Questions about traveling to the US while DQ'ed

[ConsistentCut 17]

I am a Canadian being sponsored by my American wife for a GC. She is currently with me in Canada, and works remotely. We are planning on driving to the US for a short vacation in early July to camp and visit her parents. I was recently documentarily qualified about a week ago. I have a mortgage and utility bills as well as other financial ties to Canada (stocks), but I am currently between jobs. Understandably, I don't want to do anything to risk my green card application. If anyone can answer these, it'd be much appreciated:

 

1) How important is a current job to your ability to get in? Are a mortgage and other financial ties usually good enough?

2) If I am denied at the border, will it affect my green card process or interview questions?

3) If I am denied, how do I answer the question about being denied entry at the interview since the answer to that will have changed (or will it?) since the application was filed?

4) In your opinion, would it be better to forego the vacation in order to make these last steps go more smoothly?

5) I'm considering driving to the interview in Montreal, and was hoping to pass through some states on the way, including visiting Chicago since I've never been there. Same questions above.

 

Many thanks for any input/feedback you can offer me.

[Crazy Cat 41,851]

1.  A job is pretty important....A mortgage can be paid from anywhere in the world.

2.  No

3.  You answer Yes

4.  I see no issue in entering the US for a vacation.   Just be prepared to show them ties and the intent to obtain a visa for living in the US.

5.  Why?  Return to Canada before the interview....

Edited June 25, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[ClemsonC 62]

3 hours ago, ConsistentCut said:

I am a Canadian being sponsored by my American wife for a GC. She is currently with me in Canada, and works remotely. We are planning on driving to the US for a short vacation in early July to camp and visit her parents. I was recently documentarily qualified about a week ago. I have a mortgage and utility bills as well as other financial ties to Canada (stocks), but I am currently between jobs. Understandably, I don't want to do anything to risk my green card application. If anyone can answer these, it'd be much appreciated:

 

1) How important is a current job to your ability to get in? Are a mortgage and other financial ties usually good enough?

2) If I am denied at the border, will it affect my green card process or interview questions?

3) If I am denied, how do I answer the question about being denied entry at the interview since the answer to that will have changed (or will it?) since the application was filed?

4) In your opinion, would it be better to forego the vacation in order to make these last steps go more smoothly?

5) I'm considering driving to the interview in Montreal, and was hoping to pass through some states on the way, including visiting Chicago since I've never been there. Same questions above.

 

Many thanks for any input/feedback you can offer me.

We went to the US last month as my husband had to go in for work and brought a uhaul trailer with us with some of his belongings in preparation for our move. 
 

I brought a ton of evidence showing we are doing this the legal way and that I was coming back. The only thing they asked me is where I work and if the kids were coming back to school in Canada until the visas were approved.
 

But I gave them a stack of stuff to be well prepared. I brought a letter from work with my return date; mortgage documents, I left my car at the airport so I could fly back with the kids so I had the parking slip with me, and I brought ALL our visa document paperwork with us to show, and our return plane tickets for the kids and me. 
 

They were great and gave no issues with it all saying it’s better to be over prepared than under  They gave me some reminders to not sell my house before my interview date, etc.

[ConsistentCut 17]

On 6/25/2022 at 1:01 PM, Crazy Cat said:

1.  A job is pretty important....A mortgage can be paid from anywhere in the world.

2.  No

3.  You answer Yes

4.  I see no issue in entering the US for a vacation.   Just be prepared to show them ties and the intent to obtain a visa for living in the US.

5.  Why?  Return to Canada before the interview....

Thanks for your reply. It confuses me a little, though. A job is pretty important, but there is no issue with a vacation, but prepare to show them ties? What ties other than a mortgage, utility bills can I give? Please understand the reason I am asking all this is I don't want to do anything that hurts my chances of getting a green card this far along. I've heard of people getting 5 year bans for not showing evidence of strong ties.

 

 

 

[ConsistentCut 17]

On 6/25/2022 at 2:07 PM, ClemsonC said:

We went to the US last month as my husband had to go in for work and brought a uhaul trailer with us with some of his belongings in preparation for our move. 
 

I brought a ton of evidence showing we are doing this the legal way and that I was coming back. The only thing they asked me is where I work and if the kids were coming back to school in Canada until the visas were approved.
 

But I gave them a stack of stuff to be well prepared. I brought a letter from work with my return date; mortgage documents, I left my car at the airport so I could fly back with the kids so I had the parking slip with me, and I brought ALL our visa document paperwork with us to show, and our return plane tickets for the kids and me. 
 

They were great and gave no issues with it all saying it’s better to be over prepared than under  They gave me some reminders to not sell my house before my interview date, etc.

Ya I might have a job OFFER by the time we decide to go. Maybe that will help. Otherwise, I dunno if I should risk it? I don't want even a slight chance of anything screwing up my chances this far along. Maybe I'm worrying too much though.

[ClemsonC 62]

2 minutes ago, ConsistentCut said:

Ya I might have a job OFFER by the time we decide to go. Maybe that will help. Otherwise, I dunno if I should risk it? I don't want even a slight chance of anything screwing up my chances this far along. Maybe I'm worrying too much though.

Do you have a job right now? That will be a huge question they will ask you at the border 

[ConsistentCut 17]

1 minute ago, ClemsonC said:

Do you have a job right now? That will be a huge question they will ask you at the border 

As I mentioned in the initial post, no.

[Mozillaman 7]

In my experience being DQ'ed and being up front that you have a visa in process itself is a pretty strong tie. You've spent a tonne of time and money on the application at this point and you intend to see it through. When I visited the US during my CR-1 visa application I did so with Nexus and so rarely was asked anything, but when I was I'd say "I'm currently applying for a CR-1 visa, and it just got documentarily approved 2 weeks ago (or whatever the latest progress was) and there's probably only about 4 months of waiting left", they'd usually offer congrats on the progress before waving me through.

[ConsistentCut 17]

Just to let everyone know, I successfully traveled on vacation in July. The border guards didn't ask me much of anything about anything. They asked me where I was going and for how long and sent me on my way. Can't wait for the application to be done so we can finally move there!

[Idlewild 26]

2 hours ago, ConsistentCut said:

Just to let everyone know, I successfully traveled on vacation in July. The border guards didn't ask me much of anything about anything. They asked me where I was going and for how long and sent me on my way. Can't wait for the application to be done so we can finally move there!

Just curious - did you use NEXUS and/or a NEXUS only crossing?  I find the NEXUS only crossings, such as the Whirlpool Bridge, are staffed with easier-going agents...particularly compared to busier crossings like the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

[ConsistentCut 17]

16 minutes ago, Idlewild said:

Just curious - did you use NEXUS and/or a NEXUS only crossing?  I find the NEXUS only crossings, such as the Whirlpool Bridge, are staffed with easier-going agents...particularly compared to busier crossings like the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

No, regular crossing at Yahk/Kingsgate

Edited August 4, 2022 by ConsistentCut