Today I'm Thankful For... my POE officer!

[simistar 2]

Hey guys!

Soooo...I'll try to make this short ( )

Sorry... I actually think this may be the longest POE story EVER :-)

Basically, I had not activated my CR1 visa yet but did need to cross the border to get a form notarized (by and American notary) for the IRS.

The notary I found was just across the border at Point Roberts... (I'm in Vancouver...and for those who don't know this region, Point Roberts is this small peninsula that has a Cda-US border running through it...when you cross from Canada to the US side, you can only go into Point Roberts, unless you have a boat to sail away from the shore:-))

Now, I have read conflicting info on crossing for the first time... I've seen some people just cross to activate and get the ball rolling, then turn around and come back to Canada. But I've also read that's not really allowed, but it depends on the customs officer.

Anywaaaay, I decided to see if I could cross and activate my visa (then see this notary)...

I pulled up to the guard station, explained the situation, he sent me inside... No one else was there (it's a TINY border station)...and the guy said no, I couldn't activate it unless I was moving today to Point Roberts, since there was no where else to go once you cross. I told him we're not actually moving until December, and we're not moving to Point Roberts:-)

So he said no, BUT he also kind of hinted that at another bigger crossing, such as the Peace Arch, they might allow me to activate it even though I wasn't moving today.

(* btw, he made some note on the computer about me being there to inquire about activating my visa...)

So, I crossed back into Canada...(the notary actually drove across and met me in Canada, then drove back across to notarize the papers, then drove back AGAIN to give me the papers... VERY nice lady!)...

Then, I figured, what the heck, I've got today off work, the border wait times were minimal and Peace Arch isn't THAT far from where I was...so I drove to the Peace Arch crossing just to see...I thought if they turn me around, they turn me around...

So, I drive up to the guard's station at the Peace Arch and explain the situation, that I'm not moving today but am wondering if I can just activate my visa. He seems to have done this before and is really nice about it and directs me to park my car and go inside.

When I park, there are two other customs officers standing there. They ask me what I need to do inside. I tell them the whole situation. They too seem like they've done this before and say to go inside...

So I go in and wait in line...not too long...about 10-15 mins...

I get called up to a counter and the customs agent/officer is really nice. We talk about American Thanksgiving. He asks me where we'll be moving to. I say Atlanta, Georgia. We chat about what my husband does for a living. He opens my "DO NOT OPEN" envelope, looks through it and says everything looks in order, he's just not sure about one thing and he'll be back. I see him go get what I assume his a supervisor. Both come back together. (*the supervisor looks really stern and mean!) They send me to sit down and wait.

The whole time I'm waiting, I'm totally nervous! I start thinking they're seeing on the computer that I already tried to cross at Point Roberts, and that I'm not moving today...

But then they call me up again and everything seems fine! They fingerprint me, fiddle around with some more papers...and then the mean-looking supervisor says, where's your husband?

I say, he's at work.

The supervisor looks at me like I'm demented and says, work where?? New York?

And I say, No, sorry, he's at work in Canada.

Then the supervisor looks over at the nice officer and says, you're not supposed to issue this visa!

Yikes!

I say, I'm sorry, I told three other officers before coming in that I'm on my own and not moving today...

They send me to sit down...

About 20 mins go by (and I think the nice officer is getting in trouble?!)...but then he calls me back up and says, okay, I've activated your visa even though we're not supposed to. He says b/c he already stamped it etc, that they're going to let it go through to save me hassle when I fly to Atlanta in December. He then says he will be checking to make sure that I go to Atlanta, as I said we were, and that I'd be staying at the address we gave (my in-laws)... I offered to show him our flight itineraries, but he says no, doesn't need to see them.

He then goes on to explain that my green card will be mailed to my US residence, and he points to my in-laws address written down in front of him , and says, and I assume this is going to be your residence?

I say yes...But then the mean supervisor guy says really loudly, just b/c you have an address in the States, doesn't make it your residence!

The nice officer and I just look at him, not sure what to say...

Finally the nice officer continues on with explaining the rules to me, then says welcome to America and hands me my passport back stamped!

So...YAY ... I think!?

I'm happy -- but also concerned about whether what the Point Roberts guy wrote in his computer, and whether perhaps the mean supervisor at Peace Arch wrote something in my file....

We fly to Atlanta in December... does anyone think any of this will cause problems for me??

Thanks...and whew! Sorry for taking so long...

:-)

[MrsCat 6]

- I'm sure you didn't know if you were coming or going with those guys.

[trailmix 77]

Wow lol

I don't know if it will cause problems for you or not (i'm not saying that to make you paranoid btw - I just don't know - I doubt it, they already accepted your visa)

Mr. Grouch was right - you aren't supposed to enter with your Husband still in Canada - but you already know that

Edited November 27, 2009 by trailmix

[simistar 2]

Wow lol

I don't know if it will cause problems for you or not (i'm not saying that to make you paranoid btw - I just don't know - I doubt it, they already accepted your visa)

Mr. Grouch was right - you aren't supposed to enter with your Husband still in Canada - but you already know that

I guess I KIND of knew that...I mean, I did, but at the same time, have read others' experiences on here where that wasn't the case...

Anywaaaay... it's not like I lied! I told them everything...

~Sigh~

Ill report back if I have any problems flying to Atlanta:-)

[trailmix 77]

Yes let us know, but i'm sure it will be fine!

It's this bit here:

C. You intend in good faith to reestablish your domicile in the United States no later than the date of the intending immigrant's admission or adjustment of status.

(that's what he was talking about)

[simistar 2]

Yes let us know, but i'm sure it will be fine!

It's this bit here:

C. You intend in good faith to reestablish your domicile in the United States no later than the date of the intending immigrant's admission or adjustment of status.

(that's what he was talking about)

Thanks, I hope so! *gulp*

:-)