Thread: what will the customs ask me when I arrive in Canada?

Hi,

I'm British and will be coming to Toronto soon to join my Canadian boyfriend. I'm aware that I will be a 6-month visitor, but wonder what the Customs will ask me on arrival. My plan is to try to get a job/work permit during the 6 months in order to stay longer. Obviously, if I don't then I'll have to return to the UK before the end of the 6 months. What should I tell the customs on arrival - that I want to look for work or that I'm just visiting? Will they ask for proof of a return ticket, want proof of what money I have, where I'll be staying, etc? Any info. much appreciated. Many thanks.

Hi Debbie,

All good questions there, it's over to our Canadian residents to give you some advice on them now.

If it's anything like the USA (or the UK), telling the officer at the point of entry that you're looking for work when you're arriving on a visitors visa, wouldn't be a great idea, but I don't know about the Canadian policies.

Hopefully someone here will answer the questions for you.
:)

Ok. Thanks for your reply, purple.

Once again, not recommended. To get a job you need a work visa in order to get one the employer has to show he can`t hire a canadian with equivalent qualifications and experience and is paying you a fair wage (a labour market opinion or LMO). You then use the LMO to apply for the work permit, the whole process takes up to 3 months. Most employers won`t even bother with this, they`ll just hire someone else.

If you work `cash in hand`(off the books) you run the risk of deportation and never getting in the country again

Thanks for that, JGK. I'd be interested in talking to anyone out there that managed to get a job/work permit and who could tell me how the process went.

Originally Posted by chicadeb

Hi,

I'm British and will be coming to Toronto soon to join my Canadian boyfriend. I'm aware that I will be a 6-month visitor, but wonder what the Customs will ask me on arrival. My plan is to try to get a job/work permit during the 6 months in order to stay longer. Obviously, if I don't then I'll have to return to the UK before the end of the 6 months. What should I tell the customs on arrival - that I want to look for work or that I'm just visiting? Will they ask for proof of a return ticket, want proof of what money I have, where I'll be staying, etc? Any info. much appreciated. Many thanks.

To issue a visitors visa the IO must be satisfied that you will leave Canada (or you wouldn't be a visitor). Therefore a return ticket and proof of the means to support yourself while you here are important. I think (but don't know for sure) that staying with a friend will help if you don't have lots of money.

If you tell the IO you are looking for a job they might refuse you entry.

Thanks jonboy,

I won't mention looking for work. I can show my bank statement showing enough money to keep me going for 6 months, but don't have a return flight booked. Also do you think it's better to say visiting friends rather than a boyfriend as they might assume that I'll want or try to stay longer?

Cheers.

Hey Deb,

If Canada is like everywhere else, (because from what I'm reading in the replies here it seems like it is) the officer at the point of entry wants to be able to think you're going to go home by the date on your visa rather than try and stay illegally. If they don't think that then things become difficult.
They also take a pretty dim view of anyone that wants to work illegally, whether you intend to or not, don't mention anything about working. You have enough money to support yourself which is good, make sure and take proof of that to show them.
Saying you are staying with friends covers your situation and it's much less likely to attract attention than openly saying you have a boyfriend there, but even if you do have one it's not something they would deny you access for, but anyways "with friends" should be perfectly acceptable.
Basically I'd suggest that you don't actually need to tell them any more than they ask you, but make sure you smile when you answer their questions.
Not too sure about you not having a return ticket though, that really might raise a red flag to them, because it certainly would if you were entering the US or the UK on a visitors visa!
You may want to check out whether the rules state that you actually need a return ticket when you enter Canada on a visitors visa, and if you do, then do the smart thing and change the ticket to a return.

purps

I'm not an expert on immigration so take all this with the appropriate pinch of salt. Also, I wouldn't ever recommend lying to an immigration officer. Not only is it the wrong thing to do but, if you are caught out in a lie, it can have serious consequences to your future admissibility to this country.

You could chose to say that you are visiting a friend (this is not a lie). If the IO accepts this then no problems. If they question you further and it transpires that your friend is, in fact, your boyfriend then this is going to raise their suspicions a bit. However, that will not make you inadmissible in itself. You have to be prepared to convince the IO that you will leave Canada before your visa expires.

I think presenting yourself to immigration without a return ticket might cause you problems. It might be a good idea to check out the return ticket policies of the airline. I recently bought a return ticket on BA with the return date sometime next year. Changing the return date will only cost £90. The return is non-refundable, but if you don't use it it will only be because you have found a decent job or you and your boyfriend have got married - no great loss.

Originally Posted by purple

Not too sure about you not having a return ticket though, that really might raise a red flag to them, because it certainly would if you were entering the US or the UK on a visitors visa!
You may want to check out whether the rules state that you actually need a return ticket when you enter Canada on a visitors visa, and if you do, then do the smart thing and change the ticket to a return.

purps

To visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• be in good health
• satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin
• satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit and
• have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region.

From the CIC website here Visiting Canada: Who is eligible.

So no, you don't NEED a return ticket - but it makes life a lot easier.