Only 3 more sleeps.....

[KTandTommy 31]

There is a similar board called Road to Canada www.roadtocanada.com but it is a pretty slow board compared to VJ. There are some very helpful people on there though.

We have not actually started the process. Canada allows your spouse to stay with you while are are going through the process, so we will apply once we arrive. From what I understand the paperwork is a bit more work at the very beginning, but you send everything in all at once and then you wait for approval. Not like the US where you have several stages. You do the police check and medical right at the beginning and send that in with your sponsorship application and PR application. Currently it seems it is taking about 8-9 months for everything to be completed for a straight forward case.

I will definitely be back and keep you all updated on the process!

Thanks for the info!

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your process! Best of luck on your new journey

[SapphireDreams 71]

Good luck with your trip back. I hope everything goes smoothly!!

[Colleens 40]

Good luck with your trip back. I hope everything goes smoothly!!

We are all packed up!! We headed out to a town about an hour away for the night, then tomorrow we are having a Mother's Day/goodbye BBQ for lunch then we will officially be off!! I don't think my car has ever had so much stuff in it.....it is amazing what you need to bring when you are travelling with a baby!!

[Flames9_RN 358]

We are all packed up!! We headed out to a town about an hour away for the night, then tomorrow we are having a Mother's Day/goodbye BBQ for lunch then we will officially be off!! I don't think my car has ever had so much stuff in it.....it is amazing what you need to bring when you are travelling with a baby!!

Safe travels!! I can't wait til i fly back to Canada June 1st and even a trip to Calgary 3rd week of June! All the best!!

[Colleens 40]

Day 1 is down and we did a little bit better then expected. We made it a little past Chicago (we wanted to get to the west side to avoid the Monday morning traffic) so considering we didn't get started until almost 2 yesterday.....we made out pretty good. Just getting packed up and day 2 will be underway!! Hoping to get close to Fargo today

Emma has been awesome and we didn't have a single fuss out of her in the car so we couldn't have asked for more there!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Day 1 is down and we did a little bit better then expected. We made it a little past Chicago (we wanted to get to the west side to avoid the Monday morning traffic) so considering we didn't get started until almost 2 yesterday.....we made out pretty good. Just getting packed up and day 2 will be underway!! Hoping to get close to Fargo today

Emma has been awesome and we didn't have a single fuss out of her in the car so we couldn't have asked for more there!

When I drove from DC to Saskatoon May 1st 2011--that was my goal as well--get past Chicago--But I didnt depart til late in the afternoon! So i Didnt quite make it--but I slept in my CRV for a few hrs, and was driving away by like 0400--so missed the traffic anyways! I loved that drive! My wife thought I was crazy----she didn't go with me--just me and my dog!! I took oodles of pictures along the way and my wife made me a photo album from mixbook.com. I made it to Fargo the next night. Stayed at a Howard Johnson, was ok, room was clean! Safe travels

[Colleens 40]

We are finally back in Canada. I don't have internet access at my parents place where we are staying, so that is a big adjustment. We had a bit of an issue at the border and actually got turned back. My husband was arrested last year for a shoplifting charge, but since it was his first offense he qualified for something called judicial diversion and after a year of a sort of probation his charges were dismissed and his record was expunged. But he didn't have any court records to show at the border. We called his lawyer and got the documents and had no issue the next day....thank god!!

It was a long 4 days, but thankfully Emma was sooooo good and hardly fussed at all thanks to an ipad and sesame street downloads!! The dogs are so happy to be out on the farm and having unlimited areas to run an play!!

We are starting the immigration paperwork tomorrow! Will keep all updated

[hikergirl 277]

Welcome back to Canada! I hope that Canada does well for you!

[alizon 77]

We are finally back in Canada. I don't have internet access at my parents place where we are staying, so that is a big adjustment. We had a bit of an issue at the border and actually got turned back.

Glad you made it alright! Just curious, they didn't have any problem with your husband moving across the border without an immigrant visa? That seems so radically different from going the other direction (moving into the US).

[Colleens 40]

Glad you made it alright! Just curious, they didn't have any problem with your husband moving across the border without an immigrant visa? That seems so radically different from going the other direction (moving into the US).

No they did not. Unlike the US process they let you stay together while your application is processing. When you cross you have to go into the building and see an immigration officer. They look you up in the computer and make sure you have no criminal record. Then they issue something called a Visitors Record that is valid for 6 months. If you have not already submitted your applications (which is the prefered method, but since we moved so quickly we didn't have the opportunity) they tell you you have to submit them within the validity of the visitors record. When you approach the expiry of the visitors record you can apply either online or at a border crossing to have it extended for another 6 months. It seems to be taking about 6-12 months for an applicant to be issued PR in Canada once all the paperwork is submitted.

[alizon 77]

No they did not. Unlike the US process they let you stay together while your application is processing. When you cross you have to go into the building and see an immigration officer. They look you up in the computer and make sure you have no criminal record. Then they issue something called a Visitors Record that is valid for 6 months. If you have not already submitted your applications (which is the prefered method, but since we moved so quickly we didn't have the opportunity) they tell you you have to submit them within the validity of the visitors record. When you approach the expiry of the visitors record you can apply either online or at a border crossing to have it extended for another 6 months. It seems to be taking about 6-12 months for an applicant to be issued PR in Canada once all the paperwork is submitted.

Wow, okay. After my husband getting hassled every time he crossed into the US just to visit me, this news boggles my mind! I was taken into secondary screening once when crossing into Canada because I was spending 2.5 months with my then boyfriend, now husband. They kept asking me over and over again how I was supporting myself over the summer (stipend from my American university), whether I had health insurance (yes), and whether I was enrolled for the next year (yes). My assumption from all the questioning was that if I didn't have a job and school to go back to and my own health insurance that they wouldn't have let me across.

Edited May 22, 2012 by alizon

[Kimbear 53]

We are finally back in Canada. I don't have internet access at my parents place where we are staying, so that is a big adjustment. We had a bit of an issue at the border and actually got turned back. My husband was arrested last year for a shoplifting charge, but since it was his first offense he qualified for something called judicial diversion and after a year of a sort of probation his charges were dismissed and his record was expunged. But he didn't have any court records to show at the border. We called his lawyer and got the documents and had no issue the next day....thank god!!

It was a long 4 days, but thankfully Emma was sooooo good and hardly fussed at all thanks to an ipad and sesame street downloads!! The dogs are so happy to be out on the farm and having unlimited areas to run an play!!

We are starting the immigration paperwork tomorrow! Will keep all updated

Glad to hear you arrived safe and sound! I can't believe how awesome Emma was..just wow! Good luck with the immigration for your hubby. Thinking positive thoughts for you!