Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[computergeek]

Wow, I must admit, I'm quite shocked at this reaction - it seems rather lacking in any sort of empathy.

I don't get any sense she came to Canada expecting to "take advantage of the system" - she came to get married and start her PR application, much like many other posters on here. But instead, things didn't go as planned. In some ways she is fortunate she has learned - before getting married - that her boyfriend is abusive.

Is the point of telling her she will be deported if she goes to the police to force her to stay in an abusive relationship? That's just another form of slavery then - "come to Canada, lose your right to police protection". If anything, it sounds more like an American sentiment ("damned illegals, taking our jobs and sucking up our precious social services") than a typical Canadian sentiment. Plus, it's fairly well understood that insisting on deportation of illegal residents simply leads to abuse of those people. Sure, she needs to come correct on her OWN situation, but that doesn't excuse the inhumane behaviour of anyone else.

Perhaps she made a mistake - but who amongst us hasn't done something that, in hindsight, we look back upon and thought it was a bad decision in the first place?

For me, I'd rather help her back up off the floor so she knows she has options and doesn't have to remain in an abusive relationship. THEN we can talk about what she can do beyond that.

Sorry, I'm not one of those people who believes that the laws of society are only for the chosen. They apply to everyone and even if you have contravened one law yourself, that doesn't strip your rights to be safe from the perfidious acts of others.

 

[R151NG5UN]

It is not about a lack of compassion, I have sentiments in the fact she is in abusive relationship. She should be trying to get out of the relationship, in her post she never really addresses that situation. No person should be in an abusive relationship and everybody deserves to be treated humane. There are a lot of bad choices and decisions that have been made regarding this post.

Obviously frustration of people here who are waiting desperately to be with their family see a story like this and it makes them mad that they have gone through every correct channel, seek advice BEFORE making any decisions that would affect their application and here they see somebody who is willing to do their own thing with no regards for the laws of the country she is in. Personally people who are in Canada illegally are making it harder for the rest of us who are applying in the correct channels.

I hope she gets fixed up and gets a place to be sheltered and gets back on her feet and can work in Canada legally, in the mean time she should be as far away from her abusive partner as possible as I guess he is probably the false hope that she is basing her application around. She needs to stop, think and plan a way for herself to live in Canada. In the mean time she mentioned she is a U.S resident, well Canada should hand her over to the U.S and let the U.S look after her there, after all that is her legal country of residence.

 

[Belinasha]

It's very hard to empathize with someone who didn't think of the potential consequences and look at the big picture before making a choice. As adults, we are ingrained to think of "what could happen" before making choices. For some reason, that person didn't use logic and now is in a situation where they need to be bailed out. You are welcome to bail her out of her situation and help her, that is your choice. It should not be taxpayers of a foreign country who fit the bill for a person not talking responsibility for themselves. There is a reason why border guards want to make sure they have ties to their home country before coming here. There is a reason why they show proof of adequate funding to live on while they are visiting Canada. There is a reason why people educate themselves and be prepared before coming here, so this exact situation doesn't occur.

It is unfortunate that she is in an abusive relationship. She will get the help she needs regardless of citizenship. This does not give her the right to work illegally and expect handouts because her situation changed.

The point of saying that she will be deported is because this is an option. A very valid one at that. They will be able to provide her with a means to get home, then she will be billed accordingly as one would when they owe money. She cannot get herself out of her situation on her own, she needs help, therefore, she, in the long term will be paying her own way, as an adult has to. Nobody gets anything for free because plans change. Everyone in life needs to plan and budget because things do change. If someone doesn't know this by the time they are adults, they need to learn and it's often the hard way.

 

[Quince777]

It's very hard to empathize with someone who didn't think of the potential consequences and look at the big picture before making a choice. As adults, we are ingrained to think of "what could happen" before making choices. For some reason, that person didn't use logic and now is in a situation where they need to be bailed out. You are welcome to bail her out of her situation and help her, that is your choice. It should not be taxpayers of a foreign country who fit the bill for a person not talking responsibility for themselves. There is a reason why border guards want to make sure they have ties to their home country before coming here. There is a reason why they show proof of adequate funding to live on while they are visiting Canada. There is a reason why people educate themselves and be prepared before coming here, so this exact situation doesn't occur.

It is unfortunate that she is in an abusive relationship. She will get the help she needs regardless of citizenship. This does not give her the right to work illegally and expect handouts because her situation changed.

The point of saying that she will be deported is because this is an option. A very valid one at that. They will be able to provide her with a means to get home, then she will be billed accordingly as one would when they owe money. She cannot get herself out of her situation on her own, she needs help, therefore, she, in the long term will be paying her own way, as an adult has to. Nobody gets anything for free because plans change. Everyone in life needs to plan and budget because things do change. If someone doesn't know this by the time they are adults, they need to learn and it's often the hard way.

Who cares about little money spent on someone who ended up in an abusive situation when there is millions of money spent in salaries to Government ministers, or keeping employees, who waste time at work instead of working hard?! Canada isn't the 3rd world country who doesn't help people in abusive situations! If she's in need of a shelter, she should be able to go there for free. If you're afraid of your tax money being spent on someone in difficult life-threatening situations, then maybe you should be more concerned how money is spent to pay those in high Government positions. This is Canada, a developed country!

 

[Belinasha]

She will be able to go to a shelter for free, that is not an issue. Canada does care about people in abusive situations, I am not contesting that. Social programs such as shelters are not funded as they should be and there are limited resources which do go to help anyone regardless of citizenship.

This issue is about personal responsibility. A person who has a degree in finance who seems more concerned about where her car is going to end up doesn't seem to have their priorities straight. It seems that people are more often to lay blame on others (e.g. government) or anything else these days instead of taking care of themselves.

The government is broken, yes, money is wasted everywhere. There is even a lot of money and resources being wasted at CIC all the time trying to crack down on fraud and people who are scamming the system who got in when they shouldn't have and don't follow the rules.

This is an example of how money is going to be wasted with what we have been discussing. The reality of the situation is, that there are currently procedures in place that could be saving time, resources and money if people followed the rules. Simple. Ignorance is not a defense, neither is saying..well, the government wastes money..so lets waste more because someone can't follow the rules.

Lets look at the facts folks:

-U.S. citizen came in without enough ties to their home country - shouldn't be allowed in in the first place.
-U.S. citizen came in without enough money to support themselves - shouldn't be allowed in in the first place.
-U.S. citizen who is not legal status - should be deported with a bill of costs to follow.
-U.S. citizen who is working illegally - wants to marry a citizen and live here, does not want to follow the rules.

If this person had a grain of personal responsibility, we would not be having this conversation.

 

[sarinavene]

Dazednlost - I'm sorry you are going through this right now. Please don't become discouraged because of some of the heartless comments on here. They do not reflect everyone's thinking. You already know that you are working illegallly in Canada and that it's wrong, so I won't focus on that. Now you need to focus on fixing this situation.

Firstly, do not be afraid of going to the police to report any abuse from your boyfriend. He is wrong. The fact that you are an illegal does not mean it is LEGAL for him to abuse you. You do not lose your humanity because of your illegal status. Also, the Calgary police should not be trying to deport you - to my knowledge, it is CBSA (Canadian Border & Services Agency) that handles deportations, not the police in your city. Go to visaplace.com, that site has information on how deportations work.

Secondly, I understand that you have no family there, but have you not become friendly with anyone at the place you were working? Would the boss or a co-worker be willing to help you fix your car - maybe they know someone who can help get it running again, or help you with a bit of money to fix it.

If you can fix the car, pack your stuff into it, and drive to the nearest border. Because the next thing you have to do is leave Canada, leave that boyfriend and get out of that situation. Start a new slate. Even if the car doesn't work, pack what you can and take the greyhound bus or something. You cannot qualify for assitance in Canada, but you are a U.S. citizen, you can qualify for benefits in the U.S. until you get a job (you have a finance degree, you will find something soon).

If you do not feel strong enough to leave your boyfriend or are just too scared, go to a women's shelter. They will help you do the right thing.

All the best to you.

 

[computergeek]

It's very hard to empathize with someone who didn't think of the potential consequences and look at the big picture before making a choice. As adults, we are ingrained to think of "what could happen" before making choices. For some reason, that person didn't use logic and now is in a situation where they need to be bailed out.

I'm not sure I can agree with your characterization of the situation. She had been in a relationship with this person for four years and decided to "take it to the next level". Further, you're pointing out that following one's emotions isn't necessarily logical. I'd agree with that but rather than castigating her for not viewing the world in such a rigid way, perhaps we can see that her original plans have come undone and in hindsight her decisions were not the best had she known the outcome. If he hadn't been abusive, she'd probably be happily married and awaiting her PR.

As for her employment situation, I have no idea what it is. Several seem to assume she is working illegally. Whether true or not it does not give anyone the right to be abusive towards her. Indeed, one of the biggest concerns about the two year relationship rule proposed by the current government is exactly that it will lead to a form of de facto slavery. I have seen the abuse that LEGAL Canadian employers can visit upon foreign workers (legal or illegal). One friend of mine was told by his former employer that they would challenge his (spousal) PR because he had remained in Canada after they stopped paying him - but they never bothered to issue an ROE to him because they didn't want him claiming EI. He was an IT worker with a good job, but his company treated him abusively.

You are welcome to bail her out of her situation and help her, that is your choice. It should not be taxpayers of a foreign country who fit the bill for a person not talking responsibility for themselves. There is a reason why border guards want to make sure they have ties to their home country before coming here. There is a reason why they show proof of adequate funding to live on while they are visiting Canada. There is a reason why people educate themselves and be prepared before coming here, so this exact situation doesn't occur.

Not taking responsibility for herself? She WANTS to work and indeed, based upon what she is saying she could have legally qualified to work just based upon existing bilateral agreements. Her mistake was in not learning of those opportunities and pursuing them.

It is unfortunate that she is in an abusive relationship. She will get the help she needs regardless of citizenship. This does not give her the right to work illegally and expect handouts because her situation changed.

I don't see where she asked for a handout. What she wants to do is get out of her immediate situation and get back on her feet. I applaud her for identifying an unhealthy situation and trying to extricate herself from it. Telling her she's going to be deported if she goes to the police is disingenuous - and I've watched this very issue in the US and it causes serious problems, as local police are taking over responsibility for enforcement of US level immigration law. But guess what? They don't stop white people on the street saying "you look like you might be Canadian, can you prove you are a US Citizen?" I'd really hate to see that sort of behaviour here in Canada as well. Canada is NOT the United States and I hope it stays that way, thank you very much!

The point of saying that she will be deported is because this is an option. A very valid one at that. They will be able to provide her with a means to get home, then she will be billed accordingly as one would when they owe money. She cannot get herself out of her situation on her own, she needs help, therefore, she, in the long term will be paying her own way, as an adult has to. Nobody gets anything for free because plans change. Everyone in life needs to plan and budget because things do change. If someone doesn't know this by the time they are adults, they need to learn and it's often the hard way.

Again, I must disagree here. From my understanding of current Canadian law is that local police do not issue removal orders. This is the purview of CBSA (see http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/facts-faits/051-eng.html). Local police could make a report to CBSA, but that's IT - and I suspect many police departments do NOT do this precisely because doing so creates a very dangerous situation for illegals.

I am saddened that so many people in Canada are so negative towards immigrants, particularly given that everyone living in Canada is from relatively recent immigrant stock and Canada depends upon immigration in order to avoid the impact of the low fertility rate.

But honestly, that's a red herring in this discussion. She is in an abusive relationship. She needs to extract herself from that. Then she can resolve the other issues in her current situation, whether it is obtaining LEGAL employment in Canada or going back to the US. But the claim that she should refrain from seeking services - whether privately or publicly funded - to extract herself from an abusive relationship is morally repugnant to me.

Here is a link for the OP to consider: http://www.immigrantwomenservices.com/abuse.htm

 

[Belinasha]

It's sad that we live in a world where giving someone a dose of reality is abusive. I for one, am not comfortable aiding and abetting a law breaker. If this makes me heartless, so be it. I guess the laws are heartless and not put in place for any reason other than to be unfair to the ones who chose not to abide by them.

Again, the arguments are full of "what ifs" and assumptions. We are getting away from the facts with a bunch of "friends did this" "this happens in the U.S" and all sorts of issues that we could pick apart and examine each one on it's own merits in a discussion on that particular topic.

In regards to your comment about how police may not report her to CBSA because it makes for a dangerous situation for illegals? How? If CBSA chose to detain someone for deportation, how are they in danger? It would probably be the safest place considering she'd have a safe place to go, be fed and be able to figure out the rest.

Of course she wants to work, who doesn't. The only problem is, you can't work if you are an illegal. Again, the laws are heartless and the reality and logic of it sucks for some, I guess.

Some people have a negative view towards immigrations, they sure do. I am not one of them. My husband is an immigrant (will be soon, hopefully). I have a negative view of people who can't use logic or reason to keep themselves out of trouble or to be able to fix it on their own when they do.

Of course the original poster of this issue should be applauded for leaving an abusive situation. Sell the car and anything of value, buy a bus ticket and get out. That's fixing your own problem.

 

[WaterDad]

1. We are hearing only one side of this story.
2. The post comes off as a plea for money.
3. This is an Canada immigration forum for people to share information about the immigration process. No one is a professional therapist and qualified to comment on your story.
4. If you truly need assistance, you would not being asking random strangers on the internet.
5. As a US Citizen, you could just walk across the border. IE you are choosing to stay.


My 2cents

 

[computergeek]

There is a balance to be made here, with multiple competing interests and I appreciate that perspective - I'm merely trying to point out that this is not as simple as "get the illegal out and the problem is solved". She came to Canada expecting to be legal - MANY people get married and then await their PR from inside Canada, so that by itself was not an illegal act. At some point she became desperate and disparaging her for her desperation. Having someone more fortunate than her castigate her reminds me of the oft (mis-quoted) saying "The peasants are starving, there is no bread! - Well, then let them eat cake!"

My point is that by removing law enforcement and social services as an option for someone "illegal" in an abusive situation creates a very toxic environment. This toxic environment happens for LEGAL people, so I'm merely trying to explain why it becomes worse for someone in an illegal situation.

We are in agreement on at least one point: she needs to get out of the abusive relationship. Whatever she does after that point is up to her. You view her only option as being to go back to the US. I was merely pointing out to options she might have if she chooses to remain in Canada - options that would help her "come correct" and be legal inside the US.

I know I have a different perspective than you do on immigration, but then again, I've been on the receiving end of some of its less savoury aspects and it saddens me how it's effect can be to dehumanize people and treat them as little more than economic production units.

I really recoil from the idea of using immigration law as a form of creating virtual slavery for hundreds of thousands of out-of-status people here. I have no idea if there's a better system, but I do know that a system that traps people in virtual slavery because they are afraid that reporting someone else's violent behaviour is going to bring down strong consequences on them is not one I can view as moral. Perhaps you can - I understand and appreciate that we can differ in opinion.

I have played by the rules despite the fact I've become increasingly convinced that the rules enshrine bias within them so I have a far less trusting impression of their execution than you do. As I recently described it elsewhere, I've come to realize that Canadian immigration law presents the illusion of "procedural fairness" while at the same time ensuring that the bar for such procedure keeps out the riff-raff.

 

[moochops]

I'm sorry but do any of you have any idea what it is like to have no-one and feel trapped. I bet not. compound that with being in a foreign country without what you feel like is any support rights etc then the dispair she must be feeling is going to be unbelievable.

She puts emphasis on her car because that is, or was, her only real possession and means of transport (ie escape).

Lets not focus on the negatives regarding the illegal work - it's my bet that her partner was putting pressure on her to bring money in and if he is the only person she has, then she is going to feel like she has to do it because there is no one else - abusive or not.

She gave all the facts so that we can give opinions based on what she can do now.

To the op, obviously you have internet access. Please do a search for womens shelters, they can give you a roof for a short time and some comfort and support.

Let the car go. It's wrecked now - you can't fix it so it's a done deal.

Look online for maybe live in positions in the states just below whatever border it is you will cross. I know you have a degree in finance but that won't help you with your immediate situation, what you need is a job, somewhere to live and to get your dignity back. Once you start to take ownership of the issues you will feel a lot stronger, right now you are reacting to things that are thrown at you and you feel helpless and out of control.

So to sum up, get a bag, get your clothes, go to a shelter and plan your life back in the states to the best of your ability. You say you have burnt bridges with people there, so the only one you haven't burned bridges with is yourself. And yourself can be a very powerful person if you put your mind to it.

Very best of luck and make today the first day of the rest of your life.

Much love xxx

 

[Nanom]

Hey guys am American being sponsored by my Canadian husband I am 20 he's 26 we just changed from inside Canada to outside but I have a quick question I am from Detroit Michigan and right now I live with my husband I come visit for a couple months and go back to Michigan so I won't exceed my 6months my question is on my application it asks for the immigration office what do I put down?? I have been stuck on on the question for days should I put Mississauga? Isn't everything done there? Need help pleaseee and thank you!

Hopefully we all get everything done easily with no trouble good luck to everyone!

 

[computergeek]

Hey guys am American being sponsored by my Canadian husband I am 20 he's 26 we just changed from inside Canada to outside but I have a quick question I am from Detroit Michigan and right now I live with my husband I come visit for a couple months and go back to Michigan so I won't exceed my 6months my question is on my application it asks for the immigration office what do I put down?? I have been stuck on on the question for days should I put Mississauga? Isn't everything done there? Need help pleaseee and thank you!

To be honest, since you don't really have a choice of visa offices, it just won't matter. This is important for people who qualify to use multiple visa offices - they want to pick the fastest one. But it sounds like you only qualify for one. So if you list Mississauga, or Ottawa, or Buffalo, or Los Angeles, your application is going to be mostly processed in Ottawa, and the final processing will be done in LA - unless they call you for an interview (extremely rare for US/Canadian couples) in which case it would be transferred to another office. But you won't know that at this point anyway.

So put down Ottawa. Or LA. It will get forwarded to the correct office.

Good luck!

 

[Nanom]

Thank you so much so should I delete Mississauga as my answer and put Ottawa or it doesn't matter

 

[iacrossnation]

Anyone knows how to fill out the form to request GCMS. We want to know what our application status is and medical file (as our ecas doesn't show Medical Received)

1. Section A, should we choose Access to Information Act or Privacy Act?
2. Section B, the person should be the sponsored not sponsor, right?
3. Section B, should we choose Electronic files or Physical files? I think we have to choose Physical Files as it's Immigration files overseas, is this right?
4. Section C, the requester must be in Canada? So it has to be sponsor and we have to submit the consent form?

Thanks.