ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaPassport Canada
Anyone had a hard time getting Passport Canada to process a passport in a timely manner? My fiancé applied for his passport back in July and they say 20 business days processing time. It's now September and no passport.

How can we light a fire under their behinds? What's the Canadian equivalent of 'call your Congressman and ###### about it'? It would be ironic if we move faster through the visa process than we do the passport process. And I'm going to be royally pissed off if I do everything right on this end and we get held up because of his end.

This is partially stressing me because I'm annoyed with my fiancé's last-minute attitude towards things. I've been trying to get him to apply for a long-form birth certificate for weeks now, but apparently that's somehow really hard requiring all of ten minutes of paperwork. Meanwhile, I put together a sixty page I-129F application by myself except for the signatures.

I love him, but I'm going to kick his butt if I hear another excuse about how hard it is to get a birth certificate.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-09-14 12:18:00
CanadaAll the Packet 3 Formage
So, from the guidelines here it seems, if I understand it, that the Vancouver embassy doesn't expect (or perhaps even send) you to use the hard copies of the forms that come in Packet 3. Is this correct?

We have time yet, but would it be possible for me, the USC, to download and fill out the forms and mail them to my fiancé, so all he has to do is sign them? I'm basically wondering if there's a certain form or barcode or sticker that would preclude me prepping some of the forms for him.

The reason I'm asking: first he works out of town, and is usually only home two or three days out of a month and barely has time to do laundry, let alone paperwork. Would rather let him focus on getting the documentation he needs to get together, together. The second reason is, although I love him, he managed to fill out his birthdate incorrectly on the G-325A (we caught it) and I don't really trust him to fill out a whole form that I can't proofread.

So, could I download the forms and fill out everything but his signature and mail them to him? (Since I have to mail him all the other paperwork anyway.....)
CaladanMaleCanada2006-10-13 17:47:00
Canada=((((((((( Fiance just found out he has cancer
No advice, just sympathy and good wishes.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-10-12 15:15:00
CanadaWill Vancouver extend the petition approval?
Has anyone who has gone through the Vancouver consulate needed to push back the date of their interview past the four month NOA2 window?

Our NOA2 is good until 2/12/07, and while we'll have the paperwork in by then, we may need to be more flexible with the interview date. My fiancé's job keeps him away from his home for weeks on end, so requesting time off well in advance to schedule both the interview and the medical would be necessary. Vancouver seems to schedule interviews about four weeks after you send the checklist, and if we get in the paperwork by December or January, we'd be cutting it close.

Anyone have experience with something like this? Did they automatically extend the petition validity? Did you need to request it in writing?
CaladanMaleCanada2006-10-21 00:44:00
CanadaWill Vancouver extend the petition approval?
Has anyone who has gone through the Vancouver consulate needed to push back the date of their interview past the four month NOA2 window?

Our NOA2 is good until 2/12/07, and while we'll have the paperwork in by then, we may need to be more flexible with the interview date. My fiancé's job keeps him away from his home for weeks on end, so requesting time off well in advance to schedule both the interview and the medical would be necessary. Vancouver seems to schedule interviews about four weeks after you send the checklist, and if we get in the paperwork by December or January, we'd be cutting it close.

Anyone have experience with something like this? Did they automatically extend the petition validity? Did you need to request it in writing?
CaladanMaleCanada2006-10-21 00:44:00
CanadaQuestion about graduate school in Canada
I'll part with tradition and offer the graduate school end of advice rather than the immigration end of it. (Working on my Ph.D. here in the U.S.)

Some things you'll want to consider:
1) Do you want to be an academic? (You seem to say 'no.') If you do, given that the job market always sucks, it's probably best to check where the Canadian university ranks in comparison to the U.S. schools. (Sometimes they're stronger, sometimes weaker. Depends on the field.)

2) What do you want to do after you finish the Ph.D., and what sort of further certification will you need? Will you need a state license? An APA certified degree? Ensure with the laws of where you hope to end up that either a) a Canadian certification would suffice or B) your Canadian degree would enable you to qualify to test for the state certifications.

My gut says, given that Canadian and American academics move back and forth all the time, that you'll have no problems. But definitely check with the California and Oregon boards.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-10-21 22:57:00
CanadaFlying from USA to Canada, Have passports as of Jan 2007

I can see that a high school band would probably skip a trip to Canada, but overall I don't think tourism will suffer that much. People who can afford to travel can afford a passport. If they can't, they probably aren't spending huge sums on the economy anyhow.



I disagree. 'People who can afford to travel' doesn't include a lot of the driving traffic. Lots of Americans take vacations by driving, and that's relatively inexpensive, and that's quite a lot of the middle class with kids. I can see people deciding not to drive to Niagara Falls in favor of somewhere else due to the passport cost.

It's not an annual cost, but if it's an extra cost on a leisure activity, that's a cost many people who *do* travel I think will not want to incur. I don't know how close to the edge most tourist industries live, but it might not take much (a 5% reduction?) to cause problems in the short term.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-01 21:06:00
CanadaFlying from USA to Canada, Have passports as of Jan 2007
I thought more Americans than that already had passports! That's only 10%.

I worry about the effect on tourism, too. To take one little example, my high school band occasionally included Toronto as one of the options for the yearly 'band trip.' Now, if they wanted to drive to Toronto in 2008, the 250 kids travelling would all have to get passports at $100 a pop, and the band organizers would have to keep the teenagers from losing their passports.

Pretty sure that means the band'll just go somewhere else, you know? Same thing with a lot of other stuff. Most Americans haven't needed a passport to decide to travel to Banff or Jasper or Niagara Falls or Vancouver, to say nothing of all the commerce along the border, and now, if the option is to go to Canada on your family vacation and get the family all passports or just drive somewhere in the U.S., people aren't going to spend the extra cash.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-01 15:06:00
CanadaVJ.Canada
Don't be discouraged by the lack of touches! I had one touch between when I sent in my petition and when it was approved. They don't necessarily mean anything other than 'someone moved the file'; it's just their internal tracking of your petition.

Reba brings up a good concern. But there's other practical considerations. Filing fees for both countries, compiling the packages for both countries, preparing for the interview in both countries. Not to mention your own desire, presumably, to have something about your future settled.

British Expats has a forum about immigrating to Canada.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-01 13:20:00
CanadaThis is funny
If we're splitting hairs over 'inventing' versus 'discovering' that insulin regulates blood sugar, then we all need to get out in the sunshine and play a little more because our humor muscle needs exercising.

Other cool things about Canada: the robot arm on the space station, the dinosaurs in Drumheller. Not cool things: GST. Though it does make tip easy to calculate.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-06 17:31:00
CanadaFaster RCMP Criminal Record Checks
Thanks so much!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-14 09:56:00
CanadaFaster RCMP Criminal Record Checks
What's commissionaires? (Trying to explain this to C. who is out of town and can't see the thread, in case he needs fingerprints.)
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-14 09:27:00
CanadaGood luck Montreal interviewees!
Rock it!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-12 16:50:00
CanadaHow long since you've seen your SO?
September 5.

Me wanna my boy here now.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-13 23:43:00
CanadaIt's done, we got it!
Congrats!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-14 18:04:00
CanadaHappy Birthday amarceau
Happy Birthday!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-15 10:14:00
CanadaHow long after approval did you move?
Assuming we come through the process okay, he'll get his visa in February or March and move here in June.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-06 17:32:00
Canadainterview
Wonderful! Congrats!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-27 22:49:00
CanadaPassports
C. had a nightmarish time trying to get his: sixteen weeks, all told. Two things slowed us down. Mr. Genius decided not to bother finding a witness and filled out the extra form and swore to it at the local office, so that added some processing time. Then, he lives way the hell out in the country, and was working out of town, so they would leave a note in the mailbox for him to pick up this certified package, and then he wouldn't be home in time before they'd send it back, and so it bounced around in transit for two months.

Bear in mind that in January, you need a passport to fly to the U.S., and Passport Canada also notes that the end of the year, traditionally a heavy travel time, is also a heavy processing time normally for passports.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-29 00:04:00
CanadaVancouverites

i know from reading VJ, many arrange for the medical, then mail in the checklist


That's what I thought, but I thought maybe some of you guys were on the ball and had everything complete when you mailed in the checklist. Thanks!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-29 22:17:00
CanadaVancouverites
Oh, okay. C. is thinking that he has to have the medical completed in order to send in the checklist, and I'm thinking he's wrong, but he's being very insistant.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-28 20:27:00
CanadaVancouverites
Did you send back the checklist before or after you had the medical exam?
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-28 16:42:00
CanadaVancouver --how does the Interview date work?
Excellent. Thanks so much for posting the pdf, Cass. It's been hard to advise C. without being able to see anything.

His medical is January 10 (we've had to schedule a lot around his job), and so we don't want the interview any earlier than that! But our NOA2 expires 2/12, so we really need to get this checklist in.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-07 12:05:00
CanadaVancouver --how does the Interview date work?
How does the interview date get assigned? We'd like an interview in mid-to-late January. Is there somewhere we can request a date? Is one just assigned randomly?

I just have no idea how the logistics of all of this works. We haven't sent in the checklist yet. I know we need to do that, but then what?
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-07 09:58:00
CanadaWhich province are ya from?
Fiancé is from a field outside of Spruce Grove, AB. Alberta is great.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-11-12 23:02:00
CanadaVisa in Hand.
Awesome!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-09 11:30:00
CanadaVancouver - Who is faxing/sending back Checklist this week?
We will probably fax the checklist back soon. His medical appointment is January 10, so we're hoping for near the end of January. Will keep you posted.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-07 22:13:00
CanadaMy baby is here!
What a little punkin! Sooooooo cute!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-13 22:33:00
CanadaWE GOT THE VISA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, that's awesome!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-15 23:00:00
CanadaPolitics in the US
What amuses me, as a U.S. Citizen is how if you're 'conservative' or 'reform' in Canada, you're probably supporting universal health care. Very different scale!

Politics in the U.S. has been very polarized lately, due to the religious overtones of the base of the Republican party and it's only exacerbated by the current military situation. Canada's got neither of those. Plus, we're ten times as big and the world's only superpower (for now.) It raises the stakes for a lot more.
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-14 13:03:00
CanadaOn his way!
Just for a Christmas visit, but C. just cleared customs in Edmonton (no hassles at all) and is going to be boarding his plane to come see me for two weeks!

wooooooo!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everyone!
CaladanMaleCanada2006-12-28 09:19:00
CanadaInterview Wednesday
Good luck!
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-04 10:40:00
CanadaI'M GETTING MARRIED!!!
Congrats!
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-05 11:34:00
CanadaFeeling the need to panic (Package from Montreal)
The 'Foreign Embassy forum' has lots of threads on this, but it's pretty simple. If your fiancé's dad wants to sponsor you, he needs to fill out an I-134, gather the evidence it requests in duplicate (employment letter and tax returns are common choices), and have it notarized.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-11 00:36:00
CanadaFeeling the need to panic (Package from Montreal)
My fiancé didn't check the mailbox (he lives on a farm, it's a mile away) until two days after the packet had been delivered. They don't have little leprechauns watching your mail box. I'm not trying to be flip, just to cheer you up and remind you to BREATHE. What if you'd been travelling over the holidays, like my fiancé, and only returned late tonight, like my fiancé, and only received the packet now? Your NOA2 is good for a while yet. bREEEEEATHe.

They just don't want you sitting on it for weeks upon weeks, because I think they can't start the security checks or any other processing until they get that from you. I'd bet if you'd sent it on the 23rd they'd not have looked at it until after the New Year anyway. BREAEEEETHE.

You can attach a sheet if you need to. My fiancé is was in carpentry for ten years, and worked for several firms for stints of eight months. We just wrote 'see attached' on the lines and faxed it along with the form. Just ensure you have all the time accounted for. We did the same for visits to the U.S. He signed and dated the attachment.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-09 23:43:00
CanadaI just paid a guy $225 to play with my nuts

Was it Dr Chana? I have an appointment for Tuesday.



Yup! Very easy and no hassles, and they were very kind.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-12 13:30:00
CanadaI just paid a guy $225 to play with my nuts
C.'s medical was today. Yesterday he received his tetanus vaccination.

In Edmonton the doctor's office was nearly empty. It is, however, in a building that is tricky to find if you "can never find a thing in downtown Edmonton anyway", as the office is in a converted house rather than a typical office building.

They were very friendly, and the whole physical, including a cursory eye exam, took about 20 minutes. He had to drive to a couple different places to get the X-rays and the blood work.

They drew four vials of blood, one for hepatitis, one for HIV, one for MMR, and one for varicella.


He'll have the results & the X-ray Tuesday.

The title was C.'s overall opinion of the interview.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-11 21:37:00
CanadaWhat do you say when crossing the border?

The answer is easy.. tell the truth and be honest... it's the best policy...


That's what I figure. Border officers are pretty smart cookies. They can see the stamps in my passport when they open it. And I figure it looks worse to say, 'Um, I'm visiting friends, I mean, my boyfriend, I mean, my fiancé, no really, I'm only visiting' rather than to say, hey, I'm on vacation, I'm staying with my fiancé, and being prepared to show evidence if they need it. I take my lease with me, but it's never come up.

Maybe I look honest. Or maybe, since it's usually 1am on a delayed flight because someone in Minnesota, Ottawa, or Toronto forgot to drive the plane to Laguardia properly, they're not in the mood to deal with a potential sleep-deprived hissy fit. ;)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-11 13:16:00
CanadaWhat do you say when crossing the border?
I've never had a problem nor been questioned extensively when travelling. The usual crossing in Edmonton goes like this: "What are you doing in Canada?" "End-of-semester/spring break/Christmas vacation." "Where are you saying?" "[Town name]" "Who are you staying with?" "My boyfriend and his family." Stamp. Wheee. Sometimes, the border guard flirts.

The time I drove, renting a car, on a separate trip to London, ON, where I wasn't actually meeting C., I wasn't questioned any more in depth, even though I was entering Canada to go to a conference about ten days after I'd returned from Edmonton.

Bring your ties, ensure your rental agreement has the proper paperwork that says 'Okay to drive in Canada', and say you have a meeting at the U.S. embassy in Vancouver.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-11 11:22:00
CanadaThe Packet 3 ordeal is almost over...

Man, I'm sorry. That blows. Do you think it's Canada Post, or the consulate goofing things up?

Maybe Réjean can 'move' the three months he wants to save up to while you're waiting for an interview, so you're not apart as long.


Thanks. I don't know which it is. Réjean told me that the Canada Post website said that a lightweight packet can take up to 6 business days to receive (!!!!), so it's somewhat possible. Amazing. Who knows, maybe we'll get Packet 3 in the mail before he can even pick it up next week. I could only hope.

I wish that's what he'd do. I'll have to talk to him about it.


I hear ya. Assuming C. gets his visa next month, he won't move here until June because he wants to have a lot socked away before he moves down here. (My salary jusssst barely meets the income threshold, and he'd like to eat more than ramen.) He's been great though; he talks about it as making money for *us*.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-01-12 22:09:00