Team J and B

Yes, I have my 2 yr GC. Going to refrain from driving till I get my California licence. We only have one car and it's under my husband's name with California plates (by the way, they call it tag - not plate - here). My Canadian license is valid till 2010.

Thanks, everyone!

Will post an update to let you know getting a CA DL procedures, and if you need to take the road test in San Francisco.

I went ahead and made an appointment. I hope it's only written test. I couldn't find that information for Canadians with valid licenses.

So anytime between now and early June if I get pulled over (knock on wood I don't) I'll just show my Canadian license and say I'm "visiting" according to thetreble . Cops don't know your status here, right? They're not linked to the federal/USCIS system, right?

I'm much cooler online.

I also don't stutter, mumble, and make less grammatical errors online.

Vancouver. Holla!

So many of you are from Ontario! I've always wanted to go there.

Hey guys -

I am finally admitting I don't have a CA DL. I've been driving for over a year with my BC DL. Apparently, I should have applied for a California DL within 10 days of moving to the USA!

I'm so embarrassed. I'm going to make an appointment toute de suite. But do you know if you need to take the road test again in San Francisco? Or is it just a written test?

Oh my goodness I'm so embarrassed!

We've (I've) been waiting for this legislation to pass since I came across it last year.

My dear husband, who makes fun of my "eh"s and Canadian accent (whatever THAT means) is going to be made a Canadian citizen. He's actually pretty excited about getting another passport. He travels a whole ton and having a Canadian passport will make it easier to go to some countries.

His mother is Canadian but moved to the USA, married, had kids in the 60s. She never got Canadian citizenship for her kids. She eventually got her US citizenship and lived happily ever after, so she has dual.

This legislation grants my husband citizenship through his mom, which is fantastic. I will be getting my US citizenship when I'm eligible. Our kid will have dual as well. So this is like a bonus without us asking.

Thank you, E, ecm, Krikit!

Phew!

So you're positive no passport required for non-Americans when traveling in the USA, right? Just DL or GC will suffice?

Hi guys!

Quick question for the seasoned folks.

My Canadian passport is in my maiden name. My 2 year GC is in my married name (just added on husband's surname to mine). When I travel within the USA, what do I need? My ticket is booked under my married name: Mrs So and So. I can't remember for the life of me remember what IDs I need to bring when traveling within the USA. I haven't flown within the USA since getting my 2 yr GC, but before that, I traveled everywhere with my Canadian passport all the time.

I can just show my GC, right? It's got my married name and that name matches my ticket. I can technically leave my Canadian passport at home, right? Now that I'm in the USA and have a GC I don't need to travel domestically with a passport, right?

Hi all,

A year ago on April 5th, armed with two luggages and a big brown envelope full of official documents and silly papers stating I'm "healthy" enough to immigrate, I entered the US of A as a Canadian mail order bride. Much has happened within a year. We married, we moved, we vacationed, we bought our second house, we made new friends, we got our two year GC, we had a baby.

I don't get on here much nowadays, but thought I'd pop in and say hi and thanks to those who have answered my questions in the past. You know who you are. There will be more questions, I'm sure!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying life.

Ps - a friend of mine bought me a pack of Smarties...from Malaysia. I'm going to eat just one piece a day. I did find them in SF but sadly, too expensive.

Here's our surprise baby: we weren't planning a baby so soon, and we didn't know it was a he till he was born. But hey, no complaints. This was taken when he was six weeks young. He's now 10 weeks young.

For those of you who show your marriage certificate along with your old passport, do you carry around the original marriage certificate or will a copy suffice? And if a copy, does it need to be notarized?

TIA.

Three more days!

To those who will be spending Christmas for the first time as husband and wife - congratulations!

I just received my corrected two year Green Card today. I was approved November 12th, got the card Nov. 24th, but there was an error, and got the corrected one today. Yay!

Melly Christmas!

11 more days!

Hi everyone! I'm not feeling very Christmasy. No tree, no decorations. Maybe with kids it will be different.

Christmas is my favorite holiday but there's no one here to celebrate with and my husband's traveling on business. It's so nice to see the pix in this thread!

Have a good Sunday!

Junglejao -

Your husband must change his travel plans. My husband was halfway around the world during my appointment date but he flew back for 36 hours in total to attend an interview that lasted 20 minutes. The interview time was 9.30 AM but we didn't get seen till 9.55 and were out of there at around 10.25 AM. His flight out was 1 PM.

The elephant in the room. Refreshing to see such an honest poll here.

I've always been curious why some beneficiaries are so eager to bring their family members to the USA asap because these family members can't get health care and jobs are not easy to come by and they're leaving behind a life they are familiar with to become dependent on others here in the USA. I don't know where to post this question without offending everyone.

28 days - that's IT? Oh mon dieu, how time flies!

I am not mailing as many Christmas cards as I used to this year. I hope my baby doesn't come early!

My thread got moved, I originally had a poll attached to it.

No one wants to answer? I'm expecting the corrected card to come before the end of January, so roughly two months. I *hope* that's not wishful thinking!

The mistake was a USCIS administrative error. Typo, basically.

I'm sending in the I-90 today along with proof of change to my info. USCIS administrative error, oh how wonderful.

I searched and somebody's new and corrected card took over six months to arrive. Oh lord, fark me.

So just to get an idea how many people had a farked card and how long it took to receive a corrected card.

We printed out our phone records for the past three months before the date we sent in our K1 package. Also we printed our emails (blacken the naughty parts) and especially emails about not getting an engagement ring.

At the interview I don't believe I was asked about why I didn't have an engagement ring. If I had been asked, I had the lawyer's bill with me to show the interviewer, "THIS is what we spent the engagement ring on."

I don't know I just bought the pack of Skor cuz it was RIGHT THERE in my face. I don't recall if they have SKOR here in San Francisco. I'll check tomorrow!

I lurve Skor Blizzard!!!

Jedinite - I see where you are coming from with your thread. I also was disgusted by that thread about ditching one's Canadian debts after one moves to the USA.

EI is an entitlement, imho, whereas welfare (more PC it's called government assistance or income assistance) is more of a privilege. I worked in the BC welfare system for nearly four years and have seen it all. It's always the <1% of the bad apples that spoil the bunch, just like that guy who wanted to ditch his debt, I'm sure s/he's a rare one.

To answer your question, I was working up till the week I left for the USA on my K1 visa. I've always worked all my life and paid into EI. I claimed EI for three months during a lay off a few years ago (incidentally from the welfare agency) and I actually felt ashamed of applying for EI. But I got over it because it's something I had paid into for years and told myself that when I needed it, it was my right.

Anyway, when I moved here to the USA, I applied for EI as well but am not eligible. Rather than dispute it, I let it go.

My husband supports us and I'm fortunate I don't need to work (not that I could anyway when I first arrived to the USA, then I got pregnant soon after). Our short term plan is for me to raise our child(ren) and make the home. Some days I feel like I'm a trophy housewife of San Francisco city, but I know I'm not because I appreciate all that my husband provides and am just grateful for the turn my life has taken. If and when I need to work, I'm definitely stepping up to the plate.

Thanks for your answers. I have learned from my error.

It was the "did I declare non-residency; open bank accounts; BCDL; taxes; etc." questions that got me wondering. Thinking way too much than necessary!

My biggest flaw is my lack of patience, yet I am also often the one who is 15-20 minutes late. I'm working on it still.

Hi guys!

I'm in Vancouver for a few days and it's chillyyy! It's refreshing though, just like the good ol' Vancity I left behind!

I've seen some friends already and caught up and for the next few days it will be non stop yapping and eating and catching up with everyone.

I have a question for those who have just been approved for their two year conditional GC (my case - card not physically received yet but I have the I-551 stamp) OR those who have traveled to Canada on AP while waiting for their AOS interview:

When you were filling out the "arriving into Canada card" (or whatever it's called) on the plane, what did you put your status as? Resident or visitor? I put down resident but my home address was of course in California. I also declared the $ amount of goods I "returned" with ($17 See's Toffee-ettes).

The Canadian customs officer at YVR didn't blink an eye but just asked what my purpose of travel was and how long I'd be here for. I figured she saw my USA address and assumed correctly I'm just visiting.

Was that correct of me to put down I'm a resident? Or am I a visitor? I'm sure there are plenty of customs officers who would be pricks about having a USA address and also being a Canadian resident, as in they would ask a sh1tload of questions other than the five second face time I got with my customs agent.

So, just curious, what did you write down?

J of Team J and B