US citizen pulled into immigration at Canadian Border

[theone11 0]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I of 7 months travel back and forth from Canada to the US usually via the Peace Bridge. I am American and she is Canadaian. Last night travelling back from PA, where I live, to Welland ON, where she lives, we decided to take the Queenston bridge due to heavy volume on the Peace bridge. Well, needless to say we picked the wrong bridge and the wrong lane because we caught some CBP on the wrong day. She was asking all kinds of questions insinuating that I am living in Canada illegally, which I am not. We travel back and forth quite frequently and spend equal amounts of time at my residence and her residence. SO, anyway. She gave a yellow piece of paper and had to go into immigration. The immigration officer did let me in but only until FEB 29th as I said we would be travelling back to the US on that day. He also told me to bring bills, mortgage slips, letter from my grad school, etc the next time I plan on coming back to Canada to prove I am not living there, which I am not. What will happen when I leave Canada and go back to the US and then try to come back, with all of my papers of course because I do not want to be refused entry. I am a RN and grad student in the states and a law abiding citizen. Why do they have to give me such a hard time!? Meanwhile, while waiting in line there was people of other descent(I am by no means racist, but they couldnt even speak english) and they were given some sort of papers because she had all of these immigration documents with her. Any feedback appreciated!

Oh, and they said I had to turn some sort of paper in when I leave that they gave me last night. It is a visitor record.

Edited February 21, 2012 by timk727

[GnBnL 50]

your lucky they let you in without proof of ties!! it is very standard that if you are dating someone that lives in another country, that you will need to prove you are not trying to live in your S.O.'s country illegally. Same happens when you go the other way. As long as you bring what they asked you to, and organize it all in a binder, you should have no problems. They actually really appreciate it when its organized so they don't have to fish through the papers looking for what they need. Label it all, staple anything together, and be able to go through it all with them. Spending records in your home Country is an important one, so bank statements help a lot. They should be much more pleasant to you now that you have the info you need. Don't worry too much about it, and again, but thankful they didn't deny you! hopefully you'll get someone nicer next time! good luck!!

[SapphireDreams 71]

You're crossing a fine line basically. Canada is overall pretty good about not bothering people about immigration because technically you can apply to become a resident while you are in Canada as a visitor. However, you appear to be pushing the limits on residency. I'm just speculating though because you didn't say how long you're actually staying in each place. That will make a huge difference.

You mention that you are both spending equal amounts of time in both Canada and the US. That raises a red flag in my opinion because even though you're situated in the US, you are also spending just as much time in Canada as your gf, who is a Canadian resident I'm presuming. So do you see how that is a bit concerning for them?

It's only a matter of a time before you may run into issues on the US side too.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I of 7 months travel back and forth from Canada to the US usually via the Peace Bridge. I am American and she is Canadaian. Last night travelling back from PA, where I live, to Welland ON, where she lives, we decided to take the Queenston bridge due to heavy volume on the Peace bridge. Well, needless to say we picked the wrong bridge and the wrong lane because we caught some CBP on the wrong day. She was asking all kinds of questions insinuating that I am living in Canada illegally, which I am not. We travel back and forth quite frequently and spend equal amounts of time at my residence and her residence. SO, anyway. She gave a yellow piece of paper and had to go into immigration. The immigration officer did let me in but only until FEB 29th as I said we would be travelling back to the US on that day. He also told me to bring bills, mortgage slips, letter from my grad school, etc the next time I plan on coming back to Canada to prove I am not living there, which I am not. What will happen when I leave Canada and go back to the US and then try to come back, with all of my papers of course because I do not want to be refused entry. I am a RN and grad student in the states and a law abiding citizen. Why do they have to give me such a hard time!? Meanwhile, while waiting in line there was people of other descent(I am by no means racist, but they couldnt even speak english) and they were given some sort of papers because she had all of these immigration documents with her. Any feedback appreciated!

Oh, and they said I had to turn some sort of paper in when I leave that they gave me last night. It is a visitor record.

How do they know ur a law abiding citizen and if ur not living in Canada?? The Burden is on YOU to prove ur NOT living in Canada! As they suggested you should have proof your living in the USA. Same for the Cdn---proof that they are living in Canada. And even with proof--they do NOT have to let you in. So do as they say and bring the paperwork with you

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I of 7 months travel back and forth from Canada to the US usually via the Peace Bridge. I am American and she is Canadaian. Last night travelling back from PA, where I live, to Welland ON, where she lives, we decided to take the Queenston bridge due to heavy volume on the Peace bridge. Well, needless to say we picked the wrong bridge and the wrong lane because we caught some CBP on the wrong day. She was asking all kinds of questions insinuating that I am living in Canada illegally, which I am not. We travel back and forth quite frequently and spend equal amounts of time at my residence and her residence. SO, anyway. She gave a yellow piece of paper and had to go into immigration. The immigration officer did let me in but only until FEB 29th as I said we would be travelling back to the US on that day. He also told me to bring bills, mortgage slips, letter from my grad school, etc the next time I plan on coming back to Canada to prove I am not living there, which I am not. What will happen when I leave Canada and go back to the US and then try to come back, with all of my papers of course because I do not want to be refused entry. I am a RN and grad student in the states and a law abiding citizen. Why do they have to give me such a hard time!? Meanwhile, while waiting in line there was people of other descent(I am by no means racist, but they couldnt even speak english) and they were given some sort of papers because she had all of these immigration documents with her. Any feedback appreciated!

Oh, and they said I had to turn some sort of paper in when I leave that they gave me last night. It is a visitor record.

We live within about 10 minutes of the border and go to Montreal frequently and I go to Canada even more often since I often work near the border and sometimes go there for lunch (viande feu! Mes OUI!)

I have been pulled out and searched, warned, lectured on three occasions for no particular reason (once because they saw sawdust in the back of my truck and had to determine it was, in fact, sawdust) Last time, just before Christmas I was warned about the perils of "human trafficking" No kidding. I was entering by myself and to this day I think they confused me with someone else. The woman even called me to the counter and showed me the penalties for "human trafficking" Um, OK. I promise, I will not traffic humans into Canada. They gave me the lecture, gave me my ID and released me into the wilds of Quebec!

I was once accused of atempting to immigrate illegally when I said we were going to visit a friend in St Lazzar. Go figure. NO! I did not have a copy of our mortgage with me! How negligent of me! I did happen to have a check stub inmy clipboard fromwork and I guess that was enough. I got one of those visitor records on that trip also and turned it in when I left.

99% of the time it is something like passing through a toll booth and nothing more. every so often they get a bug up their behind and do this.

As much as we take easy travel to Canada for granted, and we do, imagine many of our favorite restaraunts are in a foreign country...how fortunate are we as Americans?...it IS a different country and they WILL do this at times. Just be polite and go along, do what they say, smile. I have never been doing anything wrong or illegal and I know that it will be over and I will be allowed to pass.

I have lived in Ukraine and believe me, I sleep much better than I would this close to Belarus. OK?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

You're crossing a fine line basically. Canada is overall pretty good about not bothering people about immigration because technically you can apply to become a resident while you are in Canada as a visitor. However, you appear to be pushing the limits on residency. I'm just speculating though because you didn't say how long you're actually staying in each place. That will make a huge difference.

You mention that you are both spending equal amounts of time in both Canada and the US. That raises a red flag in my opinion because even though you're situated in the US, you are also spending just as much time in Canada as your gf, who is a Canadian resident I'm presuming. So do you see how that is a bit concerning for them?

It's only a matter of a time before you may run into issues on the US side too.

Good advice. If you are going to go there frequently and are in a relationship with someone there, maybe best to carry that stuff with you. I don't, but their records also show I rarely even stay overnight, they DO know when you enter and leave.

[SF2007 48]

I don't understand your surprise. Canada is not a U.S. state. It's a foreign country.

To remain a law abiding citizen, you need to educate yourself about immigration laws. SapphireDreams explained it right. It is unfortunately your burden to prove ties to your country, just as it is your girlfriend's when she is visiting you in the U.S. If you are indeed spending as much time in Canada than in the U.S. you are riding a fine line. It's easily understandable why it might look to a border patrol official like you are trying to live in Canada. And without proper authorization, that's a problem.

[theone11 0]

I don't understand your surprise. Canada is not a U.S. state. It's a foreign country.

To remain a law abiding citizen, you need to educate yourself about immigration laws. SapphireDreams explained it right. It is unfortunately your burden to prove ties to your country, just as it is your girlfriend's when she is visiting you in the U.S. If you are indeed spending as much time in Canada than in the U.S. you are riding a fine line. It's easily understandable why it might look to a border patrol official like you are trying to live in Canada. And without proper authorization, that's a problem.

My surprise is I am doing nothing wrong. I do know the immigration laws and know that I am allowed to pass between the US and Canada to visit my girlfriend and vice versa. If I were trying to reside there I would go through the proper process. I will have my NAFTA work permit in a few months anyhow, which are good for 3 years and can be renewed, so it will not be an issue.

Edited February 22, 2012 by timk727

[theone11 0]

your lucky they let you in without proof of ties!! it is very standard that if you are dating someone that lives in another country, that you will need to prove you are not trying to live in your S.O.'s country illegally. Same happens when you go the other way. As long as you bring what they asked you to, and organize it all in a binder, you should have no problems. They actually really appreciate it when its organized so they don't have to fish through the papers looking for what they need. Label it all, staple anything together, and be able to go through it all with them. Spending records in your home Country is an important one, so bank statements help a lot. They should be much more pleasant to you now that you have the info you need. Don't worry too much about it, and again, but thankful they didn't deny you! hopefully you'll get someone nicer next time! good luck!!

Thanks for your positive feedback:-)

[theone11 0]

Good advice. If you are going to go there frequently and are in a relationship with someone there, maybe best to carry that stuff with you. I don't, but their records also show I rarely even stay overnight, they DO know when you enter and leave.

Just out of curiosity, how do they know when you leave? I was just wondering because it didnt seem like they knew when I left with my last visit and then I have stop in at immigration when I leave to have them stamp my passport.

Thanks!

[theone11 0]

We live within about 10 minutes of the border and go to Montreal frequently and I go to Canada even more often since I often work near the border and sometimes go there for lunch (viande feu! Mes OUI!)

I have been pulled out and searched, warned, lectured on three occasions for no particular reason (once because they saw sawdust in the back of my truck and had to determine it was, in fact, sawdust) Last time, just before Christmas I was warned about the perils of "human trafficking" No kidding. I was entering by myself and to this day I think they confused me with someone else. The woman even called me to the counter and showed me the penalties for "human trafficking" Um, OK. I promise, I will not traffic humans into Canada. They gave me the lecture, gave me my ID and released me into the wilds of Quebec!

I was once accused of atempting to immigrate illegally when I said we were going to visit a friend in St Lazzar. Go figure. NO! I did not have a copy of our mortgage with me! How negligent of me! I did happen to have a check stub inmy clipboard fromwork and I guess that was enough. I got one of those visitor records on that trip also and turned it in when I left.

99% of the time it is something like passing through a toll booth and nothing more. every so often they get a bug up their behind and do this.

As much as we take easy travel to Canada for granted, and we do, imagine many of our favorite restaraunts are in a foreign country...how fortunate are we as Americans?...it IS a different country and they WILL do this at times. Just be polite and go along, do what they say, smile. I have never been doing anything wrong or illegal and I know that it will be over and I will be allowed to pass.

I have lived in Ukraine and believe me, I sleep much better than I would this close to Belarus. OK?

Thanks Gary and Alla. That does put it into a clear perspective and I do know how fortunate we are as US citizens. I never realized that until I met my Canadian significant other, because I have never really travelled outside of the US until I met her. I will have the papers they need when I cross again and I know I will be allowed to cross. I have done nothing wrong, although they make you feel like you did or are trying to at times when crossing.

Does this mean I will have to get a visitor record each time I pass now?

[theone11 0]

You're crossing a fine line basically. Canada is overall pretty good about not bothering people about immigration because technically you can apply to become a resident while you are in Canada as a visitor. However, you appear to be pushing the limits on residency. I'm just speculating though because you didn't say how long you're actually staying in each place. That will make a huge difference.

You mention that you are both spending equal amounts of time in both Canada and the US. That raises a red flag in my opinion because even though you're situated in the US, you are also spending just as much time in Canada as your gf, who is a Canadian resident I'm presuming. So do you see how that is a bit concerning for them?

It's only a matter of a time before you may run into issues on the US side too.

Thank you for your feedback.

[brooksie 3]

CBSA is canadian, CBP is US. second off you always need to bring info like that with you because they will ask for it. they dont have to grant you access to there country and all that jaz. the queenston bridge is always like that going both ways i just avoided it all together, it was never worth the time i would have saved and always worth it to just go around lool hope that helps

[Floella 1]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I of 7 months travel back and forth from Canada to the US usually via the Peace Bridge. I am American and she is Canadaian. Last night travelling back from PA, where I live, to Welland ON, where she lives, we decided to take the Queenston bridge due to heavy volume on the Peace bridge. Well, needless to say we picked the wrong bridge and the wrong lane because we caught some CBP on the wrong day. She was asking all kinds of questions insinuating that I am living in Canada illegally, which I am not. We travel back and forth quite frequently and spend equal amounts of time at my residence and her residence. SO, anyway. She gave a yellow piece of paper and had to go into immigration. The immigration officer did let me in but only until FEB 29th as I said we would be travelling back to the US on that day. He also told me to bring bills, mortgage slips, letter from my grad school, etc the next time I plan on coming back to Canada to prove I am not living there, which I am not. What will happen when I leave Canada and go back to the US and then try to come back, with all of my papers of course because I do not want to be refused entry. I am a RN and grad student in the states and a law abiding citizen. Why do they have to give me such a hard time!? Meanwhile, while waiting in line there was people of other descent(I am by no means racist, but they couldnt even speak english) and they were given some sort of papers because she had all of these immigration documents with her. Any feedback appreciated!

Oh, and they said I had to turn some sort of paper in when I leave that they gave me last night. It is a visitor record.

I understand how frustrating that must have been for you. My fiance and I went through the same thing last year except I (the Canadian citizen) was sent to immigration at the US Border, we were both held in different rooms, asked the same questions, so on, and then after all of this I was denied entry on basis of "lying" about our relationship. Then again I tried again in October this time with ALL my paperwork showing ties to Canada and I was given a visitor record and was allowed to visit.

The point of my ramble is I know exactly how aggravating it must have been for you, but the guards at the border have to be wary of this sort of thing. There are lots of people who do lie about these things to get across and people like you and I who are being straightforward have to pay for it. The best way to deal with it is bring all the paperwork they ask for. It will help you in the long run to avoid a denial Best of luck!

Edited February 22, 2012 by Floella

[Flames9_RN 358]

My surprise is I am doing nothing wrong. I do know the immigration laws and know that I am allowed to pass between the US and Canada to visit my girlfriend and vice versa. If I were trying to reside there I would go through the proper process. I will have my NAFTA work permit in a few months anyhow, which are good for 3 years and can be renewed, so it will not be an issue.

You allowed to visit--BUT you have NO RIGHT to visit! You have to satisfy them that your not living in Canada! And like the other stated, it may appear since you are spending so much time in Canada, it may appear that you are living in Canada. The onus is on YOU to prove that your only visiting. Best of luck