Newly laid off TN worker

QUESTION:

I had TN status in the US but was laid off yesterday. I returned immediately to Vancouver the next day, surrendering  my I-94 card, but all of my personal effects are still in the US. I plan to look for work in either the US or Canada, but  will conduct the job search from Canada.

How should I proceed to take care of the goods that I still have in the US? Can I purchase roundtrip airfare and in  that time period, plan to move my stuff back up to Canada or store it temporarily while I look for another job? If so,  do I have to wait a specific time period or can I fly back, say, within the following week? Do I need to get a visitor  visa to do this?


------------------------------------------- david ingram replies:

Coming back to Canada immediately is required but can usually be avoided by going to a local Homeland Security office and having them change your status to visitor to give you time to arrange to close up an apartment and arrange to move or store you r furniture.  Many people manage to find another job during that time and never really have to move although a recent one ended up moving from California to North Carolina but that was better than the double expense of a move to Canada and 'then' to North Carolina.

If you go to the border or the airport now with your tale of woe and tell them that you are just going down to close up your apartment, etc., it is unlikely that you would be denied entry. 

Good luck on the job search. �

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