AntandD's Bad Luck and Good Luck Story (Part 2 of 2)...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

By the way, if you haven't done so, you can read Part 1 of this story here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry2671573

Here is the continuation of the "AntandD's Bad Luck and Good Luck Story…(Part 1 of 2)..." story, as told here:

"AntandD's Bad Luck and Good Luck Story…(Part 2 of 2)..."

(Monday Feb 16^th):

Ok, so I really wanted to get this Passport thing "done and over with", so despite it being a holiday on both sides of the border (President's Day in the USA, and Family Day in Canada), we decided to take a risk anyways, and hoped that the Passport Canada office was opened today. So on a bright and sunny winter afternoon, we drove there, in our 'new' minivan, which we had purchased last week and wanted to test drive today.

We crossed the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY/ Fort Erie, Ontario. Surprisingly, there weren't too many delays there, even though the signs there said that there were delays at all of the three Western New York border crossings. When we got on the Peace Bridge Crossing this was what happened:

D: Hands over the following identification to the guard at the booth: D's US Birth Certificate, D's US Driver's License, Ant's expired Canadian passport, Ant's outdated Canadian Citizenship Card, Ant's expired US 2yr Green Card, Ant's 1year NOA extension letter, Ant's US Driver's License

Canadian Border Guard: "Country of Citizenship?"

D: "United States for me. Canada for her (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "What's your status in the USA (looks at Ant)?"

Ant: "I'm a Permanent Resident. There's a Green Card in there that we gave you."

Canadian Border Guard: "How many people are there?"

D: "Just the two of us"

Canadian Border Guard: "Of the same family?"

D: "Yes. She's my wife (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "Where are you going?"

D: "To St. Catherine's to renew her Canadian passport"

Canadian Border Guard: "How long are you staying there?"

D: "About 2 hours or so."

Canadian Border Guard: "You sure you're not visiting anyone else there?"

Ant: "No. Not today. Maybe another day."

Canadian Border Guard: (scans Ant's Green Card in the machine, looks at all of the other identification that we had given them).

Canadian Border Guard: "Ok. Have a good day" (and gives us back our identification)

D: Drives to the next toll booth, and pays the $3 USD in toll bridge fees.

We continue driving along the QEW, on our way to the Passport Canada office in St. Catherine's, Ontario. The highway and the businesses in the area seemed deserted (oh what 'good luck' here), with less people out and about during this holiday. We also stopped at a gas station along the way, as we didn't have a detailed map of the area with us. When we got the directions, we drove for another 10 minutes or so, to the downtown area until we reached the passport office. There were no parking lots there, so we had to park on a nearby side street, in front of a parking meter. However, we didn't have Canadian change with us, so we just parked without paying and hoped that we didn't get a parking ticket. As we were walking towards the building, we 'luckily' noticed parking much nearer, and there were already minutes in the meter. So we moved our vehicle to that parking space, and again, hoped that we didn't get a ticket there.

When we got the building, we went to the first marked office, took a number, and had a seat. 'Luckily', there were only 2 other people ahead of me, and I was called up the counter pretty quickly. The worker behind the desk checked my documents and forms, stapled them together, gave me another number, and said that I had to go to the room down the hall for further processing.

We went into the room further down the hall, and there were only about 4 or so other people ahead of me. I gave my number to the guard at the door there, and was told to get another number at the machine. I waited for a couple of minutes, and my number called. I walked up to the counter gave them my information, and this is what happened:

Passport Worker: "Are you doing any traveling soon?"

Ant: "Ummm….I had to travel to get here.." (hands over the completed forms, paperwork, 2 passport photos, and other identification)

Passport Worker: "I see that you're in New York State" (looks at my driver's license)

Ant "Yes"

Passport Worker: "Proof of Canadian Citizenship?"

Ant: (hands over the expired passport and outdated citizenship card)

Passport Worker: (looks through all the forms and paperwork)

Ant: "Do you need my marriage certificate, as this new passport is in another name?"

Passport Worker: "That's already in the records" (note: I had added a married name paper notation in my previous expired passport)

Passport Worker: (puts the 2 passport photos on cardboard, asks Ant to sign it)

Ant: (Note about Canadian passport photos: They can be done in the USA at any Walmart photo portrait studio, for about $11 USD or so. Just make sure they are 'Canadian Passport Sized' and signed and dated by the photographer and guarantor)

Passport Worker: (types information into their computer)

Passport Worker: "Isn't your other birth country (states country here)? But you don't have your place of birth listed here on this application form."

Ant: "Yes, I know that. It's in that letter that I attached, explaining as to why I didn't want it included there (allowable by Passport Canada, by the way). I only have Canadian citizenship now, and I plan on applying for American citizenship later. I don't have any ties to my other birth country, as it's just too confusing to be associated with three countries. Besides, I mainly travel between Canada and the USA, so that should be ok."

Passport Worker: "Just a minute, let me get you another form" (runs back to get form)

Passport Worker: "Can you sign and date this 'birth country omission' form for me?"

Ant: "I'll just write the date in whole, as it's too confusing to write 'backwards' in metric. It's so confusing to go from metric to non-metric, and vice versa. (signs and dates form)

Passport Worker: "Yeah, it must be."

Passport Worker: "You should get your passport in the mail in 2 weeks or so, on about March 2^nd or so, is that ok?"

Ant: "Yes, that's fine, and 'good' for me. It saves me from taking another trip up here anyways. By the way, do you send it by USPS or some other method?"

Passport Worker: "I think it's sent by DHL." (Also gives me a receipt for the new passport, which I put in my expired passport for safekeeping)

Ant: "Ok. Thanks."

Passport Worker: "The Passport Fee now is $87, instead of $97 that you have a Canadian money order here for."

Ant: "I didn't know that, as I just printed out what was on the website, and I thought it was that amount, as it was listed as that for Canadians in America. Plus someone else made that money order for me, so and they didn't know about that either."

Passport Worker: "Well, they changed the rules on that this year. We can give you your $10 back though, but I don't know what you will do with Canadian cash."

Ant: "I guess I can exchange it, or spend it or something." (feeling 'lucky' that I got a 'discount' because of a 'rule change' or 'something else')

Passport Worker: (gives Ant back a crispy purple Canadian $10 bill)

Passport Worker: "Would you like your expired passport back as a souvenir?"

Ant: "Ummm..I need it to get back home to the USA. So yeah, I would like it back."

Passport Worker: "Yes, it's better to have an expired passport then no passport. But I have to cut off the top right corner, so that you don't use this one." (cuts the passport)

Ant: "That's ok, it's expired anyways."

Passport Worker: "Have a good day." (gives back the rest of the identification too)

We both leave the office, about 20 minutes later, quicker than what we expected, and 'luckily' didn't get a parking ticket. So we decide to drive back home early on the very deserted QEW instead of staying in Canada for longer. This time, we decided to cross back home on the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, in Queenston, Ontario/Lewiston, NY. We waited for about 20 mins or so at this bridge, as there was quite a bit of traffic there. When we got the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge Crossing this was what happened:

D: Hands over the following identification to the guard at the booth: D's US Birth Certificate, D's US Driver's License, Ant's expired Canadian passport and new passport receipt, Ant's expired US 2yr Green Card, Ant's 1year NOA extension letter, Ant's US Driver's License.

Ant: (feels nervous and in a bit of pain, as the Baby is kicking really hard inside)

American Border Guard: "Country of Citizenship?"

D: "United States for me. Canada for her (points at Ant)"

Canadian Border Guard: "How many people are there?"

D: "Just the two of us"

American Border Guard: "Where are you headed?"

D: "Back home to (Small Town), New York"

American Border Guard: "How long have you been out of the country?"

D: "1 hour. To renew her (points to Ant) Canadian passport"

American Border Guard: "Do you have anything that you are bringing back with you?"

D: "Nothing."

American Border Guard: (looks through all the identification, is somewhat confused, and pays particular attention to Ant's passport receipt, expired green card, extension letter)

American Border Guard: (scans Ant's Green Card in the machine, looks at all of the other identification that we had given them).

American Border Guard: "Have a nice one." (and gives us back our identification)

So this is where this story ends, with all 'good luck', on a holiday weekend. As we crossed the border back home, we couldn't help but notice that the traffic was really bad going back into Canada. 'Luckily', we were headed back the other way to the USA, and didn't get stuck in that big jam. Lol…"So this is how Canadians spend Family Day, shopping in the USA, no wonder Canada was deserted when we went there." I thought to myself, as I saw the big backup along the border back to Canada.

We did a little bit of shopping in Niagara Falls, NY, too (lol…and Ant had to go to the bathroom). We also bought a Baby item (which we got the last on the shelf of, 'lucky' us again), did some grocery shopping, stopped at McDonalds for a quick snack (lol…Ant had a craving for chicken snack wraps), and then drove back home….

Now I wait for the mail for that new Canadian Passport to come….

Ant (Good luck, No more bad luck?...)

Edited February 21, 2009 by AntandD

[Texanadian 10]

Family Day? Must be an eastern holiday. We never had that in BC.

Sounds like everything went by alright. How did you cross into the US with US status? You say your Greencard is expired, but you don't have a 10 year Greencard yet either.

[Ontarkie 14,221]

Glad things went alot better this time

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Family Day is a new holiday since I left Canada as well. Congratulations on the passport renewal, Ant. Yes, it will arrive by DHL within 2 weeks - mine took about 9 days round trip last year.

[Flames9_RN 358]

YYAAWWNNNNNNNNNNN!! boring, no one was kicked out, or car searched, no strip search, nothing!! No story here at all! lol! Did ya grab a Timmys on my behalf??? Glad it all went well

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for reading part 2 of my good luck/bad luck story, even though it wasn't as interesting as the first part...lol...

Yes, "family day" is a new holiday in Canada (Ontario), since 2008. In fact, it wasn't until recently that I heard about it a few weeks ago in the USA, and was "warned" by someone on Canada for me not to go there on that day. Oh well, stubborn me didn't want to listen, and went anyways, which turned out to be a good thing, as there was barely anyone at the passport office then.

As for crossing back and forth between the USA and Canada, yes, I did have expired documents. American-wise, I still had my 2 year expired green card, and a 1 year extesion letter. Canadian-wise I had my outdated Canadian Citizenship card, and expired Canadian Passport. The only thing that wasn't expired was my US driver's license. Nevertheless, with all those documents, I still managed to cross back and forth with no problems, despite worrying about this before.

Hopefully, I won't have to worry about that anymore the next time I cross over, as I hope to have my new Canadian passport and 10yr green card by then. Lol...showing 2 or 3 pieces of valid documentation is a lot easier than showing 4 pieces of outdated/expired documents anyday!

Lol..by the way that 1 year extension letter is so worn out, after about 6 months or so of use...Half of the ink is nearly faded on it, and it has been water-soaked already (I accidently spilled some water on it)! No wonder the border guard had such a hard time reading it! I can't wait to get that 10 year greenc card in the mail, which I have already been waiting 6 months for, and am still waiting...grrr....

Funny, how the 10 year green card contains just as much information as passport, and yet it only takes a few weeks for a passport and so long for a green card....Why is that the case?...hmmm....

Now I just have to sit back, watch the mailbox like a hawk, and wait. I expect to get it around the first week of March/next week, as they said on the reciept that they would mail it out on March 2nd. By the way, since it is delivered via DHL, do I have to be home and sign for it? Or do they just leave it in my mailbox and/or front porch?

Ant (Still waiting for the 10yr card, Still waiting for the Passport, Still waiting for Citizenship, Still waiting for Baby...Do you see a "waiting" pattern here?..lol...)

P.S. To Flames: As for Tim Horton's...We have plenty of those around here in northern New York State. In fact, they are so popular around here, that they outnumber Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts and any other coffee shop chain in this area. So if you want to go to Tim Horton's in the USA, go up to New York State, and you'll find plenty here! Lol...actually nearby where I am, they just opened a Tim Horton's coffee stand inside the supermarket, and the supermarket is next door to a Tim Horton's already! Though one thing they don't have in the Timmy's around here is the "white hot chocolate", which I really like. Lol...I remember I went into Timmy's and asked them for that, and they said to go to their "competition" instead....weird...

[Flames9_RN 358]

I have tried varies Tim Hortons in RI and CT and they ALL have disappointed me, so I have given up,lol I haead back to Saskatoon March 5-14,and will get my fill then!!

[antda 13]

Hi Flames,

It makes sense that "local foods taste the best locally". So yeah, it would make sense that "copycats" from other countries/regions wouldn't taste the same. On that note, have a great trip soon back to Canada, to get your "Timmy's fill" then. As well, maybe you can "stock up" on the canned Timmy's stuff too, as you can probably bring those back to the USA to enjoy when you get back afterwards.

Lol..likewise, I feel the same way about my "Canadian Smarties fill". I definitely need to "stock up" when I cross the border again...

Ant

I have tried varies Tim Hortons in RI and CT and they ALL have disappointed me, so I have given up,lol I haead back to Saskatoon March 5-14,and will get my fill then!!

[Flames9_RN 358]

No, dont like the canned Tims ground coffee either,lol Guess i'm sort of picky!! Wil be stocking up on Buckleys cough syrup as well! lol