My home and native land

[_sabotage_]

After months of processing, and thousands of dollars, my wife and son have been granted permanent residence in Canada.

My excited wife bought her ticket, and then realized it stopped in Newark, where she would change planes and come on to Halifax.

Of course, to stop in the States, she needs a transit visa. So she books an appointment, and pays in advance, 2200 RMB, over $300, prepares $10,000 cash to show the consulate official, as well as our marriage certificate, Canadian visa, property ownership documents, our sons relevant documents and heads in.

She is then told that she has been denied straight off without an examination of her documents or funds. Apparently she isn't suitable to spend a couple hours at the Newark airport.

From her skype with me just now, when asked the reason they used to deny her:

I don't have social economic and family ties outside of the united state

I'm currently buying a new ticket, as the old one had been non-refundable.

All my family lives in Montana, Oregon and California, and we have been Americans for generations plus native blood.

Thank you for enacting a policy which prevents my wife and son from treading on our proud soil.

Some of you will think, but wait, your son at least should be a US citizen. But you would be wrong. If your child is born overseas and you can't show that you had lived in America for 2 years after the age of 14, they lose the right to citizenship.

The land of the free, and home of the brave.

[BigBallinStalin]

The risk of Chinese spies, yo.

[chang50]

After months of processing, and thousands of dollars, my wife and son have been granted permanent residence in Canada.

My excited wife bought her ticket, and then realized it stopped in Newark, where she would change planes and come on to Halifax.

Of course, to stop in the States, she needs a transit visa. So she books an appointment, and pays in advance, 2200 RMB, over $300, prepares $10,000 cash to show the consulate official, as well as our marriage certificate, Canadian visa, property ownership documents, our sons relevant documents and heads in.

She is then told that she has been denied straight off without an examination of her documents or funds. Apparently she isn't suitable to spend a couple hours at the Newark airport.

From her skype with me just now, when asked the reason they used to deny her:

I don't have social economic and family ties outside of the united state

I'm currently buying a new ticket, as the old one had been non-refundable.

All my family lives in Montana, Oregon and California, and we have been Americans for generations plus native blood.

Thank you for enacting a policy which prevents my wife and son from treading on our proud soil.

Some of you will think, but wait, your son at least should be a US citizen. But you would be wrong. If your child is born overseas and you can't show that you had lived in America for 2 years after the age of 14, they lose the right to citizenship.

The land of the free, and home of the brave.

I'm so sorry for you reading that story,I'm an expat as well with some experience of faceless beauracracy.F@ck 'em all...

[_sabotage_]

Got new tickets, only cost a few thousand dollars and added a little bit of hate to the world.

[jonesthecurl]

I have had more than my share of dealing with US bureaucracy. At great expense in time and money. But, buggeration, they must have ramped up the nonsense since my last encounter if you can't even bloody well change planes. Sod 'em all.

[KoolBak]

Guess it's only Mexico that doesn't have a problem?

[jonesthecurl]

I've travelled a lot, and I've encountered pointless and expensive bureaucracy in many places. Make that "most places". US customs people are right up ther in the top of the "pointless regulations" league however.Never been to Mexico, so I can't speak to that.
I suspect that I'm too honest to understand when people people are hinting "bribe me", sometimes.

[daddy1gringo]

I think Jonesey nailed it. I would chalk it up to the universal curse of bureaucracy rather than anything unique to the US.

[_sabotage_]

BBS, finally managed to deceive you. He isn't a 17 month old spy:



You can clearly see he is practicing guerrilla communication techniques as well as tickle torture tactics.

Here he is practicing triggering a thermal radiant device.



Notice his glee.

Nope, we nipped this terrorist in the bud.

[fadedpsychosis]

Some of you will think, but wait, your son at least should be a US citizen. But you would be wrong. If your child is born overseas and you can't show that you had lived in America for 2 years after the age of 14, they lose the right to citizenship.

interesting... that's going to make having kids a problem for me, unless they treat the military differently...

[2dimes]

Just make sure the mother can have the child in the U.S.

So sabotage, do you want to return? I'm interested in why are you going to Canuckistan though I don't think I can understand.

[_sabotage_]

My boy started coughing within a few months of birth, we did live in the middle of the PRD, a 150 km corridor of 70 million souls, known as the factory of the world.

Do I want to return to the US? Not really sure. Becoming a father definitely opens up a whole new realm of responsibility. I would like my son to have an open mind, trust in his fellow man and the importance of character over financial success. I would also like him to have a sense of place in the world. If you could offer some advice, I would consider it.

My biggest worry is that children are forced into conformity and indoctrinated into a fixed ideology that doesn't represent a positive future outlook and confines their development.

[2dimes]

I don't know. If I had a solid suggestion I guess I'd be there and invite you.

I certainly don't think Canada is the worst choice but it certainly seems much less a place I want to live with my kids. It's like any plantation or work camp. There's certain benifits, the weather isn't my thing.

The biggest problem with the best place to live is if you're not wealthy enough you can't leave if some other country with a military decides to "rescue" you from the local government.

[keiths31]

Welcome to Canada...

[BigBallinStalin]

BBS, finally managed to deceive you. He isn't a 17 month old spy:



You can clearly see he is practicing guerrilla communication techniques as well as tickle torture tactics.

Here he is practicing triggering a thermal radiant device.



Notice his glee.

Nope, we nipped this terrorist in the bud.

You're married to a 17 month old?