I am a professional football player (Canadian citizen) in the CFL (Canadian Football League), and next winter I am looking to obtain a Visitors Visa so that I can train December 2011 through May 2012 in Arizona.

One- How far in advance should I begin the application process if I wish to be living in the United States from December through May?

Two- How difficult will it be to obtain the visa? The sole purpose of this is to train outdoors and live with an American friend. I would not be collecting income, rather just living off of my earnings made from the past football season while renting a condo/town home with friend. The Canadian climate is not cohesive with my training regiment and living in Arizona would aid my training/career immensely.

Thank-you!