No rent receips for "proof of ties"

[Tim and Erin 3]

Hi all. This site is so helpful and informative, that I think I'll stay. Reading all the posts for the past few days, well it's almost like reading a good book you just can't put down, ya know? LOL

I met Tim for the first time in Sept. 2006. He's in Oklahoma, I'm in Canada. In 2007, he came up for my sister's wedding. We had planned for me to return home with him to spend 6 months getting to know each other better.

Let me first admit that at the time I was TOTALLY UNINFORMED about what to expect at the border. Since then, I made sure I did my homework. Your mouths will probably drop open as you read this... I had had no job, no home or other property...I was living with my mother, I had no return ticket because we planned to DRIVE back to Canada before the 6 months were up. RED FLAGS ALL OVER THE PLACE!! So Tim got through fine (he was ahead of me in a second lineup), and I got hauled over to what I believe you call "secondary." Grilled and grilled for about 20 minutes...then "We can't let you enter the U.S." I couldn't even cry, I was so stunned. All that planning...all the anticipation. It felt like the floor dropped out from under me. If I hadn't been leaning on the counter, I think I would have fallen down. In comes Tim, back through the entry door looking for me, because there was a bus waiting for us. He finds out they won't let me go, and LOUDLY said "I'm not going home without you." Then he started to cry. A nice female border cop talked calmly to him and explained the reasons why I couldn't go through. She directed him to talk to a third officer, while I was still being questioned by the first one. Then we were both allowed to talk to my officer. We did our best to explain that we only wanted to spend 6 months together to get to know each other well enough to decide if he would indeed file a fiancee petition. We told them I had NO intention of staying this time. I guess this officer had a heart, and eventually agreed to let me enter for only 30 days, and attached something to my passport that I had to have stamped when I returned home. Of course I did as I was told...returned within 30 days, and had the attachment stamped. (The attachment was kept, by the way. I have no idea where it went after that.)

So........here's my dilema now. First, I know I'm probably flagged in their system, so something will come up the next time I try to cross, which hopefully will be in April or May. I WILL have a return ticket next time...I now have a job (1 yr.)...my boss will happily give me a one month leave of absence with a note saying I have a job to return to (with an expected date of return).

BUT, as for my place of residence, I am still living at mom's (an apartment that she rents), and the past two winters I've stayed 6 months at a time at my cousin's house while he vacations in Florida. I don't pay rent to him, nor do I pay rent to my mom. Mom has never wanted help with the rent, although I contribute to the groceries and phone bill. So I have no receipts at all from these two places where I live.

I just don't know how to explain this at the border. I sure don't want a repeat performance of my last visit. Any ideas for me?

Oh, and in case anyone's wondering if we caught our bus that day at the border, we DIDN'T. But...that nice lady officer actually had been listening in on our conversation with the other officers, and when she realized I was finally allowed to cross, she talked to ANOTHER bus driver who agreed to take us FREE OF CHARGE to our destination. There ARE good people in this world after all! We had to sit on the step inside the door of the bus, but the trip was only about 15 minutes. And after we told the driver our story, would you believe he asked us if we'd mind him saying a prayer for us to have success in the future? "Not at all, sir. And thankyou very much!"

[defunct 0]

I had a similar experience. I had just graduated from University, had no job, and lived with my parents. I went to visit my fiance (boyfriend at the time) for 3 months and was stopped at the YVR customs preclearance and sent to secondary. I was stupid and had no return ticket. I had travelled to other countries and to the States numerous times in the past and was under the impression that I only had to prove that I could financially support myself while I was there. Anyway, after being interogated and told that I would have to go buy a return ticket, I was allowed to enter. I didn't receive a waiver though, so I'm not sure if that will make a difference to you or not.

I was worried that I would be flagged, but I have never had another problem getting through customs - some 4 times after this incident. Just be sure to bring a letter from your employer that states that you currently work there and they expect you to return. Also, if you have any bank statements from the month you returned, you could bring those just in case you need to try and prove that you didn't overstay. If you're asked about it, just be honest about being naive. I think as Canadians we don't really expect that we'll be denied at the border. I certainly didn't consider it.

Edited February 10, 2009 by eyoa

[Tim and Erin 3]

Thanks for replying.

So do you think I'll be ok if I only have my return ticket, letter from my employer with expected return date, and perhaps my bank account showing I can support myself while down there? And if they see that I returned home last time before the deadline stamped on my passport, and that I'm more prepared at my next visit, that any future visits should be a breeze, right?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hi all. This site is so helpful and informative, that I think I'll stay. Reading all the posts for the past few days, well it's almost like reading a good book you just can't put down, ya know? LOL

I met Tim for the first time in Sept. 2006. He's in Oklahoma, I'm in Canada. In 2007, he came up for my sister's wedding. We had planned for me to return home with him to spend 6 months getting to know each other better.

Let me first admit that at the time I was TOTALLY UNINFORMED about what to expect at the border. Since then, I made sure I did my homework. Your mouths will probably drop open as you read this... I had had no job, no home or other property...I was living with my mother, I had no return ticket because we planned to DRIVE back to Canada before the 6 months were up. RED FLAGS ALL OVER THE PLACE!! So Tim got through fine (he was ahead of me in a second lineup), and I got hauled over to what I believe you call "secondary." Grilled and grilled for about 20 minutes...then "We can't let you enter the U.S." I couldn't even cry, I was so stunned. All that planning...all the anticipation. It felt like the floor dropped out from under me. If I hadn't been leaning on the counter, I think I would have fallen down. In comes Tim, back through the entry door looking for me, because there was a bus waiting for us. He finds out they won't let me go, and LOUDLY said "I'm not going home without you." Then he started to cry. A nice female border cop talked calmly to him and explained the reasons why I couldn't go through. She directed him to talk to a third officer, while I was still being questioned by the first one. Then we were both allowed to talk to my officer. We did our best to explain that we only wanted to spend 6 months together to get to know each other well enough to decide if he would indeed file a fiancee petition. We told them I had NO intention of staying this time. I guess this officer had a heart, and eventually agreed to let me enter for only 30 days, and attached something to my passport that I had to have stamped when I returned home. Of course I did as I was told...returned within 30 days, and had the attachment stamped. (The attachment was kept, by the way. I have no idea where it went after that.)

So........here's my dilema now. First, I know I'm probably flagged in their system, so something will come up the next time I try to cross, which hopefully will be in April or May. I WILL have a return ticket next time...I now have a job (1 yr.)...my boss will happily give me a one month leave of absence with a note saying I have a job to return to (with an expected date of return).

BUT, as for my place of residence, I am still living at mom's (an apartment that she rents), and the past two winters I've stayed 6 months at a time at my cousin's house while he vacations in Florida. I don't pay rent to him, nor do I pay rent to my mom. Mom has never wanted help with the rent, although I contribute to the groceries and phone bill. So I have no receipts at all from these two places where I live.

I just don't know how to explain this at the border. I sure don't want a repeat performance of my last visit. Any ideas for me?

Oh, and in case anyone's wondering if we caught our bus that day at the border, we DIDN'T. But...that nice lady officer actually had been listening in on our conversation with the other officers, and when she realized I was finally allowed to cross, she talked to ANOTHER bus driver who agreed to take us FREE OF CHARGE to our destination. There ARE good people in this world after all! We had to sit on the step inside the door of the bus, but the trip was only about 15 minutes. And after we told the driver our story, would you believe he asked us if we'd mind him saying a prayer for us to have success in the future? "Not at all, sir. And thankyou very much!"

Hey I can sympathize! I lived and worked in Montreal for a year with all the correct Canadian permits and papers and now live only one hour from Montreal, barely inside the USA. I often have trouble when entering Canada! Several times they have detained me and grilled me about my intentions when entering Canada. Usually to go out for dinner in the city or something. One time, in November 2006, I was turned back because I had no "proof of ties" to the the USA with me!!!!!! WHAT? I don't (or didn't) even have a Canadian girlfriend! It is because they see I worked there and lived there before and now they think I may be coming back to stay again (C'mon guys I wasn't THAT bad) I try to point out the only reason they KNOW I lived and worked there is because I did everything LEGALLY and filed for all the work permits and even an extension and turned in all my papers when I left Canada before my extension expired. I have a demonstrated history of following the law and now they think I won't? I now keep a copy of my mortgage in the glove compartment of both our cars, no kidding. I have shown it several times at the border and it makes things a lot easier. On the other hand we went to Montreal on Sunday and had no problems. Go figure.

[MsZ 6]

I think you did a good thing by returning within 30 days and following their instructions. If anything, I would expect them to be willing to do the same thing again since you were so good about it the first time. You've nothing to lose by trying to cross again with as many ties as you can and with your return ticket in hand.

Your sweetie sounds wonderful, by the way.

Good luck.

[Slightly Bonkers 0]

If you have a loan, that can work as a tie.

If he's coming to visit you in the near future and has already bought his ticket that can work well too.

[Tim and Erin 3]

If you have a loan, that can work as a tie.

If he's coming to visit you in the near future and has already bought his ticket that can work well too.

I got through ok, with only my return ticket. I consider myself lucky though. Boy was I sweating when questioned about my trip to see Tim! (And would you believe he wore a "swine flu" mask?? Talk about intimidating, when all I could see was his eyes!) The officer tried to trip me up by asking the same questions two or three times, but I answered truthfully with the same answers each time. One thing he kept asking was why there was such a long gap between our visits. Not that it was any of his business, but for awhile neither one of us could afford to travel, and of course that's what I told him. He asked me why I was visiting NOW, and I told him "because now I can afford to." lol

[Kimbear 53]

My situation back in december was very similar.

i posted about it here : http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry2976797

there is alot of other good advise in that thread.

Edited July 8, 2009 by Kimbear

[Battle Geek 0]

attached something to my passport that I had to have stamped when I returned home. Of course I did as I was told...returned within 30 days, and had the attachment stamped. (The attachment was kept, by the way. I have no idea where it went after that.)

What the officer attached to your passport is called an I-94, it is proof of entry and exit from the United States within the prescribed dates, or else they presume you are staying in the US illegally, which needless to say will massively complicate any future plans to re-enter the US. This happened to us because my girl's return flight was at a Canadian airport and we forgot to stop at the US border station to turn it in. Lucky for us she kept everything and we realized what happened a month or two after she got home, she still had copies of her boarding pass and tickets proving she'd left the US in time, and mailed everything back explaining what happened. After making photocopies of everything, of course

http://www.***removed***/visas/returning-un...orm-to-cbp.html

If they stamped your I-94 as you left the US you should be good, but I'd try to find out what happened to it to be on the safe side

Edited July 8, 2009 by Battle Geek