ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaUSC visiting Canada
I know I'm late entering into this thread, but I just felt I had to add my two cents in.

Misa, it really depends on the border officer and not a whole lot else. Hopefully, when you cross, he or she has been having a good day and their life (professionally and personally) is doing well too. If it's not, that could reflect on your chances in getting into Canada, the United States, or whatever country you wish to visit.

The first time I visited my Canadian fiancee, I practically walked right through Canadian Customs & Immigration. They asked me a couple of questions and that, as they say, was that. The second time through (which happened just recently around Christmas time) was a lot different. I told the truth and the border officer looked at me like I was some sort of criminal, hauling drugs and armed with an AK-47. I was sent to Secondary, and there they told me (rather rudely, I might add) it was "up to them whether or not I enter Canada." Fortunately, I was let in -- but I had to relate every detail of my trip, my finances, my relationship, etc., before they'd give me the "green light." I also had to provide written documentation that I'd leave Canada when I said I would, and show some ties to the United States as well.

Now, it could be that the border officers were in a bad mood because I entered into the airport on a flight at (or around) midnight, and they were probably tired of seeing people. That, and my plane was the only one coming in, so they had time to stop and grill me, whereas if it was busier, they may not have had the time to concentrate on me. Regardless, that's what happened to me. I did get in, but it was a huge hassle.

I told my fiancee about it after being let in, and she was rather worried about crossing U.S. Customs & Immigration since the stories are always that Canada is more easy going than the United States. As it turned out (thankfully), my fiancee had a pretty easy time getting through. She told the truth and was passed along. My border officer was in a really good mood too -- he called me a "hounddog" and gave me a high-five for having a girl in Canada.

Anyway, the point of this post is to show that everyone's experience is different, and the experience you have heavily depends on the officer you get and that officer's mood and psychological state at the time. :dance:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-01-14 13:15:00
Canadafavorite things you'll miss from canada
Okay, I don't mean to be rude, Reba, but I have to ask...just where do you live? :huh:

I mean, I've lived in the U.S. all my life (Houston, TX), and whatever I've wanted within the United States (and many times outside of it, depending on what restaurants or stores I've gone to) has been available to me easily.

I realize that some of the things in the U.S. might be different than in Canada, but when I've visited my fiancee, I didn't notice that great of a difference. The food tasted the same, most of the items were same (with a few name differences here and there), and so on. Maybe I'm just used to living in the 4th largest city in the country, and therefore, more is available to me than most other places in the United States.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2006-11-28 12:36:00
Canadafavorite things you'll miss from canada
I dunno...my fiancee doesn't understand the whole "Tim Horton's is so wonderful" thing. She never got into it. Maybe because she likes brewing her own coffee (or going to smaller coffee shops) and dislikes eating food that's bad for her, such as doughnuts.

I do have to say that I find it funny that one person mentioned that they are ignored in retail stores. I wish I were so lucky! I go in and I'm swamped by salespeople! I have to fend them off in order to get some breathing room... :lol:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2006-11-21 09:46:00
Canadafavorite things you'll miss from canada
My fiancee rarely says "eh." She really gets annoyed when other people use it a lot though. She once told me a story about this lady on a bus who was saying "eh" after just about every sentence, and my fiancee was sitting there thinking, "It's people like you that give us Canadians that stereotype!"
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2006-11-07 09:48:00
Canadafavorite things you'll miss from canada

And M&Ms are nothing like Smarties. Same shape maybe, and may have started out as the same idea, but the quality and type of chocolate is different. Same as any other US copy of European or British candy.

I don't know. I've never had Nestle's Smarties, so I can't say for certain how they taste. As I said, I'm not much of a "candy person" so to me, there may not be much difference (if any) between Smarties and M&M's.

As for U.S. copies of European and British candy being somewhat inferior, I've never found that at all. In fact, I've never found there to be much of any difference between the GOOD U.S. chocolate and European/British chocolate. Sure, the ####### tastes like...well, #######. Terrible food is univeral -- there's plenty of that in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the UK. I just do my best to avoid that stuff.

In reference to candy, I try not to eat anything that's milk chocolate. I really don't care for the flavor of milk chocolate, and I vastly prefer dark chocolate. Maybe I just don't eat much candy, so perhaps I'm not a connoisseur when it comes to junk food. ;)

Whataver the case, I really don't think there's that big of a difference between U.S. brands and the brands in other countries -- so long as you're purchasing the QUALITY products. :yes:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2006-10-31 13:25:00
Canadafavorite things you'll miss from canada
Okay, I see the difference -- the only kind of Smarties I've ever known are the "non-Nestle" variety of Smarties. Although, according to Wikipedia, Nestle's Smarties are sold within the United States. They're just packaged under a different name since Smarties is already taken. The name used is Jolly Smart Alecs and they're generally shipped into the U.S. via special importers; however, they can be found at stores as well. Which stores, I don't know. I haven't looked, mostly because I'm not much of a candy person.

Interestingly enough, M&M's are reported to have originally been an import from England, called Smarties. After the rights were purchased by Americans Forrest Mars Sr. and R. Bruce Murrie in 1939, they had to reintroduce them to the domestic market with a different name because there was already a candy product sold in the U.S. under the name Smarties. To identify their new brand, they combined the first initials of their last names: M & M. M&M's were first sold in the United States in 1941.

So there you have it. Essentially, M&M's are Smarties. If that doesn't satisfy you, then attempt to find Jolly Smart Alecs.

It's absolutely amazing what one can find on the Internet, isn't it? :D
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2006-10-31 08:56:00
Canadafavorite things you'll miss from canada
I'm not Canadian (my fiancee is), but I've found things like Sour Patch Kids, Smarties, and some other items that have been listed here as Canada-only in the United States. In fact, these items are usually available at your local Walgreens. #######...I sound like an advertisement now. :P

Anyway, I've been to Canada and I have to say, I don't find the food, desserts, drinks, etc., to taste any better/different than they do here in the United States. They don't taste any worse, that's for certain, but I haven't noticed an appreciable difference in flavor.

I'm not looking to start a fight or a "my country is better than your country" sort of thing. I'm just stating my experience. :thumbs:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2006-10-30 14:28:00
CanadaSSN Question
I could be wrong, but I think only one SSN is assigned per person. In other words, they never reassign SSN's. Every SSN is unique to that individual.

If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. I don't think I am though -- as Stacy said, it'd confuse things and make government processing (as well as anywhere your SSN is needed, which is a lot of areas today in the U.S.) difficult, to say the least. They'd have deceased individuals coming up on file at times when they'd be researching someone who's living and was recently assigned the recycled SSN. :P
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-01 12:14:00
CanadaImmigrating to Canada

Canada doesn't have "fiance" visas. They will do common-law or conjugal partners but your best bet is to get married first and the file.

http://www.cic.gc.ca...ilymembers.html

I got my visa and perm residence for Canada in just over 3 months, but we were already married. Hubby sponsored me from canada, as "outside applicant" and that is the fastest route. Doesn't work that way (as previously posted) in a fiancee situation. If you do want to go this route, I would consider waiting until you're married because otherwise the US citizen has to apply as an "inside applicant" and it takes a looooooong time. If you want some info in a board situation like this visit roadtocanada.com or settlement.org

good luck

Both of you -- thanks for the links and info! B)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-01 18:47:00
CanadaImmigrating to Canada
Okay, I know this website is built around people immigrating to the United States, but...how does one immigrate to Canada? It's a long story, but in a nutshell, my fiancee and I were thinking of spending several years together in Canada and then in the United States. So I'm looking for info on how to become a permanent resident (and maybe even a citizen) of Canada. Likewise, my fiancee will later become a permanent resident of the U.S. and maybe a citizen as well. So we both could be dual-citizens, which would probably make border crossings a bit easier.

Help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time. :)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-01 11:43:00
CanadaU.S. to get a "loonie"?

Ha! Read today in my local paper, there is talk of creating a $1.00 coin. So cute, no lovely pic's of animal on theirs...just people wonder what they would call it?
I totally remember life before loonies and toonies, do you? Get ready for a heavy purse gals, or should I say pocket book? :lol:

Technically, there already are one dollar coins (yes, plural) and they have been circulating about since 1971. There's the Eisenhower one dollar coin, the Susan B. Anthony one dollar coin and the Sacagawea one dollar coin. What differs from Canada, however, is that a one dollar coin has never successfully replaced the one dollar bill. But that doesn't mean one dollar coins have never existed or that they don't exist now either.

The new one dollar coin program you're reading about is the Presidential Dollar Coin Program. These will be gold-like coins with the images of U.S. presidents on them.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-12 14:57:00
Canadaaaaahh....that's better

We have Cadbury Cream Eggs down here! Are they not the same as Canadian ones?

:star: Cass (bebop the great)

Supposedly, there are a lot of items that, while similar, aren't the same. Honestly, I can't tell the difference. I've eaten things in both the U.S. and Canada and it all tastes the same to me. ;)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-12 12:13:00
CanadaTravellers Face 2 month wait for passports

I'm actually sending mine out today as it expires in June as well I think. With the rate it'll be processed, I won't be surprised if I get my US passport in before I ever get the Canadian one back...

The U.S. Passport Office says that, unless you expedite it, you should receive your U.S. passport in about six weeks. If you choose to expedite it, then two weeks. Although I don't know if that's the case anymore, with tons of people rushing out to get their passport, just like what's happening in Canada. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a little longer than before... :unsure:

I am so glad that my passport doesn't expire until 2015. :D
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-12 12:46:00
CanadaCanada....what a place!
I don't know why, but my fiancee never jumped on the whole "Tim Horton's is great" bandwagon. She thinks they're okay, but if she goes out for coffee, it'll generally be at a Second Cup or perhaps a Starbucks (usually the former though, if all possible).

Me, I've never had coffee from Tim Horton's, so...I don't know what it tastes like and how it might differ (if at all) from Starbucks. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so maybe I wouldn't notice the nuances. ;)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-13 11:44:00
CanadaThat "Word" EVERYONE Thinks we all Say! ARGH!!!!!!!

You know the one I'm talking about! I dunno if its even an actual word but EVERYBODY teases me about it. If I meet someone new that finds out I'm Canadian, the first thing out of their mouth is" Oh your Canadian "EH" " Geez!!! Then after that, every single thing they say they end with "EH" so that I may understand them better. :angry:

I don't nor have I ever said "EH" after anysentence and I'm not about to start!
What is with people here in the states thinking we all say "EH" at the end of every sentence?
In fact living in Vancouver I never once heard any of my family or friends say it!

This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine.

Heh. Well, my fiancee DOES say "eh" sometimes but it's usually instead of saying "huh" like I would do (which is obviously much more common in the U.S.). I think Hollywood is mainly to blame for the whole thing. Hollywood thrives on stereotypes. I could go into a whole tirade about how Hollywood has made it so tons of people (both inside and out of the U.S.) believe Texas is all desert, cacti, and cowboys riding on horses shooting eachother in the "Old West." In reality, it's nothing of the sort, but don't let reality get in the way of what people want to believe... :whistle:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-12 12:11:00
CanadaQuestions About Canada
This has been passed around by e-mail for a long time. For instance, in 2000, for the Summer Olympics in Syndey, Australia, there was a very similar posting. In 2003, there was also a version made up on a South African tourism website as well.

Here's the proof: Snopes on the Olympics

It's still humorous, but probably not true. ;)

Edited by DeadPoolX, 14 February 2007 - 04:15 PM.

DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-14 16:13:00
CanadaReceived SSN
"Official government mail?" What's the supposed to mean? To get a library card, all I've ever done is show them my DL.

Of course, I'm a USC, so it's probably a little easier for me...but I certainly don't see why other documentation wouldn't work. :blink:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-14 09:41:00
CanadaAirport POE Question
Okay, thanks everyone! :)

That's a load off my mind!
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-19 08:50:00
CanadaAirport POE Question
Okay, I have a question about the POE in Canada, and if they keep track of how many times you've entered and if there's a limit to the number of times you may enter Canada (total).

My first trip to Canada was to Edmonton and I flew there on Saturday, July 15, 2006 and left for home on Sunday, July 30, 2006. The second trip was in Vancouver and I flew there Saturday, December 23, 2006 and left for home on Saturday, December 30, 2006. The trip I have planned coming up is to Edmonton and it's on Saturday, May 12, 2007 to Monday, May 28, 2007.

So bottom line: I've been to Edmonton and Vancouver once each, and I will be heading out to Edmonton once again this May.

I had no problems whatsoever going through Edmonton the last time I was up there; however, I had some problems with Vancouver. Granted, it was midnight and I'm sure the Customs and Immigrations officers were a bit annoyed at being there that late, but all I did was answer their questions and tell the truth and the officer looked at me like I was some sort of criminal. He then sent me to Secondary where they were pretty damn rude and interrogated me. After telling them my life story, I was able to get through, but it was a close one. I'm worried that something like that might happen again in Edmonton.

I know it's always possible to get denied entry, but for what reason(s)? I know I could get denied because of potential lack of ties to the U.S. (although I plan on bringing my university enrollment info, apartment lease, flight itinerary, and so on), but could I get denied based on having entered Canada too much? I honestly don't think I've been in Canada too often. I've certainly spent more time here in the United States than I have in Canada, anyway. Is having two trips last year, spaced far apart, considered too much?

Thanks for any help on this one. :)

PS - I wish there was Canadian pre-clearance here in the United States. It'd make things a lot easier, in the unfortunate event an American does get denied entry.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-18 13:41:00
CanadaDo any US Airports have Canada Customs?

I was thinking about this, most if not all the Airports here in Canada have pre clearance US Customs. Does Canada have that in any US Airports?


Are you worried about Mel coming for a visit? My husband came for a visit last month and he brought all the K3 paperwork with him showing that I'm the one immigrating to the US, and not the other way around as well as his own personal documents like letter from his employer with date expected back at work and his car papers (he got a new car in November).

At the POE in Toronto (YYZ airport), he told them he was visiting his wife, they asked why I was here and he said because I live here and I'm a Canadian citizen. Then they let him through, no further questions. :)

Wow! I wish Canadian Customs & Immigration were that nice when I went through... They practically had a coronary when I told them I was visiting my fiancee (they didn't ask why she was there in Canada, or I would've told them the same thing you said) and chaos ensued. I'm hoping I won't have that sort of trouble when I go back up again. :(
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-13 11:40:00
CanadaDo any US Airports have Canada Customs?
I suppose you'd sit in the terminal for as long as necessary until your new flight arrived to take you home. Honestly, I don't know. I sincerely hope I never find out either.

I wonder what happens if you can't book a flight home that day/night, and you're stuck there. What do the do? Lock you up or something? :unsure:

I was almost denied entry into Canada the last time I went. I did nothing wrong either -- I told the truth about my situation, circumstances, relationship, and only spoke when spoken to (i.e. I didn't say more than I needed to at the time). However, I was still sent to secondary since the officer I met with sort of "freaked out" when he heard about my relationship status to a Canadian citizen. Fortunately, after I relayed practically my entire life story, I was let through and allowed into the country. But it was close! :wacko:

Edited by DeadPoolX, 10 February 2007 - 03:05 PM.

DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-10 15:05:00
CanadaDo any US Airports have Canada Customs?
Well, going to Canada I've only flown out of IAH (Houston) and MSP (Minneapolis/St. Paul), and I've never gone through Canadian Customs & Immigration in the United States. Only once I've reached Canada do I go through C&I, which really sucks for me, since there's always the possibility that Canada won't allow me entry into the country, and then I'm screwed. Coming back home to the U.S., I've always gone through American C&I pre-clearance in Canada.

Do ALL U.S. airports operate this way? I don't know. I have a feeling, however, that you only through Canadian C&I in Canada, and that there's no pre-clearance in the U.S. for you. It'd be nice if there was though, I'd tell you that much. ;)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-10 14:41:00
CanadaCuba Dreams
From what I understand, it is not illegal for Americans to travel to Cuba; there is a ban on U.S. citizens spending money in Cuba though. However, just WHO in America can travel to Cuba is severely limited by the U.S. government. As far as I know, that's limited to the following: Journalists, official Congressional visits, persons engaged in educational purposes, and family visits by Cuban-Americans. In all cases, there are specific limits on on the transport of money and goods, as well as the frequency of visits (that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone here). There are also limits on what may be brought back from Cuba as well.

When the U.S. government gives the "okay" to travel to Cuba, the ban on spending money in Cuba is temporarily lifted for the duration of the trip. I'm sure, however, that USCIS will be interested in how much was spent though, and probably look over what was bought.

So while it is not technically illegal for Americans to visit Cuba, the "allowed" list is pretty narrow. The "average American" could probably not visit Cuba whenever he or she wanted to for whatever reason. He or she would most likely have to be of a certain profession or within a Cuban-American family (and be able to prove that as well). Regardless, I am betting there are many hoops to jump through and in many cases, it's probably not worth the aggrevation if you're an American.

If I am wrong about this information, then please correct me. However, I have looked this up in several places and therefore, I believe this to be accurate. :)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-19 00:57:00
CanadaQuestion about Passport Stamps & Amount of Time Allowed to Stay in Canada!
I was not aware that the U.S. and Canada shared information like that. I knew they shared some info, but not those details.

Well, that's good then.

Thanks for the help! :D
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-26 21:27:00
CanadaQuestion about Passport Stamps & Amount of Time Allowed to Stay in Canada!
Well, the reason I ask is because the first time I visited my fiancee (when she was still my girlfriend), the U.S. gave me a stamp in my passport returning home. So I naturally expected one again this time. That's all. If they normally don't do it, and Canada knows this, then I assume it'll be okay...I just don't want any terrible surprises once I get there. :unsure:
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-26 21:21:00
CanadaQuestion about Passport Stamps & Amount of Time Allowed to Stay in Canada!
Okay, I'm the USC. I recently visited my fiancee in Canada (December 23, 2006 - December 30, 2006) and then we both came down to Texas (December 30, 2006 - January 7, 2007) and she left again to return to Canada.

I got a Canadian passport stamp last time I was there; however, when coming back to the U.S., they didn't give me a stamp in my passport. The officer just stamped my card and that was it, and I had to give that card to another agent before going any farther. So I don't have a U.S. stamp in my passport showing when I LEFT Canada on December 30, 2006. All I have is a Canadian passport stamp showing when I ENTERED Canada on December 23, 2006.

Because of this, will Canadian Customs & Immigration think that I've been staying on a much longer trip in Canada my previous go-around? I'm heading up there again this May (the actual dates are the 12th to the 28th, 2007) for a trip, and I already have the flight booked.

Is the six month time limit per year? In other words, does the amount of time one may stay in Canada CARRY OVER from one year to the next, or does it RESET each year? Even if it resets -- and Canadian C&I think I've been staying in Canada all this time -- I'm probably still screwed!

I'm really in need of answers and I've looked all over the Internet, and I can't find a thing about this! :help:

Thanks for any assistance,
DPX

Edited by DeadPoolX, 26 February 2007 - 09:06 PM.

DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-02-26 21:03:00
CanadaMassive Road Trip Super Happy Happy Fun
My fiancee and I have been toying with an idea like this...only in reverse. Long story short, I'd be up there in Canada for several years. The downside to this plan is I have two choices: 1) Fly to Canada and forsake my car, or 2) drive to Canada, which sounds good on paper, but it's an awfully long way to go from Texas.

Anyway, your plan doesn't sound so bad. Sure, it'll be a long drive from Edmonton to Connecticut, but it's not as long as my possible drive (Houston, TX to Vancouver, BC) and therefore, certainly doable.

Amazingly enough, the gas is cheaper in the United States. I say "amazingly" because I feel the gas is already too expensive, but compared to most other industrialized countries, U.S. gas prices are generally on the lower end of the scale. Make sure to bring plenty of supplies, and always use the restroom whenever one is available, because you never know when or where the next one will pop up! :P
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-02 13:42:00
CanadaStruggling with Headaches
It's probably stress-related headaches. Moving to another country is very stressful. Sometimes headaches (and migraines) can have a delayed onset. Meaning, that you don't always get them right when you're suffering from the stressful situation -- you might get the headache/migraine later on, once the stress has passed. These are usually dubbed "executive migraines."

The reason they're called "executive migraines" is because the idea is that you have stress all week and then relax on the weekend and BOOM! A migraine hits. It's the built-up tension and stress from the week and when you've let your guard down, it strikes. This tends to happen to a lot of people.

Also... have you recently started taking any sorts of medications? Birth control pills? Asthma medication? Anything different in your diet? Alcohol? MSG? Anything that might trigger a headache or migraine, for instance.

If these headaches/migraines continue, I'd suggest seeing a neurologist about it. At the very least, you could get some medication if necessary (Imitex, Zomig, Axcert, and Relpax are all good for getting rid of the migraine, as well as Ultracet for pain management) and make sure this isn't something more serious.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-05 13:22:00
CanadaMy Experience changing my Drivers License today..

I got a good laugh at that, but I just hate to see people like those DMV peeps ruin my educational credibility by thinking I know nothing that's going on outside of my borders. :P Hell, I will go as far as saying I do care what you guys think of me and the US bc I spend a lot of my time during the week reading and bonding with you guys, I can't help it! :)

If you're curious about growing up in the American educational system, all history and geography was extensively based on Europe, Asia and Africa. I will completely admit we never spent any time at all on Canada or Mexico except for a week or two in 7th grade, but I don't think it was necessarily put on the back burner on purpose... That definitely was not an excuse for those DMV workers, however. Most Americans know of all the provinces and major cities (including edmonton :P) but maybe not the exact placement of each, just as I'm sure you view the US. (like raymaga said)

We kind of see the Canadian/US/Mexican relationship as being brothers, we like to pick on each other and make jokes, but in the end we know we're stuck with each other and we were made that way :P I just hope my Canadian fiance doesn't think so poorly of us and our education :/


I'd like to disagree with you. The majority of Americans I worked with in the States had no idea that Canada has Provinces, let alone what they are and where they are. They thought that Canada was one big State. Even people who had gone to school.

For example - my step son is 9. He does history in school. He has no idea where any of the provinces are. They (he and my husband) come here regulary and the little fella still has no idea where Newfoundland or Nova Scotia are. I think it's interesting that other countries are studied more than the two that border the US.

It's all about experiences, I suppose...

The people I've met know where Canada is and where the provinces are, for the most part. But you have to understand something as well -- provinces such as Newfoundland (which I cannot pronounce correctly to save my life; my fiancee has a ball just listening to me try) and Nova Scotia are not very well-known provinces in the United States. As I said in my previous post in this thread, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and then Quebec are all much better known.

It's sort of like people from other countries when they think of the U.S., really. What're the first states to come to mind? New York? California? Maybe Texas? Florida, perhaps? Sates such as Idaho or Wyoming or South Dakota certainly don't show up on the radar. Why? Not much is talked about them. They're not well-known. Sure, people within the U.S. know of them (they probably don't care much unless it's their state though), but do people in Germany or France or England or China or Japan or yes, Canada, know much (i.e. anything about those states, like where they are within the continental U.S.) about them?

I'd guess probably not. ;)

And you know what? That's fine. No one expects you to either. It's not your country. So don't be too surprised at finding that not every American knows the smallest detail about Canada or any other foreign country. B)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-07 15:40:00
CanadaMy Experience changing my Drivers License today..
Some of you had some real interesting experiences...

When I was in high school, we learned about World History and Geography. The World History course was barely over the U.S. at all -- it was, as stated, a World History course and covered such. The topics ranged from the ancient Sumerians to modern-day people all over the globe. But it certainly wasn't centered on the United States. We had two courses over U.S. History for that. The Geography course didn't cover a whole lot of Canada or Mexico, but it did cover some of it (I suppose the rationale was that since we're all neighbors, people probably know more about each other than the faraway countries) and mostly centered on Europe and Asia, with very little concentration given to Africa.

Most Americans, from what I've gathered, do have knowledge about the more well-known places in Canada (for instance, Vancouver, BC or Toronto, Ontario, etc), but some of the obscure places might be a bit more difficult for some Americans to nail down. As someone else said in this thread, many Americans might also not have a grasp on where exactly each province or city is, but they'll still have some basic knowledge about it.

I think the OP just ran into some morons. That's not surprising. It was the DMV, after all. ;)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-07 09:48:00
CanadaCredit Cards and Bank Accounts
Okay, that's all good to know! Thanks a lot! :)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-24 00:07:00
CanadaCredit Cards and Bank Accounts
Okay folks, I'm the USC and I'm probably going to be living with my fiancee (Canadian citizen) in Canada for about five years or so. What I'm unsure about is the following:

1. Can I continue to use my U.S. credit cards in Canada while living there, or do I absolutely have to get Canadian credit cards? I could very easily pay my statements online, so paper statements really aren't an issue, but if I need to receive a new card for any reason (i.e. old card has expired), then I'd like to know that the U.S. credit card companies would send out a new card to an American living in Canada. If I were planning on moving to Canada permanently, then I'd definitely look at getting Canadian credit cards, but as I said before, I'll only be there on a temporary basis.

2. Can I move money from my current bank account in Washington Mutual to a Canadian bank account? If it is possible, how would I go about doing this?
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-23 20:25:00
CanadaHow Understanding is Your Family
Heh. Well, I am the USC and I've had some interesting discussions with friends and family about my relationship with my fiancee and what we'll have to do in order to get married and live together. I've heard all sorts of things, many of which have already been stated here, so I have no need to repeat them.

I don't think I've encountered any comments resembling "why couldn't you have met a nice American girl?" I really don't think the nationality of someone makes a difference anyway. It's the person inside that counts.

Anyway... I think at one time (many decades ago) foreigners could become U.S. citizens by marrying natural born U.S. citizens. That has probably become ingrained in American society and therefore, most people think that's "how it is," regardless of the harsh reality. Of course, when foreigners did become U.S. citizens immediately after marriage, they were forced to give up their former citizenship as well, so perhaps it wasn't a great deal all around, if you did want to retain citizenship in your home country, that is.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-24 12:14:00
CanadaTies to Canada
I know this isn't exactly the question, but I've been asked for proof of ties to the United States just for visiting my fiancee in Canada and we haven't even started the visa process, so neither one of us is an "intended immigrant." We're just vistors. This was last time I went to Canada (Vancouver) though, and it was right before Christmas and my plane arrived just before midnight, so maybe Customs & Immigration were on edge from all the traffic earlier and having to be kept up that late. Whatever the case, definitely keep ties to your home country with you.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-03-09 08:30:00
CanadaPotential joint sponser issues
Hey, thanks, Cartoboy123! :D

I'm sure things will work out for the best. My fiancee and I love each other very much, and we'll do whatever is necessary to be together.

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions and comments in this thread. You've all been very helpful. :)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-04-12 17:22:00
CanadaPotential joint sponser issues
Well, I spoke to her last night, and she said that she'll definitely consider it and when the time comes, if that is the ONLY way for us to be together, then she'll become a USC. It's not something she really wants to do, and I hate pushing her into it, but the other options are less than savory. She understands this as well and wants us to be together as soon as possible too.

As I've said, I think one of her issues with becoming a USC is that she feels like she's lying to the U.S. government by telling them that she's giving up her Canadian citizenship when she's really not -- and would not. She considers herself first and foremost a Canadian, which I really do understand; I consider myself first and foremost an American. I couldn't very well expect her to suddenly switch overnight (or even over the span of years) and toss away her home country for mine. That just wouldn't be realistic nor would it be fair.

I believe Homesick_American is right in that both my father and my fiancee are acting a bit irrational. Becoming a USC doesn't mean the U.S. government has more control over you -- if anything, they have less and you have more rights. And if my father were to truly see just how happy I am with my fiancee, perhaps he'd reconsider. I think part of the problem, regarding my father, is that he's only met my fiancee briefly for about a week. That's knowing someone a very short period of time to ask them to potentially support them for a decade, even if the chance of such a thing is extremely low. I know if my fiancee and I were ever to get divorced, she wouldn't stay in the U.S. to reap benefits. She'd move back to Canada faster than I could blink. So I don't think my father really has much to worry about.

The one hitch would be children. If we did have children (and we're not entirely sure we do want them, but we haven't said "yes" or "no" to that matter) then I can see a fight in the event of a divorce. I can't imagine she'd just up and leave the country without her kids and I wouldn't let her take the kids from me. So if my father thinks of that (and believe me, I won't be putting the idea in his head!), then there might be a very real problem.

I should make it clear that I am just coming up with scenarios. I don't believe for one moment that my fiancee and I would ever get divorced and I find it somewhat unlikely that we're going to have children. It's just my father that I am worried about, since he is the type who quotes me divorce statistics. He did that to me after I told him I was engaged! :wacko:

But perhaps I can appeal to him somehow, like Homesick_American suggested. I don't know for sure. Unfortunately, at the moment and in the near future, I will need a joint-sponsor. That's just a sad fact of life for me. After a few years, I won't need one, but that's quite a while to wait and my fiancee and I have already been doing the "visiting thing" for two years. I think we'd go nuts if we had to do it for a few more.

Anyway, I know this particular post has been very long and to whomever has read it, I thank you. I realize you'll never get this portion of your life back again. But your attempt to help me does not go unappreciated. :)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-04-12 11:52:00
CanadaPotential joint sponser issues

Guess than you are going to have to wait to make more $$ to support her if you can't find another sponsor and she doesn't want to be a US citizen. Good luck.

Well, I WILL be making more than enough eventually. That's a whole another story, and one which I don't want to get into. But the point is that I will be making plenty in the future. But we'd really rather not wait even longer to be together.

I appreciate the topic and the interesting comments this has generated!

I guess I'm struggling, without specifics, about how, by becoming a US Citizen, the U.S. government will have greater control over her. Have you asked her about this? Like...what specifically she's talking about?

I'm just coming from a position (as a Canadian), whereby often Canadians believe the US is the "big bad bully" south of us. That the US is rigid, uncompromising etc. When I think of our taxes in Canada, the government's control over my reading material, and the Canadian content of the TV and movies I watch, and then think of government's controls....hmmmm

As far as the "unreasonable and unfair to ask this of her", her ignoring or changing the subject, is rather childish.

I wonder if it meant you couldn't be together whether that would change?

On one side she she sounds very "principled", the other, rather selfish.

It never hurts to discuss further ! Love conquers all eh? :yes: ;)

Regarding the U.S. government having greater control over her... I think she wants the freedom to go to and from Canada as she pleases. She's afraid that one day the U.S. government will clamp down on its citizens and not allow them to leave U.S. borders, thereby not allowing her (if she's a USC) to go home and visit her family, in addition to whatever other "crazy and intrusive" laws the U.S. might pass.

I am assuming that she would reluctantly agree to become a USC if that was the absolutely ONLY way for us to be together. But she certainly wouldn't be happy about it, and it would take a lot (and I mean a lot) of convincing on my part to make it happen.
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-04-11 15:06:00
CanadaPotential joint sponser issues

Just some added information....you might "verbally" renouce your citizenship? at a ceremony for your US Citizenship,( although I don't even know if that's true...) however you cannot "officially" renounce your Canadian Citizenship, unless you appear before a Canadian court, saying you want to renounce it and this is after you MUST file requesting it. A court will not grant you your request without a good reason. You cannot also renounce your Canadian Citizenship, unless you already have citizenship with another county. (So you're not left without a country!).

Sounds like you have some serious discussion ahead of you. Personally I'd say with your SO, not your father. I do understand his position. I plan to hold dual citizenship. I made the decision to come down here, to marry my then fiance, and to me that means embracing all that this country offers me, good or bad.

Me thinks she's been reading too many US conspiracy books! Big Brother down here is no different than Big Brother up there as far as I'm concerned.

Don't want my comments to offend anyone, just speaking my mind.

Carla (F)

As I said before, we both know and understand that even with verbally renouncing her Canadian citizenship during the ceremony, she'd remain a Canadian citizen in the eyes of Canada. That's not the issue. What is the issue is that if she becomes a USC, the U.S. government will have greater control over her (than I suppose she likes) and in her eyes that she'd essentially be lying, since she wouldn't really be giving up her Canadian citizenship. Not that she wants to give it up; she fully intends to remain a Canadian citizen.

She's asked me before, "Why don't you become a Canadian citizen?" I don't see how becoming a Canadian citizen would help our situation any. Granted, I've thought about it, if for no other reason than the fact I'd be able to use a Canadian passport and never have to be looked at like a criminal again when going through Canadian Customs & Immigration.

Would I become a Canadian citizen if we going to live in Canada? You bet. I'd do that as soon as I could.

But we're not going to live in Canada; we are going to live in the United States. So I just don't see the overall logic in asking me that sort of question.

The only thing is... I've tried having a long talk with her, she attempts to put the subject off and/or she gets annoyed. She says it's unreasonable and unfair of me to ask this of her. If it were just me, I wouldn't care if she became a USC or not. Would it be nice? Sure. I wouldn't have to worry about anything such as deportation (not that she's the type to break laws, but still, the risk is always there if you're a permanent resident), but it's not just me.

Anyway, I'll have another talk with her tonight. I'll see what comes up. She's probably resist the idea again, but it never hurts to try once more. ;)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-04-11 14:14:00
CanadaPotential joint sponser issues

Well, for one, you can tell your fiancee that just because she chooses to become a USC (if she chooses) that it does not mean she has to give up her Canadian status as a citizen. She will still be a Canadian citizen - just not a resident.

Another good reason for obtaining citizenship status is that you have voting rights. It sounds as though your fiancee has strong opinions on the political state of the US and perhaps she would then like to be an agent of change instead of just an observer.

As for the situation with your father - does his responsibilities end if she becomes a USC? My father-in-law stood as joint-sponsor for us to, so you would think I would know the answer to that question, but honestly, I don't. Or is it that he won't sponsor someone who has no intentions of obtaining citizenship status? Sorry, I'm not too clear on what you wrote.

The last thing I will add is that if everything plays out as you fear it will, then your fiancee will then have to decide whether her refusal to become a USC eventually will be worth the sacrifice she will have to make - namely you. Does she understand that without your father's support, you will not be together?

At least - not together right now. Perhaps you will both have to wait to file until you can support her independently.

Mo

She knows she'll still be a Canadian citizen, but what she disagrees with is the whole U.S. citizen ceremony -- where they make you "renounce" your former country's citizenship. We both realize that Canada doesn't recognize this and that Canadians (and many other nationalities) remain citizens of their country; however, she views it as lying and therefore, doesn't want to take part in the process. I think what she wants is for the U.S. to say it's "okay" for her to be a Canadian citizen and a USC at the same time... only, I don't think the U.S. is going to say that, at least not openly. I know that the United States tolerates dual-citizenship, but I remember reading that it doesn't particularly care for it.

My fiancee actually doesn't care much about voting rights, oddly enough. She says she doesn't care if she can or cannot vote in the United States. Of course, she says this now as Canadian citizen living in Canada with full voting rights -- how she'll feel about the lack of such rights later on remains to be seen.

As it's been stated here, my father's financial responsibilities would end if my fiancee would agree to become a U.S. citizen. I think the real issue is, I know he'll never agree to sponsor someone who has no intention of becoming a citizen and he could have to potentially support for a decade, whether or not she is with me.

It sounds to me like you need to find another sponsor.... The only way my brother and I could agree for him to sponsor my husband was a promise that as soon and early as legally possible hubby would apply for the citizenship. My husband had some mixed feelings about the citizenship thing too, until I explained that applying didn't mean he would be a Canadian, and that he'd have the best of both worlds. I seriously doubt my brother would have embraced sponsoring my husband for 10 years, not that he doubts our intentions, but that is a lot to ask of someone, when it could be 3 years instead.........

I agree, but I don't have another sponsor. No one else could do it.

I'm positive my father would agree to do it if my fiancee would become a USC. However, if she doesn't, I can't see him going along with the plan. :(
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-04-11 11:38:00
CanadaPotential joint sponser issues
Okay, well... I'm not sure if this is right forum for this sort of post, but I couldn't think of where else to post it. Anyway, this is going to take some explaining...

My fiancee and I (obviously) want to get married, be together and live in the United States. Some of the smaller details aren't important, but what is important is that my father will be required to be my joint sponser. He doesn't know this yet. My father makes more than enough to qualify (and then some), so monetarily, it's not a problem.

The problem is the conditions that come down on the joint sponser for sponsoring the permanent resident. My fiancee doesn't want to become a U.S. citizen because she doesn't want the U.S. government having excessive control over her actions or more control over her than the Canadian government. I think she's afraid of becoming a USC and then the U.S. government going beserk and not allowing USC's to leave the country or something silly like that. I really don't think such a thing would occur, but she's made up her mind that she won't become a citizen; that being a permanent resident and greencard holder is good enough.

That's fine with me, for the most part. My father, on the other hand, probably won't like it. If I understand everything correctly, the joint sponser will be financially responsible for the permanent resident for 10 years (even in the event of a divorce) and unless she works a certain amount (the number escapes me at the moment), the contract still holds. My fiancee is planning to work and she says that my father will "never have to make good" on supporting her and, in the unlikely event we were to divorce, she'd "move back to Canada." Neither of us plan on that happening, however.

Okay, that sounds fine and good, but my I know my father. He won't buy it. He won't sign a legally binding agreement stating that he is financially responsible for someone outside his family for a decade, especially if the responsibility continues in the case of a divorce. So I have a problem here, and I'm unsure of how to go about fixing it.

That's why I'm asking you all for help. My father is the only one I can go to in this event. I need some advice on what to do.

Help would be appreciated. Thanks ahead of time. :)
DeadPoolXMaleCanada2007-04-11 09:12:00