Crossing the border without activating the visa?

[AandB 3]

Hey everybody!!

I got my visa approved as some people noticed, so now i'm planning the move to Texas! My fiancé booked a flight sunday the 13th from Dallas to Burlington, but we only plan on moving officially by the 15th. That means i'm gonna cross the border sunday the 13th for a round-trip to the burlington's airport.. I'll b back in Canada within 3 hours!

So my question is:

Is there anything i have to tell the officer? Do i need to bring anything as a proof? Do i just say i'm giving a ride to my fiancé, and i'll b back within 3 hours to Canada, i don't want to activate my K-1 visa now?

Thanks so much in advance!!

[lilacvioletiris 11]

I would suggest you call the point of entry you plan to use to "not activate" your K-1 visa. My fiance' did call Port Huron, MI where he usually enters. He was told he could enter with out activating his K-1 as long as he declared he wasn't going to activate it and DID NOT BRING the "Do NOT OPEN" envelope you get from the consulate. We actually decided that he would NOT come visit in the time between getting the visa in his passport and when he actually moves here since we didn't want something to get screwed up or have him denied at the border for some reason. We just didn't want the stress of the unknown.

But call the POE and talk to someone yourself to decide.

[SupportGeek 21]

Its 100% going to depend on the border person you encounter.

Ive heard of many instances where the person was told, if they cross, for whatever reason, they MUST activate the K-1

I was actually told the same by my interviewing officer "If you cross the border you will need to activate it, and there will be no back and forth"

I booked a flight right into Toronto for my Fiancee, I normally use Buffalo, but I simply dont want to risk being denied when I need to cross to pick her up

It might be better to get a friend or family member to pick him up for you

Edited June 2, 2010 by SupportGeek

[AandB 3]

Yeah well.. my familly lives too far away to pick him up and i don't want to have to ask a friend to do it as well hehe! The one-way flights to Montreal were crazy expensive and really bad, so that's why he booked one for Burlington.. If there's any problems, he can still take the bus to Montreal and i can pick him up there.. We'll see what happens!!

Thanks for the info!

If anybody else has a personnal experience to share, i'd appreciate too!

[SapphireDreams 71]

This is one of those risks that you take when you cross that you won't know until you actually try to cross. When I inquired about this at my interview, my interviewer told me that I should not attempt to cross the border and ask to not activate the visa and that if I try to cross, they'll make me activate it.

Obviously it's up to the border guard of the day, so you take the risk of havign to turn back. Like others I chose not to risk it and did not even try to cross. Howver, there have been a few VJ successful attempts so there's a good chance you'll have no trouble.

[AandB 3]

If for exemple, i decide i want to cross the border and the officer doesn't want to and i just go back to Montreal to pick up my fiancé there after he takes the bus.. Will i have any problems activating the visa 2 days after, on june 15th?

[SapphireDreams 71]

If for exemple, i decide i want to cross the border and the officer doesn't want to and i just go back to Montreal to pick up my fiancé there after he takes the bus.. Will i have any problems activating the visa 2 days after, on june 15th?

No it would not affect anything. You'd simply just be turned back and asked to come back when you're ready to activate.

[AandB 3]

Great! So i'm ready to take the risk then

I'll post right after i try to cross the border without activating the visa and let you guys know what happened! So people in the future can relate to this situation too

[Flames9_RN 358]

There have been others on VJ that have done it. But once again, one just can throw down a blanket statement and say "yes you can" just because others did. Once again, it comes down to the good old fashioned POE officer! He/she can say ye or no.

[Arabella 4]

I am one of those people who was able to cross the border without activating the K1 Visa. Well technically it was my husband (fiance at the time). He just told the BP that he was not activating his Visa, and that was it.

Good luck!

[Krikit 1,164]

I'm another who had no problem crossing and not using the visa.

Just a note regarding the term "activate" because it drives me batty. The visa becomes "active" the moment it is entered into your passport. The CBP Officer endorses it at POE and then it becomes null and void.... in other words.... "inactive". You are, in effect, "INactivating" your visa at POE... not "activating" it.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I like the word "activate" lol

[Krikit 1,164]

Sorry. Forgot to add that there is no policy or directive which states that a visa must be used once it has been issued. However, the CBP Officer has the final say in whatever happens at the border. In effect, it becomes their own, personal, interpretation of the immigration process and not necessarily the reality.

I like the word "activate" lol

Yeah. It's pretty popular. lol

[Flames9_RN 358]

When i drove upto the POE, I didnt say "im here to un-activate my visa" lol Said I'm here to activate it,lol. Time for a run before it gets too hot here. already 26C

[Krikit 1,164]

Well, no, you wouldn't say that, Flames.