test blog 3

Looking for rental houses on Craigslist, I've discovered a scam that I was previously unaware of. I replied to an ad for a place that sounded wonderful, with unusually low rent. I was keeping in mind the old maxim "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," but at the same time, it's only an email. It can't hurt to ask. Everything I wanted to know about the property was answered in the affirmative. Then the supposed owner told me that I should fill out a rental application and, if approved, I could see the place. Hmm. It's been six years since we looked for a place to live, but I'm pretty sure you don't fill out an application before you even see a property, unless you're working with a real estate agent. That would be a colossal waste of time. And why would I send personal information to a person I haven't even met, for a house I might not even want? I tried to arrange a time to see the house, saying I would bring the completed applica...

Anyone who follows Canadian immigration had to see this coming, although I admit I didn't think they'd do it in one fell swoop. Just as they have done with refugee claimants, the Harper Government TM created a backlog of immigration applicants... then they got rid of it. More than 280,000 people who have been waiting years for a decision on their immigration files could be soon be chopped from the list as the federal government moves to streamline its immigration practices. It’s a decision some immigration lawyers are calling a betrayal by the government that they say is changing the rules too late in the game. “These people have had the rug pulled out from underneath them,” said Montreal-based lawyer David Chalk. “The government of Canada invited people who had certain qualifications to apply, these people invested time energy and hope." Citizenship and Immigration Canada said it’s coping with half a decade of application backlogs by focusing efforts on skilled immigran...

Major congratulations are in order! Our friends and fellow expatriates "Gito and Mrtew" are now Canadian citizens! Or soon will be: they've passed their test and are scheduled to take their oath. These guys have been through a lot to be together. Because Gito is not a US citizen, they couldn't live together in the US, since their relationship is not legally recognized. They stayed together through deportation and then the long wait of immigration. In Canada, they were able to get married, buy an adorable house in Windsor, and make their life together. Gito is now attending university. We finally met in person for the first time a few years ago , and I'm sure we'll all see each other again. The Red Sox in Detroit are a great excuse to visit friends in Windsor. You can see Gito's amazing and unusual photography at eggfactory and Arte is Foto . Becoming Canadian means a lot to me, and our journey from that first thought - "Maybe we should move to Canad...

I haven't done a "welcome to Canada, welcome to the blogosphere" post in a long time. Many years ago, this kind of post was a wmtc staple. Folks who had found this blog and each other during their emigration process would start blogs, and we'd all cheer each other on as the months and years of waiting dragged on . . . then finally we'd welcome each other to Canada. Some of those folks have become mainstays of the progressive blogosphere , but most have moved on. I'm very pleased to introduce a new moving-to-Canada blog, written by friend-of-wmtc Northern Girl. NG and her family escaped the hell of Florida, first for the limbo of Ohio, and now, at last, for the freedom they hope to find in Guelph. That's one more family to help make Canada the country we want it to be. You can welcome Northern Girl and follow her family's progress at Moving to Ontario . Another USian defector introduced himself to me recently. He and his family moved to Canada - also fr...

We've been discovered! Globe and Mail editorial. The quiet Americans who are Canada’s invisible immigrants Research into the least studied immigrant group shows that many come in pursuit of ideals Canada takes pride in being a country of immigrants. Scholars devote much time to researching the social and economic outcomes of newcomers, most of whom hail from visible-minority communities. It is fitting, then, that someone has delved into Canada’s fourth-largest immigration source: Americans. These invisible immigrants – there are one million, more than at any time since the Vietnam War – are a unique group. According to a leading American geographer, they come to Canada not for economic opportunities, but for the country’s set of values. Of course, every immigrant’s motivations are intensely personal. However, extensive research by Susan Hardwick, a professor at the University of Oregon, shows that the over-arching inspiration for moving north of the border is an idealistic one. Am...

The fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is also the fifth anniversary of the day we moved to Canada. It's a poignant anniversary, as two members of that family are gone now. Cody was in a den of boxes at the far back of the World Fullest Mini Van™. She had no grey fur yet! Buster was in the front, between us, touching me in some way for the entire trip. We had a cooler full of special food and medication for him. So much has changed since then. Allan often says that his day-to-day life has changed little since moving to Canada, but I feel that mine has changed drastically. Suburban life, our friends here, the war resisters campaign, grad school - all new. I'm not writing professionally; I'm looking towards a new career. Five years doesn't seem that long, but it's a lifetime of sorts.

The final piece is in place: we are Canadian. At the ceremony today in Mississauga, 119 permanent residents of Canada became Canadian citizens. We hailed from these 25 different countries: Afghanistan Albania Barbados China Colombia Congo Egypt England Guyana Honduras India Iraq Israel Korea Lebanon Pakistan Philippines Poland Portugal Sri Lanka Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America We said the oath, which I still find très bizarre - but then again, I find the whole concept of nationality, citizenship and loyalty oaths antiquated and fairly unnecessary. On the other hand, we recited the oath in both official languages, repeating the French phrase by phrase after the presiding judge, who was herself an immigrant once, probably from China. In case you're wondering, I cried. Of course I cried. This represents the culmination of so many plans and dreams and so much hard work and waiting. It represents my final disengagement from the United States (although I am...

Received in today's mail: NOTICE TO APPEAR: TO TAKE THE OATH OF CITIZENSHIP Please appear on 10 June 2010 4:00 pm !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We took the test! Like every step in the lengthy process of immigrating to Canada and becoming a Canadian citizen, this involved a lot of waiting. We'll know the results in about two months. * * * * There were about 50 people waiting at the CIC office with us, faces and accents representing the global village of Mississauga. Many people seemed nervous and excited. Some people were studying their "Discover Canada" guide. It was amusing to be doing this at the same place I once protested , waiting for our pal Jason Kenney to appear! First we waited to be checked in, which went pretty quickly, simply matching names on the letters we had received to our CIC files. Then we waited to be interviewed by a CIC officer. The woman we saw was - like every service person I have dealt with in Canada - pleasant, friendly, encouraging, and seemed to actually enjoy her job. I always expect Patty and Selma at the DMV, but we left them behind in New York City. Ms Nice CIC Person checked o...

Allan and I are taking the test writing the exam for citizenship today. We've been scoring 90% or 100% on all our practice tests, so it shouldn't be too much of an ordeal. According to Wikipedia: The test lasts for 30 minutes and contains 20 multiple choice questions. Applicants for citizenship must answer at least 60%, or 12 questions, correctly in order to pass the test. They must also answer correctly the first two questions, both of which deal with the electoral system. The failure rate on the citizenship test is low; in 2008, approximately 4% of the 145,000 test takers failed. I have no idea how long it will be until we are called for a swearing-in ceremony. Reports vary widely. There has been much merriment in our home and among my Campaign friends about the "special test" the CIC will have waiting for us today. One question, pass/fail. "Name every Leader of the Opposition beginning with Confederation..." Fail? You're deported! We've also be...

Good timing , eh? We received this in the mail today. NOTICE TO APPEAR TO WRITE CITIZENSHIP TEST Please appear on: 27 May 2010 4:00pm MISSISSAUGA CITIZENSHIP OFFICE 75 Watline Avenue . . . [ I know it well! ] You will have to write a test about your knowledge of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. You may write the test in English or French. To prepare for the test, you should study the book "A Look At Canada"... This says our test is based on the old citizenship guide, but they may be using a form letter that was never updated. An earlier letter I received said our test will be based on the new guide. Hm, what to do... Study both? "Before I write the test, could you please tell me if the test is based on the neoconservative wishful-thinking version of Canada, or the progressive wishful-thinking version?" Whoo-hoo! We'll be citizens in time for this year's wmtc party! PS: Dear Trolls: in your face!

To visitors from Little Green Footballs : Just because you personally don't know any Americans who have moved to Canada, doesn't mean it isn't being done. In 2006, 11,000 USians emigrated to Canada, and that number continues to increase. Please note that my partner and I applied to emigrate to Canada in 2003 . We didn't care who won the fraudulent 2004 "election". We'd had enough. It takes about two years to go through the Canadian immigration process, thus we moved in 2005. Through this blog, I hear from dozens - by now, hundreds - of Americans asking advice on how to come to Canada. Sadly, I also hear from so many Americans who desperately want to come to Canada, but don't meet the requirements. Stay in the US if you like, but don't assume everyone else is. Many people think a country with high-quality health care and equal rights for all is a better place.

Search string of the day: desperately want to leave the u.s. I know how you feel. Best of luck.

Search string of the day: married indian boy reach canada and once again married to canadian girl for citizenship-canadian govt.help No comment. I mean, what more can one say?

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, with no warning, slapped visa restrictions on people from Mexico and the Czech Republic entering Canada, in an attempt to reduce refugee claims from those countries, they won praise from xenophobic right-wingers who ignorantly believe Canada's refugee system to be too lax or too generous. That's a gimme. Tough talk about refugees and immigrants scores easy points with the Me First crowd. But the Conservatives' visa ploy ran athwart of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and tarnished Canada's reputation in the process. The Conservatives claim the refugee system needs to be changed, and they point to the large backlog of cases as proof. But the backlog is of their own making, a direct result of funding cuts and the failure to replace Immigration and Refugee Board decision-makers when their terms expire. This very good article from Embassy magazine, "Canada's f...

This morning I received this comment from "Wendy" on an old post: How are you going to just "move" to Canada? I'm always astounded how Americans think it's easy to move to Canada. I'm a Canadian citizen with dual citizenship and I can tell you that it's not easy to just move to Canada; it takes years and years of paperwork and requirements. No kidding, Wendy? Do tell! You mean it's going to take me from early 2003 when we submit our applications until late summer 2005 when we move? You mean it's going to cost all the many thousands of dollars we spent, all the forms we filled out, all the requirements we met? You mean it's going to be such a long process that my blog will come to serve as a hub for other USians making the same move? Do you mean the 11,000 of us who "just moved" to Canada in 2006? Is that what you mean? Oh, I guess not. Because you didn't bother to read a word of this blog before posting your snide remark. P...

It's wmtc day! Allan and I moved to Canada four years ago today. I looked up what I wrote last year at this time, and not much has changed. When I think back to August 30, 2005 - driving through western New York State in the world's fullest minivan, Buster between us, Cody in a cave of boxes - it feels like a lifetime ago. And yet these three years have flown by, as time seems to move alarmingly fast, the older I get. Not a day goes by that I am not happy and grateful that we left the US for Canada. Canada has turned out to be exactly what I thought it was: not a perfect world, just a better place. And now, it is my home. Next up: citizenship! We've got the forms ready to fill out. More on that as it happens. This is all still true. Leaving the US for Canada was one of the best things we will ever do with our lives. Not much has changed on the citizenship front, either. We applied in November 2008; in March 2009 we received notification from CIC that our application has b...

When I heard there were protesters parading around an Obama event carrying assault weapons , I immediately thought of a search string I recently saw in my Statcounter. why isnt obama dead yet Chilling words. I saved it, but couldn't bear to turn the words into humour as I usually do . By now I assume you've all seen the video of a town hall participant comparing - in apparent seriousness - Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler, and referring to health care reform as a "Nazi policy". Of course we all love Senator Barney Frank's reply , but there is something very dangerous and sinister going on. When a moderate centrist like Barack Obama is publicly vilified as a Nazi, we are reminded that, despite the anti-Communist rhetoric we all grew up with, the US has never been in any serious danger of revolution from the left. The danger in the US is, as it has always been, from the right. The presence of a Democrat in the White House does not mean the danger has passed. In fact, O...

This has been sitting in my inbox forever, waiting for a time when I have nothing to blog... only that time never comes. I always have more topics to write about than I can possibly put up. But several months ago, I told the person who emailed me that I would post this info, so at long last, here it is. Many USians who emigrate to Canada also consider New Zealand. I've heard it's a great place to live, and we even have friends there, thanks to the internet. But for me, moving to other side of the planet was not an option. I felt it would have been a severing of all ties with friends and family, and that was not my intent. So I never researched the New Zealand emigration process. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information in this post, only that it's taken directly from an email from a USian who plans to move there. Some of the process is the same as emigrating to Canada - the point system, the background checks and such. The lottery is different, as is the phone ...

I've been derelict of my duty. There are some gaping holes in the how-to-move-to-Canada function of this blog, but as Citizenship and Immigration Canada has become the nemesis of the War Resisters Support Campaign - and many other smart, right-thinking people - I've been loathe to post anything that emanates from that Ministry. But Jason Kenney won't be the face of the CIC forever... and there are some important updates to the How To Move To Canada file. First, a major, long-anticipated change to the Citizenship Act has gone into effect, changing who is automatically a Canadian citizen. The changes repatriate the so-called " lost Canadians " - people who lost their citizenship through some weird loopholes and rules. Beginning on April 17 of this year, people living outside Canada whose parents are Canadian are automatically Canadian. If this applies to you and you want to live in Canada, you still have to go through an application process, but you are considered a...