Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I flew into Canada from the US recently, to spend 3 weeks with my boyfriend. When I told the customs/immigration officer that, the first question he asked me was "How did you meet?" I thought this was strange, but answered him. He then sent me through immigration, where I was questioned very closely about my intentions, job, residence, and then lectured about trying to stay in Canada without the proper paperwork after my stay was over. Finally they let me go, but stamped my passport for the first time ever.
3 weeks later, my boyfriend and I were driving back into the US. The border guard there asked the same question: "How did you two meet?" I'm very puzzled by this question. Why would they care HOW we met?
BTW - both of us are in our 50's, so we aren't young kids.
I flew into Canada from the US recently, to spend 3 weeks with my boyfriend. When I told the customs/immigration officer that, the first question he asked me was "How did you meet?" I thought this was strange, but answered him. He then sent me through immigration, where I was questioned very closely about my intentions, job, residence, and then lectured about trying to stay in Canada without the proper paperwork after my stay was over. Finally they let me go, but stamped my passport for the first time ever.
3 weeks later, my boyfriend and I were driving back into the US. The border guard there asked the same question: "How did you two meet?" I'm very puzzled by this question. Why would they care HOW we met?
BTW - both of us are in our 50's, so we aren't young kids.
well, the Canadian immigrating officers have the right the question your intention to enter Canada. Maybe it is the fact you are visiting your boyfriend in your 50's that intrigued them, who knows. Next time, you might say you are traveling just to make things easier.
On the other hand, when it comes to customs grilling, no country can be compared to the United States in how rude and sometimes humiliating it can be. You are a US citizen and you may never know. Just keep in mind that no matter how rude other customs officers treated you, the American officers can be 10 time worse depending on their mood on that day, and you should feel better.
Why would you tell that to an immigration official?
A big part of their jobs is to screen for potential "overstayers," and one big reason people overstay is because of romantic or family relationships.
It is best not to mention that sort of thing at the border. As far as customs is concerned, you're just a tourist who is visiting Canada to do whatever Tourism Canada would like tourists to do.
One of the main sources of people staying in Canada illegally are people in a relationship with a Canadian, it's the same in the US. As a Canadian I have been grilled heavily by US agents and asked the same questions over and over again, probably up to 4 times each and I am single. Somehow the US agents got it into their heads that I wouldn't want to visit AZ unless there was a guy down here.
Their questions went like this:
Are you single
Who do you live with
What do you do for a living
What is your attraction to AZ
Do you have an AZ drivers license
Are you single
Who do you live with
What do you do for a living
What is your attraction to AZ
Do you have an AZ drivers license
Are you single
Who do you live with
What do you do for a living
What is your attraction to AZ
Do you have an AZ drivers license
After a while I wanted to say 'the answer is the same one I gave you 2 minutes ago' but knew that would really cause me trouble. If either country thinks you want to get married, you're even in bigger trouble at the border...never say the word fiance unless you want to be held out of the country. I belive if you want to crossborder marry, they will not let you cross the border for like a year or so....crazy!
Sounds ridiculous. Canada and the US should be without border control, like the EU.
Repeating those questions sounds like CIA agents trying to get some confession from a terrorist
It was much like that. All the while there was this tiny jail cell right in the middle of the room just wiating for someone who screwed up and was going to be held. Quite intimidating!
PS I know of another fellow who lives in Canada but comes down to AZ each winter and has done for years (he retired early so he could do this). His CAD place is seasonal, and this past fall, after he got his place all closed up and was heading down to his bigger RV, that he leaves down in AZ, in his small trailer, they refused him entry because of a small thing he said that made them think he was planning to live here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling
Sounds ridiculous. Canada and the US should be without border control, like the EU.
Repeating those questions sounds like CIA agents trying to get some confession from a terrorist
A lot of misinformation here. Maybe I can clarify a few things.
With the popularity of online dating, there are a lot of people who attempt to enter the U.S. or Canada with the intention of living with someone they met on the internet.
And a surprising number of these people aren't aware that they cannot do that, assuming since we are friendly neighbors that they can just move from one country to the other at will.
It's just part of a series of questions which all together provide the Officer with a profile of the traveler so they can determine what their true intentions are. Some questions are repetitive to see if you give different responses when asked again.
Also, YES you CAN travel to visit a spouse, fiancee, or significant other anytime you want as long as you are legally admissible. All you have to do is be able to prove ties to your home country and that you plan to return within a specified time.
Fits right in here...
NY woman questioned again and again over ID mix-up - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100710/ap_on_re_us/us_border_wrong_person - broken link)
I saw that yesterday.. But that is a case of mistaken identity and not something the Officers themselves caused. They are just following procedure.
I don't blame her for being upset, I would be too.
I saw that yesterday.. But that is a case of mistaken identity and not something the Officers themselves caused. They are just following procedure.
I don't blame her for being upset, I would be too.
Data can be a problem when you don't know how to manage it
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
