thetreble

Hi Huggles! nice to see you still kicking around!

Colleens..Glad you moved back because I remember you wanting to. It's nice to feel less stressed, isn't it? The process wasn't too bad although it does feel like it's geared more towards newlyweds than people who have been married for long periods of time. Showing phone records and emails and that sort of thing for people who have been married for years is difficult...but I sent it as many joint things as I could including our tax returns so hopefully it will get approved quickly! The nice thing is, there is usually no interview for US spouses so at least he gets to skip that part.

Well hello - so is your husband able to work yet or no? at least for a Cdn employer that is.

No And there is no point in him applying for a work authorization while his outland PR application is in process because supposedly, it takes about a year to get the work authorization which is the same amount of time the outland PR application takes to process. But my husband just stopped working at the end of May and we had some money saved up so we are managing on one income for now.

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd swing past and say hello to all the folks who have been here for what seems like a bazillion years helping everyone through their process. I hope some of you oldies (you know who you are ) are diong well and everyone's family is well and healthy.

I've now been back in Canada for almost 6 months. I feel much happier and feel like that missing piece has now found its way back to me. Now that my husband is giong through the Canadian PR process, I can honesty say that USCIS is far more efficient and timely! haha We are looking at at least a year for his PR through the spousal process to come through. In the mean time, we are enjoying the Blue Jays, the wonderful Toronto waterfront, and high levels of reduced stress

Best of luck,

Amanda

Safe trip home!! Enjoy the new larger tim hortons cup sizes,lol

The bastards!!! They didn't need to change it!

You are comparing apples and oranges though.

The cost of living may be more expensive, but the average wage and wage scale is different. Georgia, and this is no offense to you because this goes for most of the Southern States, has a much lower cost of living than a lot of other areas in the US. It may cost you a few more bucks for parking, food, transit, etc. in Toronto, but a school teacher is making 50 or 55K to start out, and in Georgia a starting school teacher's salary is more like 35. So you kind of have to look at it like that.

What it comes down to, and I can tell you this because I've worked at a US university for four years, is that getting a student visa for a Canadian to come to the US, to a state school (because she couldn't afford private) is almost unheard of.

And I don't mean to sound rude or condescending in any way so know that I am saying this with your best interest at heart....but with DOMA and all the other ####### that the LGBT community suffers here in the US, and knowing how much more liberal a society Canada is, don't you think it would be very hard for her to adjust to life in the South? People tend not to be very accepting, especially in some of those bible belt areas. Just a thought.

Thanks guys!

Let me tell you, I met two ladies off this board in real life and if it wasn't for them, it would have been so much more difficult. It was such a pleasure to have a few Canadians to tell you how you are feeling is okay and listen to your aches and pains! Thanks Nev and Jill!!!

Kimbear - he still doesn't get the "double/double" thing but I will have to teach him some more! haha

Colleens - we will have to keep in contact to see how the process is going. I'm not thrilled about doing this all over again but what can you do?

I just wanted to say to all of those who have given me advice or information over the past 5 years that you are brilliant and I wish nothing but the best for you guys! I know many of those who were around at 4 or 5 years ago aren't anymore but there are some who still are.

Tomorrow is my last day in the US. I have been able to acquire a job in Toronto so I am heading back and starting my husband's visajourney!

I'm so happy to be moving back and couldn't be more thrilled to settle down in what has always been home for me.

Best of luck!

Amanda

Yep. Got on the phone to Nissan this morning and hopefully will have it in the mail soon.

So I have to own the vehicle? We are about 4-5 months away from paying off our car loan. The car has to stay in the US until it's paid off?

It's been awhile since I have read import information on vehicles from Canada to the US (or vice versa)

Any one have any helpful tips or explanation of the process? Thanks!

You know I'm not sure but I'd really love to see the look on the guard's face when he asked if you had anything to declare and you said "yes, weiners.". lol.

I have crossed over to Canada every Christmas for the past five years with wrapped gifts and no lists or receipts and never had an issue. I'm probably going on luck here!

They do ask me what the approx. value of the gifts are. I usually tell them $400 or $500 bucks but because you are going to visit your family and you are a US resident or US Citizen, they seem less concerned then if you are a Canadian shopping in the US and bringing goods back.

I'm going through the Nexus lane any ways on Friday

The hardest part is that it's already very stressful to go through the immigration process without your family putting in their two cents.

My parents didn't ask many questions but listened a lot. Before I left for the states my dad did ask me to think about what I was about to do. Turns out I should have listened to him a bit more and myself a bit less! But, hey, I was 21 so...no one was going to stop me at that point!

You don't know anything about this process until you have either extensively read up on it or you have gone through it. It's so complicated that I don't expect someone who has never had to think about it before to understand even the first step.

At the end of the day, doesn't matter what any one else thinks. It's a decision you're making and as long as you are informed, that's all that matters. You may want to tell your family to back off a little though, in a polite way of course, if they are threatening to call the military on your fiancee/husband, etc.?

Merci! I thought that was the case but just wanted to make sure!

Hey guys,

For those of you that have both Canadian and American passports, can you travel into Canada using your Canadian passport and then travel back to the US using your US passport?

One of the reasons I ask is the way I go home now has Nexus lanes and I have a nexus card, but only my Can. passport is attached to the card right now and I haven't been able to change it online.

It's interesting, you know, that none of my American friends have passports. One of my coworkers just got the passport card a month ago so she could travel to St. Marten. I have friends who have never been out of PA, NJ, NY or CT, let alone to another area of the US! It's very strange. Most of my mates in Canada are avid travelers. Maybe we get excellent deals or something? There is a total lack of interest though on going somewhere internationally here. I even know folks who think Canada is the most foreign place ever and they've never been there before. We don't live too far away from the border! Jeeze, growing up, my family made a ton of trips to the US for all kinds of reasons.

I do think it's unfortunate because it's one of the things that makes a few Americans very ignorant about the rest of the world. Not all of course, but quite a big group in my opinion. It is not even about what you know, but what has shaped your perception of things. Fox News and CNN seem to shape a lot of perception in areas of the US.

I work at a University and I know that after I finished Uni, and my friends did too, the first thing on our list was TRAVEL! We knew it might be one of the only times in our lives where we could do it and it is sort of a right of passage.

The first thing American students do the day after they graduate is look at the job ads!

I would advise you to take a look into what the market is like where you live. Where we live in the US, nothing is selling. Houses in my neighbourhood have now been on the market for over two years.

I just took the oath last week to become a US citizen.

Canada recognizes dual citizenship. The US does NOT recognize dual citizenship which is why they make you verbally (but not technically) renounce it during the oath.

You can still keep your dual citizenship, they just don't recognize it.

Can you apply for a first time passport at a foreign US embassy?

See! I knew someone would know more! haha

All I know is that here, in NJ, I've seen a few girls at work go out on Mat Leave and they are back in 8-12 weeks. I also think it's unpaid but I'm not 100%. It's shitty.

I've never been divorced and I'm sure someone can offer some personal help and experience here.

Here is my input. You are going to need to acquire a lawyer to get a divorce and have them file the paperwork. At some point, I believe you are going to have to get in a room with your husband and lawyers, and as long as you are not after any property or any significant settlement, you can probably settle out of court. You need to work out a separation agreement. This is more of a mediation process that tends to be for people who haven't been married long, do not have assets or who have amicable respect for each other still.

Here is some information: http://www.canadiandivorcelaws.com/divorce-procedure/

yes its by far the best country in the world

LOL I didn't say that

I work at a state, public institution and am a state government employee. They had no problems taking a PR. Just like others are saying, most jobs outside the Feds usually accept PRs.

I think it's great. More choices of places to live and work.

I purchased a flight just for the sake of it. Unfortunately, because it's Christmas time, there are lot of non-refundable hotel and flight rules and cancellation policies.

Some offices do not require proof of travel but the Travel.Gov hotline guy did tell me that if you go without proof to the NY or Philly offices, they will not give you a same day passport or passport card.

Thanks for all the advice!