Help with a Visitor's Visa

[cwevenson]

My fiance has a visitors visa, she has lived in Canada for one year as of May. Every 5 months she exists Canada for a couple of days and returns, the last time she went to the United States to visit family. But she has told me now that she can not do that anymore and will need to return to Vietnam. She has been pressuring me to marry her, which I was intending on doing but due to financial constraints on my part I do not think it is the best time (Out of work, and little prospects for jobs right now). I am unclear on the visitor visa system, she was granted a visitor visa for 6 years why then would she need to leave every 6 months. And also is there a cap on the number of times she can visit the US?

I'm not all that keen on being pressured into marriage.

 

[Riley Haas]

So, the visitor visa is valid for 6 years (in this case) but anyone who is admitted into Canada on a temporary resident permit can only stay for a maximum of 6 months at a time. Moreover, the more frequently she does this within these 6 years the more frequently the CBSA will notice and limit her entries to less than 6 months per visit during the validity of this visitor visa. (There used to be a formula of something like 10 months every 3 years, but I don't know if that's true any more. I.e. 6 months the first time, 3 months the second time, 1 month the third time, fourth time denied entry unless 3 years have elapsed since the initial entry.) The visa is permission to travel to Canada not necessarily permission to enter.

The system is different in the US and depends upon the type of visa (of which there are hundreds) but basically, if she has a multiple entry US visitor visa she can visit the US for a day or two as long as the visitor visa is valid.

 

[cwevenson]

So, the visitor visa is valid for 6 years (in this case) but anyone who is admitted into Canada on a temporary resident permit can only stay for a maximum of 6 months at a time. Moreover, the more frequently she does this within these 6 years the more frequently the CBSA will notice and limit her entries to less than 6 months per visit during the validity of this visitor visa. (There used to be a formula of something like 10 months every 3 years, but I don't know if that's true any more. I.e. 6 months the first time, 3 months the second time, 1 month the third time, fourth time denied entry unless 3 years have elapsed since the initial entry.) The visa is permission to travel to Canada not necessarily permission to enter.

The system is different in the US and depends upon the type of visa (of which there are hundreds) but basically, if she has a multiple entry US visitor visa she can visit the US for a day or two as long as the visitor visa is valid.

Alright, that makes sense. Thank you Riley

 

[Riley Haas]

You are very welcome.