TN Visa - Canada US trips

isabel18

New Member
Hi

I have been holding a TN visa(Management Consultant) since 2015 and was renewed in Jan 2017 for another period of 2 years(with 0 questions asked)....expiring Jan 2019.

I have been travelling now since 2015 back home to Canada for long weekends without any issues ...however on my latest trip to Canada and return back to US by bus ...i had a really hard time..the officer just kept saying go back and work in Canada ...i said i was a Mgmt Consultant working for xyz company on TN in the US ...I also voluntarily offered to show him my TN petition ...to which he said sure...he took time to read the petition and said u r no way a Mgmt Consultant and kept repeating i should go back and work in Canada and that i would not be granted another TN visa ..i was kind of taken a back with this behavior and attitude but i stood calm without raising any questions ...then he made a small note on piece of paper i think about my xyz company and just pushed my petition and passport towards me without saying anything... i at this point not sure whether i was done with him ... but just took my petition and passport and got back on the bus.

Are there any red flags here ...i am really concerned.

Thanks
 
A few questions so that it helps everyone on this forum :
  1. What was your port of entry, have you used the same port of entry previously?
  2. When you say "and got back on the bus" do you mean he let you enter the US ?
  3. Did you check online for your latest I-94, were there any remarks there?
  4. Please let us know if you are a born Canadian, usually unless they have other issues like (DUI etc) I work with many of them who travel back and forth , they have never mentioned anything like this.
As for your question, I dont think there are any red flags. If you are going to renew next time use an I-129 as you can continue to work while it is being processed.

Thanks for providing all of us with more information.
 
See ans inline italics

A few questions so that it helps everyone on this forum :
  1. What was your port of entry, have you used the same port of entry previously? Sometimes bus at times Air - but if bus same port of entry
  2. When you say "and got back on the bus" do you mean he let you enter the US ? of course ...he did..becoz the TN was renewed with 0 questions
  3. Did you check online for your latest I-94, were there any remarks there? Absolutely None
  4. Please let us know if you are a born Canadian, usually unless they have other issues like (DUI etc) I work with many of them who travel back and forth , they have never mentioned anything like this. - Canadian since last 10 years ..born in India
As for your question, I dont think there are any red flags. If you are going to renew next time use an I-129 as you can continue to work while it is being processed.

Thanks for providing all of us with more information.
 
Thank you very much for that information. It would be helpful if you name the border crossing so that it helps others here.
I understand, some of my colleagues had problems while travelling back and forth from Canada. If the I94 has no remarks you dont have to worry.

I wish you good luck, but I would certainly use the I129 for renewals, as you dont have to travel across the border for getting the TN. As for personal visits, thats another story, something we all have to face I guess.
 
Isabel, do not spend another second worrying about this. If you were not allowed to enter, he simply would not have let you in.
And I would suggest to TnRaju that asking any information about port, time of day, phase of the moon, is of no use whatsoever. He was probably just pissed off that not everyone in the bus was a tourist, and he had to work a bit. It doesn't help you one bit. He has slept it off by now.
 
Isabel, Border crossing information (name) would be helpful , the rest of the information can be messaged to Nelson as I didnt ask for it :)
 
Dear Fellow Members,
Please provide complete information like the name of the border crossing / airport and details of the experience viz. what new questions were asked ( if different from the normal routine ), which helps others. This forum is to request help and provide as well. By providing the border crossing or Airport information, nobody can really identify you, if that is your concern !!!

===============================
UPDATE from my colleague - ( X = [ he,she ] )
  1. Border Crossing - SUMAS, WA
  2. First Time TN
  3. I129 Processed at the US consulate
  4. Had to wait 1 hour, officer was very strict
  5. Officer questioned why did X have to use the USCIS route when X could just appear at the border
  6. Fingerprinting, I dont remember doing that myself, but that was a long time ago
  7. Interestingly did not look at any papers in detail, but went inside and discussed with many bosses it appears
Thank you.
 
Point 3. The I-129 would have ben processed at a USCIS office in US, not at a US consulate.
Point 4. What does "strict" mean? No chewing gum? Stand at attention? He didn't review anything in detail, so what made him strict?

Providing inaccurate information is probably worse than not providing all this extraneous data.
 
There is nothing inaccurate here. I am not sure who can be mislead by this. If a person is going to Sumas, he or she would go to the next border if other people provide good input about other border crossings.
Strict would mean unnecessary questioning , if the paperwork is straightforward and the officer is still curt, may be it is better to go to another border crossing. This is indeed useful information, as I have said before, if people find the information useful so be it, if one person finds it extraneous I think he can safely ignore it.

The standard paperwork information can be found at the proverbial horse's mouth ( USCIS website ) and if the officers accurately follow it, there need be no forum at all. The forum is for user experience especially for people who are visible minority, this will help others who are in a similar situation. Good Luck!
 
There is nothing inaccurate here. I am not sure who can be mislead by this. If a person is going to Sumas, he or she would go to the next border if other people provide good input about other border crossings.
Strict would mean unnecessary questioning , if the paperwork is straightforward and the officer is still curt, may be it is better to go to another border crossing. This is indeed useful information, as I have said before, if people find the information useful so be it, if one person finds it extraneous I think he can safely ignore it.

The standard paperwork information can be found at the proverbial horse's mouth ( USCIS website ) and if the officers accurately follow it, there need be no forum at all. The forum is for user experience especially for people who are visible minority, this will help others who are in a similar situation. Good Luck!

You think people should go to another border crossing if all their paperwork is in order, just because it’s someones’s impression that a CBP officer asked an unnecessary question in an abrupt tone of voice? Well ok.... seems a lot of hassle to avoid getting offended for a few minutes imo.
 
... and what does this have to do with what border one crossed.

Better to prepare a good petition and act professionally rather than chase after the best/easiest border crossing guard.

What is "unnecessary questioning"? Your colleague was going for their first TN, what the hell do they know what is necessary or not, or what is strict or not. This is not useful info to anyone.

waste of time.... and quite frankly more self-serving than for others benefit.
 
There is nothing inaccurate here. I am not sure who can be mislead by this. If a person is going to Sumas, he or she would go to the next border if other people provide good input about other border crossings.
Strict would mean unnecessary questioning , if the paperwork is straightforward and the officer is still curt, may be it is better to go to another border crossing. This is indeed useful information, as I have said before, if people find the information useful so be it, if one person finds it extraneous I think he can safely ignore it.

The standard paperwork information can be found at the proverbial horse's mouth ( USCIS website ) and if the officers accurately follow it, there need be no forum at all. The forum is for user experience especially for people who are visible minority, this will help others who are in a similar situation. Good Luck!

Odd last sentence
 
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