Entering US before endorsing IR-1?

[xenologue 0]

Hubby (USC) and I went to the consulate in Montreal this past Monday, and after a long wait and then a very short, rather pleasant interview, were told I'd be granted a visa. Hurray!

It took only a few days for my passport to get back to me in the mail with the immigrant visa foil in it, ready to be endorsed at the border.

Here's my question: I need to finish out my work term until December here in Ontario. We are planning to make the drive down to Texas in early January. But before that, I need to:

a) drive my husband to the airport in Buffalo

B) visit his folks for Christmas in Arizona.

I've got my passport now so normally this wouldn't be a problem, but what will the border guard say when I cross with this foil in the passport? I'm not going to be coming across as an IMMIGRANT until early January. Will there be any problem if I tell them that? Or, is it an option for us to leave for the airport super early and get my visa endorsed right then and there, but just not move until January?

I have so many other questions about borders and moving and bringing my car and my cats across the border. I thought I was a smart person, but every online guide on the topic makes me feel instantly stupid. I feel like saying, "Enough of this gobbledygook, I want to bring my frickin' 2003 sunfire across the border, now just tell me what to do!"

[HeatDeath 431]

Isn't the spousal visa multiple entry? I don't know. I did a K-1 myself. If so, just enter as an immigrant for the first time on the trip, then enter later when you want to move your stuff.

Now importing the car, that i can speak to. It's quite straightforward. First you contact GM to get compliance letters that say that your car met US federal safety and emissions standards for the year it was released. With GM this will run you about 90 bucks. After that you simply drive to the PoE, and tell them you want to import your car. They will fill out a form that you sign. They will ask you what the value of the car is, so it's a good idea to look it up in Blue Book beforehand. Then you just drive on into the US. When you go to register your car with the local DMV, they will want to see the import form (that the guy at the PoE made up for you) and your compliance letters. Some jurisdictions may want you to get safety and emissions inspections within 30 days prior to registering.

[pushbrk 13,876]

Hubby (USC) and I went to the consulate in Montreal this past Monday, and after a long wait and then a very short, rather pleasant interview, were told I'd be granted a visa. Hurray!

It took only a few days for my passport to get back to me in the mail with the immigrant visa foil in it, ready to be endorsed at the border.

Here's my question: I need to finish out my work term until December here in Ontario. We are planning to make the drive down to Texas in early January. But before that, I need to:

a) drive my husband to the airport in Buffalo

B) visit his folks for Christmas in Arizona.

I've got my passport now so normally this wouldn't be a problem, but what will the border guard say when I cross with this foil in the passport? I'm not going to be coming across as an IMMIGRANT until early January. Will there be any problem if I tell them that? Or, is it an option for us to leave for the airport super early and get my visa endorsed right then and there, but just not move until January?

I have so many other questions about borders and moving and bringing my car and my cats across the border. I thought I was a smart person, but every online guide on the topic makes me feel instantly stupid. I feel like saying, "Enough of this gobbledygook, I want to bring my frickin' 2003 sunfire across the border, now just tell me what to do!"

If you cross the border having an immigrant visa in your passport, you WILL BE crossing as an immigrant, so allow the extra time to deal with that. The endorsed visa, is the documentation you need to enter again later.

[xenologue 0]

Hey HeatDeath,

Thanks for this. I read online that you have to get your undercarriage steam cleaned or something, because they don't want pests and dirt coming across in your car ?! Is that true?

Also, will I need to pay duty on my car? I was having trouble figuring out if that 2.5% figure applied to me. This is just my car, which is paid off, which my husband and I will use for personal use.

xeno

Isn't the spousal visa multiple entry? I don't know. I did a K-1 myself. If so, just enter as an immigrant for the first time on the trip, then enter later when you want to move your stuff.

Now importing the car, that i can speak to. It's quite straightforward. First you contact GM to get compliance letters that say that your car met US federal safety and emissions standards for the year it was released. With GM this will run you about 90 bucks. After that you simply drive to the PoE, and tell them you want to import your car. They will fill out a form that you sign. They will ask you what the value of the car is, so it's a good idea to look it up in Blue Book beforehand. Then you just drive on into the US. When you go to register your car with the local DMV, they will want to see the import form (that the guy at the PoE made up for you) and your compliance letters. Some jurisdictions may want you to get safety and emissions inspections within 30 days prior to registering.

[Malrothien 6]

You will not be required to pay duty on your car.

[trailmix 77]

Hi,

Where does your Husband live? That will determine whether or not it is ok to use your visa when you cross the border not intending to reside there right away.

You don't need to have your undercarriage washed - you won't need to pay duty on your personal car.

There are many threads about importing your car in the Canada forum

[lucyrich 20]

Isn't the spousal visa multiple entry?

Technically, the visa itself is only good for only one entry. But the instant you enter, you get LPR status (green card status), and that status allows you to pretty much come and go as you please, with the main restriction being that you don't leave the US permanently.

The endorsed visa serves as proof of that status until you get your plastic green card in the mail. So for many practical purposes, it's like the visa is good for multiple entries, even though it technically isn't.

When it comes time to count your residence time for naturalization, the only entry that matters is the one that gave you status, i.e. the first entry.