Must be some way outta here...Can't get no relief...

[pseudoego]

Feeling hopeless and trapped due to Immigration Blues.
Canuck living in the Midwest US with love of my life.
Midnight Train to Georgia: "Rather live in her world, than without her in mine."
Visa about to expire. Used full six months.
Know they won't let me back in if I leave and try to come back in.
Know if I don't leave that it will crush any hopes of getting future tourist or business visas,
and maybe screw up chances of getting in after marriage.

Could get married and apply as spouse, but that takes forever...and I would have to leave while
waiting for approval.

Getting desperate.
Thinking maybe I could leave, to avoid overstaying and future penalties,
but sneak back in somehow on West Coast - around Vancouver/Abbotsford or around Detroit.

Was desperately considering trying to sneak in via hiding in car trunk, but figured that would be suicidal and ill fated.

Figuring applying for extension is doomed because unable to prove non-intent to immigrate.
Plus why give them map to bust down door and deport.

Thought Mohawk reservation might be answer, but research suggests it is now like a Police State with all roads monitored by camera and sensors.

Thinking helpful boater might be only solution.
Worried sick.

Anybody with advice welcome to reply...or PM with classified info.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Kim Chee]

Apply for spousal visa, make babies, etc.

 

[pseudoego]

Apply for spousal visa, make babies, etc.

Thanks for the reply. To do *that* I have to leave the country, and be separated for what could take over a year. And there is no guarantee they will give me a visa after that. Simply being married to an American does not guarantee you they will let you immigrate. I am in a catch22, because to prove it is a "Real" marriage I will have to end up incriminating myself that I was in the country illegally. I really don't want to be separated. I do not know how much longer I have to live. I am getting long in the tooth. I am totally understanding the situation so many Mexicans are in...."Fear and Loathing..." etc. I don't have a life outside of the country to return to...and that is why they are quite correct in assuming that I just want to stay here.

 

[Kim Chee]

I used to work for a U.S. company which arranged meetings with foreigners with the intention of marrying.

*We did not process the paperwork, we left that up to a company which specializes in visa services. You can do it yourself, but the paperwork is extensive: https://www.uscis.gov/family/k-1-process-step-step

Get back to Canada. Become actual penpals with postage stamps, send pictures, have your partner visit you in Canada, take pictures together, save all of this stuff as you will need it for evidence.

If you are found to lie on your application or overstay your visa you are just delaying being together legally.

Being in this country as an illegal immigrant is quickly becoming an uncomfortable thing to do.

 

[Hillbilly Castro]

Kim Chee's advice seems sound, not that I am in any way qualified on these matters.
What I'd do is what he suggests, though I would explore also bringing your lover up to Canuckistan for the months you've got to wait up there. And I'd also explore, barring that, sneaking into US via Maine. It's a far way to go, but easy. Can take unregistered daytrips to Canada if you please because it's straight fuckin' wilderness. But then yer in the straight fuckin' wilderness and have half the US to travel through, probably on a Greyhound or the Amtrak, which is costly (hitching / hopping would attract the law, who you do not want to talk to ever lest they find yer illegal). But then again, I know what it's like to be in love and there is, perhaps a little shamefully, a woman I can think of (and do think of daily) for whom I'd do all of what I've described here naked in winter four times back to back for, if it meant seeing her.
Best of luck, keep a journal because it already sounds like one hell of a story.

 

[pseudoego]

Kim Chee's advice seems sound, not that I am in any way qualified on these matters.
What I'd do is what he suggests, though I would explore also bringing your lover up to Canuckistan for the months you've got to wait up there. And I'd also explore, barring that, sneaking into US via Maine. It's a far way to go, but easy. Can take unregistered daytrips to Canada if you please because it's straight fuckin' wilderness. But then yer in the straight fuckin' wilderness and have half the US to travel through, probably on a Greyhound or the Amtrak, which is costly (hitching / hopping would attract the law, who you do not want to talk to ever lest they find yer illegal). But then again, I know what it's like to be in love and there is, perhaps a little shamefully, a woman I can think of (and do think of daily) for whom I'd do all of what I've described here naked in winter four times back to back for, if it meant seeing her.
Best of luck, keep a journal because it already sounds like one hell of a story.

Thanks so much for the empathetic reply. This one's a "keeper" - been together many years, survived a lot. The Maine solution sounds intriguing, but I know nothing about the territory. I still think the best method is a friendly boater dropping one off where a car is waiting near the shore. But, not exactly something you can advertise for on Craigslist, I guess.

 

[todd]

hard decision probably best to go home and figure it out

 

[pseudoego]

hard decision probably best to go home and figure it out

Thanks for the advice, but we are a little bit old to contemplate being separated from each other at this point.

 

[FrumpyWatkins]

Problem isn't physically crossing the border its the walk through the "frontier zone" where BP will often stop "suspicious" walkers. They told me this once when CBS dropped me off at a crossing after being deported by the Canuckastanis that this is their policy and ended up stopping me multiple times on my return trip walking south from the crossing. Get married and get them to put an ankle bracelet and have weekly reporting while they process your app. They do this. Need to live near a federal building though.

 

[todd]

HA im also a bit old...
theres always just staying and ending up an illegal. but with todays political leanings that's a dangerous way to go.

 

[pseudoego]

Problem isn't physically crossing the border its the walk through the "frontier zone" where BP will often stop "suspicious" walkers. They told me this once when CBS dropped me off at a crossing after being deported by the Canuckastanis that this is their policy and ended up stopping me multiple times on my return trip walking south from the crossing. Get married and get them to put an ankle bracelet and have weekly reporting while they process your app. They do this. Need to live near a federal building though.

This is interesting, though....When they stop you, do they process your passport as if you were entering? The point being: I don't want to show up on the Shared Border records as having arrived "home" in Canada on their computer registry *if* I don't have a corresponding entry recorded in to the US. So, if I appear to be a Walker who has lost his way, strayed into the US, and crossed back will they take my passport and scan it to show I entered? I think the same question could be asked about people who get lost on the Backroads in Maine in their cars...and end up across the border "inadvertently" - I am wondering if they scan your passport into the international shared registry at *that* point...or just don't bother scanning it, if they think you just took a wrong turn and originated in Canada in the first place, as opposed to somebody trying to enter from the American side.

 

[pewpew]

Considering Trump is cracking down, that might be wishful thinking.

 

[pseudoego]

Considering Trump is cracking down, that might be wishful thinking.

You could be correct, but keep in mind that I am referring to Canadian citizens "appearing" to have made a simple mistake of originating in Canada, getting sidetracked and lost in the US, and emerging back on a Canadian road.

 

[pewpew]

Yeah I get that and all, they might be a little more lenient to take your word against say someone from the southern border.


I tried to look something up and I only kept getting this article so you may be onto something, so it probably is a common thing if you were to accidentally cross by water.


How Did 1,500 Americans Accidentally Float Into Canadian Waters ...

 

[FrumpyWatkins]

I've tried "I didn't know I was here" in Canada, it's not a legal defense. I assume the US would say the same. Plus why do you have your passport with you if you were just lost? Right? Like I said in the PM, you have an active soon to be expired visa, you're in the system for good now.

 

[marmar]

Thanks for the reply. To do *that* I have to leave the country, and be separated for what could take over a year. And there is no guarantee they will give me a visa after that. Simply being married to an American does not guarantee you they will let you immigrate. I am in a catch22, because to prove it is a "Real" marriage I will have to end up incriminating myself that I was in the country illegally. I really don't want to be separated. I do not know how much longer I have to live. I am getting long in the tooth. I am totally understanding the situation so many Mexicans are in...."Fear and Loathing..." etc. I don't have a life outside of the country to return to...and that is why they are quite correct in assuming that I just want to stay here.

Hey where did you get this from? You do not need to leave to get married to an American citizen. You just walk to the city hall with them. Considering you already have someone willing to marry you. It is a long wait after that, about 18months till you get your geencard and can travel abroad and back. But it's worth it. Because since you already overstayed your visa, that's your best option now.
Good luck

 

[pseudoego]

Hey where did you get this from? You do not need to leave to get married to an American citizen. You just walk to the city hall with them. Considering you already have someone willing to marry you. It is a long wait after that, about 18months till you get your geencard and can travel abroad and back. But it's worth it. Because since you already overstayed your visa, that's your best option now.
Good luck

As far as I know, you can't just jump the cue to get in by marrying an American...you have to go out of the country and apply for the legal permit.

 

[marmar]

As far as I know, you can't just jump the cue to get in by marrying an American...you have to go out of the country and apply for the legal permit.

That's not true and I know from experience, yes you can get married and no if you leave the country that will be way harder to do.

 

[pseudoego]

Wow....you opened a door for me which I had not realized existed. Thanks. I thought once you are one day overstayed that you will be kicked out if they find out where you live....although that is still the danger if they reject my petition for status adjustment. Marriage is not the only requirement, all sorts of hoops to jump through, and income requirements for sponsorship. But thanks again, and to STP for being a useful resource.

 

[Beegod Santana]

Not that I'm recommending it or anything, but I currently live a stones throw from the Maine / New Brunswick border and hitchhiking border hoppers are fairly common. As far as I understand it making it across is the hard part, once you're on the other side of town the cops really aren't harassing people. Don't look shady and carry a small pack and you'll look just like a local. People hitch back and forth from the rez all the time so hitchhikers really don't draw all that much attention.