F-1 visa as a dual citizen

[astro08]

Hi! I was wondering if any knowledgable person in here might be able to advise me in light of the current situation. I am a dual Mexican-Canadian citizen about to start a master's program in the US this fall. I initially thought about applying with a Mexican passport, since I've been living in Mexico for a few years and was a little worried about having proof of ties to Canada. (while I haven't lived there in about five years, I visit very often and have family all around).

Anyhow, I was going to apply with a Mexican passport; sadly, the office that processes passports here in Mexico has been closed for the last couple of months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I don't actually have a Mexican passport. I haven't had one for a few years and was only going to get one to be on the safe side when processing my F-1 visa since I've been living in Mexico for the last few years, and I did not want to raise any eyebrows when entering the US.

So, this puts me in a difficult position since, as of now, I cant actually get a Mexican passport, and I don't know when I will be able to. While I have lots of family in Canada, my mom and my stepdad, which are helping to finance my degree are both Mexican nationals and live here in Mexico city. I asked the school about all of this, but they really did not give a concise answer. I am growing worried, and I'm starting to wonder if it would be a stretch to fly to Canada and then enter from there. I have a bank account over there, a registered address, and close family ties. I may wait a bit more to see how the situation evolves, but I am trying to weigh all my options. 

So yes, I would really appreciate any good advice on how to proceed. 

Thank you so much!!

[PokePsych]

Are you going to apply for an F1 visa? I remember there was something about Canadians being able to enter in a somewhat different way.

I.e. strong ties - this is often really a question of 'could you feasibly go back to that country to live there' rather than where do you have the strongest ties (i.e., strong and strongest are different). I.e., is there a good likelihood you intend to go back. Do you have proof of ties there (e.g., a bank account, address where you would live, family). Similarly, your plans afterwards may matter (where do you intend to go after your stay in the US - in general, this should not be the US). 

 

[astro08]

Yes. While Canadians do not need a visa per se, they need to enter in F-1 status. There is no need to apply to an embassy/consulate before entering the US. In light of the current situation, I thought it could be a viable alternative since Id be able to enter the country with the I-20 issued by my university alone, without having to process a visa in an embassy (which are closed at the moment). I do plan on going back to Canada after graduation, so I'm not sure if my intent and the fact I have family ties in Canada is enough for the immigration officers? I don't really have any strong proof, such as property or significant savings. 

Edited May 21, 2020 by astro08

[PokePsych]

Students generally don't have things like property or significant savings (although partly depending on your age), so they would not really consider that. And it's not that Canada is a foreign country to you - you have family which you could stay with, a bank account, etc. So it is not unreasonable you may choose to head there after graduation. Plus your passport would allow you to stay there anyway, so its not like you have to apply for a visa to be in Canada. 

 

Strong ties are a bit of a weird thing. I applied for a visa in a third country, on a tourist visa, but they still thought it was OK because my husband is from there and has family there. So that was for me enough to prove strong ties, although I know I'm also from what is considered a very 'low risk' country in terms of (over)staying my visa. It really seems they mainly care whether you have a 'reason' to leave afterwards, so strong ties is something that would result in you leaving the US when your degree is completed. I don't think a Canadian passport would make them more suspicious that you're not going to leave the country. 

[astro08]

I am in my mid-20s, so I don't think they'd expect that. I guess I am just being a little paranoid, but I can't help but worry about all of this. I think I'm going to wait for a couple of more weeks and see if the passport office and the American embassy in Mexico are planning to reopen. My university seems to want to resume at least small classes in September (though they are giving us the option of doing everything online in case we can't make it). Still, I would much rather be there, especially since they are planning on holding small group sessions and seminars.