biggish data

USC Husband and Canadian Citizenship for him?

Our postal carrier just drops stuff on the carport and runs. Never rings the bell. Same as UPS. Drives me crazy because my husband is home all day, and he never knows there's a package out there to pick up, and I nearly drive over it when I get home from work

Reba

Female

2009-06-02 06:20:00

Staying in the USA while her Canadian PR paperwork goes through?

Candians are not part of the visa waiver programme. Full stop. Canadian visitor status is an entirely different animal, which has no fancy USCIS name other than "Canadian visitor".

Why would they bother to go thru the whole CR1 process if they intend to settle in Canada? Waste of time, money and paper that would be.

Yes, you can file the Canadian PR application as "outland" and she can be physically in Canada at the time, and can remain in Canada for the duration if she desires. Then once the application is approved, she can "flagpole" at the border for her official landing. (interviews are rare AFAIK). See the info and the forums at http://roadtocanada.com for Canadian immigration information

Good luck with the back and forth thing before and after the wedding. You might not want to be travelling with the tux slung over your shoulder, regardless of your intentions, CBP is going to assume you'll be staying illegally. Spending money on a wedding before you've got immigration sorted usually ends up with the bride in tears stranded somewhere without a groom unfortunately. BTDT myself

As have a few others here on this site, and Road To Canada. And my husband and I were going on information and advice given to us by the wonderful employees at Canadian Immigration.

Reba

Female

2009-06-02 19:41:00

Can I cash a canadian check in USA?

QUOTE (Frazell Thomas @ May 9 2009, 02:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I've been blown away by is converting my CAD cash into USD. We have to go to a certain branch to do this (still Sovereign), fill out a form, and it took them about 30 minutes to exchange 1 canadian $100 bill...and they charged us a $3.00 fee.

Back home at TD Canada Trust you just swipe your card and away you go....somethings just aren't better in the states.

--Kerri

I can't even get foreign currency anywhere near here where I live. They can't exchange Canadian currency or any other. If I'm going home for a visit, I have to exchange cash on the Canadian side. When we were getting ready to go to a friend's wedding in Scotland, we had to drive an hour and a half to Charlotte so we could get pound sterling travellers checks. Not a single bank or travel office any closer had any, and none had any currency! I even came home with about 60 ponds left in cash, which I'll keep if we ever decide to go back, because I can't exchange it here now

Although, I might be able to get Mexican pesos at one of the Mexican stores in town. But I have no plans to travel to Mexico any time soon.

Reba

Female

2009-05-10 09:37:00

Can I cash a canadian check in USA?

I deposit Canadian $ cheques into my US checking account (state credit union) all the time. It usually takes them between 7 to 10 days to clear, and no fees.

Reba

Female

2009-05-08 18:46:00

Which flag do you put out?

We fly neither flag, though if we were to put any on the front of our house, it would be more likely the Jolly Roger, or the USMC colours than either national flag. He's not very patriotic, and I just understand the etiquette to the point that I wouldn't be rude enough to fly the Canadian flag without also putting the US flag up and...well...you know...I'm too lazy to get up at dawn to put it up, just to take it down again at dusk.

The neighbour across the street flies the Israeli flag on his house for some reason that we have yet to figure out. They're not Israeli, nor even Jewish.

Anyhoo...for anyone who wonders about flag flying etiquette, it's pretty much the same in both countries, and I too think it is disgraceful to have any flag raised that is in tatters, or out in a storm. And was more than just a bit annoyed when the colour guard had our flag upside down at the World Series.

US Flag Etiquette

Canada Flag etiquette et en francais

Reba

Female

2009-06-09 18:21:00

Advantages of dual citizenship usa/canada

Always a drag when that happens!

The trick with Canadian healthcare coverage is to not notify them that you're moving until *after* you've left the country! I had surgery before I left, and the surgeon took out my appendix as well, he said "to save you some money"

Reba

Female

2009-06-09 18:00:00

Alas, we have no Cost Plus around here

Reba

Female

2008-11-06 07:07:00

QUOTE (thetreble @ Nov 5 2008, 07:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I need to pay your gran a visit, Reba! My gran also used to make shortbread when I was a kid. So good. I haven't had bangers and mash in awhile, or beans on toast. I eat cheese on toast pretty often still though.

funny to see how many of you guys have parents of British decent! Makes me smile

I make beans on toast all the time! James asked me the other day if I wanted beans for lunch I said "nope, can't. There's no bread" He said "how 'bout biscuits" "nope, need bread for toast. can't have beans without toast. its sacrilege er sumthin"

He just doesn't get it sometimes.

I need to order some beans without HFCS though. Bush's are ok, but I prefer without the HFCS. Too lazy to make my own of course.

Reba

Female

2008-11-05 18:50:00

Canada is part of the commonwealth, its still more English than American, though with television and the geographic proximity of the States their influence is a bit stronger than the English these days. But, the queen is still on all our currency!

My Dad and all his family are from England, so I grew up daughter of an immigrant, with all the English quirks and afternoon tea, and beans and mash, and what have you. My Grandma still tries to make me eat mince tarts if I see her round Christmas.

Which I haven't for a few years now obviously, and now she's gone and moved to Vancouver Island, it is unlikely I will see her again any time soon.

She makes the most awesome shortbread though. Just melts in your mouth.

Reba

Female

2008-11-05 07:17:00

QUOTE (thetreble @ Nov 4 2008, 01:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Any who, I know what you are saying about losing your identity. I defined myself as Canadian and British for the most part. I try to buy my tea online and british sweets when I can, but it's not the same as having my mum brew me a cuppa after dinner. Ya know? There is such a big British backing in Canada that no matter where you turn, you usually can find someone of British decent.

I totally get that! A good cuppa just isn't good enough unless somebody else makes it for you! Or you steal theirs.

James thinks I'm a freak because I drink tea hot

Personally, I think *he's* the freak for drinking it cold and so dang sweet!

speaking of which...I think I'll put kettle on. Anybody for tea? I've got a nice big pot, and no one to share it with

Reba

Female

2008-11-04 18:43:00

well, try 4 years of it

Reba

Female

2008-11-04 07:20:00

No, I am not a "person of colour", I'm white with blue eyes, my hair colour varied according to my mood

And yes, a lot of folks in this town discriminate against anyone who is "not from here", and particularly immigrants, tho I have been told "you're not as bad though, because you're from Canada", which quite frankly I find more than just a little insulting. Racism of any sort, whether directed at me or not, is insulting, and when someone stands in your own home or on your front porch to "welcome you to the neighbourhood" and they can't get away fast enough when they find out you're a foreigner, its insulting. When they stand there talking to you and ranting about all the stinkin immigrants in town taking jobs and blah blah blah blah...its insulting. And all I ever said to get to listen to those rants is "yeah, I'm from Canada"...and on and on and on it would go...my husband wants to sell our house to an extended family of Guatemalans or Mexicans, just to piss off the neighbours. And when they just won't get the hint that "no thank you, I don't attend church" and they stand there telling me how theirs is the best don't go to any other and blah blah blah...and then of course there's the whispers after they talk to my mother in law and she'd told them I'm not Christian...ugh

Outwardly the folks around here are at first extremely polite, but they're not particularly friendly right off. And even any native "from here" will tell you so. Heck, I've spoken to locals who've gone away from here for a few years, either for university or work or military or whatever, and they come back and even THEY get the cold shoulder! and feel uncomfortable with a lot of people "from here". Its not just me being spiteful or small minded or not giving folks a chance. Quite a lot of people who have moved from somewhere else to here feel the same way. Unless they come with their own built in circle of family and friends, which some do. Me, I came alone, and had no one for a long long long time. After a while, it drags on ya I gotta say.

Reba

Female

2008-11-03 19:02:00

QUOTE (MsZ @ Nov 2 2008, 08:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm wondering what all of you expected things to be like.

I expected my husband to NOT be working 80 hour weeks when I first arrived. I expected my in-laws to at least give me a freakin chance. I expected maybe some of my husband's friends to drop by to maybe take me out and show me around, instead they'd call him and ask HIM if HE would bring me to them. Knowing of course that he was working 80 hour weeks and couldn't. They would never call me directly.

I didn't expect people here in town to be soooo suspicious of outsiders, nor so hateful of immigrants, I didn't expect to be living in a neighbourhood with NOBODY I had anything even remotely in common with.

I did however expect to be discriminated against because I am not Christian. In that, I was not disappointed

Reba

Female

2008-11-03 07:32:00

sounds like when I first got here Cat, except I only had a dog to talk to. My in-laws for whatever reason didn't want much to do with me, my neighbours were pretty much all over 70 years old, and we only had one vehicle, and my husband was working 70 to 80 hours every week. Plus, we didn't know it at time, but I was suffering severely from the effects of Graves' disease, which on top of the homesickness caused severe depression, mood swings, panic attacks, muscle degradation, extreme body heat, racing pulse etc etc etc...

I've been here 4 years, still don't like it much, I'm just used to it now I s'pose. But every now and again, something will happen at work, and I'll say "sheesh...that would NEVER happen at home!" or somebody will say something stupid about Canada and I feel the need to tell them off

Reba

Female

2008-11-02 09:49:00

Have to have surgery...UGH

Like I said, get on the cancelation list. For both the MRI and the surgery. Not many people know they can do that, so they can usually move you in pretty fast if you let them know you can go any time if someone else cancels. Otherwise they usually leave the appointment time empty.

Reba

Female

2009-06-09 18:08:00

Have to have surgery...UGH

I had to have surgery before I left too, and initially it was scheduled out a couple of months away, but I got them to put me on the cancelation list and I ended up having surgery a week later!

See if you can do that to speed up your move date a little maybe.

Good luck!

Reba

Female

2009-06-04 18:06:00

QUOTE (cdngrl @ Jun 15 2009, 11:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gosh, I will have a very hard time saying that dang oath. After reading these posts, I can definitely see more incentives for becoming a US citizen, though. I heard also that if you retire in the US and are not America, you cannot collect your social security. Is this true? Gosh I sure hope we live in Canada by then, but you never know!

If you work (legally) in the US up til you retire, you are most definitely entitled to Social Security benefits. And if you worked enough years in Canada before you left, you'd also get CPP benefits.

Reba

Female

2009-06-16 06:21:00

QUOTE (Kathryn41 @ Jun 12 2009, 08:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you file taxes - you don't necessarily have to pay taxes due to the Canada-US tax treaty. I'd rather file taxes than have to pay them on everything we own if my husband dies.

I'm aware of that. I still think they're being greedy nosey buggers.

QUOTE (flames9)

can always give back ur USA citizenship! And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't get double taxed anyway thanks to treaties!

From a couple of members over at CanuckAbroad who have actually tried to renounce their US citizenship, It Is Not The Least Bit Easy. It is not a simple process, and quite often the application to renounce is denied, even for naturalized citizens. Which is another reason I likely will not ever even apply for naturalization.

I honestly do not care what happens with taxes if my husband were to pre-decease me. I'll be packed up and out of here just as quickly as I can. I didn't marry him for his money, so the government can have it if they want it.

Reba

Female

2009-06-15 06:25:00

Yeah, but then if you do get citizenship and your spouse pre-deceases you and you move back to Canada, you have to file taxes with the IRS until You die.

I don't like that idea. Greedy, nosey buggers.

Reba

Female

2009-06-12 19:18:00

That's where I falter as well Cassie. The words to forsake my home are there, and I would have to speak them. Years down the road if something were to happen that would make the US try to enforce those words, they're not going to care that I had my fingers crossed the whole time. Then I would have to choose.

However, there is no law, or oath requiring me to become a US citizen after X amount of years. I can remain a permanent resident for the rest of my life if needs be. And I'm content to do that and renew my green card every 10 years. And should my husband and I happen to get Canadian immigration sorted out for him, I ain't coming back here

But I will say that my situation is a little different than most everyone else's here. I didn't make the decision to move here. It was made for me. I really didn't want to move here at all, but it was either that, or divorce my husband. I honestly had no delusions previously that the US is the land of milk and honey or any better than Canada. I felt, and still do feel, quite the opposite. So it is not just the part of the oath that I would have to renounce Canada, but all the other stuff in it as well that I just can't say it and mean it.

I even struggled to get married and say the vows. I had to mean it. And I did. Which is why I'm here.

Reba

Female

2009-05-10 09:31:00

I guess it depends on how you define it yourself. Is citizenship a piece of paper, or a state of being? For me it is a state of being, and I just can't "be American". I just can't. And I wouldn't be here at all if my husband hadn't been deemed inadmissable by Canadian immgration. Even *he* doesn't like it here, and would prefer to be in Canada.

To me the oath is not just a bunch of words within a means to an end. If I were to say them, I'd have to really mean them. And there's no way I can forsee that ever happening. There are just too many things to disagree with.

Reba

Female

2009-05-09 09:59:00

I won't get citizenship either, because I just can't choke out the oath. Even with my fingers crossed and wearing my Canada flag stovepipe hat I couldn't do it!

I honestly don't see any reason to. Nor does my husband.

Reba

Female

2009-05-08 19:00:00

Grocery Items Unavailable in the US

If you're bringing it yourself, you shouldn't have a problem, just be sure to declare it when you go thru Customs.

If you're having a moving company move your stuff, they won't take food of any kind.

Reba

Female

2009-04-11 08:22:00

Grocery Items Unavailable in the US

Hershey's has the label license for Cadbury's in the US though, so it's not the same, unless you're getting them at an import shop and the label says "Made in UK" or elsewhere. The Hershey's versions suck, the chocolate is not anywhere near as rich and tastey as the Canadian or other versions. I actually emailed them one time to ask them about that, and they said because they use a different type of cocoa, and less of it. There are more fillers in the US versions of chocolate bars, so less actual chocolate to keep the price down.

Personally, I quite enjoy some chocolate in my chocolate.

US Cheez Whiz doesn't actually have any cheez in it, the Canadian version does, hence the difference.

Reba

Female

2009-04-08 06:22:00

MTL and POE review (port huron, MI)

Those pictures are great, thanks. Happy you are settling into the new life together.

Leafgal

Female

Canada

2008-06-20 11:44:00

question about already having an american social security number

I'm glad I came across this thread. I worked in the US back in 2004 for a year and they issued me a SSN. I didn't realize that the SNN sticks with me for life. I guess I was under the impression that I would get a new number with this whole process.

My question is.... should I call someone to give the number, because unfortunately I did not include it in the I-129F form.

Any suggestions?

cdn_gewels

Female

Canada

2009-05-25 15:45:00

How often to you get to see your fiance/spouse?

On average, I get to see my fiance every 3 weeks. I guess it helps that I work in the airline industry! You should see the number of boarding passes I have collected!!!

cdn_gewels

Female

Canada

2009-06-14 19:20:00

My Florida DL experience

Oh, good times. Glad you got went home with your Florida DL!!!

I was in Florida back in 04-05 for a cultural program. Not only did I get my FL DL in less than 30 mins back then, but they let me keep my Ontario DL too... I have a feeling that particular DMV in Kissimmee was used to a lot of internationals so they knew what they were doing... well, sort of...

Let's hope they still know what they're doing when I move back next year!!!

Edited by cdn_gewels, 16 June 2009 - 02:33 PM.

cdn_gewels

Female

Canada

2009-06-16 14:32:00

Drivers license change over question

Hey there,

I moved to Florida for a year back in 04-05. I had a G2. Before moving down, I called the DMV and asked them about it and the guy confirmed with me that my G2 could be traded in for a full Florida license. I'm not sure about Nebraska, but I would recommend calling them to hopefully get a confirmed answer.

cdn_gewels

Female

Canada

2009-06-18 07:53:00

cdngrl

Female

Canada

2009-06-15 10:15:00

Employment Discrimination in the US

I'm working as a receptionist now making less money today than I made back in 1986 at my first office job. Top that!

Reba

Female

2009-01-21 18:59:00

Employment Discrimination in the US

QUOTE (thetreble @ Jan 20 2009, 10:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have never felt this. I figured that some employers didn't want to hire me because of my status, but there were many willing to do so. I also think being Canadian wasn't looked at as foreign as someone who might have English as a second language ...

I had one interview and the guy said to me they weren't sure they would call me in because they didn't know if I'd be able to speak English. He though ALL of Canada was French speaking.

Reba

Female

2009-01-20 19:46:00

Employment Discrimination in the US

It is not supposed to happen, but unfortunately it does. Sometimes inadvertently, because the employer may not be sure of your legal authorization to work because they're not familiar enough with the laws, and sometimes it will be blatant discrimination. Sometimes they'll just toss aside any resumes or applications from people whose work experience is not in the US. This is illegal, and if you think you've been turned down for a job because of your immigrant status, you could report them. But good luck in proving it. All they will say is that they found someone more qualified for the position, and it had nothing to do with your status. Unless someone actually is stupid enough to say to you with witnesses, that they won't hire you because you're not American.

But yeah, in this economy right now, even born citizens are having a helluva time finding jobs. I know folks here in NC who've been out of work for 2 years or more, my husband included. All the factories are shutting down and heading to China. There's just nothing left here. I'm lucky for now that the plant I work at is still operating. We're even taking applications, but we're not hiring. I honestly don't know why they just don't stop taking apps, its so freakin depressing. These people call and come in 2 or 3 times a week "to check up", and we're still not hiring. We're not likely to do any either, we're barely keeping the people we already have busy. I have to sit there all day long, every day at reception and tell these people we have no jobs for them. And even though we keep telling the employment office that we're not hiring and to stop sending people over, they keep sending them. It's incredibly frustrating. I'm the only one they ever get to talk to, and I'm seriously afraid one day I'm going to get hurt! One guy came in and looked like he was about to jump thru the window and throttle me! I'm fairly certain if there hadn't been anyone else there in the lobby with him at the time, he may well have done it!

Reba

Female

2009-01-18 10:37:00

Yeah, I have yet to figure out why they pronounce "le" as "les". Or why they bother to try to pronounce French at all. Why not just use the English translation?

I hate "in rowt" for "en route". How 'bout just "I'm on my way!"

Reba

Female

2009-02-01 10:15:00

Yeap, it is a French word. And again, goes back to that whole teaching the langauage as phonetic, when it really is not.

There's a few NASCAR driver's with French last names that have been Americanized and it sometimes hurts my brain to try and figure out how they came up with these pronunciations. Naydew comes to mind. His last name is spelled Nadeau though.

There's a town down the road from here called Lenore. Spelled Lenoir.

I called the fawcet a tap at work one day, and maintenance didn't know what I was talking about.

It was dripping for like 6 months and no one bothered to tell him, so I mentioned it to him, and he said "what's a tap?"

Reba

Female

2009-01-31 11:48:00

QUOTE (eyoa @ Jan 27 2009, 02:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What the hell does "I reckon" mean? Is it a yes, probably, or maybe?

Yes.

And I've noticed that for some reason Canadians don't use this word very often, but Americans and Brits do, as do other Commonwealthers. My English family (Father, Aunts, Grandmother, cousins etc...) all use "reckon", but for some reason, I just never could figure out how to stick it in a sentence.

"over yonder" however seems to be strictly an American thing. Maybe even just in the South, I dunno.

Reba

Female

2009-01-27 07:11:00

QUOTE (Emancipation @ Jan 22 2009, 08:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Reba @ Jan 21 2009, 06:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QUOTE (Krikit @ Jan 21 2009, 08:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do wha? That's different. LOL

EVERYONE here in NC says that. Bugs the ####### outta me. That and you'uns.

Where did hubby get that from then? The closest he's lived to NC is DE!! His dad says it too and he's from (and all his ancestors before) MO

Hmmmmmmmm

Like I said, even the non Carolinians around here say it, so it's probably not specifically a Carolina thing.

Reba

Female

2009-01-23 07:05:00

the t at the end of past tense words is a UK English thing, and for Canadians of a certain age, we would have learned that way as well. We generally learn English English in school as opposed to American English. But technically, both the t and the ed would be correct.

Krikit, everybody I know in North Carolina says do wha?. Even the non-native Carlolinians do.

Reba

Female

2009-01-22 07:06:00

QUOTE (Krikit @ Jan 21 2009, 08:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do wha? That's different. LOL

EVERYONE here in NC says that. Bugs the ####### outta me. That and you'uns.

Canadians = Sem-ee, Ant-ee etc. Americans = Sem-eye, Ant-eye etc... (although there are pockets of America that use the ee sound rather than the eye sound too)

Someone on another forum explained it to me why our pronunciations are different. Apparently in American schools they're taught that the English language is phonetic (but it really isn't, there are too many language variables to make it phonetic). But it would explain Ahnt instead of Ant (for Aunt) and other peculiarities and the ee vs eye I guess.

And well...we all know how well huked on fonix worked:p

Reba

Female

2009-01-21 18:53:00