Hi! Canada wanting to move to US :)

[NikLR 13,227]

Seun&Nicole

You misunderstand. What Canadians get is the equivalent of a B2 visa without having to apply for a B2 visa. If we ever do have our passports stamped, the CBP often write "B2" in the visa category.

Now the OP may take a recreational course that is short and limited in hours, but I am unsure if they can take vocational training or on the length and duration the course may be.

Either way, being a registered Dental Hygienist in the USA is moot as it's not either an H1B or TN visa vocation that I can discern. So why be certified in the USA for a work visa that will never happen unless there is marriage in the future?

Beyond marriage or an engagement, the best the OP can hope for, that I can think of, is visiting for extended periods of time in both directions. I highly suggest saving, taking a sabbatical from work, and spending 180 days per person in each other's countries as visitors. This will give you approximately a year of living together. Living and working together in the USA is completely limited to fiance and spousal visas. In Canada, however, common-law is also allowed and living together for 1 year qualifies as common-law.

My husband and I looked at it extensively before we were married. We also did not want to rush into marriage. I guess it rushed into us instead.

Edited June 2, 2014 by NLR

[Gillian+Mike 6]

Thanks for all of your information everyone. So...I am unable to get a Visa whatsoever under my job as a dental hygienist because it is not on those lists? I thought I fell under the E3 category-Skilled workers. As I required 2 years of education in my field. Maybe I am understanding this incorrectly. Darn. It is so discouraging that this seems an impossible route to go...

[Lainie B 465]

Thanks for all of your information everyone. So...I am unable to get a Visa whatsoever under my job as a dental hygienist because it is not on those lists? I thought I fell under the E3 category-Skilled workers. As I required 2 years of education in my field. Maybe I am understanding this incorrectly. Darn. It is so discouraging that this seems an impossible route to

Edited June 2, 2014 by Lainie B

[Teddy B 17,252]

lilg540,

I agree with NLR that there really is no avenue for you to study and then work in the US in your field without obtaining either a fiance or marriage visa. Unfortunately a tourist visa does not allow for any studies over 18 hours of class time per week and the type of study must be of a recreational nature like a cooking class, it cannot be used for professional reasons.

If your field of expertise is not on the list of TN or H1B jobs, then unfortunately you will not qualify for a work visa either.

The E3 visa is for Australian citizens.

There is a lot of confusing information in this thread. I suggest you post future questions in the Canada sub-forum, you will get more in-depth advice from your fellow Canadians and folks who have been through what you are going through now. Canada is different from any other country in regards to tourism and working in the US.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/93-canada/

[Rob & Monika 87]

What does your man do for a living? I know a couple that spends time in both countries together, as both are able to telecommute. Though I think that will be hard to pull off as a hygienist. One thing I would think about is health care. Once you move to the US, you are no longer eligible for provincial health care. If you aren't married and on his insurance, you would have to maintain your own career and insurance as well, which can be a scary thought for many Canadians that are used to the provincial system.

Personally, I think the distance helps. You can get to know someone better through lots of phone conversations without all the physical expectations. It can be hard but I think it's a lot easier to end a relationship if your not living together if you start to feel this isn't right. If you are committed enough to him to move to another country for him, then marriage is the only visa. Ultimately your immigration IS for a man, not for a job, whether you can get a work visa or not. I thought it was funny how you used to term "traditional" but described the modern relationship. K-1 is the traditional way to go. If you live together before marriage...the marriage itself is just paper, just a formality. That's my opinion at least, I've done both.

[GandD 5,966]

Thanks for all of your information everyone. So...I am unable to get a Visa whatsoever under my job as a dental hygienist because it is not on those lists? I thought I fell under the E3 category-Skilled workers. As I required 2 years of education in my field. Maybe I am understanding this incorrectly. Darn. It is so discouraging that this seems an impossible route to go...

Ah, but you have come to the correct place. Many of us, including my wife and me, are living proof that it is not impossible! NLR and the others are correct, you'll likely not have any route for permanent residence without marriage. But you make take solace in the fact that visiting back and forth between the US and Canada is quite easy compared to what folks from other countries have to go through. If you are not in a place in your relationship where you feel comfortable getting engaged, try out the long distance/occasional visit method. It does suck but it will be worth it if it works out. Also, keep in mind that if you decide to go the K-1 route, it will cost some decent money and take close to a year before you can enter the US from the date you submit the application. Good luck!

[Cathi 5,748]

A US dentist would have to be willing you to sponsor you and pay the visa expenses, and then prove that he/she is unable to find a qualified US citizen hygienist to fill said position. A virtual impossibility. I am a dental hygienist and there are many qualified US citizens to fill these jobs in the US. Your boyfriend either has to file 129f for a k-1 on your behalf and then you will have to marry within 90 days of entering the US, or marry now and have him file an i-130 for cr1 visa.

A work visa just isn't an option for a dental hygienist.

[chiggins82 88]

Hi Lilg540,

I was in a similar scenario. My boyfriend and I wanted to live together first. I looked all over the web for options and like you, I don't qualify for the skilled worker visa. I also met with a lawyer to ask many questions. In the end, our options were to either have me go to the US on the K-1 or have him move to Canada on a work visa and then decide next steps later. The immigration lawyer told me that even though I have 7 yrs experience in my field of project management, the US immigration, I am no more special than a fast food worker... (nice eh?)

For us, we decided that K-1 was best.

You should have a good and long discussion about your options and if you are really confused, it may not hurt to talk to Lawyer (will cost you though and they will tell you basically what you are seeing here). If it is an option for him to come to Canada for a bit so you both can live together and see if it will work, you might want to think about it. Canada is pretty good with work visas. If that is not an option you should take some time to really talk about this... with each other and maybe family and friends. It is a big decision and it can be scary and stressful. In the end, you will know what is best for you.

Completely recommend what others have. Search on here for info and elsewhere (USCIS, Canada government page etc). The search on here works really well. Tons of message threads and they will answer most if not all of your questions.

Best of luck!

[ricnally 258]

I was in your shoes, looking and looking for a way to come and spend some time to see if it was "real". Finally, I did find a visa and came for 18 months (foreign media I visa). We were quite sure we were in it for the long haul, but still REALLY didn't want to get married (both of us had had bad divorces). In the end, it was the ONLY way to be together permanently. Interestingly, while I was considering all this, I was working in Canada with 3 people who were married to foreign spouses--one American, one French, and one Australian. They all said the same thing, and that was that they probably wouldn't have gotten married but it was the only way to be together in each other's country.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Yes - it kind of sucks to realize that immigration does not make cross border romances easy. Many Canadians mistakenly assume it will be easy because you know - the US and Canada are friends, right? Just not when it comes to immigration related topics....the same rules apply to anyone trying to emigrate to the US. No easy pass for Canadians

Years ago i think it was very easy to just move down but gone are those days (thank the terrorists along with the government)....you'll always meeting some Canadian who says ..."My aunt Matilda just moved across the borderblah blah blah......yeeaaah, not without her paperwork she didn't...but most folks don't understand.

[Kiwinyc 62]

On the other side of the coin, you might want to ask yourself, do you want to go all the effort of moving countries to be with someone that doesn't have to do dot to get you here?

Instead you have to make all the effort and take all the risk.

I could have returned to the US via an H1B (I've held 2 in the past) but when I thought about it I wanted my fiance to step up and declare a commitment to me before I made the amount of (emotional and financial) effort I was going to have to go through to return here. From an emotional point of view I didn't need to get married again either, (second time for both of us) and neither of us liked having the US government dictate the timing of our commitment to each other. But being 'forced' to do so via a K1 meant he was required to invest fully in his commitment to getting me here, making the pull for me to come, and my willingness to move, more 'equal' and fair.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

You said in your original post that you wanted to have a traditional courtship and to be married on your own terms.

I wanted the same thing

Needless to say immigration does not ask us what we want. We play by their rules. I'm sorry that your plan will not work, it is a tough realization for most of us. We are here to help you through the immigrant procedures if you decide to follow that path

good luck

[chiggins82 88]

Kiwinyc makes a good point. By forcing you to make these big decisions, it forces you to put some effort into making the commitment. I honestly believe that our relationship is much stronger as a result. It also gives you plenty of time to think about it through the process.

But at least they have the K-1 Visa.. otherwise you have to wait even longer (Canada and US spousal visas)... That is a bright side I think....

You could look into student visa options more (you had mentioned something about that)... I couldn't afford it and didn't have any education I wanted to take, but that could be worth looking into a bit more. I believe you need to show that you have the funds not only to pay for the education, but your living expenses with the application... and you cannot work. (Don't trust me on that, check into it yourself).

[Krikit 1,164]

Post violating the following item under Terms of Service has been removed. Post quoting it has been returned, below.

You will not:

Condone or instruct, either directly or indirectly, others on how to commit fraudulent or illegal immigration activities in any way, shape, manner or method.

You have a number of things confused, but as it is a topic that causes issues here I will leave it at that.

Canadians have many advantages.

I think the OP was thinking of EB3 not E3.

Definitely a number of things confused.

[Gillian+Mike 6]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I appreciate it! Still confused but learning a lot. I guess I will decide on another route to take- in time haha. for now I guess we will just keep visiting each other. Hopefully I will go down there for a few months and live with him and then we can decide where to go from there. I realize the only way I can go about this is through marriage- which I DO want to marry him I just wanted to go about it a different way, just my preference. Wanted to be as "normal" as possible. lol. But this is not normal thanks everyone.