Will customs let me and my spouse through?

[bofeet]

I am a Canadian citizen and my spouse is American. I plan to go visit and they come back with me for a few months and return back to the states 5 months later. We are intending to have them arrive as a visitor and no spousal paperwork has been started. Is this a scenario that airport customs generally allows? What would we be expected to answer/provide?

 

[armoured]

I am a Canadian citizen and my spouse is American. I plan to go visit and they come back with me for a few months and return back to the states 5 months later. We are intending to have them arrive as a visitor and no spousal paperwork has been started. Is this a scenario that airport customs generally allows? What would we be expected to answer/provide?

If your spouse is just visiting for a few months, and there's no intent to settle or submit an application to reside here, there is a specific regime which covers this: it's called 'visiting.'

Shouldn't be much of an issue for a US passport holder assuming no other issues (eg criminal record), just tell the truth at the border. Up to six months stay is pretty standard term (so much so they won't even stamp the passport). They may ask questions about how the visitor will support themselves and where they'll stay. Assuming visitor arriving with normal amount of stuff (i.e. not arriving with a U-haul or car containing all worldly belongings), again - pretty routine even though it's a longer than average visit.

It is possible they'll ask about long-term plans because usually spouses wish to live together eventually.