Yes, you can visit!

[missile 6]

On 8/14/2020 at 7:52 PM, Rlewis said:

I know this is a pretty old topic, but I want to add my two cents. I am canadian! 
 

I’ve had over 20 visits with my USC partner over the last 2 years alone, and I’ve never had any issues crossing the border into the states. Sometimes the border officer is a little more inquisitive like how we met, what I do for work and if I can afford to be away long (my stays are usually 2 weeks or so). Other than that, I was never denied. Even when I flew to see him this July. 
 

I just have to return home and quarantine, of course

Hey Rlewis, same boat as you! Planning to fly to California in Nov from Ontario. Hopefully won't have any issues (first time flying since applying for fiance visa/covid times).

[Rlewis 73]

1 hour ago, missile said:

Hey Rlewis, same boat as you! Planning to fly to California in Nov from Ontario. Hopefully won't have any issues (first time flying since applying for fiance visa/covid times).

Hi Missile!

I recently returned from my visit to my fiance in July until mid August. My K1 process is awaiting new interview date at Montreal. I had no issues crossing the border or returning! We are planning for me to visit much longer (5+ months) while waiting for the K1 to pick back up again. I'm sure there will be no issues in November

[missile 6]

1 minute ago, Rlewis said:

Hi Missile!

I recently returned from my visit to my fiance in July until mid August. My K1 process is awaiting new interview date at Montreal. I had no issues crossing the border or returning! We are planning for me to visit much longer (5+ months) while waiting for the K1 to pick back up again. I'm sure there will be no issues in November

Good news for you i think, i was just checking the montreal consulate and it seems that they resumed limited services for K1, which is still better than being closed like before! When did you apply? I applied back in July (NOA1 mid july) so now it's just a waiting game...

[Rlewis 73]

1 hour ago, missile said:

Good news for you i think, i was just checking the montreal consulate and it seems that they resumed limited services for K1, which is still better than being closed like before! When did you apply? I applied back in July (NOA1 mid july) so now it's just a waiting game...

Oh where did you see they are resuming K1? I saw they were resuming Spouse/Children so I only assumed CR1/IR1. I applied since last year but got my notice to book an interview in Nov2019. Had some work in the way that I couldn't book an interview until March 18 this year which was cancelled due to covid. 

[missile 6]

1 minute ago, Rlewis said:

Oh where did you see they are resuming K1? I saw they were resuming Spouse/Children so I only assumed CR1/IR1. I applied since last year but got my notice to book an interview in Nov2019. Had some work in the way that I couldn't book an interview until March 18 this year which was cancelled due to covid. 

This link here! 

When you travelled at the border, do they ask the same questions as before you applied the K1? Everytime they just ask me who i'm seeing or what i do for a living. Just wondering if the line of questioning changes after applying for k1.

[Rlewis 73]

Just now, missile said:

This link here! 

When you travelled at the border, do they ask the same questions as before you applied the K1? Everytime they just ask me who i'm seeing or what i do for a living. Just wondering if the line of questioning changes after applying for k1.

Thanks

 

As for questions they've never asked me anything about my K1 process. Before we were engaged I would say 'Visiting my boyfriend' and then after I would say 'Visiting my fiance'. Most of the time its questions of "Why are you going" "When are you returning" and that's that. But sometimes they may pry a bit more, I had that happen maybe twice? Where they ask how we met, how long we have been together, how do I afford to be off for long periods of time. But I was never denied entry. I don't know if the system flags us for being K1 applicants but I've never had any differing questions. In fact I got asked more questions before we got engaged!

 

This most recent trip I was only asked where, how long and when the date of my return is. It felt as if the agent just wanted me out of the way haha

[Limey 551]

17 hours ago, missile said:

This link here! 

When you travelled at the border, do they ask the same questions as before you applied the K1? Everytime they just ask me who i'm seeing or what i do for a living. Just wondering if the line of questioning changes after applying for k1.

As far as I'm aware the border agent can't see that you've applied for a k1. So the questions you get asked (if any) will be the same as before you'd applied.

 

Questioning is more likely to change because they see multiple/regular visits. If you do get any problems (eg if you mention you're visiting fiance and they seem uneasy with that) its good to mention that you know the restrictions about entering on a tourist visa and that you have a k1 in process (have your NOA1 etc with you to prove this if asked). Showing that you've every intention of doing things the right way generally defuses problems at the border. Very few on here have had problems traveling during the k1 process (aside from covid issues, obviously).

[LibertyBears 22]

Hi guys, (I apologise for this ending up so long, Long story short: I visited twice and pulled into secondary second time Dec 2019. want to visit again in september 2020)

 

Just wanted to give people some insight and share my past border entry experiences, I fly with ESTA 
First time to USA was to visit my then boyfriend(now fiance) for 3 months.

CBP agent asked me few normal questions such as 
Had I been to USA before? No
how long you staying? 3 months

why 3 months? because it's my first time here and I want to explore as much as I can 

visit some different states and that? yeh couple of road trips hopefully 

smiled and stamped and let through very quickly

 

second visit, I waited just a little over 3 months and booked a 2 month return ticket (fiance proposed on this trip! )

I was brought into secondary this time round (at first i thought it was because they thought i was overstaying, but then I realised it was because they thought i might have been illegally working)

CBP agent stamped my passport first whilst asking why are you here? to spend christmas and new years vacation here 

who are you visiting? my boyfriend

to which he raised his eyebrows and said boyfriend? how long are you staying?  2 months

you been to USA before? yes

when? summer this year

for how long? just under 3 months

he starts checking stuff and then says i have to be brought into secondary, i asked him if I was in trouble or something and he remained cheery and said it's just procedure because ESTA is a little fragile with long stays and they just need to check stuff and I should be fine. I told him that I read that 90 days is fine as long as I don't go over 90 and as long as i spend over 90 out the country. and he said that it would have been better if I waited a little longer like 6-7 months. 

In secondary, i was sh--tting myself. 

I was the only one there so I was brought up pretty quick 

There were two officers and one officer in the back who turned up and made it obvious he was bored and wanted to see what they were up to (I literally heard him say oooo what have we got here I'm going to stay and watch you guys) .........

I got called him and they asked me the same questions 

how long are you staying here? 2 months

and who are you visiting? my boyfriend

how long has he lived here? forever, he was born in america

how are you here for 3 months? whats your job? I'm unemployed

then they started to bombard me with questions, this is from memory as best as i can but they repeated quite a few of them and tried to backtrack a few to see if I would stumble I guess

so how can you support yourself here? I have 3k cash on me and 7k available in bank

what was your previous job? I've never had a job

but where do you get that money if you're unemployed? my mum gives me money

what does your mum do ? -mum's occupation-

why don't you get a job? I don't want to work

but why not? I don't know I just never wanted to work  

but you don't have any money whilst you're here so how you going to pay for yourself? i do.. i just told you i have around 10k available funds for this trip... 

where did that come from? my mother...

but how do you know you don't want a job if you've never had one? it took me 5 years to try to complete uni and 3 years to do one year of uni and I still failed that year so I don't want to work I couldn't even get through uni 

but your mother doesn't have any money so how can she give you money? yes she does...she sold her house previously so she has lots of savings  

ok your boyfriend, what does he do? -boyfriends job-

and he pays for you? we try to split it 50/50 

don't you feel at your age you should be working? yes i know... that's what my grandma says too...

and then the lady officer just suddenly stopped and stared at me for a bit semi frowning and told me to sit back down and wait 

then ended up asking for my boyfriends phone number and walked to another room and called him to corroborate my story. 

they asked him if i had a job and he said no 

they asked him if he paid for me completely here and he said jokingly yes most of the times to be honest

they asked him how do i have money? and he said he knew i had savings

 

they came back and explained that I shouldn't stay so long next time

I said I didn't realise it was a problem because I read up on the CBP website that its allowed 90 days stay maximum each stay and is valid for re-use for 2 years 
She gave me back my passport and tells me that ESTA is a very sensitive program and that 2 months isn't a visit and I should wait much longer and maybe come back in 2 years time (2 years???? my ESTA will have run out by then)
but I say oh. . . . . . . 2 years?.... and she then tells me : or next time you can try to apply for B2 tourist visa or the K1 fiance visa if you want to live her permenantly
to which i shook my head and laughed noo I'm not planning to do that (at the time was not engaged or thinking about that)

and to that I say .. ok..  I'm free to go now? 

and she says yes next time be more careful with your times 

I knew I had a huge risk with the long trips being unemployed and I can see now looking back that they were definitely probing me, I was confused why they kept repeating questions at the time

But I stayed calm on the exterior throughout it, simply told the truth and acted really confused by everything 

I checked my entry with FOIA and they wrote down in the notes : Subject is here for vacation to stay with her boyfriend. Subjects boyfriend was contacted who is a _______ and verified that subject was not engaging in unauthorized employment. Subject does not work and does not study, support by her mother who is a ________ Subject was warned about her previous stays and to not work in the united states with her esta. no further issues admitted WT. 

So they were mainly suspicious of me working with ESTA which I had zero intention of doing

 

I haven't visited since then which was March.

We have since filed for K1 in July and I'm planning to visit my fiance for 3 weeks this time in September (6 months gap) as I want to spend my birthday with him 

I am a little worried though due to my last secondary screening..

but I feel like as long as I tell the truth , they don't have any grounds to deny me? ( I like to believe they are usually fair and just doing their job, but the one or two cases I read about coerced or forced denials scare me,  especially now I have K1 that can be used against me for overstay on top on their last suspicions of me working)  

If they do deny my entry though it means we both cannot see each other at all until K1 is processed as I will not be able to use ESTA again and he cannot leave due to work

Edited August 22, 2020 by LibertyBears

[Boiler 45,387]

They do not need grounds to deny you.

 

Do you have a job now?

[LibertyBears 22]

24 minutes ago, Boiler said:

They do not need grounds to deny you.

 

Do you have a job now?

No 

[Boiler 45,387]

Let us know what happens.

[pooj97 89]

On 8/19/2020 at 4:25 PM, Rlewis said:

Hi Missile!

I recently returned from my visit to my fiance in July until mid August. My K1 process is awaiting new interview date at Montreal. I had no issues crossing the border or returning! We are planning for me to visit much longer (5+ months) while waiting for the K1 to pick back up again. I'm sure there will be no issues in November

Hi RLewis! When you went to visit your fiance, what did they ask you? Any Covid related questions? Did you fly from Pearson? My fiance is coming from Toronto on Tuesday and I'm super nervous about him getting denied. He came to visit previously in march for a week where he was asked more questions than usual but didn't get asked for proof. This time though, he's visiting for 3 weeks and since he lives with his parents and is self-employed, doesn't have a lease or employment letter. He will be bringing his car insurance and car loan forms, phone bill, return ticket, and our NOA2 so hopefully that's enough.

 

Also when you returned to Canada, how was it? What did they ask related to the quarantine? 

[Rlewis 73]

29 minutes ago, pooj97 said:

Hi RLewis! When you went to visit your fiance, what did they ask you? Any Covid related questions? Did you fly from Pearson? My fiance is coming from Toronto on Tuesday and I'm super nervous about him getting denied. He came to visit previously in march for a week where he was asked more questions than usual but didn't get asked for proof. This time though, he's visiting for 3 weeks and since he lives with his parents and is self-employed, doesn't have a lease or employment letter. He will be bringing his car insurance and car loan forms, phone bill, return ticket, and our NOA2 so hopefully that's enough.

 

Also when you returned to Canada, how was it? What did they ask related to the quarantine? 

I go through Vancouver for all my border crossings (He’s in west coast state, makes more sense  ). They asked me three things when I flew on July 1st

1. Where are you heading? (Final destination New Mexico)

2. Why are you going? (Visiting my fiancé I haven’t seen since February)

3. When will you return? (About a month, August 3rd. 
 

The officer clicked a few more things on his screen and told me to go on my way. I’ve had very few instances where they asked me a lot of questions (my stay was never more than 2 weeks before this last visit). If they do inquire more it’s “how’d you meet?” “How do you afford to be away long?” 
 

No covid related questions for this last visit, and the last time I did fly through Pearson they also asked me a lot of questions.

 

As for return the Canadian border officer simply asked “why were you gone?” And reminded me that I have to quarantine the moment I get to my residence. For the most part the machines tell/ ask everything you need to know, plus he has to download the app called ArriveCAN and fill that out on his way back home, it’ll keep track of him and his quarantine as well as they will call to check on him and make sure he is quarantine.

 

hope that helps!

[pooj97 89]

2 hours ago, Rlewis said:

I go through Vancouver for all my border crossings (He’s in west coast state, makes more sense  ). They asked me three things when I flew on July 1st

1. Where are you heading? (Final destination New Mexico)

2. Why are you going? (Visiting my fiancé I haven’t seen since February)

3. When will you return? (About a month, August 3rd. 
 

The officer clicked a few more things on his screen and told me to go on my way. I’ve had very few instances where they asked me a lot of questions (my stay was never more than 2 weeks before this last visit). If they do inquire more it’s “how’d you meet?” “How do you afford to be away long?” 
 

No covid related questions for this last visit, and the last time I did fly through Pearson they also asked me a lot of questions.

 

As for return the Canadian border officer simply asked “why were you gone?” And reminded me that I have to quarantine the moment I get to my residence. For the most part the machines tell/ ask everything you need to know, plus he has to download the app called ArriveCAN and fill that out on his way back home, it’ll keep track of him and his quarantine as well as they will call to check on him and make sure he is quarantine.

 

hope that helps!

Perfect, yes it does! Thank you. 

[willygoeswrong 5]

Hey,  just created this account, this website seems pretty useful regarding updates on visas and all of this stuff. 
Are there any other countries that have reopened the interviews for k-1 visas? I've heard about Poland and that's it for now. 
We are currently waiting for Moscow embassy to reopen, they are not providing any info at all. Have you guys heard any rumors about the reopening date? 
Also, does anybody know if the  NVC expedite for k-1 visa will work, especially now? We've listed financial hardship as the reason for request. 
This whole virus thing sucks so much, i can't wait for it to be over ;(