What is in my Passport?!?

[JRyder 0]

Hi All,

My wife is a medical student, doing her clinical rotations in the US. She's got a B-1 Visa stamp. At the border crossing, as I'm going to be staying with her, I was given a B-2 Visa stamp.

Is a stamp the same thing as an actual Visa? I'm asking because I'm having serious issues crossing back into the United States with the CBP officers. I'm a Canadian citizen, "visiting" my wife for these 6 months, looking to find work in Canada (we live right near a border crossing), and still have ties to my home in Calgary, Canada (property ownership, on-leave access from job, bank accounts, etc.).

I was recently denied a NEXUS pass because I wasn't deemed a "bona fide" visitor to the United States, which makes no sense to me. Isn't that what the B-2 stamp in passport entails?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[canadian_wife 1,829]

B2 is a tourist visa. It is not uncommon for Canadians to get this, especially those who have traveled to the US a lot. The last time I was given one, I was told it is easier to track (because obviously it is entered into their system) the B2 visa then just typically allowing a Canadian to enter with no classifications or restrictions.

Persons admitted to the United States on a B-2 Tourist Visa are usually issued a 6-month stay. The maximum length of stay for visitor visa holders is 6 months. The immigration officer at the port of entry determines how long each visitor is allowed to stay in the country

https://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/b2-tourist-visa.html

If you have been crossing frequently, they may want to be making sure you are A) spending more time in Canada than in the US and B) you are not living in the US or possibily trying to circumvent the immigration laws by entering as a tourist with immigrant intent (hence the 'bonafide visitor' part).

To make your crossings easier, always tell the truth and carry ties to Canada

Good luck

[JRyder 0]

I appreciate the reply.

It's just very confusing to me; why am I not a "bona fide" visitor? Doesn't that stamp in my passport mean that I'm a visitor for 6 months?

It's really frustrating how all the CBP's seem to have a differing level of knowledge about everything.

I keep property tax bills, Canadian bank accounts, and employment leave letters in my car, to help prove my ties.

[canadian_wife 1,829]

They are questioning your immigrant intent which is why they aren't calling you an actual visitor and tracking your entrances and exits into the US

My opinion only.

[Boiler 46,086]

Each application for entry is a new event. You have to substantiate your ties etc for that entry.