What happens if

[CB1995]

What happens if the border officer finds out I plan to get married in Canada when I go? Do they kick me out there and then or am I still allowed in? If I am allowed in will I have to prove I'm leaving even though I'd rather apply inland?
My return ticket is for 4 weeks after I land and our marriage certificate won't be with us until after I'm due to leave. Would I need to apply for an extension, or does the officer give everyone a specific time they're allowed in the country? I understand the max would be 6 months but would they give me that even though I'm due to leave in 4 weeks?

 

[Regina]

Would I need to apply for an extension

yes, you will need to apply for it. However, this is a catch 22: if you get to Canada with only 4 weeks allowed stay you will need to apply for extension almost immediately . It will tell CIC you lied at the border. And CIC does not like lies.

Do they kick me out there and then or am I still allowed in

It is a gamble. Could happen both ways.

 

[Alurra71]

What happens if the border officer finds out I plan to get married in Canada when I go? Do they kick me out there and then or am I still allowed in? If I am allowed in will I have to prove I'm leaving even though I'd rather apply inland?
My return ticket is for 4 weeks after I land and our marriage certificate won't be with us until after I'm due to leave. Would I need to apply for an extension, or does the officer give everyone a specific time they're allowed in the country? I understand the max would be 6 months but would they give me that even though I'm due to leave in 4 weeks?

They will assess and make a decision on whether or not you are allowed in before you actually get in. You have a return ticket so that should help to prove that you don't intend to over stay your welcome. Make sure you are not carrying your entire life with you. Only pack for a few weeks. If you are visa exempt and enter without a visitor record or a stamp in your passport you are allowed up to 6 months. You would need to apply for a visitor extension before that 6 months expired to be here legally. I would strongly urge you to apply outland for sponsorship which you can do even if you intend to remain inside Canada with your husband after the marriage. It will likely be far quicker than the inland option.

 

[CB1995]

What do you recommend I do? Should I get a ticket for 6 weeks so I have more time to apply for an extension or will this look less convincing that I got time off work. 4 weeks is believable but 6 weeks holidays from work is slightly unusual. Are they likely to randomly ask about a wedding when I say I'm just visiting or does it not work like that?

 

[Alurra71]

What do you recommend I do? Should I get a ticket for 6 weeks so I have more time to apply for an extension or will this look less convincing that I got time off work. 4 weeks is believable but 6 weeks holidays from work is slightly unusual. Are they likely to randomly ask about a wedding when I say I'm just visiting or does it not work like that?

They will ask you the standard questions, such as "where are you from, how long you plan to stay, what are you going to do". Answer them honestly, but don't offer up more than they are asking, if you know what I mean. You can say you are here to see your fiance, if they ask. Answer them honestly if they ask you about marriage. Just tell them you plan to apply for sponsorship after all the paperwork is available and that you plan to return to the US at the end of your 'vacation'. You have a return ticket, there is no reason for them to not believe you. You don't have to apply for an extension of any sort unless they stamp your passport giving you a date to leave before 6 months or if they put a visitor record in your passport with a leave by date on it. It is highly unlikely you'll be turned away, unless you have criminality issues that block your entry. Most US citizens are allowed fairly freely between the two borders. As always though, because you are seeking entry into another country there is always that minute chance they will turn you back. Unlikely but possible.

 

[mikeymyke]

I thought u said u werent going to apply inland, now u changed ur mind? Its not a good move especiallly for someone from visa exempt country. Go outland

 

[CB1995]

I was going to apply Outland but I want to be with her as soon as possible and stay too. Why is it such a bad idea?

 

[flx2015]

Answer them honestly, but don't offer up more than they are asking, if you know what I mean.

you mean intentionally withhold information from the border guard to make it easier for OP to get into canada?

 

[CDNPR2014]

I was going to apply Outland but I want to be with her as soon as possible and stay too. Why is it such a bad idea?

an applicant can be IN canada as a visitor long term and still apply through outland. Once a person enters canada, they can apply to extend their stay as a visitor. PR applicants are rately denied extensions and it's common to get 12+ month extensions.

inland has a terrible reputation for taking 2+ years to complete. the OWP does not guarantee someone healthcare, and for most visa exempt applicants, an outland applicant can be completely done with the process and landed in under 6 mo. total. even before things sped up for the summer, the longest most outland applications took was 10 months with most people being approved in much less time.

 

[CDNPR2014]

you mean intentionally withhold information from the border guard to make it easier for OP to get into canada?

no, they mean to not elaborate and only answer the questions that are asked. it is normal for humans to get anxious and start talking about things that may or may not be seen as suspcious to a cbsa officer or provide more information that's necessary. it is also natural for people to think using more words and explaining every detail is necessary when in fact it's not.

for example: what's the purpose of your trip: answer one: i'm here to visit my fiance/husband. answer 2: oh well my boyfriend (i mean fiance) and i are planning a trip so we can be together and i'm going to start applying for PR as soon as i get in. see the difference? both are true and answer the question. which one do you think would prompt a bit more curiousity with the officer? the goal is to NOT trigger a deeper inspection. if they want to know more about the relationship and intentions to apply for pr, let them ask first. it is not a requirement for a person to tell CBSA their life's plans or intentions of pr. it is required for the person to truthfully answer the questions that are asked.

they are not looking for novel length answers. 1 or 2 words or a short sentance is all they need. if they want to know more, they will ask more.

 

[PandaChan]

I believe as long as you have honest intentions, then there really should be nothing to be so worried about.
You are allowed to come here and get married in Canada.
When my husband came here for us to get married, that is what he told the border officers and he showed them our marriage license and his return ticket back to the USA.
If you already know you want to stay here longer for your visit, then obviously purchase your ticket for a longer stay.

 

[CDNPR2014]

I believe as long as you have honest intentions, then there really should be nothing to be so worried about.
You are allowed to come here and get married in Canada.
When my husband came here for us to get married, that is what he told the border officers and he showed them our marriage license and his return ticket back to the USA.
If you already know you want to stay here longer for your visit, then obviously purchase your ticket for a longer stay.

exactly! there is nothing illegal about entering canada to get married and there's no reason to assume CBSA will take issue with it. as long as you can prove ties to your home country (or a return ticket) and understand you can't live or move there until pr, cbsa is less likely to give you a hassle.

 

[mikeymyke]

I was going to apply Outland but I want to be with her as soon as possible and stay too. Why is it such a bad idea?

You can apply outland while INSIDE Canada on your visitor visa. You'll likely be able to stay 6 months on your initial visit, then you can probably apply for an extension for another 6 months. As a UK citizen, you'll probably get PR in 6 months or less, and you'll probably get it before your visitor visa expires.

With outland, you are free to leave and enter Canada as you please. The processing times are extremely shorter than inland. Why wouldn't you want to get PR sooner without the restrictions on being able to leave Canada?

There are a LOT of people on this forum who end up regretting going inland because they are unable to return home for emergency visits or go on long vacations, or basically just fed up with having to wait almost 2 years to get their PR card and SIN number

 

[DBHC]

What do you recommend I do? Should I get a ticket for 6 weeks so I have more time to apply for an extension or will this look less convincing that I got time off work. 4 weeks is believable but 6 weeks holidays from work is slightly unusual. Are they likely to randomly ask about a wedding when I say I'm just visiting or does it not work like that?

I wonder if you're overthinking this. My understanding from previous threads is that you're young (21?) and it's quite common for people of that age to take time to travel around a country for an extended amount of time (e.g., as part of a gap year). If asked, you're going to see your girlfriend; you're taking some time to see Canada; you've taken some time off work. As others have said, short simple answers with no additional information and everything will be fine.