Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	My on going complaint are these freaken hives. I'm scratching myself raw , I can't do much about it unless I wean Alexis and she is no where near ready for that. So I get to grin and bear it while I wait for her to self wean. I'm not sure what is the caused it this time. So I recently noticed i have been getting a ton of hives, esp. in the spring during allergy season and I'm pretty sure it's because I have a histamine intolerance with good and then the histamine in the air around this time makes it worse. I get hives when I eat a lot of foods with histamine and it comes and goes. Avocados, spinach and tomatoes and basically anything with preservatives (esp. things like lunch meat or pop) really make me itch. Histamine also grows on leftover foods, and I get itchy when I eat leftovers too. Mine comes and goes depending on how much i consumer, so I've never really been able to pinpoint it, but i'm almost positive it is because i'm histamine intolerant. I stopped eating many of the foods on the top 10 list and was perfectly fine. A lot of the food is just really hard to avoid!!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-05-23 16:38:00
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	KimBear - Have you guys sat down with a budget and crunched all of the numbers together so he can see how much you really do need to afford a house? If there is room in the budget for video games and pc parts, then that's great, but didn't he realize getting a house would mean less spending money? Esp. on one income? Sounds like he needs a bit of a reality check. Also - did he say he would help with painting and getting the house all organized before you bought it? And is now not helping? I guess I'm just confused as to why he is acting like all of this is a suprise? I mean you seem pretty level headed and sound like the type of person who would've discussed it in depth? Sounds like you really need a really serious conversation about your financial future. Or maybe it's another one if you've had one already.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-05-18 10:01:00
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	yeah, they are home most times when the dogs are barking too but they don't do anything.. I find it very bizarre... I wish they would at least bring the dogs in at night... how would I go about doing that? like who would i send it too? I know dogs bark.. but this is crazy obsessive barking.. I can't enjoy my time outside because of all the barking I would google "noise complaint name of your city/town" and see what pops up. There is a whole site about for the LAPD, but I don't know if that covers you. I would also just try calling the local police number (non-emergency) and see what they suggest.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-05-11 06:20:00
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	so in the beginning of April we moved into a new house and town. We are kind of in the country but not quite. It was so nice and peaceful here for the first few weeks. There are two houses on one property, the land lord lived in the other house but he moved out and was in the process of renting out his house when we moved in. The new people finally moved in about 2 weeks or so ago and it hasn't been peaceful since . They have two dogs, a doberman and some other small type dog. The little one especially will bark at everything it sees or hears. And if we go outside the little dog will bark the entire time we are out there The doberman isn't as bad but his bark is deep and resounding. All the barking is really driving me crazy. They just leave the dogs to run around their back yard, day and night. Their back yard is connected to the front of our house but is separated by a fence. I think the dogs are bored and that is why they bark all the time. As far as I can tell they never take them for walks and I rarely hear them tell the dogs to be quiet. I told my husband we should do or say something about it but he doesn't want to You can probably file an anonymous noise complaint. I would 100%	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-05-10 19:46:00
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	So back in Jan my husband and I were in a very minor car accident. We were stopped behind someone at a stop light, and hubby thought the light had changed and started rolling forward and ended up rear-ending the vehicle. There was a bit of damage to my car (more due to the fact that we hit a SUV so it hit kinda under their bumper). Since we were stopped and not even a car lenght behing them it would have been near impossible to be going more than about 10km/h. The airbags did not deploy on either vehicle either. We have just recieved 2 lawsuits from 2 of the passangers in the vehicle...one for $275 000 and the other for $235 000 they are claiming that they can no longer work, earn a living or have quality of life because of this accident!!!! I have been hit in the exact same situation a couple of times before (and a couple of times much harder) and I couldn't even imagine how they can claim they have the injuries they have. Why are americans so sue happy??? I never really paid attention to what insurance coverage my husband had, and I was just added onto his policy and we don't have the best coverage (I am to blame since I should have looked into this more) so I am getting pretty stressed out that if they don't reach a settlement and it goes to trial we may be up the creek. We are struggling to make ends meet as it is, and this is definitley one more stressor that we did not need That sucks Colleen, but try not to let it stress you out too much, your insurance company will help you. This happened to both my brother and sister (in Canada, no less) and in both cases it was dealt with by the insurance company and there was no court dates or anything like that. I think my brother had to go and make a statement. Your insurance might go up, but hopefully that'll be the worst of it. My best friend also works for an insurance company and they have investigators that know a lot about accidents and will be able to tell right away that they are lying. It's sick that there are people who do things like this out there. If the airbags didn't deploy and the damage was minimal, that's already a good sign that this will go no where! What terrible luck though	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2011-08-18 18:46:00
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	grr, so the last time I heard from my brother he said he would probably be leaving on the 15th or 16th to drive down here with my nephew...this was around the 3rd... so last Tuesday I email my SIL to ask what kind of food my nephew likes to eat and I haven't heard back from her yet.. and I know she was online because she posted something on her facebook... I emailed my brother the other day to find out if they are coming or not and I haven't heard back from him either... i have stuff I need to get ready for them coming and I would kind of like to know a few days before they come if they are coming or not.. Why not just give them a call?	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2010-11-12 12:56:00
Canada	The Vent Part Quatre	i am absolutely livid at my apartment owners.. when we were looking at this apartment we were told 200$ deposit, then when we went to sign the lease we were told" oh those are the old rules, we have new management and you need a co signor since you make 300 less than we preper so now it is 350$ deposit." ok fine..we paid it. however the night we got the keys they didn't want to wait for the extra 100$ cheque to pass so they wanted a credit card payment asap, fine we did it. I went back in to the office on july 6th to say hey by the way you have a cheque you didn't cash..give me the money back. oh we can't do that but we will give you a credit, and then i find out our first month rent free was for us..not our pets..we had to pay the pet rent. so the 100$ credit became only 65$. so i say well i want it written down on my lease we overpaid our security deposit. so they wrote the amount down dated and signed it. Fast forward to today, the new management is looking over every lease and the books and is now trying to tell me we owe them 100$ and that the security deposit is now 450$...umm say what?? and that we should not have deducted our august rent for the 65 over payment. needless to say the correction to the lease makes it look like we agreed to an increased security deposit and they have edited their ledges now in august with a charge of an extra 100 and dated it july 1 ..which i'm pretty sure backdating something like that is illegal..but of course the usa doesn't effing believe in rental laws anywhere like quebec or ontario so now i'm up sh1te crick and have to cough up the damn money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 OMG that is ridiculous. Whatever you do, when you move out, just deduct that $450 deposit from your last rent check. That's what we plan to do since apparently they don't give back deposits, even if you don't leave any damage. Rental companies are so scummy. At this point though, I'd be tempted to threaten them with getting a lawyer involved and just not pay the $100 for a few months and see if they let down. But, I guess it's not worth the risk of them getting your credit involved or paying interest.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2010-08-11 16:43:00
Canada	The IRS/CRA Income Tax Thread	lol good luck i tried reading them all then got confused frustrated gave up and say screw it i'm asking anyways besides its a whole new tax year now I tried reading it too. It gets to a point where Zyggy just tells everyone to re-read the thread because he's already addressed their question... even though it seemed like a new question to me!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2010-01-19 17:55:00
Canada	NOA2 in 84 days?!	Congrats!	Adnan&Liane	Female	United Kingdom	2012-08-08 10:53:00
Canada	Passport with Visa in my hand!	Congratulations!	Adnan&Liane	Female	United Kingdom	2012-10-11 18:09:00
Canada	Have ya'll told your boss about your US immigration??	My number one priority is my family. I have to do what's best for them and right now that's for me to get a better job. I told my boss about my immigration process but didn't mention I'll be leaving.	Lornaevo	Male	Trinidad and Tobago	2012-07-27 07:35:00
Canada	Need help Reschedule interview in Montreal	Unfortunately there was nothing available earlier only later so we had to use the original date. I called every day because I was told sometimes cancelations open up, but we had no luck.    Thanks for letting me know. It's frustrating...I've been given unclear information for months.  I do not think the website works, NVC and CSC do not integrate. I was suggested to call for rescheduling, then they set up the wrong category.  Agent over the phone has no knowledge of problem solving. I'm given different instructions each time when I call.  Frustrating...	Montreal_filer	Not Telling	0	2013-09-18 11:37:00
Canada	Need help Reschedule interview in Montreal	Feeling relaxed.Thanks   Any update, Neela & Jltu?  I was suggested to reschedule the interview online, however, I never see any appointment available ever since this July.  Were you able to reschedule interview by email or phone call?	Montreal_filer	Not Telling	0	2013-09-18 10:07:00
Canada	Need help Reschedule interview in Montreal	I am in the same process with my wife, I just got her interview date today and I would like to reschedule it for an earlier date. When you called was the earlier date available right away or did you have to call back several times?   Hi Mikereff, have you managed reschedule your interview? I'm having problem with that.  I appreciate your prompt response.	Montreal_filer	Not Telling	0	2013-09-18 10:04:00
Canada	Criminal record check	I will suggest you go to RCMP detachment which have digital finger printing scanning capability. Ask for search of the National Criminal Records repository maintained by RCMP.   Application Type: Visa/Border/Foreign Travel/Work Application Specifics: Residence Application for United States < if this is what you are doing or else give them reason>   They will take a digital photo, digital finger print and give you a receipt after you pay about 80$. The certificate should arrive from Ottawa within a week. Mine arrived in 2 days actually. I went to https://www.commissi...n/national/home and got it done there. Local police station was no help they got the money and gave me the same letter as you mentioned. Which is useless in my case. Hope this helps.	DMX	Male	Canada	2014-02-13 20:34:00
Canada	Current Wait Times for Interview at Montreal Consulate	From case complete at NVC expect 8 to 10 weeks depending upon if the case if complete in the beginning of the month or end of the month. It takes NVC about 2 weeks after case complete to process the interview date and it is normally 2 months out the day they schedule it to make sure applicant have enough time to make travel, medical and other arrangements. This is exactly what happened to me. My case was complete on 11th day of the Month. I got my interview date at the end of  month. My interview was scheduled exactly 2 months after the day I got the notification. Good Luck	DMX	Male	Canada	2014-04-23 09:41:00
Canada	Just wanted to say so long & thanks!	Congratulations on the job and the big move! I'm really happy for you and wish you the best of luck. I hope things move quickly for your husband and that his move and transition go smoothly. There is not a day that goes by that I don't miss Toronto. It has so much to offer and it'll be so exciting to get back there and take advantage! Take care!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-15 15:27:00
Canada	Holiday today??	It's not a federal holiday in Canada, but it is a provincial statutory holiday. So all federal employees still work today in Canada, along with some provinces. This link explains: http://en.wikipedia....ily_Day_(Canada) Ontario has the day off.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-20 13:17:00
Canada	Getting US visa?	You are comparing apples and oranges though. The cost of living may be more expensive, but the average wage and wage scale is different. Georgia, and this is no offense to you because this goes for most of the Southern States, has a much lower cost of living than a lot of other areas in the US. It may cost you a few more bucks for parking, food, transit, etc. in Toronto, but a school teacher is making 50 or 55K to start out, and in Georgia a starting school teacher's salary is more like 35. So you kind of have to look at it like that. What it comes down to, and I can tell you this because I've worked at a US university for four years, is that getting a student visa for a Canadian to come to the US, to a state school (because she couldn't afford private) is almost unheard of. And I don't mean to sound rude or condescending in any way so know that I am saying this with your best interest at heart....but with DOMA and all the other ####### that the LGBT community suffers here in the US, and knowing how much more liberal a society Canada is, don't you think it would be very hard for her to adjust to life in the South? People tend not to be very accepting, especially in some of those bible belt areas. Just a thought. I agree with all of your points and agree that it's just with the OPs best interest at heart. I don't think we're trying to compare but I do think that you might need to think a bit more outside of the box so to speak. I'm not trying to be negative in any way at all, but having done the same research myself before I got engaged/married (we dated for 6 years long distance, i understand how annoying it is) I just think you are better off being realistic and opening up all your options. And, sorry but the comparison of the GTA to NYC made me chuckle. I was born and raised in the GTA, started my career there and now live in NYC and I have to say the pace is not very similar. I work in the same industry and I work 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. everyday in NYC (no lunch either) whereas in Canada I worked from 9-5:30, managed a lunch break most days. I preferred working in Canada and was actually progressing in my career MUCH quicker. The career opportunities in the GTA are amazing. I'm just saying don't rule it out. I know you said you are currently in a great job and looking to build your career at a company, but basing a career out of one company is risky too. They could lay you off next month and then what? Of course at the end of the day you need to do what is best for you both professionally and personally, but your reasoning seems a bit superficial. And, again, I'm not trying to sound mean spirited in any way! Also, just another thing about the low cost of things. Sure, when I used to visit the US I was also amazed at how cheap things were like beauty products, clothes, greeting cards... you name it, it's usually a bit cheaper here, even in NYC BUT and this is a huge BUT, living here makes me realize how great Canadians have it in many other ways. GST cheques? You'd never get anything like those in the US. Healthcare? Obviously it's own can of worms, but even with health insurance, I have to ensure I have enough money to cover our monthly and then any extra 10% overages my insurance doesn't cover. My prescriptions are more here, even with generics and co-pays. I went to Catholic school for free. I could go on and on. Anyways, just wanted to add that in. Anyways, just my two cents and probably not what you want to hear, so I'll shut up now. I wish you the best of luck!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-15 16:29:00
Canada	Getting US visa?	Another thing too is that you can't just apply to a local school in a random state. They do look at why a person would need a student visa - like for example a Canadian going to Harvard Business School is obviously different from a Canadian wanting to go to a local university in Georgia for education. They look for people who are trying to get student visas to get around an immigration visa. It's truly unfortunate that they don't allow same sex couples to participate in US immigration. I have a good friend who moved to California to be with his boyfriend, but he was very lucky to have an employer in Canada with a California office that he could transfer to. So it is possible. I know you keep mentioning that Canada is too cold, but honestly I would move to the North Pole if I had to. I hate the cold too and I'm Canadian, but you really do get used to it. And, if you dress for it, it's really not that bad. I find Americans do a lot of complaining about the cold, but are wearing sneakers and a coat with no hat, gloves, scarves. There's a reason that Sorel boots and Canada Goose parkas are trendy in Canada! You have to dress for it and be prepared! Canada, specifically Toronto also has a LOT of job opportunities. I would say it's even easier to advance your career there than in the US. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you sound very close minded about living in Canada. I think you'd be really surprised about how much you would like it. It's so much more liberal, the quality of life is amazing and it truly is a great place to live.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-15 09:21:00
Canada	US citizen pulled into immigration at Canadian Border	You're crossing a fine line basically. Canada is overall pretty good about not bothering people about immigration because technically you can apply to become a resident while you are in Canada as a visitor. However, you appear to be pushing the limits on residency. I'm just speculating though because you didn't say how long you're actually staying in each place. That will make a huge difference. You mention that you are both spending equal amounts of time in both Canada and the US. That raises a red flag in my opinion because even though you're situated in the US, you are also spending just as much time in Canada as your gf, who is a Canadian resident I'm presuming. So do you see how that is a bit concerning for them? It's only a matter of a time before you may run into issues on the US side too.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-21 17:59:00
Canada	problem with medical	Thanks for those replies! On her vaccination doc, under results, doc check the boxes which state the following- "Application may be eligible for blanket waiver as indication above" "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver (s) because vaccination(s) not medically appropriate." Under that same area, there are two other boxes, neither of which are checked that say, "vaccine history complete for each vaccine, all requirements met" and "applicant does not meet vaccination immunization requirements for one or more vaccines and no waiver is requested." So it looks like she is fine? Do I sent the x-ray in addition to this vaccination record?? @pocheros thanks!! You must have been typing at same time as me haha I think we should be all good. Last but not least....am I making this whopper of a check out to Homeland Security like I did back at the beginning? Check the instructions on the forms for the correct name to put on the check! That's your best bet. And no xray - you can throw that puppy out!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-28 15:40:00
Canada	problem with medical	ok this helps! what I have in my possession: x-ray a paper from the doctor labeled CML Healthcare and it gives my wife's name, info including the doctor, type of exam, date of exam, passport #, film number completed vaccination documentation medical worksheet two - this lists all the vaccinations and checks of my wife and the doc's signature. The exam was in July, 2011 so it is within the 1 year timeframe. Does this help at all? what to do from here? Okay you're in good shape. Just submit that worksheet with a letter that explains that you had a medical done in the past year and have also included a vaccination worksheet in place of the I-693. I don't think I even included the I-693 form at all and I was approved with no RFE. Work case is that you get an RFE and have to find a local doctor who can complete the I-693 using your worksheet. Just keep a few copies of that worksheet just in case you get an RFE.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-28 13:52:00
Canada	problem with medical	Do you still have the medical in your possession? That should've been given to the agents when she crossed. If it was handed over when you crossed, I'd write a letter with your AOS stating that the medical was completed less than 1 year ago and should be on file and should include her vaccination information. If they are not happy with your letter (which likely they won't be because you don't have the vaccination worksheet) you will get an RFE for either a new medical or the I-693. At that point you can go to a local US Dr. to get a new medical done OR do the vaccination worksheet (whatever they ask for).	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-28 13:36:00
Canada	passport photos & do you attach any to forms in packet 3?	Make sure that anything you write on the photos is written in pencil! I always put my photos in little ziploc bags and then paperclipped them to the forms.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-28 13:38:00
Canada	Cdn niece	If private school is an option (and not all of them are crazy expensive, some of them run like $5,000-$7,000/year) then you may want to call some schools directly and ask them about international students and how/if that could be an option. I'm thinking mroe along the lines of private catholic schools. There must be people from foreign countries who send their kids to high school in the US. I hope there is a solution!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-29 15:55:00
Canada	Question about Canadian visiting US from Canada	I honestly wouldn't think it would be an issue. I'm pretty sure my Dad has a DUI from a long time ago (early 90's) and we've gone on plenty of vacations to the US as a family, or him taking me across and they've never mentioned it. I think there was also another poster worried about her Dad bringing her over to move, but she just successfully crossed with him. I think Canada cares more about US residents with DUIs then vice versa.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-29 16:37:00
Canada	Do I have to change my passport to my married name in order to travel to Canada with advanced parole	Your marriage certificate is sufficient. I crossed back and forth multiple times with a passport in my maiden name and AP/greencard in my married name and had no problems at all. The Air Canada ticket counter person tried to give me trouble and tell me that customs was going to give to me trouble, but I knew that they wouldn't care (since I had already done it 3-4 times previous) and I was right. I didn't even have to show my marriage certificate. They must have passports/greencards linked or something in their system!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-29 16:00:00
Canada	WoW'ers stand up and be counted!!!	This thread is really trippy when you don't play WoW.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2009-07-22 17:44:00
Canada	WoW'ers stand up and be counted!!!	This thread is like a whole 'nother language for me! I actually have a friend is just broke up with her boyfriend of like 6 years because WoW was starting to interfere with all of his sparetime. I meant they utlimately were just very wrong for eachother. I hope he finds someone online in the game - he's a nice guy.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2009-05-10 17:37:00
Canada	POE Success - Blaine WA	Congrats! Glad it was uneventful! Enjoy your time off! I miss those days!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-29 09:30:00
Canada	Passport Pictures	Quick tip for anyone needing to get photos done - I would suggset getting them taken in Canada while visitng. I had mine done last Christmas when visiting and then sent in my application shortly after that from the US (my passport expired in April). It was really easy because a) I had a better chance of them being accepted and b)used my Mom as my guarantor so she signed everything in person for me. I realize not everyone visits often, but if you have a trip planned right before your passport expires, I recommend just getting them taken care of in Canada. Although, Canada is so picky that even my sister had to send hers back twice and she lives in Canada and had them done in Canada. Ha.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-07 14:40:00
Canada	Canadian Tax Question	I moved to California on May 1, 2011 and got married immediately upon arrival. I was a full-time student in 2011, in addition to having tuition credits still on my file from previous years due to how little I made during University. I am now getting ready to file my Canadian tax return using my tuition credits from last year. I did not gain residency until late 2011 in California so I am filing as a married person here, but unsure about what to do in Canada. Basically, I am curious about general info for filing your first tax return abroad, as well as wondering what happens to those existing tax credits if I stop filing after the 2011 return. Is there anything specific I need to notate on this tax return due to my leaving Canada to live in the USA? Should/Can I still file in 2012 due to the existing tax credits and the fact that I maintain my Canadian passport, travel to and from as well as a Canadian credit card and bank account with high interest savings? Any information is appreciated. I am clueless as to what needs to be done right now. Eeek. Your tax credits will just never be used basically. When you cease to become a resident of Canada, you don't need to file taxes anymore, so you wouldn't need the credits. Did you parents help you pay tuition? Your parents might be able to use the credits instead. My Mom used my credits after I left. I currently have a government student loan and could technically get a credit for the interest that I pay towards them but since I don't live in Canada, I can't use the credit. You can also still filed as married. I think I just filed as married, but listed my spouse as having $0 income in Canada. I can't remember exactly, but I got a nice refund. You need to file an exit return for 2011, you can still use your credits for 2011, and you'll likely get a refund, but after that, I don't see why you would want to file in Canada again and risk the US questioning your residency. Also, if you have no Canadian income to put the credits towards, I'm not sure how that would do anything for you. I could be wrong though, I'm not a tax expert.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-09 16:46:00
Canada	Canada GST Cheque	No, the CRA actually got it right for me I was waiting to get confirmation of my address change and cancellation of future cheques before I sent mine back. This makes it easier for me in the long run. This way, they will get their money back for sure and I will have record of it once my personal cheque clears. That's a smart way of going about it and keeping a paper trail!	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-09 16:51:00
Canada	Canada GST Cheque	Wow! This is a really good stuff. I am working on my taxes right and very close to book my interview. You know what ? I going to call the GST number and ask them to send me check instead of direct deposit. Because i will have the chance to send the cheque back, Well, I will close my banck account any way. I dont think I will be here when they start paying 2011.. If you haven't submitted your taxes, then there is an option NOT to apply for GST cheques for the next year I believe. That will save you a lot of hassle.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-02-29 09:33:00
Canada	Canada GST Cheque	The individual wasn't eligible to receive GST, CTC or anything else during the time they entered the US on their K1 and now. No, it probably won't make much difference in the end, but honesty is always the best policy. I would think that if the Canadian is going to abandon the K1/AOS process and move back, without ever having truly become a permanent resident and was out of Canada for less than 6 months, they could just be deemed a visitor in the US for that period and technically still qualify. I'm not saying I'm right, but if someone files their taxes in Canada for 2011 and doesn't file an exit return because they've moved back to Canada at the beginning of 2012, then technically they didn't really leave and were just visiting the US on the K1 visa. I could be wrong, but on paper, for the purposes of the GST cheques, how would Canada ever know someone left Canada for 3-4 months intending to live in the US and then came back? They really wouldn't. It's our exit return taxes that truly prove we've left the country and that is why is takes so long for them to find out that they shouldn't be sending the checks anymore right? Or, if they knew that someone was out of the country for say 4 months, but then moved back... well then they might still qualify for the rest of the year since they are a resident again.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-01-17 16:10:00
Canada	HELP - What is the best route?	It sounds like you are at the point now were you've been doing the long distance thing for awhile and it's probably getting really difficult. I know the feeling and it sucks. It does sounds like, based on your situation and his work situation that you might be better off moving to Canada. There would be a lot of perks to moving to Canada, healthcare for one, a better employment rate second and it sounds like your bf might have friends and family that could be a nice support system for you guys, as opposed to moving to Florida where you say you don't have a ton of people. School would probably be a lot more affordable for your bf too and he might even qualify for government student loans. Have you considered maybe saving up some money and then flying to Edmonton for a few months just to visit? You could spend some more time together, and you could get a feel for the city and lifestyle. Another option would be moving somewhere closer to him, but still in the US so you could visit each other more often? I was going to suggest maybe enrolling in a college close to the Canadian border but still the US. That would be easier on the NY/Ontario or WA/BC border. I wish you the best of luck. I always used to remind myself that if it was meant to be it would be.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-09 20:46:00
Canada	HELP - What is the best route?	Thank you very much for responding! The fees for an Electrician Apprenticeship Program are not much,(less then $1,000 a year) although he has money saved from when he was young for college, so he has plenty for wherever he chooses to attend school. I feel like it would be very difficult for me to get any type of visa into Canada. I am 20 years old with very little work experience. I just don't have much to show for myself at this point in time. What would be a good option for me if I planned on moving to Canada? We've looked into him sponsoring me, that seemed like the best route. All of the information is very overwhelming... You cannot just pick any school or program you want to and then apply for a student visa. There are various requirements and qualifications the school must have. He also must have a reason as to why he must attend that particular school/program. Having a girlfriend that lives in the area is not compelling and if anything will hurt his case. I could be wrong, but most sutdent visas are for mainly college/universities. Also, he would need to show that he has enough money to pay international tuition fees (which are generally higher than the regular fee) and then also enough money to support himself. I would read up on student visas and figure out if apprentice programs are even eligible (I don't think they are). Can you go visit him for a few months at a time? Are you in school? Would you consider moving to Canada and attending school there? What exactly do you plan to do with your own career and life? Not trying to pry, but these are the types of questions you should be asking yourself. He will have a much easier time going to school to be an electrician in Canada and also doing his apprenticeship. He'd also need to join a union at some point and to become certified needs to work a certain number of hours. If he's in the US on a student visa (if he even qualifies) his working hours will be limited and it'll take a VERY long time to get enough. My brother is a plumber, still an apprentice actually (5th year) and I've seen how hard he works and how long it's taking him. I will say this, don't rush into anything. My husband and I met online when we were 15 (I'm 28 now). We met in person when we were 19 and started dating long distance. We dated long distance for 6 years before we made the decision to then get married and for me to the move to the US. In that six year span we both finished college, I went to grad school and then worked for two whole years in Canada before moving. He found a good job and started saving money while I finsihed school and also built up experience because I knew that entry level jobs were pretty much non existent due to the economy in the US. Was it easy? Not at all! Would I do it any other way? Absolutely not! I had a very easy and amazing transition to the US. I was able to find a job very quickly based on my education AND experience, we could afford to live on our own, buy furniture etc., he had an awesome job that supported us and provided me with healthcare while I had to wait out my work permit. Could I have done any of this at 20 years old?? NO WAY! We barely scraped by and really scrimped to visit eachother for those 6 years. Sometimes we'd go months without seeing eachother. But at the end of the day we both knew that we had to be responsible and not rush if we really wanted our relationship to be a true success. We also knew it would be worth it and it has been SO WORTH IT. It was a long and expensive six years, but I love my life here and know without a doubt I made the right decision. I like to share my experience because I feel like not many people do what I did. Many people go straight into a K1 visa and end up with a much bumpier transition and experience. Sure, a lot of the time it all works out in the end but there is a lot of relying on parents and others or being dead broke just to be together and honestly in my opinion, I'd rather be apart then have to be broke and miserable. I'd encourage you to continue dating, visit eachother and wait until you're in a position a good mature and financial position to start your lives together whether that's in 6 months or 6 years . Read as much as you can about the student visas (F1), the fiance visa (K1) and the spousal visa (CR-1) and also the process for you to move to Canada.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-09 16:34:00
Canada	ABOUT POE	Yes, you can take Porter, but you'll go through customs in Boston, not in Canada.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-12 09:47:00
Canada	AOS - Did you file for AP?	I would personally not feel right not having a passport or AP in case I ever needed to leave the country for WHATEVER reason. He could potentially get a job that requires travel outside the country, something could happen at home he needs to go back for...all of it may be highly unlikely and he may never use it, but it's better to be safe than sorry! It's also free and I believe it's now one card for both EAD/AP so that's also convenient.	SapphireDreams	Female	Canada	2012-03-14 13:17:00