Moving to the states while k-1 is processing?

[mb3 0]

It's quite feasible to talk my boss into letting me work from the US for a few months, possibly even indefinitely depending on how it goes with me working from a different location. It's just me and him running this studio so I'm not sure how well he'd do without me, lmao Won't know until I ask, though! My fiance and I are both tech-heads so we've been putting together a bit of a plan as to how that would all work, just a matter of trying to explain it all to my pretty technologically-unadvanced boss...

Thank you, I thought so too. My fiance is divorced and really doesn't want the headache/heartache/empty wallet of going through another divorce (and we were friends during the divorce so I heard all the horror stories... does NOT sound fun...) so we would LIKE to try to play it safe and make sure we work out well together for extended periods of time... we've visited 7 times total now for 1-2 weeks at a time and that works GREAT but yeah, living together full time is completely different.

I'm assuming you visited while your k-1 was processing? Did you get any ####### at the border crossing? How long did you stay per trip? Sorry for all the questions, haha! Trying to figure out possibilities, I'd *like* to move/take an extended trip by the end of summer. Two years of long disance wears on a person.

We were engaged, but didn't file until October of last year (after I had spent 5 months total there)...which will probably sound backwards to some people here, but it worked for us. As you said, day to day living with someone is MUCH different than spending a week or two at a time, when you're both making the most of your limited time together.

I spent varying amounts of time in the US...6 weeks there, home for 2, etc. The longest stretch was August to October. I didn't have any issues at the border, but years of crossing the border has taught me to answer only the questions I've been asked (ie don't volunteer any unneccessary, or leading information) and to answer simply and honestly.

I'm sure there are people on here who might disagree about how we went about it, but this has worked for us. Good luck!

[Tuatha 0]

I crossed monthly from NS to DC and never asked for proof of ties to Canada, BUT one should always have it on you. The onus is on YOU to prove that you are going to return to Canada, and even with 100% proof that ur going to return, the POE officer doesn't have to let you in! Only people that have a RIGHT to enter the USA is USA citizens!

Saskatoon is 1 of the nicest cities in my opinion,lol Regina, too dirty and my home town of PA, has gone way down hill! I like the small towns, nice and everyone is friendly

Yeah, I'm definitely going to start bringing more proof of ties to Canada on future trips... better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it!

I don't really care much for Regina either, why do you think I want out of here so bad? Haha, kidding. Well, only slightly. If I hadn't met my fiance I wouldn't have ended up staying in SK regardless.

[Tuatha 0]

We were engaged, but didn't file until October of last year (after I had spent 5 months total there)...which will probably sound backwards to some people here, but it worked for us. As you said, day to day living with someone is MUCH different than spending a week or two at a time, when you're both making the most of your limited time together.

I spent varying amounts of time in the US...6 weeks there, home for 2, etc. The longest stretch was August to October. I didn't have any issues at the border, but years of crossing the border has taught me to answer only the questions I've been asked (ie don't volunteer any unneccessary, or leading information) and to answer simply and honestly.

I'm sure there are people on here who might disagree about how we went about it, but this has worked for us. Good luck!

Hey, whatever works, right?

Exactly, spending more than two weeks together gives you more time to slip up off your best behaviour, haha

I'm not super chatty in person so that's probably worked out in my favour so far at the border, but I'll keep that in mind next time I cross. Which will be in a couple of weeks... driving over the border by myself to fly out from ND because it's cheaper, crossing my fingers I don't get any flack this time :/ Drove down with my mom and sister last time and we didn't run into any trouble but me driving over by myself may look a little more suspicious, eep.

Thanks, good luck to you too!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Canadians Visiting the USA while undergoing the visa process, my free advice:

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer

2) Be confident in ur replies

3) keep ur response short and to the point, don't tell ur life story!!

4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!

5) Pack light! No job resumes with you

6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)

7) Always be polite, being rude isn't going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!!

8) Have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didn't lie! Refer to #1

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I'm 100% with Flames - honesty is the best policy, I think you've gotten enough responses here to know that you can't just 'move down' for a long visit. If you so much as look like you have more then the usual luggage and look like you're moving that is grounds for Mr Cheery Border gal/guy to deny you and that is not what you want to happen.

Many of us would have liked to live together but in a cross-border romance it just isn't possible.....conversation with your fiancé is your best avenue to ensure you've discussed the big topics and the not so common ones to . I'm sure you speak daily like most of us so those 7 visits really mean much more when you think of how long you've talked with one another.

Good luck (don't forget to talk about how you'll handle being homesick and how he can be prepared to help you through it - its a big topic even for Cdns)

Edited May 21, 2012 by Udella&Wiz

[Tuatha 0]

I'm 100% with Flames - honesty is the best policy, I think you've gotten enough responses here to know that you can't just 'move down' for a long visit. If you so much as look like you have more then the usual luggage and look like you're moving that is grounds for Mr Cheery Border gal/guy to deny you and that is not what you want to happen.

Many of us would have liked to live together but in a cross-border romance it just isn't possible.....conversation with your fiancé is your best avenue to ensure you've discussed the big topics and the not so common ones to . I'm sure you speak daily like most of us so those 7 visits really mean much more when you think of how long you've talked with one another.

Good luck (don't forget to talk about how you'll handle being homesick and how he can be prepared to help you through it - its a big topic even for Cdns)

Yeah, I was being a little hopeful when I asked the question in the first place, I kind of figured I knew what the answer would be. I discussed it with my fiance a bit last night and I think if I can figure something out with my boss we're just going to try for an extended vacation, 3 months sounds like it'd be easiest instead of trying to get a visitor visa at the border for 6 months. By the time I go down for 3 months or so *hopefully* our visa process will be half over and I'll just have to come back to Canada to tie up any loose ends and do my interview and that sort of thing.

Yup, we text on and off throughout the day and almost every night we're on webcam, haha

We've been discussing the whole moving topic for quite some time (though not until recently we were *seriously* discussing it, before it was more of a "if you move down" type of thing, now it's "when") and we've discussed the homesickness a bit. He's told me he feels bad about me moving down and leaving everything behind, but who knows, maybe we'll both end up back in Canada at some point

Edit: I noticed in your member info that you're in VA, that's also where I'm headed! Small world

Edited May 21, 2012 by Tuatha

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Yeah, I was being a little hopeful when I asked the question in the first place, I kind of figured I knew what the answer would be. I discussed it with my fiance a bit last night and I think if I can figure something out with my boss we're just going to try for an extended vacation, 3 months sounds like it'd be easiest instead of trying to get a visitor visa at the border for 6 months. By the time I go down for 3 months or so *hopefully* our visa process will be half over and I'll just have to come back to Canada to tie up any loose ends and do my interview and that sort of thing.

Yup, we text on and off throughout the day and almost every night we're on webcam, haha

We've been discussing the whole moving topic for quite some time (though not until recently we were *seriously* discussing it, before it was more of a "if you move down" type of thing, now it's "when") and we've discussed the homesickness a bit. He's told me he feels bad about me moving down and leaving everything behind, but who knows, maybe we'll both end up back in Canada at some point

Edit: I noticed in your member info that you're in VA, that's also where I'm headed! Small world

Yepper - Centreville VA, just outside DC...where are you headed? I am from Kitchener ON orginally.

[Tuatha 0]

Yepper - Centreville VA, just outside DC...where are you headed? I am from Kitchener ON orginally.

Headed to Hampton Roads area about an hour or so ish away from Virginia Beach. We went up to DC on one of my trips down, actually. I think it was about a 3 1/2 hour drive or something. Hampton roads is so HUGE, huge culture shock for me when I went there the first time, being from Regina SK, haha. I already told my fiance when I move he's going to have to get me a good GPS because I'll be so hopeless there without one.