love

dear readers,

I'm an american citizen presently in Canada on a 6 month visitor stay. I'm here mostly to be with my fiance(e) but also to travel Canada. As such I'm planning to go from B.C to Quebec to Ontario and then cross to Buffalo to go and see NYC and Boston for the first time! Then I hope to re-enter at either Buffalo or at the Quebec border and return to B.C.

However, for my curiousity I want to try and make certain as possible that I will be able to re-enter Canada. I've heard horrible stories of americans being turned away at the border when they are planning to visit their significant other.

When filling out the immigration card to enter Canada. How many months is best to write down? I'm hoping to stay the full 6 months (And will be living with my fiancee for most of that time). But when I came into Canada last time through Vancouver I stated "5 months" and was pulled aside to be questioned for an hour.

I've heard that it's not in a person's best interest to inform immigration officers (Especially in Buffalo) that your planning to visit a finance(e). Instead, should I just tell them I'm planning to stay with "friends". Would they be likely to question me further? Because I'm not a good liar.

Also, if I stated I was planning to stay "a few months" how much in funds would they require me to have access to? Would two or three thousand USD be enough by their standards?

Would there be any issues if I don't have any residence or current job in the USA (I don't because I'm been traveling alot the past year throughout the world). Though my main bank account IS in the USA.

I appreciate any advice. As it will help me finially make this decision about wheather or not to go through with these travels or just "stay put".

Love,

[email protected]

Rete

If you are driving, not flying, there is no card to complete. You just verbally tell why, where and how long you are going for when asked which you will be.

Canada is not quite as bad as the US in keeping USC fiancees out of Canada on visits, particularly if they know if they discover you have a Cdn fiancee that you are planning on migrating south, not north.

But as you noted the length of your trip was suspicious, particularly if you are going in the late autumn and staying through the dead of a Canadian winter. I know I've traveled by air to Canada on AirCanada and Continental and don't remember having to write down the length of my intended visit. Is this something new?

Overall your lifestyle does make one suspicious especially if you are relatively young (late teens/early 20's) and are not clearly career minded nor have roots and/or responsibilities. That type of lifestyle is normally for the rich and/or the middle-aged and/or retired traveler. And yes that is an opinion, MINE, and not a rule.

All you can do is be truthful if asked a question answer it forthrightly and don't fudge.

Rete

love

Hi Rete,

Thanks you for the advice on driving.

The card I'm refering to is the standard card issued when you cross the border. Most countries use them to track people coming and going. And "how long do you intend to stay" is one of the questions. I'm just that information is entered into the immigration computers :-/.

If anyone else has advice I'd be grateful.

Rete

Sorry but I cross the Can/Am border regularly. In fact driving across on Friday to celebrate Canadian thanksgiving with the in-laws. Was in Halifax for two weeks in August and was in Montreal for a week in July. And that is just this year. Never have been issued a tracking card of any type when entering Canada either by car or plane. Are you perhaps talking about an I-94?

Rete

Who is very curious about this tracking card. BTW why use Buffalo if their rep is so bad. There are thousands of crossings and several close to Buffalo in New York State you could use instead. When going to Montreal, we always use the one at Lake Champaign

Deanna C

We were in the same situation when my fiancé at the time came to visit me
for 6 months. We crossed at Emerson (Grand Forks) and they grilled him at
the border. Eventually, after asking many many questions and even phoning
his mother they gave him paperwork to stay two whole months. He had said
that he wanted to stay for six, but they said it was out of the question and
that we were lucky that they were even allowing him in. They said the only
reason they did, is because I was with him and vouching for him.

At the end of this, he had to fill out a form for an extension, which
enabled him to stay another five. Simple form, mailed in to the office. I
believe we could have asked for more time, but we thought it would be
pushing our luck. For all this, he had only tourist status.

A month and a half before the end of his "visit" we tied the knot and began
the hellish process of submitting and waiting for our I-130 forms to clear.

I'm not sure exactly what the best way of dealing with Canadian Immigration
is at the border. Just able to tell you what our experience was with them.
Actually, we're not even sure if he can come up here and visit me seeing at
he spent 7 months in the country already.


Deanna




"love" wrote in message
news:437456.1034114179@britishexpats-
.com...
    > Hi Rete,
    > Thanks you for the advice on driving.
    > The card I'm refering to is the standard card issued when you cross the
    > border. Most countries use them to track people coming and going. And
    > "how long do you intend to stay" is one of the questions. I'm just that
    > information is entered into the immigration computers :-/.
    > If anyone else has advice I'd be grateful.
    > Originally posted by Rete:
    > > If you are driving, not flying, there is no card to complete. You
    > > just verbally tell why, where and how long you are going for when
    > > asked which you will be.
    > >
    > > Canada is not quite as bad as the US in keeping USC fiancees out of
    > > Canada on visits, particularly if they know if they discover you have
    > > a Cdn fiancee that you are planning on migrating south, not north.
    > >
    > > But as you noted the length of your trip was suspicious, particularly
    > > if you are going in the late autumn and staying through the dead of a
    > > Canadian winter. I know I've traveled by air to Canada on AirCanada
    > > and Continental and don't remember having to write down the length of
    > > my intended visit. Is this something new?
    > >
    > > Overall your lifestyle does make one suspicious especially if you are
    > > relatively young (late teens/early 20's) and are not clearly career
    > > minded nor have roots and/or responsibilities. That type of lifestyle
    > > is normally for the rich and/or the middle-aged and/or retired
    > > traveler. And yes that is an opinion, MINE, and not a rule.
    > >
    > > All you can do is be truthful if asked a question answer it
    > > forthrightly and don't fudge.
    > >
    > > Rete
    > >
    > >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Mrs_blackross

I grew up living in Canada on a "border town" to the US, and had never
filled out one of those cards on ANY of the (literally) hundreds of driving
trips across the border and back again.

Canadians do not need to fill out an I94 to visit the US, and vice versa for
a US citizen to visit Canada...neither country requires an entry record nor
a visa from each other to visit...unless you are travelling via air.
Every single time I have crossed (at Niagara Falls, Queenston-Lewiston, Fort
Erie-Buffalo, Sarnia-Port Huron) it has always been a verbal "whats your
citizenship, where are you headed, how long you staying, anything to
declare, have a nice day" (usually in that order! LOL) with no paperwork
whatsoever. When flying to FL or CA was the only time I had to fill out a
customs form, and that was just to declare my duty free stuff on coming home
to Canada, not on the way to the US.

Rete asked you if this is something new...is it? When did you last enter
Canada? Did you drive or fly?


"love" wrote in message
news:437456.1034114179@britishexpats-
.com...
    > Hi Rete,
    > Thanks you for the advice on driving.
    > The card I'm refering to is the standard card issued when you cross the
    > border. Most countries use them to track people coming and going. And
    > "how long do you intend to stay" is one of the questions. I'm just that
    > information is entered into the immigration computers :-/.
    > If anyone else has advice I'd be grateful.
    > Originally posted by Rete:
    > > If you are driving, not flying, there is no card to complete. You
    > > just verbally tell why, where and how long you are going for when
    > > asked which you will be.
    > >
    > > Canada is not quite as bad as the US in keeping USC fiancees out of
    > > Canada on visits, particularly if they know if they discover you have
    > > a Cdn fiancee that you are planning on migrating south, not north.
    > >
    > > But as you noted the length of your trip was suspicious, particularly
    > > if you are going in the late autumn and staying through the dead of a
    > > Canadian winter. I know I've traveled by air to Canada on AirCanada
    > > and Continental and don't remember having to write down the length of
    > > my intended visit. Is this something new?
    > >
    > > Overall your lifestyle does make one suspicious especially if you are
    > > relatively young (late teens/early 20's) and are not clearly career
    > > minded nor have roots and/or responsibilities. That type of lifestyle
    > > is normally for the rich and/or the middle-aged and/or retired
    > > traveler. And yes that is an opinion, MINE, and not a rule.
    > >
    > > All you can do is be truthful if asked a question answer it
    > > forthrightly and don't fudge.
    > >
    > > Rete
    > >
    > >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Andy Platt

"love" wrote in message
news:437456.1034114179@britishexpats-
.com...
    > Hi Rete,
    > Thanks you for the advice on driving.
    > The card I'm refering to is the standard card issued when you cross the
    > border. Most countries use them to track people coming and going. And
    > "how long do you intend to stay" is one of the questions. I'm just that
    > information is entered into the immigration computers :-/.

Perhaps if you need a visa you get one. I've gone to Canada a couple of
times (I'm British) and just got a stamp in my passport (one of the times,
the second time we didn't get that: I think we had seriously confused the
inspector though - my brother was living in Canada at the time but had
driven down to Buffalo to pick us up at the airport; I was coming on advance
parole and my wife is the USC. The inspector was just plain confused about
who was who and what was what - she knew everything was in order but
couldn't quite figure it all out!). My wife has gone a bunch of times and
gets no stamp (where would they put it - she's only recently started using
her passport when going to Canada) or card.

Andy.

--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.

M1nn0w

The very first time I went to Canada to see my Internet Love was in 1997. I
took Air Canada from NYC to Toronto. I was required to fill out a card
during the flight which I believe I handed to the Canadian immigration
official in "TO" Of course because I am a long haired Harley driving
looking SOB they pulled me out of the line to inspect my baggage. After
questioning why I had a Teddy Bear and a "New York" Tee shirt that was
obviously not my size they let me go through. I went in by Bus once after
that and did not have to fill out a card. I have driven in and out 3 or 4
times a year since then and have never had to fill out a card.

John & Deb
Can/Am '98