Canadian visiting a J-1 husband while applying for J-2

[Chris_ 0]

I am a Canadian graduate student in the US with a J-1 visa. My fiancee is also Canadian, but she is currently residing in Canada until we get married next year. She will be applying for a J-2 once we get married in order to move to the US with me.

In Ontario (where we are getting married) there is typically a 12 week delay between the actual marriage ceremony and the time we receive the marriage certificate, which is needed for the J-2 interview. I would prefer not to be separated from my wife for the 12 weeks following my wedding, so my question is whether she can come to visit me in the US while the supporting documents for the J-2 are being processed.

I know that most of the time a visa is not required for a Canadian to visit someone in the US, but I have heard that there are exceptions. Normally when you are just visiting the US you can provide proof that you are going back to live in your home country, but I'm not sure how this works if her intent is to apply for a J-2 once we receive the marriage certificate.