Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	Things to bring back	I brought the HUGE a$$ jar of cheese whiz, (all I can find here are dinky little jars) bicks pickles (wayyy crispier than vlassic) robin hood nanaimo bar mix (although if you google the recipe you can make them from scratch), vim cleaner (the blueish liquid ocean fresh kind, it just smells like clean should smell), shreddies, coffee crisp, smarties, crispy crunch, all dressed up ships, and a couple large tins of tims coffee. O and only bring one copy of your AP. I handed them both copies and they gave me ######, told me that I should leave one behind in case I lose one and i can have someone fed-ex it to me in canada. It took about an hour to process me at the border....the border guy actually told me that if I would cross over late at nght its better because there are less lines ofpeople needing processing. WHen I cross with my son next month (he is activating his visa for the first time) I am crossing after nmidnight, cooler to travel, less traffic and less people at the border.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-06-19 23:35:00
Canada	I'm here!!!	I crossed at ft erie/buffalo and they didnt know what to do with my stuff either. When I handed the pkg that said 'do not open' He goes 'wahts this?' and ripped into it. I was like OMFG WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! Then he had to call someone else over ask them and he told him to stamp it in a couple different spots and then forward it to the immigration centre (which one he didnt specify). I had to ask if they wanted to see my list of things i was bringing...after they wre all finished and he handed me my passport and stuff back. He didnt even look at the list let alone the uhaul or truck....sheesh I cross Monday with my son, he is activating his visa for the first time....should be interesting. Totally off topic....but any of you canucks or canuck-by-marriage dont have any plans on Saturday, come on up to the Maple Grove Tavern, in Maple Heights (cleveland) (www.maplegrovebar.com). Come upstairs, I will be bartending...I wanted to have a Canada day party but my idea was ummm well it wasn't acceptable I guess....who knows, but here is the deal.....since it is Canada day....anyone with Canadian ID....I will buy them a drink! Hows that?	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-06-28 22:23:00
Canada	Its a BOY!!!	He is k-2, he activated his visa yesterday, and we found out he cant have the SSN today...after going to the SSA office. I dont understand why I was given an SSN without them batting an eyelash, but he cant have one without an EAD. I didnt need one for mine...and he is 15, he isnt going to work and I am not wasting almost $200 for one for nothing, when he will be adjusted in a few months anyways. It just makes no frikkin sense at all.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-05 21:47:00
Canada	Its a BOY!!!	ya, next time it will be later, although i dont think i will go again until i have my green card (interview next month) found out he cant have a SSN tho, which sux because the school wants it for him to enroll......hope they take his visa for now....he HAS to go to school!!!!!!!!	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-05 20:49:00
Canada	Its a BOY!!!	My youngest son finally made the move here to Cleveland with me and let me tell you, the border guard who reccomended 'coming thru late at night to avoid waiting' was ooooooooooo soooooooo wrong! We sat for 2 and a half hours!!! There was no lineups, the waiting room was empty except for one other family BUT...it was the 4th of july, they were shorrt staffed, it was shift change (midnight) and there were about 3 greyhound busses crossig over and only 4 border guards to process everyone. People on the bus were being refused entry, one commercial trucker was being arrested, it was a looong wait. But...he is here with his mommy where he belongs. Now, we go apply for his SSN and get him a freakin haircut and unpack his room. Question I think i have asked b4, will he have to have an AOS interview or will they grant it based on mine, and if he does have to have one does my husband have to come to it also? His boss gets all cranky when he needs to take time off work which he will for these things. Thnx Now I go get him up and I attempt driving downtown. Hey i've done downtown Toronto, I 've done Montreal, and I've done Sudbury (traffic isnt so bad, but the drivers are worse than anywhere else). I think i can handle cleveland. weeeeeeeee	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-05 10:53:00
Canada	SSN	I got mine pretty quick, but here is a tip for new brides, if you want to change your name on the SSN after you get it make sure you go before your k-1 expires, I went after and they wont change it because I am 'out of status' So I have to wait until the AOS to have it changed, wish I wouldhave known b4...	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-06-30 23:25:00
Canada	TIM HORTON'S........???...WENDY'S???	ya know what sux..timmies headquarters is in ohio, there is something liek 40 timmies in ohio....there is a timmies in west freaking virginia....but none in the cleveland area...apparently with no plans to build one in the near future.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-12 11:59:00
Canada	Entering USA with possessions	Hey evilcanuck, I read your timeline and this is not on subject with crossing the boarder with items.... but in your timeline you say to gather all your information ahead of time since our Canadian gov't is so slow. My husband and I just started the I130 process. What information can I request now to speed up the process ? I don't even know where to start to get all this stuff..... Also, I'm a little worried, we mailed off our I130 with a copy of my laminated pocket Birth Certificate. Are they going to return and request a certified true copy ? arrrggghhh I hope not Any advice/guidance you can give is truly appreciated. When I was gathering my information I was also going through a name change. I (stupidly) legally changed my name when I was previously married (which means they issue a new birth certificate (?!?!?!) in your married name, after I divorced I wanted to revert to my maiden name, I applied for this in October of 2003, I recieved a notice that it would take up to 6 months to process....I began calling in April or May of 2005 as we were going to be applying for my I-129F and since i had to send in my birth certificate with my name change request, I had no birth certificate in either name! I started calling everyone under the sun regarding the birth certificate and would get answers like 'we are short staffed, they laid off 100 people and we are 9 months to 1 year behind, then I would call back and get the 'we are 1 year to 18 months behind'. I was flipping out, we were ready to send in the paperwork in July and I had no freaking ID. I couldnt apply for a passport, or do anything! I called faxed and emailed my MP, MPP from both where I lived and where I had moved from, the Minister of Consumer & Corporate affairs, a few other ministers, the premier of Ontario and the Prime Minister...I also filled out a consumer complaint form at the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Affairs site reporting themselves to themselves. Needless to say, my birth certificate was in my hand within a week of doing this )) ANyways.....I hear its not so bad now but yes you will need your long form of your birth certificate. Then I got screwed for the fingerprints because (I didnt know about VJ then) and I went to the RCMP, they told me I needed the fingerprints and it would take up to 5 months (I didnt need this because I dont have a criminal record). ARGH...it didnt take 5 months tho, only about 3 but still. sheesh. I wish I would have had a list of everything I would have needed prior to filing because then all I would have had to do was wait on the petition being approved and poof i sould have sent off the checklist instead of waiting almost a damn year grrrrrrrr im here now so thats all that matters	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-13 17:01:00
Canada	Entering USA with possessions	I was so meticulous when I did my packing. I listed EVERY frikkin item in each box, numbered the boxes to correspond with the itemized lists, had it all ready for them...they didnt even ask to see it, nor did they inspect the truck or the uhaul!!!! They didnt even so much as peek in the windows! When I crossed with my son last week, he also made a list, not quite as meticulous (he is 15 heh) and again, they didnt even ask! We had a cat with us, with all her vaccinations International Certificate of Health etc, and they didnt even ask about her, didnt look in the truck or ask about his belongings! Every crossing is different tho.....	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-12 23:54:00
Canada	Claiming your fiancée as a dependent while in Canada on tax return	all i know is you get jack if you leave canada b4 the 31st of the year. I left on the 5th of december and got NOTHING because I was a non resident on the 31st. effers. if i had of known i would have waited the 3 weeks	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-11 23:34:00
Canada	Hidden Costs and Visa Application Fees- Canadian	http://www.uscis.gov...forms/index.htm I-129F $170 Medical Exam $185 (Panel physicians in toronto, $275 if you ae in windsor) Passport $ 87 RCMP lettter $ 25 (you wont need this until you are approved and your petition goes to Montreal) Visa $100 (this is what you pay for at the consulate when you go for your interview, after you are approved and they send you a letter explainging about the medical, RCMP check and other evidence you need. You only need to go to Montreal once, and no they dont do it in Toronto which would be easier) After you get your visa and you cross over, it costs $6 at the border...cheapest part of the whole thing. Once you are married you apply to adjust your status $ 325 plus biometrics fee $70 plus Employment Authorization $180 and Travel document if you plan on coming home between the time you cross over and the time you get your status adjusted $170 (remember if you leave the us after activating your visa, you cant come back unless you have advanced parole or your green card You ae looking at about $1000 not including your travel time to montreal...then $205 in 3 years to lift conditions all fees are in USD, except passport, rcmp check and medical. It costs some money, but it is broken down a bit and you can save up for each thing in between. Best of luck!!! I rented a car and drove to Montreal for a lot cheaper than $299, look into that (if you drive) at least then if you are desperate you can drive, get in late, sleep in your car, and be at the consulate first thing!!! Of course gas wasnt over $1 a frikkin litre then yet either!!!	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-11 12:46:00
Canada	package deposit?	If I remember correctly there were little cubbys that we had to put our stuff in b4 going upstairs....confiscated my cellphone, keys(electronic starter) digital camera, sons chain for his wallet etc. They put it all in a cubby behoind the security...if your bag isnt so big maybe it could go there also?	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-13 00:04:00
Canada	Adjustment interview in a week	greaaaaaaaaaat We got nothin LOL maybe I'll bring the reciept for the engagement ring...no one spends that kinda money for nothin' hehehe I have mail in my name at this addres (from tax canada).... i'll just bring everything I can think of, mail between us, love letters LOL gawd my husband will die of embarassment he is such a private person even this interview he finds invasive. sheesh maybe i'll get my matron of honour to write a letter or something....which is eawkward because we told no one about the fiance visa and the immigration process we wre taking, we didnt want anyone thinking we were getting married just so I could live here, which people would think of before they would think we were getting married because we love eachother, but we also have to take certain steps due to being from differnt countries :/ blah i think im getting myself nervous because i have been telling myself tehre is nothing to be nervous about	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-23 19:19:00
Canada	Adjustment interview in a week	I mean I am pretty comfortable with the whole thing, I have all my paperwork in order, I am not from a country where marriage fraud is prevailant, or from a country which someone would be desperate to flee...when you think about it...canada is a pretty darn good country to live in....who would be suspect of our relationship ...right? this is what makes me nervous!!! My husband seem s to think its no big deal, he knows we are married, I know we are married, they shoudl just take our word for it (grrr). Here is my problem...we have a huge wedding album, dvd honeymoon pics honeymoon dvd etc...but what we dont have is stuff people seem to make sure thy have... we dont have joint bank accounts...neither of us believe in them...we have each our own and we both know the others PIN number for the cards. utilities are in his name as they were before I moved down.... no deed/mortgage or lease agreement...we live in an apartment owned by his parents, so there dis no need for that... cars are in his name, both of them, at the time I bought my car here I wasnt living here yet (i knedw i wasnt going to import my other car so I bought aa new one and left it here but since no Ohio licence when i bought it, it had to go in his name) my name is on the insurance tho. we have NOTHING in both our names except the marriage certificate...which he feels should be enough (should be and is are 2 different things he doesnt seem to understand!!!!) argh i dunno what else to bring other than wedding album and honey moon pics! Im just wondering if anyone else did thier AOS recently and how intense was it. thnx	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-23 17:26:00
Canada	For the K-1ers with children	I have sole custody so there is nothing my ex couldn have done about it, thats all they needed for his visa....just our seperation agreement that preceeded our divorce which outlined the custody agreement. 'mother has sole custody with father having reasonable access with reasonable notice'	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-24 20:03:00
Canada	AOS interview	apparently there is some hold up with the FBI background check. Now I am assuming they do this for everyone, but my problem is the hold up.....the girl who did our interview, it was fast and done, but she said that was going to hold things up, and that I probably shouldnt bother calling for at least 5 months......####### 5 months!?! I asked if there were some way to check on things she said no...not to bother for 5 months. sheesh, I have no criminal history (except speeding tickets) why so long???? This is going to hold everything up in the long run isnt it? lifting conditions etc anyone else experiencing long waits for background checks? or what are common wait times	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-01 21:33:00
Canada	Employer knowing about K1 visa process	dont tell them and they wont know. no one contacts anyone about anything. the most suspicious they may get is if they know about your USC love interest if you travel a lot to see them and if you ask for a letter as proof of employment for ties to canda. its really none of thier business, when you get your interview date, just take a day off for it, they dont have to know what it is all about, just make sure you give adequate (2 weeks) notice b4 u up and quit.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-01 22:25:00
Canada	Child SUpport Checks from FRO	I finally got a cheuqe from FRO for about 1% of what my ex husband owes....they wont do direct deposit on a 'foreign account' and I already closed my canadian one (dumbass, i should have left it open, I could atm the money out) So I have this cheque.....I had a b1tc4 of a time exchanging canadian cash here last spring, I can only imagine cashing a canadian cheque......any ideas tips hint? should I go to a check cashing place and hope the 'highly trained accounting professionals' who work there dont notice? lol	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-06 11:39:00
Canada	US Idiot strikes again. Where can I get a US bank Drawn M.O. in Ontario?	I went to my bank, Royal Bank...and asked for a US money order. Worked fine for me. I sent in the I129F from canada with the money order I bought in canada.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-04 21:48:00
Canada	Cashing a CDN Check	I just did this yesterday. i recieved a pittance of the child support owed to me in form of a cheque from Family responsibility office, they wont direct deposit to foreign accounts. i just took it to my bank, asked if i could deposit it, explained it was canadian funds from a canadian bank, they said no problem, no fees were mentioned so they better not frikkin charge me any. The teller just suggested I not spend it for a few days until they had time to figure out the exchange rate and adjust my account to reflect the exchanged money. Good to know! This was Charter One	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-09 12:01:00
Canada	Peace Bridge POE	dont go at midnight on a holiday! lol they actually recommended I go later at night because its less busy, but i never thought of things like shift change and greyhound bus schedules :/ we werre there 4-ever! i say go like at 11 p.m or 2 am. check the greyhound schedule just to be sure. We piled my stuff in an SUV and a u-haul. What about renting a vehicle for the trip...a van or SUV ?	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-16 19:56:00
Canada	Are Americans allowed to apply for dual citizenship?	dont americans lose thier citizenship upon becoming a canadian citizen? i thought for sure i read that somewhere.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-07-16 22:39:00
Canada	Formal Documentation for K-1 process	ditto on the no marriage certificate thing, I gave mine to my lawyer when he did my divorce, havent seen it since...dont miss it either. almost framed the divorce decree tho lol	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-23 23:30:00
Canada	Formal Documentation for K-1 process	ditto on the no marriage certificate thing, I gave mine to my lawyer when he did my divorce, havent seen it since...dont miss it either. almost framed the divorce decree tho lol	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-23 23:30:00
Canada	Do the kids come to the interview?	14 years and older have to attend...and you pay for them $100 each heh	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-08-23 23:27:00
Canada	Taking pets with you when you move..	we brought our cat. had to have an 'international certificate of health' signed by the vet. She had to have had her shots and stuff 30 days before crossing and the certificate needed to be signed within 10 dys prior to crossing. I think the vet signed the certificate free with the shots. They didnt even look at the cat. Heck they didnt look in the truck. We said 'we have a cat' and the guy said 'you're good to go' *shrug* Edited by evilcanuck, 01 September 2006 - 07:41 PM.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-01 19:40:00
Canada	Ex-spouse & children	maybe upon explaining the process to him, offer to not get them thier citizenship? i mean, its a compromise and honestly once you get them here, he cant stop you heh (sneaky but.... ) Is the document he is giving you for permission going to include this stipulation? If not I wouldnt stress about it, once you have the visa in your hand you are all set. When I took my son to the consulate I just showed the seperation agreement with custoday arrangements (wife has sole custody). Thats all I needed. We dont know where my ex is day to day or how to contact him, at the time of the vsa interview we had not heard from him in 2 years......	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-06 20:00:00
Canada	jen & darcy?	Congrats! I cant believe he got his EAD, thats awesome. i was told they dont do that at the border anymore and it took me 3 months from the wedding to get mine. Not that I didnt like the 'forced vacation' hehehe Dont forget to pop up and see me some saturday at the Grove!!!	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-30 12:39:00
Canada	Wedding Plans?	full wedding, small but full. we had an idea of the timeframe, knew we wanted it small, and i used to own a bridal shop,and do wedding consultation...i knwo weddings it was pretty cool, we did everyting ourselves (myself lol0 made the dress, boquets, etc etc. Just think of al lthe time you will have on your hads once you get here to do all that sort of thing, its not like you can work or anything LOL	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-09-17 20:34:00
Canada	canadian idiot	that is frikkin hilarious heh just what my husband needed to pick on me more *eye rolling*	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-03 11:43:00
Canada	strange touches	My son crossed 2 times b4 moving here. I crossed every 2 weeks on average for 2-3 years. The only thing that worries me is....when I would go back to canada, there wont be a record for each time I went back because rarely did they even LOOK at my ID let alone scan it or enter it into any system. Bah, its frustrating. SO, since my status isnt technically adjusted until i get my 2 year green card, tHEN I am in conditonal status, so that means I still have to wait the nearly 2 years in conditional before i can apply to remove these conditions, potentially pushing everything back correct?	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-12 11:34:00
Canada	strange touches	06/24/2006 I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E) (why would they 'touch' this when I have been here since 12-06?) 08/12/2006 I485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status (aos interview was august 1, still says they will let me know when the appointment is even though touched afterwards) 10/09/2006 I765 APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION (have had the EAD since end of may, why touch this now?) 07/13/2006 I131 APPLICATION FOR USCIS TRAVEL DOCUMENT (I have had the travel document since april or so why touch it?) 10/11/2006 I485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status (my sons aos interview was yesterday, they touched it today) Ok so why is it they are checking stuff i already have but havent touched the aos which is the one thing Im waiting for? THe guy yesterday said my sons security clearance came back and he was reccommending him for approval but my security clearance is still pending.....and they wont touch the aos file SHEESH! o ya know what else he said....that in his experience, people who have had many border crossings take longer for thier FBI checks than those who dont ??!! anyone else hear this?	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-11 19:19:00
Canada	I want to pull my hair out!!!	just a tip do not beleive anything they tell you on the phone in montreal I called before my interview and asked 5 questions i was given the WRONG answer to all 5 questions Thank god I didnt fully believe her and went overboard in my planning ecause I would have been shafted had i listened to her advice/information	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-12 15:04:00
Canada	Congrats Jen & Darcy	Hope everything went as planned and it wasnt too cold out!!!!!!!! Off to find a good place to watch the night race.......have a good one guys!	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-14 16:42:00
Canada	Packing?	I listed everything in each box as I packed it, then lost the papers....panic at the border...they never even asked to see the list or looked in the truck. panic over. lol	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-16 16:40:00
Canada	=((((((((( Fiance just found out he has cancer	I would let him stay in Canada where he can get (free) care. i would also get him to file petitions for you to come there, and have things expedited based on his illness, so that you can come there to care for him, and they may expedite your work permits based on this. There are also government programs and charities that would assist him with finances whle he is undergoing treatment. I dunno, thats the angle I would work, you are more likely to get the compassionate assistance if you go there...and not be stuck with a medical bill that will bankrupt you before you even marry. When he is better, then work on moving to the usa... just a thought	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-09 10:47:00
Canada	how excited should I get about being touched?	I had my aos august 1, my son has his oct 10, they told me at his appt that his FBI check was done and all good, but mine wasnt. I log in every day, and weee I noticed yesterday that my AOS had been 'touched' (all my other stuff, AP and EAD has also been 'touched' since receeiving them). So.......does this mean we are on the way to me having the background check complete and the greencards issued? I mean I know they arent going to find anything bad in the background check, its not worrying me, just the time frame is. Anyone else out there with a lot of border crossings have a timeline for me on the aos to greencard time? (The interviewer told me the more crossings you have typically the longer the backgrond check takes, I crossed on average 1 or 2 times a month for 3 years.)	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-30 10:51:00
Canada	Cool new things you have found in the US	Biscuits & gravy I may have found a replacement for 3 a.m. poutine	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-15 10:21:00
Canada	Cool new things you have found in the US	drive thru liquor stores make me ROFL	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-10-12 17:24:00
Canada	Receiving Visa	mine was done by mal, my sons 6 months later also by mail, just bring a pre paid priority envelope with you, make sure its the bg size because of the amount of stuff they send back with you, the visa in the passport isnt the only thing sent.	evilcanuck	Not Telling	Canada	2006-11-05 08:39:00