hmks said:
So my husband's sponsorship of me was approved in March and my file was forwarded to Ottawa. I paid the final fees sometime in October and was asked to provide one additional background check which I submitted via email December 2. How long should I expect processing to take until I receive my documents? My Canadian citizen husband and children are planning to move mid-March. If I don't have my PR by then, I know I can go as a visitor but I cannot cross with them at the border? Is that correct? Could I cross later the same day separately or should I use a different border crossing, wait a day, etc? What's the best way to handle this situation? Thank you so much for any advice, replies.
I wouldn't want to hazard too much of a guess as to how much longer of a wait you have, but I think you have a reasonable chance of DM by mid-March.
You can cross the border at the same time with your husband and children. I don't know where you found information that says you can't cross with them, but it's not correct. My wife and I have crossed together several times in both directions over the past year. Unless there's something in your background check that's causing CBSA a concern, you shouldn't have any big problems. You might be pulled into secondary, so have your husband's sponsor approval letter, as well as any other correspondence you've received from CIC.
If asked, explain that you know you're just visiting, and you understand that you'll have to go back to the US if you don't have PR. In most cases, CBSA merely wants to see that you understand the rules, and you're not trying to go around them.
Unless you get an agent having a bad day, but that's a whole different story...
