sarahg2005

i'm canadian, and we're looking into me going there to stay with him for awhile
it may lead to marriage and immigration, but for now we're just wanting a visa or something
he talked to a u.s. consulate today that said it would be very time-consuming and expensive and we would need to get a lawyer... i really find this hard to believe, just for a visa
i don't think i want a K-1 visa, because i don't want to have to marry him in 90 days
i'm really upset about this... i just want to be there asap and i don't know what to do
would it be easier for him to come here?
can anybody help?

Bob

Wouldn't know if it's easier for him to go to Canada or not, but unless you get married, you'll have to get a work visa really as your best bet, maybe a TN visa if you have a degree in a specified field and can get a job, or an H1B visa, but that option is expensive and not easy.
The easiest way to get to the US is either getting married, or getting the K1 in anticipation of getting married...still time consuming and not all that cheap either...but there's no commonlaw partner type visa's for the US.

sarahg2005

couldn't i go there on a visa waiver? would they automatically deny me if i said i was visiting my boyfriend? i don't want to lie because i don't want to mess up my chances of coming back in the future... it just seems so unreasonable that i can't just visit him
also, i don't think i have sufficient proof of return.. i don't have a job or anything (i'm 18, he will be supporting me while i'm there).. pretty much just a return ticket
what am i supposed to do?

Bob

You can use the vwp for holidays to visit your boyfriend, but not to live in the US, also there's a max of 90 days, though being canadian, don't know if that changes anything.
The odd visit shouldn't be a problem, but it's the pattern of repeatedly coming over for long stays on the VWP that'll be the problem, and the burden is on you to prove at POE that you don't have immigrant intent, you'll have to show how your able to finance your stay, and show ties back home, so having a job, or going back because of school would be good examples.

Noorah101

Hi Sarah,

How did you visit him in the first place? Have you visited him in the USA before? How did you see each other in person before?

You can always attempt to come see him. If you get turned away at the border, it won't be a strike against you immigration-wise in the future. If you can't manage to come visit, maybe he can come visit you instead, until you decide if this is going to be permanent, and then get the visa going.

This is a dilemma many of us on here faced...how to get to know our significant others well enough to decide on marriage. Basically, one or the other of the partners made enough trips back and forth to make a decision, or a spontaneous decision was made. Join the club.

Best Wishes,
Rene

sarahg2005

he's come to visit me twice, but only stayed for a week or two each time
the only thing is we really don't have the means to keep travelling back and forth, he's already hurting enough (financially) from the last trip
i'm pretty sure i want to marry him eventually, but i would like to live together a bit first (not that i'll be working or doing anything illegal)
once we start the visa application, can i still visit him for extended periods of time?
i basically just want to be able to get down there as soon as possible..
also, and this may be a whole different issue but, if we do get married... would i be able to get dual citizenship? would that be a lot harder?
thanks for the help so far guys, it's really appreciated

Folinskyinla

Hi:

This whole string has me confused. Are you or are you not a Canadian citizen? This talk of "visas" and the "visa waiver" combined with a statement that you are Canadian simply doesn't make sense.

You want to visit him? That is a valid B-2 entry. You want to "live" with him? Then that is NOT a valid B-2 entry.

There was a mention of H-1b -- are you fashion model? If not, then you have to be in a "specialty occupation" which generally requires a bachelors degree in a specific field. In any case, Canadians never get H-1b visas. Related to H-1b, but somewhat different, there is a TN admission [the referral to a TN visa is an oxymoron for Candians].

Rete

Canada does not utilize the VWP. She can come and visit the US for six months before needing to return. Getting across the border though might be difficult because of her age, no ties in Canada, a USC boyfriendm, etc. The same would hold true for the boyfriend. Canada is much the same as the US in the immigration area.

andrea874

Canadians NEVER get H1B's? That I did not know. I have learned something new

Jim Battista

If you're Canadian, you can just come down for a visit. My
bride did this several times, before she was my bride. As
far as I know, she simply told the border agents that she was
visiting her boyfriend and never had any trouble.

But.

You can visit, not shack up with. I wouldn't show up at the
border in a car packed full with your stuff. I would plan to
take a trip of a month or two, a vacation to visit with your
boyfriend, see the local sights, do some traveling. I don't
know that they'd bother with asking you, especially if you drive
down, but ideally you should have a job you're going back to,
or a school you're going back to, and paperwork to show that
you're going back to it.

EVER
Do not EVER lie to the border agents.
EVER

I don't think it would be easier for him to go up there. Canada
does have permanent residency for conjugal partners or common-law
spouses, but you've never lived together so that (probably)
wouldn't apply to you.

--
Jim Battista
A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.

Jim Battista

sarahg <member40892@british_expats.com> wrote in
news:[email protected] m:

    > if we do get married... would i be able to get dual citizenship?

Yup. Three years after you get your green card, you can file for
US citizenship, assuming you stay married. Canada won't care, so you
can keep that citizenship too.

If you don't stay married, then it's 5 years after the green card.

--
Jim Battista
A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.

ian-mstm

So am I.


As a Canadian citizen you are allowed to enter the US without a visa of any kind and stay for up to 6 months. You should be able to demonstrate that you do not intend to stay permanently in the US and that you have substantial ties to Canada but, assuming that's not an issue for you, you should be able to enter the US with no problems.

At some point in the future, once marriage plans have been firmed up a bit, he can start the K-1 process for you.

Ian

andrea874

(deleted)... apparently I cant read

Folinskyinla

Hi:

I did NOT write that. Canadians can and do get H-1b status all the time. Please re-read what I wrote.

Rete

Yes they do get H-1B's. I don't know where Mr. F. gets his statistics from but there are many out there who are Canadian citizens who have used H-1B status to remain in the US. One of those was a teacher in my husband's school who is now a USC.