My wife is coming over on a TRP (last minute questions)

[PaperLantern]

So, I bought a house in Canada and I'm officially moving on Friday. My wife will be eligible to apply for criminal rehabilitation (minor shoplifting charge when she was 18) in 10 months. The CBP officer told us to apply at the office and it would only take a few weeks. Anyway, she was issued a TRP to overcome criminal inadmissibility and it is good for a little over a year. So, my wife will be coming over with me on Friday (we live 5 minutes from the border). She currently works in the USA, has family there, and goes to school in the USA as well. As such, she was issued a multiple entry TRP. We will apply for spousal sponsorship in about 11 months.

My questions are as follows:

1) If she goes to work and wants to come "home" after, can the border officers just decide to give her a hard time and refuse to let her in for no reason? We haven't slept away from each other in years, we don't like being apart, and I fear this might happen if an officer is just in a bad mood and wants to give her a hard time.

2) Can she bring some of her personal belongings since her TRP is good for over a year? I would imagine she could but I was also told by a friend that she couldn't bring any of her stuff like clothes, pictures, etc if she is just a visitor.

3) Does she need to maintain a residence in the USA during the time her TRP is in action? If so, we have a family friend she can rent a room from for $50, but does she really have to stay there or can she just stay with me?

 

[scylla]

1) Yes, she's only a visitor so re-entry can technically be refused at any time. Going back and forth across the border daily tends to be a bit risky even for Americans who face no admissibility issues. Have a plan B in case she's ever refused entry.
2) She is only allowed to enter Canada as a visitor at this time and should therefore only bring things that visitors bring. Clothes are fine provided it's a suitcase or two. Pictures and things like that aren't what visitors bring to Canada and should be left in the US until she has PR and is allowed to immigrate.
3) She doesn't need a US residence. However it's a good idea to have this as a back up plan in case she ever runs into issues re-entering Canada.

 

[PaperLantern]

Thank you for your help, Scylla. Just a few more details!

1) She has never been denied entry before and we cross the border almost every day (very small town). I just really don't want them to start denying her entry just because she has a TRP and I'm living in Canada.

2) But there are people who have 3 year TRPs and they stay in Canada for those 3 years. Surely they bring pictures and other belongings other than clothes? If not, that's fine. I will keep her picture albums and such at my uncle's home.

3) She can really be denied any time even with a Temporary Resident Permit? That's so sad to hear. They made it seem as though she would be covered until we got rehabilitation and applied for PR.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you for your help, Scylla. Just a few more details!

1) She has never been denied entry before and we cross the border almost every day (very small town). I just really don't want them to start denying her entry just because she has a TRP and I'm living in Canada.

2) But there are people who have 3 year TRPs and they stay in Canada for those 3 years. Surely they bring pictures and other belongings other than clothes? If not, that's fine. I will keep her picture albums and such at my uncle's home.

3) She can really be denied any time even with a Temporary Resident Permit? That's so sad to hear. They made it seem as though she would be covered until we got rehabilitation and applied for PR.

She would have been covered if she was staying in Canada.

 

[scylla]

2) But there are people who have 3 year TRPs and they stay in Canada for those 3 years. Surely they bring pictures and other belongings other than clothes? If not, that's fine. I will keep her picture albums and such at my uncle's home.

3) She can really be denied any time even with a Temporary Resident Permit? That's so sad to hear. They made it seem as though she would be covered until we got rehabilitation and applied for PR.

2) A TRP only allows someone into Canada as a visitor (similar to a TRV). It does not allow them to import personal belongings duty free. Again, best policy to avoid issues at the border is bring what a visitor would bring - coming with too much non visitor stuff increases the chances of problems at the border. So clothes are fine and personal belongings you would bring on a trip (e.g. laptop). Leave everything else in storage / with a friend until PR is approved. My American husband "lived" in Canada as a visitor for three years before becoming a PR. We left pictures, camping equipment, household goods, etc. in the US during this time. Again, this isn't stuff a visitor brings to Canada.

3) Yes - she can certainly be denied. Again, no different than someone holding a TRV or eTA or an American who is admissible entering on their passport. Re-entry is never guaranteed. Re-entry is only guaranteed once she is a PR. She is only "covered" as long as she remains in Canada. While Americans are very rarely refused entry - it does happen from time to time.