‘They used to be more tolerant…’: Canadian family living in US denied visa at border as they return from short vacation in Quebec

A Canadian family living in Massachusetts was stranded for weeks after being denied re-entry to the United States after a brief ski trip to Quebec.Michael Freeze, his wife, Cinthya, and their three young children traveled to Canada in March hoping to return to their home on Martha’s Vineyard as normal. Instead, they have been stuck in Ottawa, living in a rental house in Kanata, after U.S. border officials refused to allow them to return to the country.Fritz told the Daily Mail he was turned away twice by U.S. Border Patrol agents while trying to renew his TN visa, which allows certain Canadian and Mexican professionals to work in the U.S. under the USMCA trade agreement.The visa is usually valid for up to three years and can be renewed, but applicants must leave the United States before the visa expires and reapply at the border. Approval is subject to the discretion of the officer reviewing the case.Frazee works as a management consultant for a luxury home-building company. He said officials questioned whether his job still met eligibility criteria.“In the past, they used to treat those [work] Category qualified. I just feel like they’ve become less tolerant. “He first attempted to re-enter the United States at a border crossing in Quebec, but was denied after being informed that his status did not meet the TN visa category. The next day, he tried again with updated documents at a checkpoint in Ontario, but was again denied entry.“Three years ago, when I got the visa, I thought they were going to say, ‘This is a guy who worked honestly and tried to grow the economy,'” Freeze said. He added: “Now that’s changed, and while it’s frustrating to me… I don’t think CBP did anything wrong. They were just trying to do their job.”Freese believes the decision may also be related to the additional responsibilities in his role that go beyond strictly management consulting. He said an official mentioned that the list of eligible occupations may have been updated recently.The family traveled to Canada in part because Freeze needed to take their passports with them to renew them. They combined this request with a short vacation.Frazier has lived in the United States for seven years. After graduating from Brigham Young University in Idaho, he initially held a temporary visa and then obtained a three-year TN visa, which he does not expect to have any difficulty renewing.Now separated from his home and job in Edgartown, he is exploring legal options to return. In the meantime, he has started applying for new positions that better meet TN visa guidelines.According to the U.S. Department of State, more than 15,000 TN visas were issued to professionals in Canada and Mexico in 2024.