Tourist for 6 months visiting my fiance who will support me. Need own funds?

[David2736]

Hi all

Quick recap of our plans.

I go from UK to Canada with a plane ticket booked for just under 6 months to show I plan to return if I need to.

We marry within the first 6 months and send off an application for PR under 'spouse' in family class.

After 5 months of my visit we apply for a 12 month extension with reason: waiting for spouse visa to go through.

Now my problem is funds. My partner earns a decent living to support her, me and her son (my step-son) but I will still be able to bring £1k/$1.45k AND I will be staying at her house so no rent/hotel funds necessary.

We thought this would be fine as 1. plane tickets paid for the return journey if that's needed and 2. my partner will be my sponsor for the PR application.

HOWEVER we had a discussion recently with her sister who had her American fiance travel over in 2007 to Canada for a few months, except he managed to go with $4k but the geniuses at passport control in the Edmonton airport decided that $4k wasn't enough and only allowed him to stay for 3 weeks!!!

This has undoubtedly scared the pants off both of us and now we are in panic mode ... brainstorming silly things such as taking out obscene personal loans from banks in order to satisfy immigration @ entry.

Can any body shed some light on to the matter, pleaaaaaase??

TL;DR:
1. Do I need to provide evidence of funds in bank for UK -> Canada with a return in hand for a 6 month trip?
2. Will the amount in my bank determine how long they decide how long I can stay for?

Thank you in advance.

 

[truesmile]

Sorry this does not give you an answer, but all I've got to say is:

WOW! I'm floored, and from visa-exempt countries no less. That's just BRUTAL!!! Of course "entry" is NEVER guaranteed but being visa-exempt, should be allowed in . . . period!!

 

[Line.a]

Hi all

Quick recap of our plans.

I go from UK to Canada with a plane ticket booked for just under 6 months to show I plan to return if I need to.

We marry within the first 6 months and send off an application for PR under 'spouse' in family class.

After 5 months of my visit we apply for a 12 month extension with reason: waiting for spouse visa to go through.

Now my problem is funds. My partner earns a decent living to support her, me and her son (my step-son) but I will still be able to bring £1k/$1.45k AND I will be staying at her house so no rent/hotel funds necessary.

We thought this would be fine as 1. plane tickets paid for the return journey if that's needed and 2. my partner will be my sponsor for the PR application.

HOWEVER we had a discussion recently with her sister who had her American fiance travel over in 1997 to Canada for a few months, except he managed to go with $4k but the geniuses at passport control in the Edmonton airport decided that $4k wasn't enough and only allowed him to stay for 3 weeks!!!

This has undoubtedly scared the pants off both of us and now we are in panic mode ... brainstorming silly things such as taking out obscene personal loans from banks in order to satisfy immigration @ entry.

Can any body shed some light on to the matter, pleaaaaaase??

TL;DR:
1. Do I need to provide evidence of funds in bank for UK -> Canada with a return in hand for a 6 month trip?
2. Will the amount in my bank determine how long they decide how long I can stay for?

Thank you in advance.

That's crazy!! I'm not entirely sure to be honest with you. To obtain an IEC visa I needed to prove I had $2.5k sitting in my bank account before I could come to Canada. But I'd suggest to contact CBSA or whoever is responsible. I have traveled to Canada many times to stay for sometimes 3 months in a row and was never asked anything. Maybe contact Leon on this board he seems to know a lot about stuff like this.

 

[godisFin]

When I came I had return one month after my landing and I told them (border agent) I will not use that and will purchase new ticket if I need to leave Canada for some reason (basically if I don't get my PR before 6 months time or I wouldn't get extension to my visitor status). They sent me to the secondary interview and I provided them a statement from my bank stating I have funds of $5k available. They stamped my passport and said I can stay for 6 months... (and this was this year).

So at least that was enough of funds to stay without having a return flight! I also told them that I wouldn't need to pay rent as my hubby takes care of it while I'm just a visitor and can't work.

 

[laura8388]

When I originally came i had bank statements printed out and everything, they didnt ask to see them, just asked 'how will i support myself?' i was staying with friends and told them i had a credit card with a $5,000 limit, and they were fine with that, didnt ask to see anything and let me in for 6 months!
I dont think you will have an issue.

 

[Sweden]

You should be fine! I came with a one way ticket, I had proof of my PR application, bank statements etc, and wasn't asked for any of it. In general, it's better to be prepared, but if you have a return ticket, and you "look prepared", then you should be fine!
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[canadianwoman]

The sister`s experience was just bad luck. Usually the border agent won`t even ask about how much money you have. It is best to be prepared for questions, though - so having a return ticket with a specific date is good, plus proof of funds. You could also bring a letter from your fiancee and a copy of your fiancee`s pay stub or bank account info to show she will be supporting you.

 

[DaleandMonica]

I was taken to an interview when I came to Canada. My now husband, who is Canadian, stood and waited outside the gate. My return ticket was to be used 4 months later. The man that interviewed me, thought I was coming to Canada to work. And hardly let me in. I had to show my paperwork how much money I had coming in every month from Sweden....Im retired.....and he called my boyfriend to see that I told the truth. So scary. Anyway.....it seamed like that was the thing that could send me back.... So see to that you have some proof with you about your relationship and what income you guys will have while you are here in Canada....so they don't suspect you for coming here to work.

Best of luck to you guys

 

[Line.a]

I was taken to an interview when I came to Canada. My now husband, who is Canadian, stood and waited outside the gate. My return ticket was to be used 4 months later. The man that interviewed me, thought I was coming to Canada to work. And hardly let me in. I had to show my paperwork how much money I had coming in every month from Sweden....Im retired.....and he called my boyfriend to see that I told the truth. So scary. Anyway.....it seamed like that was the thing that could send me back.... So see to that you have some proof with you about your relationship and what income you guys will have while you are here in Canada....so they don't suspect you for coming here to work.

Best of luck to you guys

I was in a similar situation and boy was it ever scary! They grilled me so hard because i visited too often

 

[DaleandMonica]

I was in a similar situation and boy was it ever scary! They grilled me so hard because i visited too often

Ooooh....I hear you. The scariest hour of my life almost. But love won

 

[godisFin]

I was in a similar situation and boy was it ever scary! They grilled me so hard because i visited too often

I never understood this either! Why they want to grill someone who visits often? I have travelled here numerous times and always went back home when I needed to. Wouldn't they have learned that if I really wanted to stay in Canada illegally I would have done it already and not keep travelling all these years...

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Now my problem is funds. My partner earns a decent living to support her, me and her son (my step-son) but I will still be able to bring £1k/$1.45k AND I will be staying at her house so no rent/hotel funds necessary.

We thought this would be fine as 1. plane tickets paid for the return journey if that's needed and 2. my partner will be my sponsor for the PR application.

Don't worry, you'll be fine. Simply explain that you will be staying with your wife and that she will be supporting you; that is totally acceptable. To be safe, you can carry a copy of her bank statement or her most recent pay slip but they probably won't even ask to see any of it.

 

[blueangel371115]

Hello again
At the beginning of September I am going to visit my fiance through the wedding and pr process concurrent with attending school in Ontario, my question is should my fiance bring his paystub and account info then? We have a joint account as well as our personal ones in Canada as well as my personal one in the US. The three accounts with my name on them have a combined total of 10,000 . Will his paystub even help? He has a steady job and in all intents and purposes he will be paying for things. He wants me to save my money for after school. How should we approach this? As 5 months from then I'm starting school and he is following me. Less is better or should we explain it. As we will be in Quebec at the time but we will be filing through Ontario so I won't need a CSQ. We are moving right around the time I send my application. My physical address then would be in Ontario.

 

[Line.a]

I never understood this either! Why they want to grill someone who visits often? I have travelled here numerous times and always went back home when I needed to. Wouldn't they have learned that if I really wanted to stay in Canada illegally I would have done it already and not keep travelling all these years...

I have no clue. I guess I did something they didn't like too much such as leaving Canada and returning 3 weeks later. Haha I had a bad feeling and I really prepared, but when I sat in the room I really started to feel intimidated almost yeah that's very true, I don't know what their whole deal was about, I told him you can go see my boyfriend he's waiting by the doors if you don't believe me lol!!

 

[godisFin]

I have no clue. I guess I did something they didn't like too much such as leaving Canada and returning 3 weeks later. Haha I had a bad feeling and I really prepared, but when I sat in the room I really started to feel intimidated almost yeah that's very true, I don't know what their whole deal was about, I told him you can go see my boyfriend he's waiting by the doors if you don't believe me lol!!

Yeah, I don't know what they are thinking! Last time they put me to the secondary interview and before that the border agent said "remember you have to leave in six months" and back then I had a return in 4 months. Only thing I replied was "Yes, I know" I'm sure they see the times I've been here when they scan the passport. If I really wanted to stay I think I would have done it in the first time or so... LOL. After coming back 6 times I think the risk of overstaying is pretty minimal.