Any Canadians with spouses in the US?

My SO has been studying in Philly for the past four years - next we're onto residency. Him and I have been together for a year and now are just waiting on the whole matching process to figure out what is going to happen next.

I have three children from a previous relationship so I am very weary about where I am wanting to pick up and move to. The other problem is actually getting IN to the US. I get hassled every time I go down to visit.

Apparently there is a visitors Visa that I could be eligible for - so I am going to look into that.

Anyway - my question is - did you move down to the US with your SO? How hard was it to get in to the US? Where did you move?

[madeintaiwan]

Is your SO a US citizen?

My mother was a Chinese citizen (she's since been naturalized) living in China but was granted a visa when my parents were married, and she came over to the US afterwards.

I assume it would be like other countries (I have to apply for and be granted a visitor visa when I visit China) in which if you want to stay for an extended period of time, beyond just a "visit," you would have to have someone in the US sponsor you to come over and then the grounds for you being here would determine your visa-- working, visiting family, marriage. Best of luck with that. I know that my mother never brought my grandfather over from China because it was a huge PIA for her to get a visa for him.

Hi Amber,
My DH is Canadian (born and raised) and left Canada for med school. Then couldn't get back for residency.
And now it looks like he won't be able to practice there when he is done either. They say his training here is not equivalent! So, looks like we are south of the border for good!!
We are lucky though because he has US citizenship through his parents, and I have a Green Card. Easier if you are married! So I don't have any advice on visas sorry.

Kirsty, S is also Canadian but I think he thought he would be able to practice in Canada eventually?? I didn't know they wouldn't be equivalent.
I will have to ask him about that too... man - I have so much new information from this site he is going to wonder what I have been doing all day

I am Canadian, and he is Canadian just studying there so I think the most I could do is visit with him there. I will have to look into that some more. I also have three kids - they are from a previous relationship so I am not sure how that would work.

Oh the joy of all the technicalities!

Kirsty - where in CA are you?

Well it varies by Province and by specialty. It is really complicated. It has taken us a long time to get the full information (getting info from the lisencing folks is like getting blood from a stone!!). In our case it is complicated because EM has a shorter residency in the US than in Canada. And secondly, our province (BC) is the pickiest!! We would be welcome in the prairies, but want to be on the coast!! We can go back there after either a further year of training, or after working for a couple of years. But after all this time we just really want to settle down, so it is looking like we will move to Washington State right now. That could change though, we have a ways to go!

And we are in LA. Plenty of Canadians here!

I am currently living in BC! Where in BC were you guys wanting to go to?
S and I are from the same small northern B.C town and eventually I think this is where he would want to come back to.

Where in northern BC? We love the north!
We did undergrad in Victoria. Would love to move to the island, but probably not Victoria because it is too expensive!

S did undergrad at UVIC too!! haha... oh it is a small world

We live about 6.5 hours north west of Prince George... a tiny town called Kitimat!
I am cracking up right now at how there is always SOMEONE who knows a little about Northern B.C!

That is so funny! My DH was actually born in Smithers, but didn't live there long. But, we have spent a lot of time in the Kispiox valley. DH's family have had property there for years and years. I have not been to Kitimat but hear that it is beautiful.
Wow Kitimat to PA sure it long distance! Very hard. I hope you can work something out.

Now that is just bizarre! My mom and I were just up in the Smithers area for a week staying at a lake called Round Lake. SO nice... we rented a cabin up there. Nice and relaxing

Yes, the distance has been quite interesting. It has been okay this past year - still lots of time to chat on the phone. I went to San Diego and visited him while he was there on an away rotation, and then again in Boston last month. Next month I will go and visit him in Philadelphia for a few days. He'll come home for a short visit in November, and then I hope to go to Philly again in March and for grad in May. We will see!! Distance isn't ideal that's for sure!

[MrsC]

Neither of us are Canadian and DH is a U.S citizen so our situation is somewhat different. But I have been through the immigration process and we were surprised at how everything worked out for us (you hear a lot of horror stories).
My suggestion is to speak with an immigration lawyer. We're actually in Philly so I can give you the name of the one we used if you like. They'll give you a free consultation and tell you what kind of visa to apply for, they handle all kinds of visa applications. There are so many loopholes and things we would never have known about if it weren't for our lawyer. It's been worth every penny for us.

That would be so awesome if I could get the number for the Philly lawyer.
I am not sure were S is going to end up - but it would be nice to speak to someone to get an idea of WHAT I am up against to get into the US.

And you're right, if it all works out it will be worth every penny

Thanks for the help!

[MrsC]

I just sent you a PM with the info.

Best of luck with it!

Thank you so much for that message
I am going to put that in my phone so I can get in touch when the time comes.
Much appreciated!!

We're in the reverse situation -- DW is Canadian, I'm US, we live in Alberta. But I got my Canadian permanent residency before she started MS-1. Not something we were waiting for in particular, but just how it worked out.

I got an immigration lawyer to finish my permanent residency, too -- the first one was a disaster but the second one (who came recommended by someone who had used his immigration services) was very helpful.

Back in the day we did US immigration without a lawyer, for DW to get her green card, but knowing how much a lawyer helps I would do it that way again if we ever move back.