Moving to SoCal from Canada. Questions... - LotusTalk

Frips_Girl · 05-04-2009, 12:39 PM

Hey guys,

As most of you know, I have been lucky enough to call Southern California as my second home for the winters these past 2 years. The rest of the year I live in Toronto, Canada. Here's the thing... the second time I arrived back in TO, I already missed the SoCal atmosphere. Instantaneously. Solution: I'm now looking into moving to southern California permanently. Yes, packing up all of my belongings and making that move!

I have hundreds of questions about moving, but first want to know if there are any other Canadians here that have made that move? I don't want to give up my Canadian citizenship, but do need to know about the legalities of such a move. I am planning on going to the US Consulate soon, but thought I'd start here.

Any help is much appreciated.

Annetta

jasper · 05-04-2009, 01:01 PM

my wife is a canadian citizen, from Ontario, she has lived in the us for about 20 years with green cards, initially she came with a trade NAFTA work visa, she gets her green card renewed every 10 years, I don't know any more of the details but I could ask her, all I know is that when we travel she has a harder time at US customs than I do with her canadian passport, but in europe she gets far less stink eye than I do

cdn_alien · 05-04-2009, 01:05 PM

Frips,

I know exactly what you mean.

I moved from Vancouver to Arizona about 8 years ago. I Still have my Canadian citizenship (I didn't want to give that up either), and have had a "green card" for about six months. Yes, it takes that long!

For me, about 4 1/2 years of paper work, which is typical for my situation. YMMV.

I guess I should change my forum name now that I'm technically a 'permanent resident' and no longer an 'alien'.

PM me if you have any questions.

Mike

sleeprfocus · 05-04-2009, 02:15 PM

Chances are you'll need some type of non-immigrant visa first, then find a way to get a green card while you're here on your visa (um, don't tell the visa interviewer you're planning on immigrating here when you're applying for a non-immigrant visa, big no-no). There are several ways to get your visa, like being a full-time student or working for a US employer. You can try applying for an immigrant visa but you will likely have to wait in Canada longer before it's approved; typically non-immigrant visas are much faster and less strict than immigrant visas. It is a long process to become a resident here, even longer to become a citizen. Good thing is that the wait list for Canadians is probably not as long as, say, Mexico or India.

Or, you could just marry Patrick and you'll get your citizenship in a few years

rbaba · 05-04-2009, 02:23 PM

Frips,

I haven't posted much on this forum (but read it everyday); Since you're making a move that I made, I wanted to share my thoughts!. I'm also from TO, born and raised, and I made a move to Hollywood, CA. I've been living here for about 2.5 years now. I was sponsored and received TN (NAFTA) work status. The most inconvenient thing about the TN is that it expires every year. I am on my 3rd TN now! With that, my CA drivers license expires every year and I need to resubmit proof of legal work eligiblity to renew my license. From what I hear, the TN is now a 3 year deal, which is great. I have many Canadian friends here that all have different stories. I have a friend that, at the advice of a laywer, entered an H-1B lottery and got selected. I have a handful of friends that are here on O-1 visa's. These are difficult to get, as you must prove that you have "extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics". This is the one that I am hoping to get next because they are incredibly flexible and are not tied to any one employer.
The common denominator with every Canadian that I personally know, who has successfully received a legal work permit, is proof of a job offer. So I'd say that (depending on what you do for a living) getting a strong 'employment letter' from an employer in SoCal would be your best bet! goodluck!

knucklehead · 05-04-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleeprfocus

Or, you could just marry Patrick and you'll get your citizenship in a few years

Who would entertain us if that happens?

kestrel74 · 05-04-2009, 04:28 PM

Well, the traffic is about the same.......'cept they dont say ''Eh" in Socal. ( I might be in Toronto next week....for 15 minutes ! )

PatrickShim · 05-04-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleeprfocus

...Or, you could just marry Patrick and you'll get your citizenship in a few years

I like that option very much!

Frips_Girl · 05-10-2009, 05:02 PM

Hey guys!
Thanks for all of the help. I have to look into the many options, obviously. I will definitely pick your brains when I get a step closer. Here's hoping the transition is a smooth one. I'm definitely excited at the prospect, and a bit nervous as well. Common, I think? Thanks for the support

Annetta

MyFutureSelfnMe · 05-10-2009, 05:28 PM

If you're an employee of a company that has a location in SoCal, you're probably all set because they can sponsor you. I've never heard of a TN (NAFTA) status. I'm going to look that up, even though it doesn't concern me because I'm a US citizen.

Can I get a carbon fiber license plate frame that says Waffle House?

MyFutureSelfnMe · 05-10-2009, 05:29 PM

Oh, and if you're self employed, have you considered Mexico?

MyFutureSelfnMe · 05-10-2009, 05:37 PM

It looks like most of the real professional jobs that qualify a person for TN require a diploma *from a North American university*. This would disqualify a lot of us, which is annoying.

Personally, if I were moving to the US from another country, I would probably do it illegally. I've been told there are more headaches if you follow the law than if you circumvent it.

PatrickShim · 05-10-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleeprfocus

...Or, you could just marry Patrick and you'll get your citizenship in a few years

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatrickShim

I like that option very much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frips_Girl

Hey guys!
Thanks for all of the help. I have to look into the many options, obviously. I will definitely pick your brains when I get a step closer. Here's hoping the transition is a smooth one. I'm definitely excited at the prospect, and a bit nervous as well. Common, I think? Thanks for the support

Annetta

So when are we getting married?

Frips_Girl · 05-11-2009, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyFutureSelfnMe

Oh, and if you're self employed, have you considered Mexico?

Mexico is not an option whatsoever, lol. SoCal is the only place I would leave my hometown of Toronto for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatrickShim

So when are we getting married?

You need to work on your proposal! That wasn't very good. HA HA!

kestrel74 · 05-11-2009, 09:41 AM

At least both places are non-smoking !! ( But Toronto has Yuk Yuks ! )

Frips_Girl · 05-11-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kestrel74

At least both places are non-smoking !! ( But Toronto has Yuk Yuks ! )

Toronto is a great place to live, however the winters are awful! The windchill, the snow, the salt that destroys the cars. The summers are okay, but some days the weather is way too humid. I mean, walk out the door and you're sweating humid. Right now is quite nice, but the mentality is different... people are still thawing from the winters, and as soon as they thaw, they start preparing for winter again. HA HA!

MyFutureSelfnMe · 05-11-2009, 10:33 AM

Agreed. I'm probably going to leave Toronto before this winter or possibly the next one too, because I find I just stay inside most of the winter. It drives me nuts but I have no desire to freeze my balls off, I'd rather burn them off in some equatorial ****hole. I'll probably compromise and go for NorCal though. There is no place west of NY/NE that is dense enough to make me feel comfortable, and coastal California isn't sparse enough to make me comfortable either. It just hovers in this grey area where there's a lot of sprawl and no real downtown in most of the cities. That said, the weather is just about perfect and you can usually find decent food unless you want Italian.

MyFutureSelfnMe · 05-11-2009, 10:34 AM

And yeah - there are only two months of the year where the weather is warm enough in Toronto to make me feel comfortable.

PatrickShim · 05-11-2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frips_Girl

You need to work on your proposal! That wasn't very good. HA HA!

Well, I didn't want to get my a** kicked by your husband.

Phil S · 05-11-2009, 09:03 PM

How come all the good ones get away?

In San Diego but returning to Toronto tommorow.

Good luck.........Phil

05-04-2009, 12:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
Frips_Girl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Toronto & SoCal Posts: 198	Moving to SoCal from Canada. Questions... Hey guys, As most of you know, I have been lucky enough to call Southern California as my second home for the winters these past 2 years. The rest of the year I live in Toronto, Canada. Here's the thing... the second time I arrived back in TO, I already missed the SoCal atmosphere. Instantaneously. Solution: I'm now looking into moving to southern California permanently. Yes, packing up all of my belongings and making that move! I have hundreds of questions about moving, but first want to know if there are any other Canadians here that have made that move? I don't want to give up my Canadian citizenship, but do need to know about the legalities of such a move. I am planning on going to the US Consulate soon, but thought I'd start here. Any help is much appreciated. Annetta

05-04-2009, 01:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
cdn_alien Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 323	Frips, I know exactly what you mean. I moved from Vancouver to Arizona about 8 years ago. I Still have my Canadian citizenship (I didn't want to give that up either), and have had a "green card" for about six months. Yes, it takes that long! For me, about 4 1/2 years of paper work, which is typical for my situation. YMMV. I guess I should change my forum name now that I'm technically a 'permanent resident' and no longer an 'alien'. PM me if you have any questions. Mike __________________ Current: '06 Chili Red Elise, '06 Infiniti M35 Sold: '03 Nissan 350Z , '00 BMW 325Ci, '99 Miata, '90 Miata

05-04-2009, 02:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
sleeprfocus Every Car is a Project Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 816	Chances are you'll need some type of non-immigrant visa first, then find a way to get a green card while you're here on your visa (um, don't tell the visa interviewer you're planning on immigrating here when you're applying for a non-immigrant visa, big no-no). There are several ways to get your visa, like being a full-time student or working for a US employer. You can try applying for an immigrant visa but you will likely have to wait in Canada longer before it's approved; typically non-immigrant visas are much faster and less strict than immigrant visas. It is a long process to become a resident here, even longer to become a citizen. Good thing is that the wait list for Canadians is probably not as long as, say, Mexico or India. Or, you could just marry Patrick and you'll get your citizenship in a few years __________________ 2005 Lotus Elise (Jet Blue Metallic) - ForcedFed 340 2002 Ford Focus SVT (Pitch Black) - Powered by 4.6L of V8 goodness

05-04-2009, 04:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
kestrel74 G-200 Driver Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North of Detroit; Watkins Glen, NY Posts: 9,312	Well, the traffic is about the same.......'cept they dont say ''Eh" in Socal. ( I might be in Toronto next week....for 15 minutes ! ) __________________ 74 Europa Zetec TC Special 3614R Elise #2292 / Chrome Orange !! / Starshield / Nitron Sport SA / RTDbrace / Uprights machined / Down Low rails / ChaseCam / V1 / SS lines w/ R4-S "My daily driver does .85 Mach" " I started flying when Sex was safe and Hang Gliding was dangerous " BUY My Europa ! http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f94/...pa-sale-43829/

05-11-2009, 09:41 AM	#15 (permalink)
kestrel74 G-200 Driver Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North of Detroit; Watkins Glen, NY Posts: 9,312	At least both places are non-smoking !! ( But Toronto has Yuk Yuks ! ) __________________ 74 Europa Zetec TC Special 3614R Elise #2292 / Chrome Orange !! / Starshield / Nitron Sport SA / RTDbrace / Uprights machined / Down Low rails / ChaseCam / V1 / SS lines w/ R4-S "My daily driver does .85 Mach" " I started flying when Sex was safe and Hang Gliding was dangerous " BUY My Europa ! http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f94/...pa-sale-43829/

05-04-2009, 01:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
jasper thread killer Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 357	my wife is a canadian citizen, from Ontario, she has lived in the us for about 20 years with green cards, initially she came with a trade NAFTA work visa, she gets her green card renewed every 10 years, I don't know any more of the details but I could ask her, all I know is that when we travel she has a harder time at US customs than I do with her canadian passport, but in europe she gets far less stink eye than I do

05-04-2009, 02:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
rbaba Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Hollywood, CA Posts: 4	Frips, I haven't posted much on this forum (but read it everyday); Since you're making a move that I made, I wanted to share my thoughts!. I'm also from TO, born and raised, and I made a move to Hollywood, CA. I've been living here for about 2.5 years now. I was sponsored and received TN (NAFTA) work status. The most inconvenient thing about the TN is that it expires every year. I am on my 3rd TN now! With that, my CA drivers license expires every year and I need to resubmit proof of legal work eligiblity to renew my license. From what I hear, the TN is now a 3 year deal, which is great. I have many Canadian friends here that all have different stories. I have a friend that, at the advice of a laywer, entered an H-1B lottery and got selected. I have a handful of friends that are here on O-1 visa's. These are difficult to get, as you must prove that you have "extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics". This is the one that I am hoping to get next because they are incredibly flexible and are not tied to any one employer. The common denominator with every Canadian that I personally know, who has successfully received a legal work permit, is proof of a job offer. So I'd say that (depending on what you do for a living) getting a strong 'employment letter' from an employer in SoCal would be your best bet! goodluck!

05-10-2009, 05:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
Frips_Girl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Toronto & SoCal Posts: 198	Hey guys! Thanks for all of the help. I have to look into the many options, obviously. I will definitely pick your brains when I get a step closer. Here's hoping the transition is a smooth one. I'm definitely excited at the prospect, and a bit nervous as well. Common, I think? Thanks for the support Annetta

05-10-2009, 05:28 PM	#10 (permalink)
MyFutureSelfnMe Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,205	If you're an employee of a company that has a location in SoCal, you're probably all set because they can sponsor you. I've never heard of a TN (NAFTA) status. I'm going to look that up, even though it doesn't concern me because I'm a US citizen. Can I get a carbon fiber license plate frame that says Waffle House?

05-10-2009, 05:29 PM	#11 (permalink)
MyFutureSelfnMe Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,205	Oh, and if you're self employed, have you considered Mexico?

05-10-2009, 05:37 PM	#12 (permalink)
MyFutureSelfnMe Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,205	It looks like most of the real professional jobs that qualify a person for TN require a diploma from a North American university. This would disqualify a lot of us, which is annoying. Personally, if I were moving to the US from another country, I would probably do it illegally. I've been told there are more headaches if you follow the law than if you circumvent it.

05-11-2009, 10:33 AM	#17 (permalink)
MyFutureSelfnMe Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,205	Agreed. I'm probably going to leave Toronto before this winter or possibly the next one too, because I find I just stay inside most of the winter. It drives me nuts but I have no desire to freeze my balls off, I'd rather burn them off in some equatorial ****hole. I'll probably compromise and go for NorCal though. There is no place west of NY/NE that is dense enough to make me feel comfortable, and coastal California isn't sparse enough to make me comfortable either. It just hovers in this grey area where there's a lot of sprawl and no real downtown in most of the cities. That said, the weather is just about perfect and you can usually find decent food unless you want Italian.

05-11-2009, 10:34 AM	#18 (permalink)
MyFutureSelfnMe Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 1,205	And yeah - there are only two months of the year where the weather is warm enough in Toronto to make me feel comfortable.

05-11-2009, 09:03 PM	#20 (permalink)
Phil S 2007 Phantom Black Elise Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 211	How come all the good ones get away? In San Diego but returning to Toronto tommorow. Good luck.........Phil __________________ BWR SC, LETSLA, BWR sway bar, Nitron Sport Pro, RTD, LSS R6, LSS 048, HT, HID, 5 pt Schroth, 111 V brace, Boomerang, Stage II, Manly mounts

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