to get to the US next time around is by flying out of YVR. I'm not sure if it makes a difference. She is being incredibly stubborn about all of this and really doesn't trust my judgement on what she feels she knows more about. I think she feels like he was judging her on her homelife, her relationship, and her reasons for wanting to be in the US. She isn't understanding that she is going to need more proof the next time she crosses. And even if she does, it's proof she doesn't have.

Why doesn't she start the K1 process now? I think she thinks she can throw it together while she's in the US with help of an immigration lawyer. She mentioned returning back home to Vancouver just for the interview. He bf has had some troubles with the law and is not allowed to leave the US so him visiting Canada is out of the question.

[KarenCee 3]

Sorry guys, let me clarify a few things. The conversation we had about the K1 process was on the way back to the border from Bellingham airport. What I failed to mention is that she is registered and has to go in to check out before leaving the US as she was born in Iran and has visited there in the last year. Because of this she has to go in to the US side of things and talk about her time in the US. She in fact is going back to Iran on Monday for a month. When she went into check out of the US that's where this all happened with the BO. We are both Canadian citizens living in Vancouver.

She has no real ties to Canada anymore. She is trying to fudge information so that it looks like she does. She lives at home, doesn't have a job and hasn't worked in a year, only knows a family friend who can supply her with this fake letter saying she works for him. I'm afraid that this letter will get HIM into trouble and I was wondering more about that if they research her actual work history.

When the BO asked what she was doing down in the US she said she was in SD vacationing and visiting with friends. THEN the BO asked her if she had a bf. She said yes - and he asked where and she said SD. That's when he clued in. He asked if they were engaged and she said no. He was very suspicious.

I, too, would love to know what is on her file now and she seems to think it is that one official (another friend of ours got denied entry to US by the same guy) and her better option to get to the US next time around is by flying out of YVR. I'm not sure if it makes a difference. She is being incredibly stubborn about all of this and really doesn't trust my judgement on what she feels she knows more about. I think she feels like he was judging her on her homelife, her relationship, and her reasons for wanting to be in the US. She isn't understanding that she is going to need more proof the next time she crosses. And even if she does, it's proof she doesn't have.

Why doesn't she start the K1 process now? I think she thinks she can throw it together while she's in the US with help of an immigration lawyer. She mentioned returning back home to Vancouver just for the interview. He bf has had some troubles with the law and is not allowed to leave the US so him visiting Canada is out of the question.

Sounds like they both have a few hurdles to overcome. She's stubborn...and that definitely won't be in her favour when it comes to this process. It sounds like it will take something serious to wake her up and I'd really hate for that to happen...like being denied entry next time she wants to cross the border or worse. Yeah, an immigration lawyer might be a good idea for this one and one can only hope she'll believe the lawyer...and that s/he is a good one. Wow...best wishes for your friend.

[Team J and B 2]

...I, too, would love to know what is on her file now and she seems to think it is that one official (another friend of ours got denied entry to US by the same guy) and her better option to get to the US next time around is by flying out of YVR. I'm not sure if it makes a difference. She is being incredibly stubborn about all of this and really doesn't trust my judgement on what she feels she knows more about. I think she feels like he was judging her on her homelife, her relationship, and her reasons for wanting to be in the US. She isn't understanding that she is going to need more proof the next time she crosses. And even if she does, it's proof she doesn't have...

Your friend ought to know that her name is flagged at ANY port of entry. Flying, driving, sailing will all show the same red flag alert on the border officer's computer screen. Tell your friend not to be so naive!

The way she is acting right now, she will be in for a big surprise. I actually tried to enter the USA to stay for a few months with my then boyfriend (not knowing about proof of ties, visas, etc.) And what a surprise I got when I was asked to "withdraw my entry" by signing my affidavit. I was NOT denied entry. That Immigration Officer actually was quite helpful. He was just short of directing me to this website.

Slap your friend a couple of times. She needs to wake up. This is no joking matter and unfortunately in this day and age, the government CAN tell her what to do. I don't know how her ethnic background would play into this all, but she's probably under extra scrutiny.

Hope you can talk some sense into her!

[brown_eyes 0]

I did try talking to her about it and let her know how sensitive it is what she's trying to pull and she got angry with me and was automatically defensive. She told me I was "taking the BO's side."

I believe what is hitting home for her is having to deal with the same BO that denied entry to another one of our friends a few years back and possibly having the same thing happen to her next time. He could easily make life hell for her next time she tries to cross with what he wrote on her file. It did not seem to me that he bought her story of just vacationing. I wonder if she should have mentioned that she was planning on applying for the visa as a way to let him know she at some point was going to play by the rules. She simply stated to the BO that she has been with her bf for 6 years and she hasn't been proposed to when the BO asked about an engagement. Sadly I think the only thing that can happen here now is that she has to learn for herself and if she gets denied then she'll face the consequences. I know she doesn't want to live here in Canada anymore and the only reason she's back is because the law says she can't stay in the US.

I had a long discussion with my bf about this topic. We, however, are lucky that he was able to move about an hour away from me in Vancouver across the border. We aren't in a rush to start the paperwork. I just feel fortunate to have him closer to me and he gets here next week!

[melusine 5]

ewww... i agree with you brown eyes...

Seam like the only way to learn is the hardway.... let her do what she want and see in what position she crash.

Note : a lawyer can also in many times, make things longer but anyway... she does not seam to be very able to listen at whatever you can say... sad

[Eric_and_Corinna 0]

sooo not gonna say anything about all the lying think everyone covered that hehe, but i do have a question now that i read all this, i visited my fiance for 5 months had no problem getting through, didn't have a job at the time but still they did not question anything, well, i came back for 3 months, and and we decided i would come visit for a month or so, i had a job, but no letter from them, well, i get to the airport, 6 in the morning, and of course, i got denied, i hadn't bought my return ticket yet because we weren't sure of the date i would return exactly, and of course that looked suspicious, on top of the fact that he bought the ticket, they didn't like that much, so i got to go to the little room, fun, and i sat there, they left me for last, everyone else was gone and 2 hours later they tell me im not going through because i dont have ties to canada, well, its 8 in the morning, they called my work, not open yet of course so that didn't help me, tried calling my landlord, no answer, so again, everything against me there lol sooooo my question now, when i do my packet 3 forms i see where it says have you ever been denied entry blah blah blah, ok, so is this incident going to be a problem, i mean, i had ties, but couldn't prove them cause it was so early noone would answer their phones and i didn't think to get letters cause i had no problems before going back and forth, and i wasn't at vj yet so is this going to be a problem if i just explain i didn't know i needed documentation with me of ties to canada and it was so early that the POE guys couldn't get ahold of anyone to prove my story so they thought i was lying?

i doubt it will be a problem. We were denied entry and the officer who interviewed us for our K-3 in Montreal simply asked us about it, basically told us that things like that happen, and then told us it was expunged as he waved his golden scepter of forgiveness.

[Reba 2]

sooo not gonna say anything about all the lying think everyone covered that hehe, but i do have a question now that i read all this, i visited my fiance for 5 months had no problem getting through, didn't have a job at the time but still they did not question anything, well, i came back for 3 months, and and we decided i would come visit for a month or so, i had a job, but no letter from them, well, i get to the airport, 6 in the morning, and of course, i got denied, i hadn't bought my return ticket yet because we weren't sure of the date i would return exactly, and of course that looked suspicious, on top of the fact that he bought the ticket, they didn't like that much, so i got to go to the little room, fun, and i sat there, they left me for last, everyone else was gone and 2 hours later they tell me im not going through because i dont have ties to canada, well, its 8 in the morning, they called my work, not open yet of course so that didn't help me, tried calling my landlord, no answer, so again, everything against me there lol sooooo my question now, when i do my packet 3 forms i see where it says have you ever been denied entry blah blah blah, ok, so is this incident going to be a problem, i mean, i had ties, but couldn't prove them cause it was so early noone would answer their phones and i didn't think to get letters cause i had no problems before going back and forth, and i wasn't at vj yet so is this going to be a problem if i just explain i didn't know i needed documentation with me of ties to canada and it was so early that the POE guys couldn't get ahold of anyone to prove my story so they thought i was lying?

i doubt it will be a problem. We were denied entry and the officer who interviewed us for our K-3 in Montreal simply asked us about it, basically told us that things like that happen, and then told us it was expunged as he waved his golden scepter of forgiveness.

yeah, it won't be a problem. I'd bet there are more than a dozen people here in the Canada forum who've been denied entry and later applied for visas of some sort and got them. As long as you are truthful about it and put it on the forms you're fine. If you don't put it on the forms, they will know about it because its on your record. They only ask you about it to find out if you'll be truthful or not.

Truth is always the best policy when it comes to all things immigration.

[Marilyn. 340]

sooo not gonna say anything about all the lying think everyone covered that hehe, but i do have a question now that i read all this, i visited my fiance for 5 months had no problem getting through, didn't have a job at the time but still they did not question anything, well, i came back for 3 months, and and we decided i would come visit for a month or so, i had a job, but no letter from them, well, i get to the airport, 6 in the morning, and of course, i got denied, i hadn't bought my return ticket yet because we weren't sure of the date i would return exactly, and of course that looked suspicious, on top of the fact that he bought the ticket, they didn't like that much, so i got to go to the little room, fun, and i sat there, they left me for last, everyone else was gone and 2 hours later they tell me im not going through because i dont have ties to canada, well, its 8 in the morning, they called my work, not open yet of course so that didn't help me, tried calling my landlord, no answer, so again, everything against me there lol sooooo my question now, when i do my packet 3 forms i see where it says have you ever been denied entry blah blah blah, ok, so is this incident going to be a problem, i mean, i had ties, but couldn't prove them cause it was so early noone would answer their phones and i didn't think to get letters cause i had no problems before going back and forth, and i wasn't at vj yet so is this going to be a problem if i just explain i didn't know i needed documentation with me of ties to canada and it was so early that the POE guys couldn't get ahold of anyone to prove my story so they thought i was lying?

i doubt it will be a problem. We were denied entry and the officer who interviewed us for our K-3 in Montreal simply asked us about it, basically told us that things like that happen, and then told us it was expunged as he waved his golden scepter of forgiveness.

yeah, it won't be a problem. I'd bet there are more than a dozen people here in the Canada forum who've been denied entry and later applied for visas of some sort and got them. As long as you are truthful about it and put it on the forms you're fine. If you don't put it on the forms, they will know about it because its on your record. They only ask you about it to find out if you'll be truthful or not.

Truth is always the best policy when it comes to all things immigration.

I am one of those people.. I was denied entry and banned for a year and I just included a brief summary of what happened on the forms.. and I got my visa no problems.. at the interview all the guy asked was, "have you had any other problems other then that one time?" and I said no..

[Autumnchik 6]

My now hubby is another one who was denied entry during the K-1 process and it did not affect our petition. However, we were honest about it. Hopefully, the OP's friend will be honest also when it comes time to explain herself.

My hubby was denied at YVR. I have read many posts about how YVR tends to be strict, so I wonder if the OP's friend will have as easy a time going through customs there as she thinks she will.