[torradan]

Got an application in the mail for a temporary resident permit.. scratched my head.. not sure what to make of it. It came with no instructions or anything.

So I called Mish's MP (Jim Karygiannis -- he's been helping us for the past year about this nonsense) when I received it.

He basically said.. since things are taking so damned long (he dropped lots of F-bombs in regards to the immigration ministry) that they are letting me in early. Now I have to go to the consulate Monday morning with all the paperwork filled out, all the other supporting papers that they want, and $200, and I'll be issued the permit.

Which means that I can finally move to Canada and wait on my permanent residency instad of being stuck in NY! Just need to apply for my SIN and work permit, and I'm solid.

After almsot two years... I started crying when he spelled it out in English instead of the cryptic way immigration speaks.

TIME FOR A BEER!
:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

[oldeguy]

:hi: :beerchug:

[darkpuppet]

damn.. I gotta move futher north! :P

congrats buddy, glad to see something's finally happening :)! (there goes our source for sabres tickets tho :( )

[j3rt]

And we were all working so hard to keep you out. phone calls to our MPs. Anom tips to border security about your car coming through.
Oh well we didn't try hard enough.

LOL


Just kidding dude, glad to hear things are starting to go in your favor.

[meford4u]

Dammit. My source is gone!!!!

Congrats!

I know you were pushing hard to get over da border.

Well see you soon.

[NOS2Go4Me]

Welcome to the Great White Icebox. Are you sure you wanna be here right now? :P

Seriously, welcome!

[NefCanuck]

Congrats, believe me I feel your pain in dealing with government bureaucrats <_< :lol:

Hopefully the other paperwork goes quicker...

NefCanuck

[Burnin21]

Congrats buddy, hope you find a comfy iglue :lol: j/ks :P

[ZX5focused]

thats awesome!!!
congrats!!!

:beerchug:

[OAC_Sparky]

meford4u,Feb 29 2008, 02:58 PM Wrote:Dammit.  My source is gone!!!!
[right][snapback]259091[/snapback][/right]

Don't worry, I'm sure that you guys will find another event to Kancel.

:lol:

Congrats anyways.

[meford4u]

OAC_Sparky,Mar 1 2008, 01:32 AM Wrote:

meford4u,Feb 29 2008, 02:58 PM Wrote:Dammit.  My source is gone!!!!
[right][snapback]259091[/snapback][/right]

Don't worry, I'm sure that you guys will find another event to Kancel.

:lol:

Congrats anyways.
[right][snapback]259137[/snapback][/right]

I Kancelled an event?

[OAC_Sparky]

I seem to remember something about Aaron driving a van to an event.

Is it officially a Kancel if the event goes on without you? I would think it might at least be considered a kancel with a small "k". :lol:

[DD1]

so let me get this straight you guys let every other mexican's run over teh border but they will not let you out??? Or is it our government doesn't want you???

Are you on any no fly lists??

[torradan]

Thanks guys :)

puppet: I can still get the hook up for tickets.

meford: the depot is still open for business

DD: They don't put whitey on no fly lists :) The gov't is just dragging their feet with my application, because thats how my luck goes.

[DD1]

all my best wishes to you my internet friend

I don't give wishes out oftend so please feel honour

[torradan]

little update..

after a VERY long day at the consulate, I finally have my temporary permit! Now I have to get the work permit, and apparently I may have to deal with the HRDC crap to actually get the work permit.

Stopping at customs tomorrow on the way to Toronto to get the actual permit with my picture on it and stuff, and going to play dumb about asking for the work permit application.

---

If you've ever gone to the Consulate in Buffalo -- pray you never have to.

Its boring. Very boring. No magazines, no newspapers, no books (brought two - couldn't have them on me), no music, no tv, no games (i brought my Nintendo DS with the mod card loaded up to pass the time), phones had to be powered off.

Sterile looking waiting room. Gray floors, eggshell yellowish walls, flourescent lights (thank god they didn't buzz), hard orange plastic chairs you just can't get comfortable in. BIG wall clock so you can see just how long you've been waiting. Tried counting ceiling tiles but kept losing count.

The timeline also sucked eggs:
7am - got to the lobby of HSBC Center early to get at the front of the line.
8am - got in trouble for leaning against the wall. Check documents/passport, take us up to the actual consulate. Turn in documents. Get a number and wait in the uncomfortable waiting area. Wait about 30 minutes and cough up another $200 for the cause. While paying, I notice a post-it on my application that says "no can process -- needs original documents". I just sent them new updated background checks in JANUARY. Lets get our act together here, you have my file number plastered all over the place. I get very nervous and pissed off because of this note, yet they still take my money. Two people other than myself spoke English, so we tried to keep ourselves occupied. So 3 out of about 30 people. Higher ratio than in Scarborough.
11am - called into interview room, got brief news, spoke about the copies of my background checks, and I am to discuss that with the Immigration Officer and was told to come back at 1pm.
11am-1pm - stuck in the lobby of HSBC again. Found a Tim Hortons (yay!) and got a coffee. After I finished the coffee, I realized there are NO public restrooms. Great. 90 minutes of waiting left, and I just had coffee.
12:30pm - my bladder is about to burst. Consider going outside and peeing on a wall. Decide against it, too many people on lunch break.
1pm - Go back up to the consulate. Right now its just me and a Polish guy. So we talked for a while until he was called, and then he left around 1:30pm. So there I am all alone again, nothing to do.
2:20pm - get called for the REAL interview.
2:45pm - dismissed from interview room (which came from a scene in a movie where the inmate is talking to his lawyer, minus the telephone on the wall). Told to wait in the waiting area (alone again) for the papers to be finished.
3:00pm - employees start leaving.
3:15pm - more are leaving, I'm still sitting there.
3:30pm - most are gone now. including the cleaning people.
3:45pm - I finally get called to the window to get the letter I need to take to the border.

So that was my totally boring day!

During the interview, the immigration officer was extremely polite, and answered all of my questions in laymen's terms. Said she is the one dealing with my permanent residency application -- she and her supervisor have approved it, but apparently its reached a slowdown at the office in Ottawa who have the final say.

[ZX5focused]

gotta love the government!!!

glad to hear everything is working out for you though! what are your plans for work? do you already have something set up for when you can work or are you gonna worry about that when the time comes???

[torradan]

Until PR finished..

I need to find a job, have an interview, get an offer letter which then has to be included with the work permit application.

Also if it has to go through that HRDC garbage, I need a file number from them stating that the job won't be taking a job away from a qualified Canadian. (or something like that).

My thought on this is -- if they chose me for the job, evidently there isn't a qualified Canadian the fill the job, duh.

[NefCanuck]

Ah, dealing with government.. enough to make you want to drink, but there's worse....

Try dealing with lawyers working for the government <_< :(

Re: The immigration office description, our offices used to look like that until we reno'ed the place back in '01 :ph34r:

NefCanuck