ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Canadacredit
My good Ontario driving record was useless for getting insurance in New Jersey, even though I paid for an abstract. No one would look at it.

My excellent Canadian credit rating was also useless, even though I paid for a print out. No one would look at it.

The U.S. credit checking companies simply do not have the capacity to check foreign credit ratings. So after 6 months of getting nowhere, I got a secured credit card. Then, I found MBNA, which was willing to check my Canadian history, but only after I persisted.

My advice: if you can get an MBNA while card in Canada, it will be easier to get one in the States.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-16 18:00:00
CanadaOur trip to the Constulate in Montreal
Congratulations on your visa. Since you're into lucky numbers, I have to say you picked an excellent date to get married: my birthday! Best of luck.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-26 19:46:00
Canadaour RCMP police certificate is just a small orange paper
My husband recently went to the Commissionaires in downtown Toronto and paid about $37.00. Don't know what it looks like. But I suspect the U.S. government runs its own checks on both parties and that's what goes on at the NVC. So, no sense making a counterfeit of an RCMP cert because the FBI check will trump everything later.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-28 06:38:00
CanadaImporting Car to the US
If you have a compliance letter from the manufacturer, that's proof that the car meets EPA standards. No other letter is required. When I imported my Honda (for personal use) there was no duty.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-29 07:18:00
CanadaCanadian Conviction History?
I have no idea, but side with flames. Get the prints now, just in case.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-10-26 19:54:00
CanadaMy Vancouver interview is scheduled!
Wow. We love to hear about these great experiences!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-03 18:47:00
CanadaOT: Fun place to eat in Toronto
Don't forget Chinatown. Walk Dundas between Spadina and University and see what looks good!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 08:56:00
CanadaCanadian Revenue
I've read everything you both wrote, and hope the issue is sufficiently complex to warn the original poster that this is serious stuff.

Jerseygirl, having a spouse still resident physically in Canada

The operative word is "still." I did not leave a spouse in Canada. I left the country as a single person, moved to the U.S., and married him months later while he was visiting NJ. That's the sticking point. It's not as if I were married and left a spouse behind to sell a house or see kids through the schoolyear.

It remains to be seen how much of my RRSP Rev can will eat on account of this issue. Meanwhile, I've been in NJ a year, and may still be considered taxable in Canada! Let this be a cautionary tale. (This calls for a Molson XXX)
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 17:46:00
CanadaCanadian Revenue
I do not wish to go so far off topic that it's not relevant to the OP, but just to show how sticky Rev Can can get...

I'm a dual who left Canada and took up residence in the States. My Canadian bf came to NJ and we were married. He went back to Toronto to wait for his visa.

So I thought I was a non-resident for tax purposes and withdrew my RRSP at what I thought would be 25% non-resident tax. Not so fast. Having a spouse in Canada makes me a resident for tax purposes and taxable at 46%. That's what one accountant says but the other doesn't agree.

I've had to re-file my Canadian taxes and that's an expensive proposition. If Rev Can decides to tax me at 46%, it will mean tens of thousands of dollars.

Lesson learned: you can leave Canada, but still be considered a resident for tax purposes.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 05 November 2006 - 04:43 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 16:42:00
CanadaCanadian Revenue
P.S. I thoroughly endorse the folks at Keats Connelly (Robert Keats is the author of The Border Guide). They re-filed my Canadian taxes after Serbinski (an oft-mentioned cross-border tax expert here) screwed them up.

Just so you know what all this can cost: I made below poverty line last year. Yet Serbinski's bill was about $1,000 U.S. (for Canadian and U.S. returns). And the Keats bill to amend and refile my Canadian return was over $600 U.S.

Do not be seduced by the tax savings that come from Married Filing Jointly in the U.S. It will cost a helluva a lot more to untangle his Canadian tax mess later. For now, be responsible for your own taxes only.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 03 November 2006 - 07:09 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-03 19:07:00
CanadaCanadian Revenue
Even though a Canadian moves, Rev Can can still consider them taxable on their worldwide income. It depends on whether Rev Can deems them to have enough "ties" to Canada. This is a murky area where experts don't always agree. There's a Rev Can form that may help: IT-221R3.

I'm no expert, but suggest he sees a tax accountant before he leaves Canada. First up, make him right with Rev Can! You can probably back file for the last two years. Then, make sure he files an "exit return" for tax year 2006. Be sure to cut all financial ties, e.g., sell house, cancel credit cards, close bank accounts, return health card, etc. This is the paper trail that proves to Rev Can that he cannot be taxed anymore.

If he ever wants to go back to Canada, or have his Canada Pension Plan proceeds sent to him in the States, he'll want a tidy record of taxes and not a mess that could come back to haunt you both.

I know other people have advised you to file jointly in the U.S. so you'll get a fat exemption. But I see this as short-sighted. If they catch up with him later, you could owe back taxes, as a couple.

There was a time when Rev Can was sleepy and didn't track off-shore money or the activities of tax exiles. Those days are over. Don't mess with Rev Can. Get him to file his back taxes and leave clean.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 03 November 2006 - 06:55 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-03 06:52:00
CanadaChanging date of interview
jg - you've come too far to cancel! Has she considered driving the whole way?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 08:52:00
CanadaInterview, packet 4, and reflections on this journey
Ha! What I wouldn't give to be rolling around on a cheesy air mattress with the best lover of my life, whom I haven't seen since March!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 16:28:00
CanadaInterview, packet 4, and reflections on this journey
This has been the strangest of years for many people. Is it something in the stars? Or the numerology of it all? You probably put your finger on the reason why it all came to us: if we can survive this, we can survive anything.

There's no point having any regrets. Maya Angelou said something to this effect: we made the best decisions we could, based on what we knew at the time. But now that we know better, we can do better.

I'm sorry about your niece's illness. The silver lining may be that it brings family back together. Before the end of this wacky year, you'll be home again, with great stories to tell about your adventures up north. Tell them you saw snow in July and that Canucks eat whale blubber for breakfast. They'll believe you!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-05 11:07:00
CanadaMade it to Oregon
Good grief! Just when you thought you had the visa and it would be clear sailing! Just goes to show how unpredictable this whole thing can be. Congratulations on finally making it!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-06 20:17:00
CanadaGood luck Montreal interviewees!
Yes, good luck to you all! You've waited a long time and now you're going to have the joy of being together! God speed!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-12 16:43:00
CanadaOne Way Ticket
You can walk across the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls. It's a tourist area ... no trucks. The Peace Bridge is in Buffalo ... it's a commercial crossing, lots of trucks.

I don't know how a pedestrian would clear Canadian customs, though. It would seem odd he didn't have a car parked someplace, wouldn't it?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-12 07:33:00
CanadaTransfer to Vancouver! Success!
WOW! Great strategy. Good luck to you both!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-14 20:24:00
CanadaWoohoo!
Congratulations! Hope you get a speedy interview in Vancouver!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-14 20:26:00
CanadaCanadian Real Estate
Hook up with a good agent and get them searching for you. For downtown T.O. try Coldwell Banker Pinnacle.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-14 20:45:00
CanadaHow long since you've seen your SO?
7-1/2 months. The stress has turned me into a different person. Not sure if he'll even recognize me! I gained weight from self-medication eating and he lost 30 pounds from doing a tough job. Who would have guessed the first year of marriage would be celibate and so hard?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-14 21:04:00
CanadaIt's done, we got it!
Linda, congratulations! Breath deeply. Enjoy the soak. Eat, drink, and be merry! You made it just fine. We always knew you would! What a terrific Thanksgiving you're about to have!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-14 20:57:00
CanadaHappy Birthday amarceau
If you're over 40, you get a whole week to celebrate. That's because our reflexes are slower. Happy birthday!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-15 19:43:00
CanadaFINALLY!!!
Lovely. Enjoy the feeling!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-18 00:24:00
CanadaGetting drivers license and car insurance in US
For a driver's license in New Jersey, you must have plenty of proof of identity as well as your address. But you don't have to do the road test, only the "written," which is on computer.

For the first 6 months of insurance, I paid through the nose with Progressive Direct and when it came up for renewal, got Geico at half the cost. Six months was enough to start building a good driving record here. No one was interested in my Ontario history.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-19 17:57:00
CanadaGot my Visa!
Thanks. We live for stories like these!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-18 00:27:00
CanadaQuit touching me if you don't mean it!

Is your case definately in Montreal and not at NVC?

Yes, we received Package 3 from Montreal, so that's where it sits. And sits. And sits.

This may have something to do with being a K3 ... or that I'm a dual of the U.S. and Canada, who's petitioning for a dual of Canada and Portugal. Who knows?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-20 18:40:00
CanadaQuit touching me if you don't mean it!
This week-end marks the 4th touch since sending the checklist to Montreal. Who knows what it means. I called about an interview and was given the standard response: January or February.

But I choose not to believe them and hold out hope we'll get a letter this week and an interview before Christmas. Or else. :girlwerewolf2xn:

Edited by Jersey Girl, 19 November 2006 - 06:06 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-19 18:04:00
CanadaDavid and Karen and Leafgal's interviews
Karen, stay strong. It's a bump in the road and not the end of it. You WILL get the visa. In the meantime, we're forming a big circle around you and sending you our support. You and David are in our prayers.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 20 November 2006 - 06:27 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-20 18:26:00
CanadaDavid and Karen and Leafgal's interviews
Congratulations!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-18 00:28:00
CanadaI cant believe this...
Bizarre. But you DO have an interview date, and you DO have the email to prove it, which I'd print out. You also know enough from what's shared here to put together the forms, which is what I'd start doing.

Meanwhile, keep calling the Consolate and hope you get a different person on the line. Your Package 4 might appear soon, so hang in there!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-20 18:09:00
CanadaWOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!
You get the prize for the nuttiest journey ever. A happy ending all because they never cancelled your petition when you asked! Congratulations and give thanks!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-22 19:44:00
CanadaStale documents at interview?
Great. That means the only thing that will be stale is me. I've actually lost hair during this journey, and it's not in a place I wish it would go away!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-25 16:45:00
CanadaStale documents at interview?
Our Montreal K-3 interview is set for Jan. 18 but we were hoping for a sooner date. So ... he did his medical in Toronto in October. His police cert is from Sept or Oct (can't recall). His photos were taken this past March.

Meanwhile, for the I-134, I got a notarized bank statement and an employer letter in November. Does any of this seem out-of-date to you?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-25 09:14:00
CanadaHoliday Shopping for the Can/Am family

I have no idea how Cafe Press knows I'm Canadian

You told them. By hanging out here! I wonder how many people in other regional forums got offers on country-specific items.

I wouldn't buy, though, because it's not a store. It's just a site that sells space to people selling things. Sort of a flea market. If something goes wrong, the buyer could be up the creek.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-24 08:12:00
CanadaOn to the last leg now...
Best of luck until you actually hear the fat lady sing!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-25 16:42:00
Canadainterview tomorrow
Look at it this way: it's a souvenir picture of a loving heart at the end of a long journey to get to its true love. Okay. Now go get the damn visa and celebrate like an animal! :dance:
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-26 17:05:00
Canadainterview
Congratulations! We all feel your joy!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-27 23:04:00
CanadaGood Luck J&K
We're all behind you and cheering!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-22 07:28:00
CanadaPassports
Because Murphy's Law is in full play throughout this entire journey, my vote is to go to the office and be sure.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-11-28 08:52:00