Road To Canada Forums

Hello all,

First I would like to say what a nice find this forum was for me. Thank you so much for being here!
Here's our story:
He's American and I'm Canadian. I came down for a visit in Nov.07 and got pregnant. It was a high risk pregnancy, travel home was out of the question. So I stayed in the US. The baby came 10 weeks early and is now doing fine.
However, I have now been down here 2 years without paperwork, even a passport.
We want to move back to Canada but have no idea where to start and how to go about it. I have spoken with the consulate here and they say my daughter and I can do home as long as I have permission from her father, which is done. And my birth certificate, which I do.
Now what? Does my fiance come home with me? Do we get married before we leave or initiate paperwork?
We would really like to avoid being separated and do have a place to stay while I find work.
Please help I can't quit crying worrying about what will happen to my little family.

No worries!, there's always options and solutions....

I'm not sure about the no paperwork thing, but here's what i did that worked out fine.

Got married in the US. Went up to the canadian border with my American wife and marriage certificate and job offer i had waiting for me. I explained that i wanted her to stay with me while we filed for permanent residency for her He granted her a 1 year visitor visa while we filed the paper work (however she is not allowed to work during that time). So we've happily been able to stay together :)

thank you for the information!
More questions ... did you both have passports? Who did you talk to at the border? Will they let us through even though I don't have a job yet? Should I start looking for work up there so I have something to show them as you did? What did your employer say when you told him you were coming from the US?
Again thank you.

Yes we both had passports that were valid.
You will be sent in to talk to the immigration officer when you arrive at the border, (not just the guy a the booth outside).
If you don't have a job yet, nor a letter stating you will be starting one soon, then they will want to see bank records or other proof that you will be financially able to pay for yourself, and your spouse for at least a while i would imagine. (i dont know if there is a specific number). If you have no savings, or proof of upcoming income, they may turn him away. So take any bank records you can with you to help your case. However you will be able to enter since you are a canadian citizen.

My employer had no issues with me coming from the states, cause i'm a canadian citizen. I was just working down there for a while on a work visa.

If you call the information hotline and explain the situation they might be able to more infomation (however its ultimately up to the border guard to grant you all access or not). They are all very friendly so don't be scared to talk to them.

The number is 1-888-242-2100

I find that if you call, and press 1 for english, then i think its 1 again for family immigration.... then sit and wait for the system to timeout, it will transfer you into the phone queue. Sometimes going through the maze of numbers won't get you to a human.