Wheres all the privileges to be canadian

[rebeccajo 14]

The 'approved' stamp is for the I-129F stateside. It's not the visa approval.

[SpiritAlight 1]

Thank you so much Sharon for your hillarious post.

It is the key to healing: laughter!

And it is becoming apparent to me how many of us here need it.

As for the rest of the opinions here, here is yet one more: mine. Ha!

I grew up visiting the U.S. maybe 5 times or more per year with my family.

Then as an adult I didn't go as often, except the past few years where I spent quite a bit of time there, at the most 2 months before returning home. Although I have a passport, I never showed it. Simply my driver's license to enter and to fly around while I was in the U.S. The only time I used it was my last visit last Xmas (was there for a week; flew).

So, yes, it felt seemless.

This K1 process has me feeling completely the opposite.

I cannot visit the U.S. and have had to give up something (the racing) I've been a part of for the last 3 years (this has nothing to do with my honey).

I have noted that Canadians' petitions/requests are taking the longest for almost everything, especially for those of us who got transfered to CSC from NCS and final destination being the Montreal U.S. consulate.

Perhaps it is because we are the furthest away from the NVC, and the consulate.

Bahahaha.

There is the largest ocean between the U.S. and Canada.

This after SPP has been melting the borders for corporations and other businesses between Canada, USA and Mexico. (Latest meeting was in Montabello, QC)

As a regular civilian, we fall through holes and pay some price we are not aware of.

Once the Amero gets incorporated and the borders melt for the rest of us, will we get a refund and other monies for mental anguish?

Hahaha! I am not holding my breath....for either of these things happening. Politicians can talk for a long time....

/rant

Let's not forget the one truth:

we are all born on this rock, and we are all one human family. (L)

[Doug n Amanda 0]

Most Canadians have no idea that a visa must be processed for marriage to an American Citizen. I know that I didn't. Why is that? For me, well, we're so close to the US already and have no trouble visiting, as well as the fact that we speak the same language, our school systems are pretty much interchangeable. It may be naive but Canada and the US are very much alike in many ways, except for maybe the government and health care systems. I'm only speaking for myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if these are some of the reasons that Canadians feel that they should be able to bypass the whole K1 visa.

Exactly where I was coming from when I posted a thread awhile back about my Canadian fiancee' having to apply for AP, when they have no trouble letting him cross without one b4 the K1. Don't get me wrong; I realized very quickly that was one-sided, and we should not expect "special" treatment. I agree, ATeam, we had no idea the amount of difficulty, time and money this involves until we started the process. As I concluded from the last debate I unknowingly started, we're just grateful we've been able to see each other regularly during the process...so many are apart COMPLETELY for way too long...

I'm welcoming Meli to the journey; hopefully she'll find the support of her fellow Canadian VJers (& the people that love them )... we are a COMMUNITY of independant minds with one thing in common: none of us are happy about the process, would change many many things if we could...not that we're shirking responsibility by not banding together to demand change...we're just people trying to make it thru with our dignity in tact.

[Cassie 8]

Is there any canadian like me that is kind of upset to have to go through all that ####### since 1991 due to fact that other countries been "visa frauding" United States????

Its ridiculous in my opinion...but oh well just needed to let go some steam i guess hehe

Nope, didn't bother me a bit. I expected paperwork and delays, as I was applying to be allowed to live in another country. But that's just me.

[misa 2]

I cannot visit the U.S. and have had to give up something (the racing) I've been a part of for the last 3 years (this has nothing to do with my honey).

Why can't you visit? Plenty of us visited during the process.

[SpiritAlight 1]

I cannot visit the U.S. and have had to give up something (the racing) I've been a part of for the last 3 years (this has nothing to do with my honey).

Why can't you visit? Plenty of us visited during the process.

I don't fit into a formula, unfortunately for me for this process.

Due to being turned back at the border in Washington ("voluntary withdrawal") for trying to mail some boxes from there (the guy at customs there thought I was moving I guess), and dug around and uncovered an ancient criminal charge I thought had disappeared. (I wrote about this in another thread.)

So I have been advised to sit on my hands and wait....do nothing.

[misa 2]

I don't fit into a formula, unfortunately for me for this process.

Due to being turned back at the border in Washington ("voluntary withdrawal") for trying to mail some boxes from there (the guy at customs there thought I was moving I guess), and dug around and uncovered an ancient criminal charge I thought had disappeared. (I wrote about this in another thread.)

So I have been advised to sit on my hands and wait....do nothing.

Ah, gotcha. I must have missed your previous post. That sucks.

[~Nini~ 2]

While I like that this post was moved to the Cdn. forum, I believe my relief was only that "we" Canadians not all be painted in such a negative manner. Frankly, I find the OP's question/comment not very tactful, and I was and am embarrassed when Canadians show such attitude. Yes, to each their own, free speech, all that jazz, but I get annoyed when it's assumed that because we live right next to the USA, that we should be afforded special privilages. Are those special privliages afforded to Mexican's? They are bordering the US as well.

I also believe this post is going to get bashed regardless of which forum it's on as word spreads.

I'm totally with this, thanks Carla.

At no point before or during the process did we think that I deserved any special privileges or entitlement because I'm a Canadian citizen. (I'm sure by saying this I'll get the whole "well you got your visa approved super fast!!!1" bash going...) Best to go through the process grateful with what you do have, rather than what you think you should have.

[misa 2]

While it would have been nice to get special treatment, I didn't expect after reading up on the process.

Best to go through the process grateful with what you do have, rather than what you think you should have.

I agree with this! I was always grateful that the Vancouver and Montreal were never considered "hard" consulates to get through. And by "hard" I mean consulates like Casablanca or Lagos or Ho Chi Minh.

[thermophile 0]

but there is already a very special, very easy, open ended way for lots of Canadians to come to the US to work-TN visa. so reguardless how much it might piss non-Canadians off, there is a special relationship and I think it should extend to those of us foolish enough to marry our Canuk. It just shows the true "family values" of the US that a Canadian can come live in country by just showing up at the border with a written job offer, but that we still have to go through the whole interview song and dance if we're married rather than employer/employee.

I think that there should be an abbreviated process for citizens from countries that the US has deemed so trustworthy as to extend this special no-application work visa. Fair, no, but the world isn't fair. I'm just tired of family immigration to be treated as more fraud prone than work based immigration.

edit: I'm only familiar with US/Canadian visa issues, so if we(the US) has this type of work visa arrangement with other countries-I'm thinking Mexico here-then absolutely a shortened visa process should extent to that country too.

Edited October 22, 2007 by thermophile

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Uhm....a very special, very easy, open ended way ......did you really say that?

Have you gone through finding an employer who will hire you through the TN process? I have and it was a waste of my time. I work in IT, educated, qualified for the role being hired for - yes, one of the TN'defined' ones . The company had a lawyer even to take care of their piece.

Flash back to last Christmas holidays crossing the border at Buffalo. Had paperwork from the company and everything I thought I needed. Had even spoken to a border guy from the Toronto Airport customs to get tips.

As we drove up, we let the border guard know that we wanted to apply for the TN Visa stamp, no problem..pull over here, wait for your name to be called. Waited about an hour...finally went in and that's where it got bad

The lady must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. All questions she asked me were in a snarly tone - I answered politely of course (being the good Canadian that I am)....she barely read the letter from the company or the lawyer's appropriately filed paperwork. Asked me what I was going to do...computer analyst, what do you understand the duties to be etc etc.... and then.....Sorry, I don't think we can do this for you.

Excuse me? What? Did you look at my school transcript? Did you see my resume? Did you get past grade 12?????

To make a long story short....now we're K1 We were engaged long before this stupidity happened, but gawd was she rude. Someone peed in her cornflakes I think.

[Delicia 1]

The OP asked a simple question: Where is all the privileges to being Canadian? It only deserves a simple answer: in Canada!

[trailmix 77]

Canadia

[S & J 0]

Is there any canadian like me that is kind of upset to have to go through all that ####### since 1991 due to fact that other countries been "visa frauding" United States????

Its ridiculous in my opinion...but oh well just needed to let go some steam i guess hehe

Just wanted to let you know that my husband, who is the American, gets so upset about the process - he and his friends keep saying "but she's from Canada" LOL!

From one Canadian to another: I get what you are saying and, right or wrong, I totally feel the same way.

[ophelia783 0]

The OP asked a simple question: Where is all the privileges to being Canadian? It only deserves a simple answer: in Canada!

Too true!!!!!!

My biggest frustration with the whole process is not the waiting game (which, thankfully, is proving to be much faster than I imagined), but the fact that I had to file for a K1 at all.

You see, when Evan & I researched immigration 2 1/2 years ago when we first got engaged, we thought we would end up going another route - family sponsorship.

My grandmother is American, and was going to sponsor me. Unfortunantly, the American government told us that my grandmother was not a close enough relative to sponsor me, but, G-d forbid if something should happen to Evan, she could take over my sponsorship.

To me, that's ridiculous.

But, the rules are the rules!