Hi everyone.
Like so many here, we want to go across to the US and buy are own RV. Once we've got it, we would then want to travel for 12-18 months taking in Canada on our travels. We are a family of four. That's me, my wife, our 20 year old daughter who'd be taking a gap year from University and our one year old son (now that's a gap! ;D).
Now here's the difficult part - we also want to bring our two Boxer dogs with us. Obviously they'd be 'jabbed-up' with all necessary paperwork etc but we're worried that the Border Officials won't believe that we intend to go back to the UK once our visas expire. I guess to some that it may look as if we'd moved over lock, stock and barrell? We've also read that if there's any element of doubt in the minds of these officials then they are unlikely to give you any benefit and are quite happy to refuse you at POE. Incidentally, we'd be self-funding and understand that none of us are able to work on a B2 visa.
It of course, would be easier if we didn't have pets but they are our responsibility and we don't have any relatives or friends capable or willing to look after them for upto 18 months. Kennel costs for that length of time would pretty much make a huge dent in any savings we'd made by buying the RV from the US ourselves and also, it'd be unfair to the dogs to kennel them for that amount of time also. So we're stuck really ??? It may be that we come across without the dogs for say 4 months on a B2 visa and kennel the dogs so we might have the best of both worlds.
Does anyone have any experience of crossing US/Canadian borders with pets whilst touring or know of anyone that does ?
Grateful for any help.
Like so many here, we want to go across to the US and buy are own RV. Once we've got it, we would then want to travel for 12-18 months taking in Canada on our travels. We are a family of four. That's me, my wife, our 20 year old daughter who'd be taking a gap year from University and our one year old son (now that's a gap! ;D).
Now here's the difficult part - we also want to bring our two Boxer dogs with us. Obviously they'd be 'jabbed-up' with all necessary paperwork etc but we're worried that the Border Officials won't believe that we intend to go back to the UK once our visas expire. I guess to some that it may look as if we'd moved over lock, stock and barrell? We've also read that if there's any element of doubt in the minds of these officials then they are unlikely to give you any benefit and are quite happy to refuse you at POE. Incidentally, we'd be self-funding and understand that none of us are able to work on a B2 visa.
It of course, would be easier if we didn't have pets but they are our responsibility and we don't have any relatives or friends capable or willing to look after them for upto 18 months. Kennel costs for that length of time would pretty much make a huge dent in any savings we'd made by buying the RV from the US ourselves and also, it'd be unfair to the dogs to kennel them for that amount of time also. So we're stuck really ??? It may be that we come across without the dogs for say 4 months on a B2 visa and kennel the dogs so we might have the best of both worlds.
Does anyone have any experience of crossing US/Canadian borders with pets whilst touring or know of anyone that does ?
Grateful for any help.