ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaWeird Things Americans Have Said To/Asked Me
there is an easy alternate word to toque. All my friends and family call it Beanie. i guess its not new to them b/c they often have canadians come down all the time. But they still find the word toque funny.

They did say they have caught me say Aboot and not about many times. blink.gif. I have no idea what they are talking about. I guess i just talk too fast. and we were talking about city Olympia and for short its called Oly but I pronouced it Awly and they laughed and they said its pronounced Owly. or Cosmospolis. For short I called it Cosmo. and they said its Cosie. or montasano.. short form is Monty. I guess everything ends in E pronounciation.

I'm still trying to get used to the slangs. Like Rig is truck. or a standard car is a manual car to them. or get used to the word Gnarly. they call asians - oriental and i have heard other people call them chinamen. I guess i have to laugh and not get offended. ... what i really found rude at first is when I say thank you and they say "uh huh". But i guess that is you're welcome. And I gotta get used to tipping fast food restaurants.. which is totally new to me and when i tip starbucks some change, they find that different. Oh yeah... i wanted a Slushy from 7 Eleven and they called it something else. i was puzzled.

I gotta love the booze being available in gas stations and grocery store though.

and I am never going to stop saying Eh!

Edited by borderdriver, 27 March 2009 - 04:48 AM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2009-03-27 04:43:00
Canadachange of address
i called USCIS and they told me that since i dont have a pending application, then the sponsor doesnt need to update the address. but i told them i sent AR11 and didnt get a notice. They just told me to write my new address in all of my new application and send I865 and copy of AR11 to the right addresses at the same time im sending my AOS package.

question: my address reads PO Box #, street address, city, state - is it ok that i added my po box? my street address is my physical address.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2009-12-15 14:27:00
Canadachange of address
i filled out the online AR-11 10 mins. ago. how long does it take to receive an email confirmation?
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2009-12-13 15:53:00
Canadachange of address

QUOTE (Inky @ Dec 13 2009, 12:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Confused why you didnt apply for AOS?


Change of address link - https://egov.uscis.g...i/go?action=coa

the law requires that all non-U.S. citizens, except for holders of A or G visas, report a change of address within 10 days of moving by completing a USCIS Form AR-11, Change of Address.


I could change address but there is no mailing service where we live..... my mailing address was our mother's address...


I chose the option to apply for AOS before my 2 year marriage - and not right away. it was the best option for us at that time.

QUOTE (Udella&Wiz @ Dec 13 2009, 12:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For honesty's sake, you should probably using your new address, no?

If you want to be sure I would do both, just do the online AR 11 for the Cdn (takes minutes and you get a confirmation #) and do the paper form for the USC spouse and get it mailed off before first. You could then also put the new address on the AOS forms.

Good part is at least you have access to the old address if thye accidentally send it to the old address.


Thinking ahead to the future - when you gather paperwork for gthe Removal of conditions process in 2 yrs - you're going to have a discrepancy on the addresses for your bills and what yoru supposed home address is...know what I mean?

exactly. this is why i was wondering... we just got a po box and we use that for our bank and electricity bill but i still use the old mailing address too.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2009-12-13 15:26:00
Canadachange of address
i posted this in AOS forum but canada forum is always active so hopefully someone can answer this

I currently dont have any pending applications. But, I am sending the Adjustment of Status bundle of applications this week. I am using my mother's mailing address which is in the same county and state. I have used that for all other applications. Now, my spouse and I have moved to a different address - we are 10 mins away but different zip code. is it necessary to update our address and send USCIS our physical address we are living in. or can i just leave the mailing address the way it is?

if so, can I just write our new address on the AOS application and all the other application included with it?
or do i need to fill out a change of address application separately?

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2009-12-13 15:10:00
CanadaAdvice needed fast....AOS question
Hmmm everyone has valid questions here. maybe my experience may be of use.

Short story: I visited and my hubby proposed and continued to cross the border. I had no intention to get married right away. There was an issue w/ my wedding date so we speed things up & decided to get married 3 weeks after getting engaged. and i continued to cross the border and sometimes the officers would grill me with questions! On the day of my wedding, i was asked why i was taking all this stuff (for wedding)? the officers wanted to know if i was going to stay in US and never come back.

So.... I dont really have a solid answer with the OP's AOS question. but i believe the OP can go back to canada and visit back and forth as long as she proves that she has no intent of moving illegally!. Maybe if she has a lease agreement or mortgage she can show the officer. I read earlier that she quit her job (i think)? well if she did, she needs something that proves she still has properties, assets, businesses to attend to in canada. in my experience when i crossed with my wedding stuff, the officer was nice to me b/c i proved i had no intention of moving to US ILLEGALLY (he stressed this)!!! I told them where i lived, what i did for living, and how much my income was. the officer helped me & told me to go through the I 129F route and then AOS.

when I started researching the immigration process, i contacted the Blaine border office and i happen to get a lady that just immigrated her canadian husband and she was an immigration officer. she sent me the link to VJ's K3 guide! haha (that's how i learned about VJ). She also said take I129F then AOS. She also said I can cross the border w/o a problem. You can also take it a step further and this is what she said about crossing the border:

"Once your husband has submitted the initial I-130 application and received his “Certified, return receipt requested” card which I recommend he do, I recommend that you take the card and visit the border crossing you most likely will frequent, and explain your situation and ask permission to continue to visit your husband while the I-130 is being processed. To do this you should either park on the Canadian side and walk to the US side, or drive to the US side and tell the Inspector that you wish to go inside to inquire about immigrating and commuting. it is possible to come and go while your application is being processed; you just need to know how to go about it. That’s what I’m here for. For those Immigration Officers who have a hard time comprehending this, the parole will come into play."

she was pretty cool

but my concern is I 130 has already been filed. i remember talking to the consulate and they told me if i had multiple petitions it will raise a red flag.

Edited by borderdriver, 05 January 2010 - 10:54 PM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 22:50:00
CanadaAOS Thread
i had that problem too! and i realized it a couple of months after i got married. lol. so my coworkers in accounting told me use my signature with my maiden name and just add the signature with my married name. so if i ever face a financial/bank problem (& my passport has my maiden signature on it), they can make the comparison from my old one to my new one. My signature is pretty long & not as pretty as my maiden signature IMO but it does its job. lol.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 09:17:00
CanadaAOS Thread
I just sent my AOS on Dec 23 and subscribed to Text msg'ing updates. best thing ever! i just received notification for my NOA1 today.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 23:19:00
CanadaPOE Review
Welcome to US! When I got approved for my K3, the border officers were wayyyyy nicer to me & joked around everytime i cross the border. even when i wasnt ready to move yet & still crossed the border.


For those that don't understand - the reason there are "No public restrooms" at the border is because people have been known to smuggle drugs taped to their bodies or smuggle drugs internally. If the drug smuggler is sent to secondary, he can rightly assume that he's been caught, will ask to use the bathroom before he gets inspected and proceed to flush the drugs down the toilet, eliminating the evidence against him making him a free man. That is best case scenario. Worst case scenario is largely the same except that the person is a terrorist with bomb making material strapped to himself. Locks himself in a stall, assembles the bomb, walks back out into the lobby and blows up the family on their way to Disneyland waiting in line for their I-94's.


there is a bathroom at the new Vancouver Peace Arch Border. Well, I decided to cross that border instead of the another one I have been crossing at regularly (Truck Crossing). I never go to the Peace Arch b/c I find that they always come down hard on me every single time, i am always picked for random searches. And what do you know, i got picked for random search & worse part is i had my van w/ no seats inside it!!! shady!!! well i really needed to use the bathroom and they were like "what do you need to do?!!!" like I alarmed them. I had to take everything out of my pocket, they had to open up my purse and take everything out and i was physically searched before i had to tinkle. jeez louise! and oh yeah, i had to take my shoes off too for the search

Edited by borderdriver, 06 January 2010 - 09:31 AM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 09:29:00
CanadaCompliance Letter....AAARRGGGG
since it is american vehicle, i would take my chances just driving it across the border w/o the compliance letter.

i didnt register my canadian vehicle until 3 months later.. of course i was still covered by ICBC. but i called chrysler for a compliance letter so i'd have it ready when i was ready to import it. (it was free)

Since you're in washington state (like me), i want to let you know (if you dont know already) that you do not need to get your car inspected but the border may tell you that you need to get your car inspected. I have called the sheriff's office and they said that they no longer need to do inspections. But, this is for Washington, i dont know about other states.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 15:33:00
CanadaK3 Interview in Vancouver
dont have experience in the divorce situation but i work for a law firm and have interviewed @ the Vancouver consulate. From my interview experience, if everything sent to them, they have it and they do pay attention. Its a plus that they have the original.

although if you may need the certified copies in the future for other purposes, he'll need to go to the court clerk.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 16:21:00
Canada!urgent! Please Help!!
from what i remember, credit history doesnt affect the immigration process. my husband pays child support too and it didnt matter what debts or bills we were paying.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-08 23:15:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
Would it be worth it to file my taxes together with my husband if I didnt work all that much in US...... so my employers didn't take any taxes off of my income (my income was under $10K for the year of 2009). Friends are telling me that my husband's tax return will be less.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-02-09 10:54:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!

You'll have to file your taxes to figure that out :) Allowable credits and deductions change when you status changes (I'm thinking of provincial tax credits etc....)
You definitely need to file both places like borderdriver

On another topic, I don't think the NR73 is entirely useless...I filled it out, but did have trouble correctly answering some questions the first time around (just ,my own stupidity...they seemed vague, but it did eventually allow CRA to determine my status. If you do fill this form, file early so they can process it and advise you of your residency status.


im going to file for this form to find out if the accountant i talked to last night is right or not. he kept telling me i had to file as a resident of Canada. and i kept telling him there is another way to do it w/ me as being non resident.

how long does CRA process NR73?
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-07 11:26:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
I think im just going to cough up $500 and use a Canadian who's a certified american accountant out here. Turns out the accounting firm I called is the same where my Boss' wife works and my boss kept telling me to talk to his wife. Turns out i talked to his wife's boss who happens to be canadian. lol! yeah really small town eh. Well, my boss' wife wont even help me with my tax as a side job. she says it gets so sticky she doesnt want to touch it. better leave it with her boss who's a canadian . lol!
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 17:20:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
question:

does it matter if I file american taxes first or canadian first? and if they are a month apart?
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 12:26:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
OK! :) that makes it so much easier. lol
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 23:02:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
First I want to make sure if Canada knows i dont live there anymore and that they got my letter stating that i moved.

this is what i read on the canada tax guide:

Do you need help determining your residency
status?
If you left Canada or are planning to leave Canada and
need help determining your residency status, complete
Form NR73, and send it to us as soon as possible. We will give
you our opinion of your residency status based on the
information you provide on Form NR73. You will find
Form NR73 in the centre of this guide.

Edited by borderdriver, 05 January 2010 - 11:01 PM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 23:00:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
i may just have to send this to an accountant. but after reading many articles and publications these are the articles that really helped me understand (plus your responses of course!)

a law office explaining US/Canada taxes: http://www.americanl...m/ustxperm.html
IRS publication for US tax guide 2008 for Aliens http://www.irs.gov/p...rs-pdf/p519.pdf
CCRA emigrants & Income tax 2009 http://www.cra-arc.g...6/t4056-09e.pdf

hope it helps someone else! grab a coffee, its a "great" read. lol
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 21:57:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
ok now that makes sense. is there any other forms i am forgetting to file with...?

I spoke to the accountant at my last canadian employment and he said that Canada recognizes you by domicile and US recognizes by citizenship (or i guess status in my case). So since he only knows Canada taxes (not US), as far as canada taxes go, i only file @ the country that i lived in longer. he told me to file my canadian taxes in US as international income. maybe this is partly true? but ill just file like i previously stated in last thread.

Edited by borderdriver, 05 January 2010 - 06:04 PM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 18:03:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
oh dear god. what if i owe taxes...........
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 17:38:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!

I would not use H&R Block at any time, but especially if immigration and another country is involved. Personally, I would hire a Certified Tax Accountant to help you with these issues. I will be doing the same when my hubby is finally able to move down here. It may cost you more, but tax accountants are a bit more knowledgeable then someone who took a quick tax preparation course at H&R Block or one of those places. IMO.


I called around and finally found a certified tax accountant who is experienced with international taxes and have some canadian clients. they said their service "should" be around or under $500 :blink:
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 17:29:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
ok ok i am more confused with the taxes now that i went on CRA and reading a publication for emigrants of canada 2009 and spoke to IRS and the person i was talking to was grumpy.

please tell me if i'm right.

1. i file my canadian taxes w/ section 217 as i collected EI & earned canadian income for 2009???
2. i file my us taxes w/ form 1116???

i really dont want to take this to H&R block as i live in a small town and there aren't a lot of immigrants here. Im afraid H&R block will just screw up.

can someone post the thread about US/Canada tax??? i cant seem to find it.

Edited by borderdriver, 05 January 2010 - 05:14 PM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 17:13:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
thank you for answering this.

so just so i am clear....... I can file all my income in US. i do not have to hire a canadian accountant and an american accountant? lol... cuz i was getting stressed out i thought i had to hire 2 ppl to do my taxes.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 16:08:00
Canadaanother Canada/US tax question. pls help im confused!!!
after reading many threads and googling online and talking to EI. im still confused.

i understand the tax process if you've been collecting EI and worked in the US. but im totally confused when it gets to doing your taxes b/c 1) i worked in canada until april 2009 2) collected EI starting August 2009 3) started working in US on August 2009.

1. Does this mean i have to file canadian and US taxes b/c i was working in Canada for part of 2009?
2. but, i thought EI was already taking 25% for tax purposes (?)
3. I spoke to Donna @ EI and she said we will not receive our T4E until around end of February. My hubby wants to do his taxes asap. is it beneficial to file jointly with your spouse?
4. I sent Canada Revenue a letter some time in June that I moved to US b/c i was receiving letters about my GST. so... do i still need to make sure that Canada Revenue doesnt have me as a canadian resident anymore? does this matter?

im so confused. if you've been through this, please post your experience or msg me.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-05 15:31:00
CanadaI-693 question for AOS
i was quoted $300 from where I live. there is only 1 civil surgeon and everyone else is 1.5 hours away. I explained to the civil surgeon that i don't need a full medical exam & just transcribing I693 but they said for me to be a "client" they need to do a full medical exam and have to pay the copay and administration fee b/c i was not a current client.

I had to call someone else in Tacoma, WA who has done many I693 and they quoted me $50.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 17:31:00
CanadaI-693 question for AOS

Dr. Arnold is retired.

I just sent the sheet that Montreal gave me without having it transcribed and wrote them a nice letter attached saying I already had a valid medical. They accepted that and approved me with no RFE. It seems to vary by state/person though...


oh gosh. i just got my I693 done by mid december. i guess she retired for 2010.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 15:35:00
CanadaI-693 question for AOS
maybe i should be more clear. lol. here is her contact (she is a civil surgeon)

Dr. L. E. Arnold
4534 Westgate Boulevard, Suite 106
Austin, TX 78745
Tel: (512) 444-3131
Fax: (512) 447-4699

call the number and leave a message. someone will call you back giving you specific instructions. Her service costs $30

Edited by borderdriver, 06 January 2010 - 03:26 PM.

coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 15:25:00
CanadaI-693 question for AOS
Use doctor Arnold. search her on VJ. it is $30 and she makes it easy on you.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-01-06 15:23:00
CanadaCPP QUESTION
just looked at that thread. and all i gotta say is woohooo!
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-21 12:51:00
CanadaCPP QUESTION
hahaha
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-21 12:49:00
CanadaCPP QUESTION
What happens to my CPP when i now live in US and dont have any plans of going back to Canada?

Anyone point me to a thread to this if it's been done.

My parents said I can only take it out when I retire (?).....

Im just wondering.............
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-20 12:46:00
CanadaPlease help answer a few tax questions.
My Canadian Income Tax looks pretty good to me. I am getting a good chunk back :)

im just having troubles with my US tax return. I want to send it in but I dont think its complete. My dad had prepared 1040A and form 1116. But im a resident alien for tax purposes. I was under the impression I report my canadian income in canada before I moved to US on Form 2555. But my dad and I had read on IRS that my calendar year starts on "the day I entered" and IRS website is confusing. I'm going to call IRS once I get a break here.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-22 12:22:00
CanadaPlease help answer a few tax questions.
:crying:
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-22 11:57:00
CanadaPlease help answer a few tax questions.
So my dad had prepared my US tax return but I just want to make sure he is not missing a form before I send it. (cuz i think he is.... based on reading from other people's post)

Here is a background:
Im sooo ready to throw in the towel. But I want to know if someone can help me with my taxes from here before I do.

For the year of 2009, I entered US with a K3 spouse visa on April 24, 2009. I didn't receive my green card until this month. I already determined that Im eligible to be considered a resident for tax purposes. My husband is a US citizen and he has already filed his taxes Married Filing Separately (he did not want to wait to get my taxes filed as no one in our town want to touch my taxes)

I am a Canadian citizen and I received canadian income up until April 2009 before I moved to US. So i am ready to send that. I also collected Canadian EI from August 2009 to present. and EI has already taken 25% non resident tax which I didn't include in my Canada Tax return.

I have 3 W2 and my US income totals to $6,055USD. I'm using 1040A for my W2's and file Form 1116 for my Canadian Employment Insurance. I just dont have a clear idea if I include the EI amount with my W2 amount on Form 1040A. And I don't also know if I include my 2009 canadian income earned before I moved to US on Form 2555 & 1116 or report it to IRS or exclude and use form 2555 since I didn't live in US when I earned the income .... very confused here. I'm trying to avoid driving 6 hours North just to talk to a cross boarder tax accountant. aaaahhhh! this is pretty much how i feel :bonk: :crying:
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-22 11:08:00
CanadaAny early March POE-er's get SSN yet with going to SSA office?
If you have a SSN, cant they just give you the number on the spot at the office?(not the card but the number). i thought you could
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-30 12:49:00
CanadaName change process
yeah I figured :(.... if I could do it, it would be a legal name change through the court. My bank bills and electric bill is under my first and last name only. my paychecks have different middle name. its confusing.
I just want to drop the middle name and my father feels strongly about dropping it too. just some family tradition issues. ahhhh.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-31 11:55:00
CanadaName change process
to take out my maiden middle name. I basically have 4 names and its all on my ID's. it doesnt even fit on some of my ID's.
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-31 11:41:00
CanadaName change process
I was wondering this as well. My name is long. I have my full legal maiden name and added my husband's last name.

I asked the consulate how would I go about changing my name and he said it's best to change it when your passport expires and not during my paperwork process to avoid RFE. I just got my green card w/ my super long name. In 2 years, I will have to lift conditions. I'd like to get it changed before I get my 10 year GC. I've already changed my name to my married name on all of my identification. Does this mean i have to do a legal name change = $$$$ cost?
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-31 11:25:00
CanadaTax question: Electing under Sec 217
For IRS form 1116, i found this link from a canuck abroad forum on instructions to fill out form 1116

www.aca.ch/ftc.htm

scroll to the bottom (this site includes other info too)
coldwatersurfFemaleCanada2010-03-31 11:40:00