Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[AmericaninQuebec]

I have some questions for anyone who went to live with their Canadian spouse to wait out your PR application.

1. Did you maintain an active address in the States while you waited for your resident status to come through?

If not...

>What did you do about a driver's license? Did you keep your U.S. DL? What did you list as the address on your DL?

>If you have a car, what did you list as your state of residence for insurance purposes? For car registration purposes?

I'm sort of worried about this because every time I cross the border the IO's on both sides ask me where I live (city). Once or twice they asked my address.

2. Did you keep your job in the U.S.?

>If yes, did you work remotely or commute back and forth?

>If not, how did you explain that you were unemployed to the IOs if/when you crossed the border between U.S. and Canada during your extended visit?

Now when I cross the IO's always ask where I work and what my job is. So if I say I'm unemployed, I figure that's going to raise a red flag for them.

I'm doing this right now so I'll try and answer your questions as best I can.

1) My DL and passport still show my parents' address in the U.S. (I hadn't gotten around to changing them after grad school anyway). As far as my insurance is concerned I currently live at my permanent address. (side note, same goes for my health insurance)

As for where you live, I often say the city listed on my passport as where I'm from, but that I'm going to stay with my husband while I wait for my PR. I had a bit of an issue at first, before my paperwork was properly in the system. By trouble I mean they made me stop and get a visitor pass in my passport so they could keep better track of me. To be quite honest though, my husband once responded to the border guard with simply the town in which we live in QC, and even though he was sitting there staring at my American passport he didn't ask a single question. Just handed our stuff back and told us to have a nice day. Great border security right there. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and he saw on his system that I had a PR app in process. Hehe.

I also once had an overzealous border guard go on about how I was supposed to reregister my car in Quebec if I had the intention of living there full time. I explained that I would be very happy to reregister my car in QC once I had my PR and could import it without duties. He got over his ego trip after a few minutes and let me go on my way once I promised multiple times to properly declare my car as soon as I had my PR.

2) I did not keep my job in the U.S. If I could have telecommuted I would have, but it wasn't an option for me. My husband is the sole breadwinner and that's what we tell them at the border. It's what we told them when I moved before we were even married. The one time they asked to see my bank statements to prove that I had money my husband got mad at them, because he pays for essentially everything and he didn't understand why I still had to show proof of other money. Again, it only took a few minutes and it was sorted without incident. I would recommend getting a bank account with your husband and always making sure there's a decent level of funds in it when you cross the border just in case you get asked about it.

Otherwise, we've never had any real problems and we've been doing this for over a year now (knock wood). I moved up about 6 months before our marriage, and really had the most issues come up before we were married and the PR app submitted. If your app is already in the system then I personally doubt they'll give you trouble (the customs and immigration officers can see it in their system, though it's not detailed. I once tried to get details out of a friendly guard and he was like, "I really would love to tell you, but all I can see is that it's in process").

One note, I haven't bothered to move much stuff up here yet other than car, clothes and jewelry so I don't know what the reaction at the border would be if you showed up with a Uhaul truck but no PR. Might want to put your stuff in storage until you've officially landed.

 

[ddobro2]

I'm pretty sure I didn't even provide any proof of presence in Canada with my first request, and they still send them to me.

For the proof of presence in Canada, I'm sure a copy of your PR card (or the PR Visa) would be enough -- we used my wife's visitor record both times and there was no question about it. This way, it's FREE!

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

I actually wasn't. I'm totally with you about the speed of the snow removal activities in this area. In fact I think the mayor of our arrondissement does the best job in this regard......it is always among the first to get trucks to come in and pave the streets and sidewalks.....and as a pedestrian, it's really the sidewalks I care about! See, neither of us have a car, as we live a 7 minute walk from a Metro station in Montreal. We would be taking the old Communauto down to the border (we already have experience with this for picking up another document/picking up my belongings from Vermont). We've only used that in summer and fall - no precipitation on the ground. Thus, you can see why I have a little trepidation. It's not like I would want to land in the middle of a snowstorm, but if my COPR arrived around that time, I'd be very tempted

I could see bus travel causing a bit of hestitation. I drove back from NYC last December during the first major snow storm of the year. When I hit the crossing at Stanstead there was about 8 inches of snow on the ground and the plows had only cleared one lane for about 5 miles after the crossing. Meaning I caught up with and passed the snow plow. We drove the next 10 or 15 miles at like 10 mph as I followed the reflective markers on the side of the road. This was only Rte 55, and by the time we got to Rte 10 everything there had been plowed. It was completely night and day! Anyway, that's why I say don't go out in a snow storm. It seemed like the road to the border was lower down on the list of roads to get cleared, at least the one out near Sherbrooke. Might be different if you take the bus down to the NY state border crossing since it's a much bigger crossing point.

 

[ddobro2]

Bus travel? But I was talking about Communauto. That's the urban car sharing service. Anyway, all this talk of winter stuff makes me yearn for the days of summer again....when it didn't get dark until 7 or 8 and you could wear flipflops and maxidresses :'(

I could see bus travel causing a bit of hestitation. I drove back from NYC last December during the first major snow storm of the year. When I hit the crossing at Stanstead there was about 8 inches of snow on the ground and the plows had only cleared one lane for about 5 miles after the crossing. Meaning I caught up with and passed the snow plow. We drove the next 10 or 15 miles at like 10 mph as I followed the reflective markers on the side of the road. This was only Rte 55, and by the time we got to Rte 10 everything there had been plowed. It was completely night and day! Anyway, that's why I say don't go out in a snow storm. It seemed like the road to the border was lower down on the list of roads to get cleared, at least the one out near Sherbrooke. Might be different if you take the bus down to the NY state border crossing since it's a much bigger crossing point.

 

[Bargeld]

ddobro2 can you like hurry up and get your PPR already?

 

[ddobro2]

Re: Spreadsheet Link; Added to Spreadsheet

This is the most up-to-date spreadsheet. When did you send it off to CPCM? Any dates for the e-cas updates?

Hi, Can someone please give me the link to the most up to date spreadsheet?

Also, here is my information

Application Received July 26, 2011
Forwarded to Buffalo October 17, 2011

It says Application Received and Medical Results received.

Thanks!

 

[mcmasters]

AmericaninQuebec: thanks for your response!

I feel better now about going ahead with our plan. I guess one of my issues is that I use my Enhanced Driver's License (not sure if these are available in states other than NY) to cross the border, but I can just as easily use my passport.

Yeah, most of my big stuff is getting sold and not coming to Canada, but I think I'll get a storage locker for anything I can't fit in my car and drive up unnoticed. It's still cheaper than an apartment!

 

[ddobro2]

Why, have I really been complaining alot?

ddobro2 can you like hurry up and get your PPR already?

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Bus travel? But I was talking about Communauto. That's the urban car sharing service. Anyway, all this talk of winter stuff makes me yearn for the days of summer again....when it didn't get dark until 7 or 8 and you could wear flipflops and maxidresses :'(

Oh! I learned something new! Sorry. I'd never heard of that before. Well my fingers are crossed that we both get our PPRs and get to land soon, and that the snow holds off for a while!

 

[mcmasters]

As far as my insurance is concerned I currently live at my permanent address. (side note, same goes for my health insurance)

Does that mean that your insurance has your Canadian address?

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

AmericaninQuebec: thanks for your response!

I feel better now about going ahead with our plan. I guess one of my issues is that I use my Enhanced Driver's License (not sure if these are available in states other than NY) to cross the border, but I can just as easily use my passport.

Yeah, most of my big stuff is getting sold and not coming to Canada, but I think I'll get a storage locker for anything I can't fit in my car and drive up unnoticed. It's still cheaper than an apartment!

Welcome! I hope it all works out for you!

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Does that mean that your insurance has your Canadian address?

Nope, not at all. It has my American address, which at this point is my permanent address since I don't have my PR yet. My car insurance is Progressive, and so far I've yet to have an issue, and my health insurance is BlueCross BlueShield. I got a private plan through them that lets me visit doctors and pharmacies nationwide, so I can go down to VT whenever I need anything. They've never questioned it, and I've even been on the phone with them a few times recently about correcting some billing errors.

 

[francohoosier]

Does that mean that your insurance has your Canadian address?

I actually got rear-ended while in Canada with my insurance still being connected to my US address and car registration, etc. It has been a HUGE pain to sort out, but I think this is because the claims adjuster I got was a noob and didn't know how to handle cases at all, let alone one in a foreign jurisdiction. They didn't deny me coverage at all, just weren't cooperative or timely. But I definitely would keep all of your insurance and registration in the states since I don't think you're even eligible for provincial registration/insurance until after getting PR and importing the car. Hell, I even managed to renew my license while in Canada. I submitted for it online and had them mail it to my parents' address (I've been using this as my permanent address all through college and will probably still use it for anything that requires a US address of me!) who then forwarded it to me.

 

[ddobro2]

I don't even think this is something one could glean from looking at the GCMS notes, given how internal it is. But if they say this is the last thing before final assessment, it should not take a long time. Looking at my notes, there's a section a couple of pages in, between the "Admissabilities" section and the "Correspondence" section that's called "Finalize Application" (Document Issuance, Refusal Grounds). I'm guessing that could be the very last thing they do in the system when they are wrapping up assessing your case. Were you already waived for the interview?

I just got an email from Buffalo stating that they have FINALLY received the FBI clearance on my son (who is NOT immigrating) and they are sending the file to THEIR security process before final assessment. Does anyone know how long THEIR security process takes???? Am I looking at weeks and weeks and weeks?????

 

[janamay1967]

I don't even think this is something one could glean from looking at the GCMS notes, given how internal it is. But if they say this is the last thing before final assessment, it should not take a long time. Looking at my notes, there's a section a couple of pages in, between the "Admissabilities" section and the "Correspondence" section that's called "Finalize Application" (Document Issuance, Refusal Grounds). I'm guessing that could be the very last thing they do in the system when they are wrapping up assessing your case. Were you already waived for the interview?

Yes, they already waived the interview! This process is so confusing!!! why do they need FBI clearance if they are going to do their own security search?