Hi

I am hoping to come to canada for 6 months. I am coming from the uk and was wandering if anyone knew what i would likely face from the immigration?

I know i have to bring enough money to prove i can support myself, i will be staying with my girlfriend who is a canadian citizen.

If anyone has done this trip before i would be very grateful to hear about what type of questions i am likely to get asked

Ive not done 6mths, but when we first visited in 2006, we stayed with our cousin for 3 weeks. The customs lady took us to one side and asked us lota of questions. Incl why no hotel, who is cousin you speak of, what he address, tel number, how much muny you got, how long he live here. We was a bit pissed off and very tired to be honest but waited calmly and after 20 mins or so we got through.

I came out for 6 weeks in July 2010, and then three weeks back in the UK, and back out again for 6 months at the end of Sept. Both times I had prepared and with me (just in case!) a print out of bank statements showing I had money to support myself. The question I got asked both times was whether I had a job to go back to in the UK, the truth was I'd given my job up in the UK to come and live with my Canadian boyfriend, but I didn't say that, just said I was unemployed but that I had funds to support myself, and then I told them how much. I reached for the information in my folder, but neither time did they want to see it - just took my word for it. Even on shorter visits they asked me who I was staying with, who was he, name and address, so I made sure I had those memorised - the first time when we were 'just friends' I hadn't a clue, so made a point of remembering it the next. They did ask on the Sept visit, why it was so long, and did I always visit for long periods. I told them truthfully I wanted to spend time with my boyfriend and that this was the first lengthy visit, and it was - all my other visits had been no more than 2 weeks at a time, aside from the July one of 6 weeks.
My advice is that make sure you have bank statements with you - they are looking for anything that indicates you have a reason to return to the UK. So having a return ticket is a good idea also. Tell them as much as they need to know truthfully without declaring something like 'and I intend to apply for PR/get married whilst I am here', which whilst it maybe true, it does indicate you have no intention of leaving once your visitor status is up. It is the visitor status that they are allowing you into Canada on, and it is that status that they are concerned with you breaking.

I have a return ticket already for the trip. I have been over for short trips before, 2 weeks being the longest time for them. Thank you for the responses they are what i was hoping would be the case.

where in Canada are you coming to?

hi the first time i came here i got pulled to one side and asked a million and one questions by immigration, only wish it has been at a decent hour and not when id been awake over 24 hours. As the previous replies stated all they wanted to know was can i support myself and do i have conections in the uk was even asked if i was running away. I have to confess and say i told soe little white lies, like i was staying with my friend (hubbys sister) who i had never met. I also came on a 6 month visa and was here 9 months with my extention untill i went back to the uk due to being home sick. Went back found a job stayed at my parents and 6 months later came back again, only this time i thought immigration were going to give me a big hug and say welcome home, as only got asked what the purpose of my trip was, to see bfriend, long distance must be a problem, no we have msn officer said ok and stamped my passport and off i trotted out to my man. Been here now 12 months living together and waiting to get married before putting sponsorship papers in. So dont frett as seems everyone has the same experiences with immigration.

I will be staying in windsor ontario, my plane will be getting into toronto.

Really!

Wow, just returned from a two week visit where I was staying with friends. Stated that when asked what my visit was for and was just given a smile and "Enjoy your stay!"

No interrogation or requests for evidence of funds.

Chris

That was in 2006. We prob just got a jobs worth customs lady.