Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	Lawyer for CR1?	Yes well I have everything in order and I actually HAVE the visa in hand now so I'm not terrified of being turned away and sent back home. You're right! That is a great feeling! Enjoy activating your visa.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-05-09 18:59:00
Canada	Lawyer for CR1?	But the next time I cross I will be using my K-1 so no more hassle from them! Um, sorry to burst your bubble, but they will find something else to hassle you about. It's all part of the joyful process of immigration.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-05-09 09:10:00
Canada	I wish I would have known...	Sounds like the same things my husband listens to. Hmmm. Those topics will be eerily familiar to my husband as well. I try to hold back, but sometimes it just comes pouring out. My other rants include: the bureaucracy of health insurance companies, banks, the incredible volume of junk mail and catalogs (subset of recycling rant), sneaky mail that looks official but is some sort of scam.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-04-19 08:52:00
Canada	I wish I would have known...	I wrote down all the places I've applied for a job so far, the numbers are quite depressing: - Company Applications Filled: 19 - Newspaper adds replied to: 15 - Craig's List adds replied to: 25 First of all, I can completely understand where you're coming from. It's hard. A lot harder probably than we all thought. But transitions tend to be bumpy, so give yourself a break. I liked the suggestion of trying to find maybe a more unconventional job like a flower shop or something in your community. Instead of applying for jobs you might want to try figuring out something you really love and then finding companies that match you (be they big or small). I found this book helpful... 48 days to the work you love. He basically says that companies are so inundated with resumes that just responding to ads isn't likely to get too much of a response. Don't take it personally! He gets you to do a little soul searching and then gives practical tips on how to get out there. http://www.amazon.co...02813724&sr=8-1 I also found Finding Your North Star by Martha Beck helpful. That's more about discovering your purpose than a job, but it might help point you in the right direction. And keep your dog! It's good to have another Canadian around, even if it's your dog! Hang in there!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-04-14 15:50:00
Canada	Knocking on wood and crossing fingers and toes!	Congrats! Well done! Now you can relax for a couple of days!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-15 12:29:00
Canada	Renewing Passport Abroad	fyi - for anyone renewing their passport from the U.S.. I got my passport back today via FedEx. I FedExed it on June 10, so it was about 12 business days turn-around time. Kinda nice to have a nice clean passport.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-28 08:38:00
Canada	Renewing Passport Abroad	Thanks for all the responses to my question. What I did was fedex my passport renewal to Ottawa a couple of weeks ago. At the time, the web site said it would take 20 business days to process. As long as they don't stick it in the mail to get it back to me, I should theoretically get it back in time for my trip. We're driving, so I figured I could probably get away with an expired passport, but the "You never know factor" is so stressful, especially after a seven hour drive. Crossing my fingers that it gets back to me in time for my trip. Other people on this board have had good experiences with getting their passports fairly quickly with this method, so I'm hoping it works out for me too!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-23 09:13:00
Canada	Renewing Passport Abroad	Is it true that you can travel into Canada with an expired passport? My passport expires July 14 and I'm going to Canada on July 18. I was just getting ready to send in my application when all this postal strike stuff came up. It would certainly be easier to just do it when I'm in Canada. Has anyone done this? Do they give you a hard time? but I don't see why that person just doesn't renew when they return home (since a Cdn citizen can reenter Canada on an expired Cdn passport - sorry if I've missed something in the thread above).	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-06 08:00:00
Canada	Happy Canada Day!!!!!	Happy Canada Day! Attached Files  images-4.jpg   9.5KB   3 downloads	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-07-01 12:58:00
Canada	Traveling with AP	You won't have any problems going into Canada, but you will be pulled into secondary when you enter into the U.S. They need to process your paper work. Bring both copies of your AP. They will keep one copy and give you back the other, stamped. If you travel again, you just need the one copy and they will stamp it again. If you are travelling by air, give yourself extra time for the secondary inspection. PS. What Bob 4 Ana says about the overstay is valid as far as I know. Edited by Gypsyangel, 01 July 2011 - 09:11 PM.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-07-01 21:10:00
Canada	Crossed into Canada by land	It has happened to me only two times. Once by land (on my most recent trip in April) and once at Pearson (a couple of years ago). It surprised me too. I guess they're just trying to understand something that's confusing them. I can't imagine it would really matter if you couldn't produce it, if you're Canadian.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-07-01 21:05:00
Canada	questions about driving in (POE)/round-trip tickets	If you are importing a car, it is a separate process than activating your visa. At the Peace Bridge they sent me to a different building to do it. Just remember to ask about it because it's not likely that they will prompt you to remember. I've seen a few people go through and realize later that they didn't import their car and they needed to head back to a border to do so. It took an additional 20 minutes to do this. No one knew what they were doing, but they found a binder that told them what to do. Remember you also need a compliance letter for your car. You hold onto the papers they give you and when you are registering your car in your destination state, they ask for them.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-07-05 10:46:00
Canada	Land Border Questions / Ties to Canada	Ugh! I'm sorry you had such a hard time. Especially after you'd had success bringing stuff down before. To me, that just falls under the category of you never ever really know what's going to happen at the border. Congrats on remaining calm. Nail polish? Really?	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-07-12 07:43:00
Canada	Extremely home sick	3 of my wifes co-workers kept saying--CHECK UR GARBAGE BINS!!!!!! As like you said, they don't look and will just pack it. When I moved I bought plastic mattress covers for my box spring and the mattress. I placed them on the bed for the movers. They packed them and then wrapped my bed in their mattress covers and charged me for their mattress covers. Doh! Sounds like a great adventure Flames! Can you still be a nurse where you're going?	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-07-16 09:01:00
Canada	Extremely home sick	Yeah right, 13 bucks every time you cross the bridge plus people who would kill you with their vehicle if you drive the speed limit. I just don't get it. lol So true! Awhile ago I was driving down a road (Rt 70 for you South Jersiers) and heard honking. I looked around wondering what was going on. It took me awhile to figure out it was the person tailgating me leaning on their horn. It's a multilane road, so they could have gone around and I was driving at least 5 mph over the speed limit. Only in NJ.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-08 20:29:00
Canada	Extremely home sick	Beautiful poem. I LOVE that landscape. In fact, I love it so much I have quite a few framed prints by the Group of Seven artists. My husband loves them, too, even though I've never taken him there. I will one day. It might make me cry, though. When I lived in Canada it never really occurred to me to get a Group of Seven print. But being away from Canada makes you actually "see" something that you always took for granted. I think I'm going to look into getting a Group of Seven print. Thanks for the idea Krikit!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-06 08:04:00
Canada	Extremely home sick	That is beautiful. Thanks Treble. I'm not from the prairies but this evokes how I feel when I take the drive up to Sudbury and see the landscape change to the Canadian Shield. All the rocks and wind-blown trees make my heart sigh with relief. My friend Liz and I hold this very dear to our hearts: "...My hair's mostly wind, My eyes filled with grit My skin's white then brown My lips chapped and split I've lain on the prairie and heard grasses sigh I've stared at the vast open bowl of the sky I've seen all the castles and faces in clouds My home is the prairie and for that I am proud… If You're not from the Prairie, you can't know my soul You don't know our blizzards; you've not fought our cold You can't know my mind, nor ever my heart Unless deep within you there's somehow a part… A part of these things that I've said that I know, The wind, sky and earth, the storms and the snow. Best say that you have - and then we'll be one, For we will have shared that same blazing sun." - David Bouchard It's something I guess we feel to the depth of our souls.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-04 12:09:00
Canada	Extremely home sick	I can relate to the homesickness. I've been here almost three years (South Jersey) and though I like a lot about it, I'm always missing Canada. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone! The last time I was in Canada was in April. I had a weird feeling because everyone's lives have gone on without me, things change (wow that wasn't there before!), my Canadian credit cards wouldn't work because I didn't know my PIN (How do I get a PIN?) That's new. I came away with this vague feeling of not belonging there either. When I got home, I felt really lost because I felt I didn't belong in Canada and feel I don't belong here. Not a good feeling. It really threw me into a funk. My husband really doesn't get it. There is nothing like that feeling of crossing the border into Canada. Woo hoo. It's such a feeling of relief to be in Canada amongst Canadians. So much kinder and gentler. I have a dream of spending half the year in Canada and half here, but it's half-baked. I'm not ready to go back yet, but we'll see. PS. Guys, I know what you mean about New Jersey, and I'm glad I'm not in North Jersey. In South Jersey, I find people are pretty friendly. When I'm out and about people are always striking up conversations with me. More so than in Toronto. My husband is always asking me, "Who is that?" "I dunno". Nasty drivers here though. Holy moly! If one more woman in her mini van tries to stare me down I'm gonna have to ... I dunno ... stare right back. And try going to a concert around here, people are so aggressive and rude -- I don't get it. Awhile ago I was at a show at a small venue and this woman kept pushing me until I said, "You know where you're trying to stand? Well, I'm already standing there." She got all huffy. Only in NJ (and some parts of Pennsylvania). My husband tells me to get my Jersey up, but the Canadian in me just rolls her eyes.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-06-02 09:09:00
Canada	Hurricane Irene	People are panicking but it hasn't really sunk for me. I see people panic over 2 feet of snow and I all: "huh?" I've seen the grocery store shelves empty over 2 inches of snow. People go crazy for their milk, eggs and bread when there's a storm in NJ. I'm not sure what that's about. Wine and beer I understand. But eggs? Nothing here yet. The calm before the storm right now so it's hard to get too excited -- there is barely a breeze right now. Stay safe everyone!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-08-27 09:29:00
Canada	Sometimes I relate to those chauvinists in the other forums	Way back when I was crossing the border with my K-1, the U.S. immigration officer jokingly said, "Upgrading to an American?" Sprailenes, Love the picture. This thread needs a hockey stick.  images.jpg   4.18KB   1 downloads	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-08-24 08:52:00
Canada	This is the hard part ...	Wife and I drove up to Toronto to see her parents on Friday and came back yesterday. She was also into all the Celsius and Kilometer talk with her parents and brother. I totally get the paper plates thing.. wife is always amazed at the number of plastic bags the cashiers put the groceries in at the grocery store. I always tell her "it's free and we dont have to pay 5 cents a bag here", but she goes all enviromentalist on me after that . She was also amazed at the number of TD Banks here in North NJ.. she thought it was a Canadian only bank. She wanted to shop at Dollarama and Chinatown on Spadina St, but we didnt get time. LOL! The plastic bags at the grocery store! It's like they get rewarded for how many bags they use. It's crazy. I bring my own bags, but it's like a race ... if I don't get my bags out fast they've got half my order in the plastic bags, and then when I give them back the plastic bags, they crumple them up and put them in the garbage. They haven't even been used! Arghh. I tried to impress my hubby and his daughter by telling them about the 5 cents a bag, but they looked at me like I was crazy to be impressed by this. I'm always going all environmentalist on my Hubby, but he just ignores me and uses another paper plate. We have a dishwasher! I miss Chinatown / Spadina. Used to work in that area at one point ... Thanks for sharing ... alas, I am not alone.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-07 08:36:00
Canada	This is the hard part ...	My sister, her husband and their daughter visited us from Toronto for the weekend. We had such a great time together, but they just left, on their nine hour drive, to go back home. This is the hardest part about moving here. I was so happy to see them on Friday, and now my heart is heavy. It sure was nice having some Canadians around. I could override Hubby on the paper plates (my sister's look of horror when he suggested them = priceless), beautiful gathering of shoes left at the door (not just mine), talking Celsius and kms to people who understand me, marvelling at all the weirdness of seeing TD Banks here, the excited novelty of going to the ocean for the day. Plus, they're all vegetarians (as am I), so lots of yummy vegetarian cooking. We had so many things planned and didn't do half of them. I guess they'll just have to come back!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-05 08:55:00
Canada	Porter Sale	I know! The fees are crazy. More than the flights sometimes. What a racket.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-07 08:42:00
Canada	Porter Sale	Porter is having a 50% off sale, if anyone is interested and can take advantage. I think it ends on the 7th.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-05 08:56:00
Canada	For those in the LA Area and want cream soda:	I loved watching that. Very inspiring small business man. He really knows and loves everything about pop! Goes to show that if you're passionate about something, you can turn it into a business. Thanks for sharing it.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-07 08:23:00
Canada	Question for Canadians	I see you live in Florida. We lived there for 4+ years. Depending on where you are, there are some good British pubs as well as British food sections in some of the grocery stores. Those will make her feel more at home. (Beware the American bars masquerading as British/Irish pubs. They are nowhere near the same.) I can help out with suggestions for the Central Florida area. I was watching a design show on HGTV and it turned out to be a Canadian show (lots of Canadian shows on HGTV). They designer met with the home owners in a Toronto pub. It made me realize how much I missed going to the neighbourhood pub. Not too many around here, with one exception. There's one in a nearby town, but the town is dry. So, it's a pub with no beer. But, get this, we just found out that you can bring your own beer. I need to find a pub-like beer to bring next time. They even have malt vinegar for the "chips".	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-08-24 09:09:00
Canada	omg i can't believe it!!	When we were buying our house we got into a bit of a bidding war but they chose us because we were offering more cash. Maybe we felt like more of a sure thing because here (unlike Canada) you can easily get out of purchasing a house after you've put in an offer. You never know what will make them like you! I like the advice above! Buying a house is such an emotional roller coaster, so I understand you wanting to back out, but if this is the perfect house and you'll regret losing it, it's worth a try. If you're done with it, you're done with it. Only you know. Good luck with whatever you decide. If you don't get this house, it means another even better house is finding its way to you.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-24 17:00:00
Canada	omg i can't believe it!!	Hang in there and offer what you can. Everyone wants you to think there's a bidding war on their house, but people fall off for various reasons. Even when people win the bidding war, their financing can fall through. You never know!	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-23 08:53:00
Canada	To those of you finally home (US side)!	Whole Foods is a safe bet for anything. But, you pay for it. I avoid it, personally, because I think it's a bit of a rip off, but it makes me feel better knowing that if I really needed something I couldn't find anywhere else, they'd probably have it. They also have a pretty big bulk section. Not sure exactly what they have or what the prices are, but it might be worth checking out. I miss Liberte yogurt - Mocha, coconut, lemon. Mmmm. Better than ice cream, and I love ice cream.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-09-23 08:47:00
Canada	Keeping $ 100,000 in Canadian savings account while leaving in US	The way I do it is ... if the Canadian institution sends me a T5 (Is it a T5?) that says how much interest I made on an account, then I report it. If they don't think it's enough to bother sending me the T5, then I don't report it. Not sure if that's correct, but that's how i've done it. I've only been reporting it as U.S. income ... not sure if that's correct either. In any case, it's not enough $$ for Canada to come after me.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-11-17 12:05:00
Canada	Keeping $ 100,000 in Canadian savings account while leaving in US	Do you have to submit this form as soon as you land in the US? Or can it wait until you adjust status? Just not sure what the timeline to declare foreign bank accounts is. And do you have to declare foreign bank accounts for Canada too? You file the form when you do your taxes. I can't remember the name of the form, but you have to list every account in your name in Canada (bank, investment, RRSP), incuding the name of the institution, the account number, the balance. It's not due until I think June of every year, but it's easier to do it when you file your taxes in April. If you buy tax software, the form will be included. Or you could probably search for it in the IRS website.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-11-17 09:34:00
Canada	Homesickness	Sadly, my Dad passed away 2 weeks ago so I won't be receiving any more 'newsy' envelopes. This is a different type of homesickness. While he was still alive I knew I could always go back 'home' for a visit. Now that is no longer possible. 'Home' won't be there anymore. I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad Kathryn. Sending you hugs.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-11-17 12:16:00
Canada	Christmas Presents	This is a little off-topic, but I thought I'd ask ... when you guys are driving back into the U.S., what ID do you show? I've been showing my 10-yr greencard and my Cdn passport. The last time I went through, earlier this month, the young boy (either they're getting younger or I'm getting older ) got very flustered when I handed him my ID. He acted really uncertain as if he'd never come across such a situation and then decided to take a chance and wave me through. I guess when I was engaged and travelling, I expected questions, or when I had AP, or even when I had my conditional green card. With my 10-year card, I'm kind of expecting that I'm good to go.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-12-20 11:11:00
Canada	Christmas Presents	I've done it both ways: To the U.S.: I had a list with the cost and the associated receipts. They usually only asked the total amount of goods. And then waved me through. I did this a few times over the years. If she doesn't have all the receipts, she should at least make a list and guesstimate, and know the total amount. If I was her, I'd leave them wrapped and bring some extra gift wrap. What's the worst that could happen? The first year I did this, I didn't wrap them, but after that I always wrapped them. Tell her to keep her receipts in the future! It's less stressful! To Canada: You're allowed $60 per gift. I made my list, had receipts on hand. Wrapped my gifts. The last time they asked for the total amount only. I told them $400 in gifts. They considered it and then waved me through. Another time, they specifically asked if I had a gift more than $60, to which I answered yes. I told them I had an x for $75. He thought about it and then waved me through. If they want to pull me over and pay duty, I'll pay it. I just try to be as honest as I can. To me, it seems like, if you explain your situation (visiting a family member) and that they're gifts, they're just a little bit nicer around Christmas time. But like Katherine says, be prepared. Of course, they always just wave my husband through without asking him anything, both ways through the border. I'm always paranoid, making lists and tallying things up. He can't figure out why I have all these lists all the time, but I like to be prepared.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-12-19 11:50:00
Canada	U.S. Citizenship	Having said all of that, I believe that citizenship is a deeper responsibility. I don't think anyone should go into it with the mindset of, "Oh well, I can just go back to Canada if I have to..." You really DO swear an oath to defend the United States, and you really ought to take the meaning of citizenship to heart. Thanks to everyone for your comments. I think Wyatt's comment above reflects how I feel. I take U.S. citizenship seriously. As well, I take my Canadian citzenship seriously. My window to apply just opened, so my plan is to move forward with this in January. It feels funny, but I made a commitment to living here and there's no point to half-***ing it. btw, visiting Toronto this week. Good to get my Canada fix, but it's also good to go back home. I will always be Canadian, no matter what the U.S. recognizes. But it doesn't mean I can't be American too.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-12-01 13:16:00
Canada	U.S. Citizenship	As this appears to have been meant to be posted in the Canada forum, I am moving it to the Canada forum as it discusses the pros and cons of Canadian-US dual citizenship. Thanks Kathryn! I didn't know where this went. Now i realize I posted it incorrectly. Oops.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-11-28 07:42:00
Canada	U.S. Citizenship	Hi, My time to apply for U.S. Citizenship is coming up in November and while I've always planned to do it, but I'm getting a little antsy about it for some reason. I'm 99% sure I'm going to go for it, but I feel like I'm doing this without a lot of information. Is there a resource that anyone can point me to? I did search this site, but maybe I missed something. Also, I wondered about those of you who have decided to forgo citizenship, why did you make that choice? Kathryn41's great post (below) from about 1.5 years ago, is a great overall summary where she mentions the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen outweigh the libabilities (at least for now). I wondered if anyone would be interested in making a list of pros and cons based on everyone's experience and knowledge. I started off with pretty much everything I know ... pretty thin ... LOL. Does anyone have anything they'd like to add? Becoming a U.S. Citizen Pros: freedom to live in either the U.S. or Canada without residency requirements Assume I would get social security type benefits from both countries, if I have contributed in both countries Cons: Once a U.S. Citizen, always will be taxed by the U.S. (though there is a waiver of some sort - not sure what the waiver does) Have to 'denounce' your allegiance to Canada (though Canada doesn't recognize this) You can hold dual Canadian and US citizenship. You don't even have to do anything to obtain 'dual citizenship' except take the oath of US citizenship. It happens automatically. While the US Oath says you give up allegiance to any other 'potentate, etc. (interestingly enough, the wording is such that the Canadian system as a country could actually be said to slip through the cracks of the definition if you wanted to get nit-picky ), the US only has rights over its own citizenship. It has no rights over what another country says and does, thus it cannot take away your Canadian citizenship because that is the sole right of Canada. Since Canada recognizes dual citizenship and has since 1977, I believe, you still remain a Canadian even if you have citizenship in another country. The only way to get rid of your Canadian citizenship is by filing an actual written application form of Renunciation with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and have it approved. The US basically turns a 'blind eye' to US citizens who retain citizenship in other countries and basically considers them to be only Americans, while at the same time recognizing that there are Americans who hold citizenships elsewhere. They don't like it, but they put up with it. As an American you are liable for all of the laws and regulations that are in place affecting Americans - even if these laws do not impact you as a Canadian citizen. There will, therefore, be some 'limitations' on what you can do as a Canadian because of that - not because you are a Canadian but because you are an American - the example of visiting Cuba is one of those. As a Canadian you can visit Cuba but you are still an American, and as an American you can only go to Cuba under very narrowly defined conditions. It is a balancing act in many ways. You always have to remember that you have responsibilities and requirements for both countries, not just one or the other as it suits your convenience. The benefits of having US citizenship in addition to Canadian citizenship, however, outweigh the liabilities (at least for now), so if you wish to be able to live and travel freely throughout Canada and the US, you may wish to take out US citizenship as well, knowing that your Canadian citizenship is safe and cannot be taken away from you. And yes, I have both a valid Canadian passport and a valid US passport. To just renew the green card - and remember you are still subject to all of the residency and physical presence requirements of a Permanent Resident which means you really can't live and work anywhere other than the US except for short periods of time - you would file the I-90, re do biometrics and then get the renewed Green card.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2011-10-04 10:05:00
Canada	I751	We also did a joint cover letter, reiterating that we're happily married. We both signed the cover letter. There's a sample in the guides.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2012-02-12 00:04:00
Canada	ROC approved	Congratulations. Getting ROC approved is a big relief after a long process.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2012-02-12 00:07:00
Canada	Just wanted to say so long & thanks!	Good luck Amanda! I hope the process of going back is quick and 'easy' for you guys. I'm a little jealous! I would love to hear how it feels to go back, if you don't mind sharing with us. Edited by Gypsyangel, 17 February 2012 - 09:32 AM.	Gypsyangel	Female	Canada	2012-02-17 09:30:00