Advice - Landing/Border Crossing

There will be minimal to no stress if you are thoroughly prepared. Our landing was a relatively fast and pleasant experience.

We drove with our cat in our SUV from San Francisco across the U.S. to officially land at the CBSA facility at the Peace Bridge at Niagara Falls. CBSA confirmed our work permits, processed the temporary import of our vehicle and officially acknowledged/stamped/kept copies of both our mandatory declarations (Form) of personal belongings ("goods to follow" as well as those we brought with us). Our expectation was that they would also inspect our cat's required rabies certificate, our auto and accompanying belongings. All of which they opted not to do.

Immigration officials at the border can also issue Temporary Work Permits. We chose to obtain our work permits at the border during a prior week long visit to Toronto. Be advised that a CBSA agent inside the facility will not assist you if you have not received an entry slip given by the officer at the drive through booth as you cross the border. Why do I mention this? Because, during the prior week long visit to T.O., Eric and I tried accessing the facility from the Canadian side. It was a no go. We were instructed by an officer just outside the door to the building to return to our car, drive toward the U.S. border and take a specific U-turn just before we left Canada. This would allow us to re-enter the queue of cars just before the Canadian Customs booths where we would receive the required entry slip. OK. Sure. Whatever. Not the biggest hassle - but don't just think you can Waltz right in. Or maybe you can - Nah. Everyone we saw inside did have an access slip. 

Our moving company had actually arrived several days prior to our landing and the truck was being held in a GTA warehouse awaiting Canadian Customs clearance for delivery. With our landing papers in-hand, we acquired the clearance needed for delivery at the local Toronto Customs office on Front St. Once again, they opted not to inspect the truck or it's contents - our belongings.

Have all your documents ready. In our experience the more knowledgeable and comprehensively prepared you appear, the less scrutiny you will receive from the CBSA officers. If all is in order, scrutiny will be neither a concern nor a big deal anyway, but the less you get the faster you will be on your way. We were obviously very organized. Our documents were ready and in-hand almost before they were requested. We clearly knew what was expected of us and which documents would be necessary. They did not even inspect our cat's mandatory rabies certificate when we proactively presented it. And they were obviously impressed with our Declaration of Goods Lists, both of which were thoroughly detailed. 

All the CBSA agents we dealt with were incredibly pleasant. This was the case both at the border and also the customs office we visited on Front St. in Toronto. We had been told that they might go completely by the book inspecting everything in our car and moving truck. Or they might not. For example, having watched us from the time we parked the car, the several agents outside the border facility showed us and our vehicle neither interest nor concern. They did, however show others a great deal of attention. In my opinion, our demeanor and obvious preparedness went a long way toward an incredibly quick and painless landing experience. Food for thought.

As of June 1, 2009, a passport or similar document will be required to enter the U.S. when traveling by air, sea or land. Although currently one is not technically necessary to enter by land or sea, travelers are still required to prove citizenship. Here are the "official" details. What does it all mean? Anyone visiting you in Canada needs a valid passport. Now. Inform any family, friends, or expected house guests. More information, here. Click here for Passport Canada. And here for U.S. passports. 

Hindsight on the Immigration Process

Eric and I have now been in our Toronto flat twenty plus days. Nearly all of our belongings are unpacked and after weeks/months of complete disruption we have a functional home again. There are hints and glimpses of a new routine emerging. A much healthier diet is being consumed - healthier for me than the one I had in California! I am even exercising regularly! I would like to think that we have caught up on our sleep and are once more breathing properly. There are still a couple of critical tasks to accomplish but most have been completed. The light at the end of the tunnel is becoming very bright.

Though it might not seem so to those we know who watched it transpire, the time frame of our immigration process was incredibly short. There was absolutely no way we could have successfully navigated it without a massive amount of research beforehand. Much of the information gathered was done through the official Government websites of the U.S., Canada and Ontario. A lot more was done off of the blogs of experienced U.S. to Canada immigrants. Their advise was critical in many respects.

It is wonderful to live in the moment. Sometimes it doesn't take a crisis and one is fortunate enough to experience this through "benevolent" acts of their own - yoga, meditation, sports, painting, drawing or any of the arts come to mind. Immigration has been like that for me. Planning, completing the necessary actions, following deadlines - it's been nearly 24/7 for months. I admit I exaggerate a bit - there's been some down time interspersed between the completion of the tasks, applications, documents, forms, phone calls, etc. But there was always to-do and follow-up lists. Additional items were continuously being added to both. And it was all either critical to successful immigration to Canada or it's mere possibility.

Has all this ended? Is the immigration process complete? As I mentioned above and in prior posts - not exactly. We can live and work here legally for two years. We now have to wade through the current Canadian immigration environment to gain permanent residence. If that takes more than two years we can renew our work permits. I'll keep y'all* updated.

Many U.S. to Canada immigration bloggers have pulled information from a variety of sources and included it in their writing. This bevy of knowledge and experience can greatly reduce the work and stress of future US2Canada immigrants. Eric and I now have an intimate familiarity with the temporary work permit, border crossing and post-landing processes. If you are interested in such things, stay tuned and keep reading.

* I am a native New Yorker and have never lived in The South.

Thoughts on Our Journey Across the U.S.

Eric and I threw the cat, Caesar, his litter box and crate, several pieces of luggage full of clothes and some camping equipment into the car and drove away from San Francisco on Wednesday, July 23rd. The plan was to visit friends and family on the way to our final destination, our new home, Toronto, Ontario. We broke the trip up into segments, sometimes making stops only to sleep and taking extra time at others to see the sights and visit with friends or family.

We drove from S.F. to Las Vegas on the first leg of the trip. Neither of us had ever been to Vegas and figured if we didn't go there on the way to T.O. we never would. Gambling is not our thing and there are other destinations that interest us more. Still, despite there being casinos in many places all over the U.S., Vegas is unique and we decided not to miss the opportunity to experience it.

Our drive to Vegas began by leaving San Francisco as non-residents. We will, of course, return to visit. We both have family there we care deeply about. And a great group of friends. We may even move back permanently. It's an incredible place and a wonderful area in which to live. It is, though, very odd to close the door to your home knowing you will not re-enter...and then drive away. My brother and nephew hosted us at his house in Berkeley that night for a proper send off. Unfortunately my sister in law was travelling for work. We also stopped at the homes of Eric's brother and sister beforehand to say farewell to them.

The next morning we drove from Berkeley to Las Vegas. We stayed an extra day and spent much of that time at three of the larger casinos; the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace and the MGM Grand. Our hotel allowed pets as did all the accommodations we stayed in. Our cat, Caesar traveled in the car really well, though he did have some help thanks to some great drugs provided by our veterinarian in San Francisco. We also consistently set up a space in the car that we kept identical during every leg of our journey. Caesar became very comfortable, drugs or not, in "his" space right behind the driver and front passenger seats. He had an open crate, lined with a clean towel with space in front and on the side leading to his litter box. We made sure he could lay inside or outside his crate, that he had both food and water during the entire trip and access to his litter box at all times. Caesar is an older kitty, about sixteen - so we were keenly aware to reduce his stress wherever possible.

Las Vegas is a sprawling city in the middle of a desert. It has no business being there. It can only exists because of the electricity produced by the Hoover Dam and the water of the Colorado River. And the city obviously uses a lot of both. Vegas is dry. And hot - like an oven. Unfortunately we were in town at the end of July - the middle of the summer. I am not a big water drinker. I drank a lot of water. During one walk down the strip at about nine thirty at night I realized my eyelids were sticking to my eyeballs. Vegas is hot.

Las Vegas, is, however, amazing for just the reasons it can exist. The city is grand, flashy, and extremely over-the-top. There is never a minute you aren't reminded what keeps the city thriving; money, water, and electricity. The extreme amount of all three flowing into the city is beyond obvious, it is ostentatious.

We spent most of our time at three of the larger casinos; the Bellagio and the MGM Grand and Caesar's Palace. I have only gambled once before in my life. I left that casino, in Connecticut, with significantly more money than when I arrived. I did not have the same amount of luck my second time around. But it took me a day and a half to lose the money gambled, win back that amount and more and then lose almost all of it again. It was fun. I had a good time. I would do it again. We also attended a Cirque du Soleil performance. The scale of the theatre and the production was grand, staged on hydraulic platforms used at one hundred percent vertical as well as horizontal. And the renown athletics of the performers are even more impressive live.

Our next stop was Albuquerque for some sleep. New Mexico was surprisingly beautiful. The landscape was very diverse and I didn't realize how verdant parts of it would be.

Eric lived for several years in Denver so we made our way there to visit for an extra day. We had a very lovely time with Eric's friend, Christina, who hosted us at her house, made us a family dinner with her brother, sister in law and their family and allowed us to thoroughly relax. During our time there we also walked around Denver's downtown pedestrian mall and met up with a large group of friends for a dinner at a local restaurant.

After Denver we traveled through to Omaha, Nebraska only to rest and then on to Chicago. We stayed an extra day in Chicago, got a good nights sleep, toured the downtown loop, went to the top of the Sears tower to the observatory, and visited Boystown and had a couple of drinks. I've been to Chicago twice now and both times really enjoyed it.

Better rested thanks to our stay in Chicago we traveled to Pittsburgh, PA to visit with my mother and Step father. I haven't been to Pittsburgh in years and it was nice to visit with my mother and her husband and to allow her to show off her city a bit to Eric, who had never been before. He also got to add another state to the list of those visited. I believe he has been to most of them.

That was the last stop before ending our journey in Toronto. The last leg seemed the easiest. We had to stop at immigration and customs at the border between New York state and the province of Ontario to declare our "landing" and personal possessions. We were completely prepared and all went very smoothly.

Eric, Caesar the cat, and I successfully crossed the country ending our journey on August 2nd in T.O. - Toronto, Ontario. It was a good trip and I am very glad we made the opportunity happen.

Who Lives in Toronto?

Hello all. Just a short post to declare, "We've Landed!"

Our drive across the U.S. with our cat Caesar is finished. We crossed the border with "flying colours" having no issues with Canadian Immigration or Customs.

Having arrived early evening on Saturday, we've now been in our new flat on Oriole Parkway one full day. Our belongings are currently sitting in a warehouse somewhere on Front St. and we are expecting delivery in a day or so. I would like to sleep in my bed and not in the camping gear we brought along so cross your fingers for us.

Today we explored our new neighbourhood, had a bite to eat, attended the movie, "The Dark Knight" at the local cinema, and introduced ourselves to the grocery shopping at the Dominion up the street.

Happily, we have been exchanging text messages from our friends in San Francisco who are busy with the normal weekend frolic, wondering what our state of affairs are, and missing our company. We miss them, too, despite being pleasantly distracted by our new surroundings.

It's great to finally be here. More posts to follow regarding our trip across the U.S., our new home, and details about our landing as soon as I catch up on some sleep.

More Details

I felt like the trip was a huge success. All our goals were accomplished and I am reasonably certain we made good decisions. We left Toronto, Ontario, Canada in great spirits knowing that we could look forward enthusiastically to our "permanent" return.

A few notes though, for those of you who might be considering immigrating to Canada on a work permit. Do your research. Working and living in Canada can happen much faster by means of a work permit than by the permanent residence process. There are several professions that do not need a positive Labor Market Opinion beforehand to acquire the work permit. If you are in these fields and meet the requirements and also have U.S. citizenship it is merely a drive across the border with the correct documents and a meeting with a Canadian Immigration officer to be issued one. You won't need to have the FBI check or the medical exam in most cases. In the short term this will save you time and money. Please keep in mind that:

• the principle applicant's work permit must be issued for six (6) months or longer for the spouse and children to also receive one. All can apply on the same application.
  
• Canada has a much more relaxed definition for spouse than the U.S. Canada recognizes common law and conjugal partnerships for both hetero and homosexual couples as well as same-sex marriage/domestic partnership/civil unions etc. Documentation or other proof is required.
  
• for the principle applicant to be eligible for provincial health insurance their work permit must be issued for a period of at least six (6) months.
  
• the Canadian employer must intend to employ the principle applicant for at least three (3) years for the spouse and children to also be eligible for provincial health insurance (OHIP). A written statement by the employer is the easiest way to do this. In Eric's case, the LMO and Work Permit were both issued for two years but the three year intent to be employed is stated in both the signed job offer and contract.
• Employment can be terminated. The principle applicant must remain employed by the specific employer associated with the work permit to remain living in Canada.
  
• Work Permits are issued for a specific period of time and can be renewed before expiration.

From start to finish the process has been an incredibly quick six or so months. Almost too quick. Though immigrating through the Permanent Residence process might seem to take forever, that time may be very well spent getting ones affairs and minds in order. Our experience with the Temporary Work Permit process was so quick that occasionally I felt there wasn't enough time to properly plan. Keep in mind, "Luck favors the prepared" (gobblegobblegobblegobblegobblegobble). Though we did plenty of research, we were caught off guard several times and, luckily, the Universe provided us with an equal number of "safety nets". And remember also that work permits are temporary. We now have to apply for PR status or renew the permits before their expiration in two years. The upside, of course, is we'll be living and working in Canada while we do so.

Our Week in Toronto

We've come to Toronto for a week to set up our lives here north of the border. It's been a very successful trip. As they say, "hindsight is 20/20", and how we'll feel at a later date about the decisions we made this week will have to wait for a future posting. Today, however, we are psyched.

Our new place is in an area called Yonge and Eglinton. Technically "downtown" but not in the "core", it is a ten minute drive without traffic straight down Oriole Pkwy and Avenue Rd. from our front door to the "Gay Village" of Church and Wellesley. How important that drive or destination will be in the future remains to be seen. But, for now, "the village" seems important and it is good to know that we aren't a) too far away from "our people", and b) living in or too close to the gay ghetto (LOL). The flat is also a short block or so from Eglinton Ave. another ten to twelve minute drive to Eric's office on the same street. The Yonge and Eglinton subway is a slow ten minute walk from the house which, again, goes straight away past Bloor St. and Wellesley through to the downtown core. Very convenient. There is also a larger park right up the street as well as a smaller mall, movie theater, a branch of our bank and shopping strip within walking distance east on Yonge St. I have read there is also a more upscale variety of shops etc. west on Eglinton to discover. We'll see.

Our new place is on Oriole Parkway. It is a main floor flat in a two unit building. It offers hardwood floors in all of the rooms and carpeting in the hallway. There are two bedrooms and an office and one and a half baths. There is a formal dining room and living room separated by french doors. The master bedroom is big, has two closets and the half bath mentioned above. Extra storage is downstairs as well as shared laundry with the second floor unit, which is occupied by the landlord and his wife. There are numerous closets throughout. Another nice detail is some stained glass in the living room. Our unit also includes garage parking for two vehicles. And while there is a small yard between the house and garage, it is not completely fenced, which is unfortunate for our cat, Caesar, who is currently used to being able to go outside.

Our trip also included a journey back to the border to acquire our work permits which are issued by Canadian Immigration. A "non event" as someone else had written in their blog. I agree completely. We drove down to the immigration station at the Lewiston/Queenston Bridge with all the necessary documentation "required" and mentioned on both the Canadian Immigration website as well as the checklist provided for Temporary Work Permits. We even had the required "passport" pictures. Much of this was simply ignored or waved away when offered. Of the several documents they did take note of were the Labor Market Opinion issued by HRSDC and our Domestic Partner Certificate issued by the state of California. Our passports now officially stamped and stapled - we are both officially allowed to be employed here in Canada. Yippee!

We both had very good first impressions of our new city. It is very green. Walking the streets is a truly "United Nations" experience. It seems no specific group or type of people is dominant. They are all represented. The sidewalks and roads are clean. Very clean. The people are very polite and helpful. And friendly.

We had the pleasure of meeting up with Tom and Emilio from the blog, Canadian Hope. We all went to the Greektown section of Toronto and had lunch. Afterward they took us to an area of town called, "The Beaches" where we strolled the boardwalk and enjoyed a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. Tom and Emilio were great company and Eric and I look forward to hanging with them again once our move is complete.

We had a productive and successful week in Toronto and return to San Francisco tomorrow. We are still working out specific pick up dates with the movers, but the lease on our flat in Toronto begins August first and we are looking forward to exploring and creating our new Canadian home.

Toronto Travel Plans 6/29 - 7/6

Eric and I made our travel plans to Toronto the other day. Now that our LMO has been issued we can go get our work permits, find a place to live, open bank accounts, etc. Very exciting.

We'll be there a week, arriving Sunday evening, June 29th and leaving on Monday July 7th. We got a great price on a room at the Intercontinental in Yorkville, which is centrally located and very comfortable. The details of the trip have come together splendidly. Another bonus - Tuesday, July 1st is "Canada Day". On that note, I just had my Microsoft Outlook add Canadian Holidays to my Calendar on my laptop. I need to keep track of them now, don't I? (Eh?) It's a nice little detail that makes this adventure all the more real. OK, you can stop laughing at me now. No, really. Stop.

We will fly into Buffalo, which was several hundred dollars per person less expensive than flying directly to Toronto. I've been told the drive from Buffalo to Toronto is bleak and I shouldn't let it discourage me. Two unrelated people have told me that. Interesting. In any case, we would have rented a car in Toronto anyway and I don't at all mind the opportunity to see more of the surrounding area. We are also looking forward to experiencing Niagara Falls, which surprisingly, I haven't done despite living in Ithaca, NY for almost ten years in the '80's and early '90's. On the more practical side, we can collect our work permits from Canadian Immigration when we cross the border.

And then on to Toronto!

Labor Market Opinion Issued!

Eric's Labor Market Opinion finally came back positive! Yippee! HRSDC would only issue a two year LMO instead of the requested three. Apparently the labor market is too uncertain and three year LMOs are rare. Whatev...I called OHIP to confirm I would still be eligible for Provincial health care coverage and was reassured that the determining factor is the employer's intent to hire for three plus years not the length of the LMO or the Temporary Work Permit. The customer representative was incredibly polite and helpful, too. Time to plan our trip to Buffalo/Toronto to have the work permits issued, rent a house or apartment and start setting up our lives north of the border.

Hail the bureaucracy!

Apparently it is going to be approximately one more work week before HRSDC completes the LMO. As exciting as it would have been to receive an official decision today, this could be welcome news as it gives us additional time to plan our departure. Caesar the cat doesn't seem concerned.

**update** I remember checking the definition of "hail" and "hale" when I wrote this post and my "wonderful" (laughing) partner Eric has not so subtly let me know I picked the wrong word -gasp! This actually horrifies me to no end. It has now been corrected. I can now sleep soundly.

Still Waiting...

Just a short post to mention that we are still waiting for the Positive Labor Market Opinion to be issued. As soon as we have it in hand, we will by flying to Toronto to rent an apartment. Thanks to all for your input regarding suitable neighborhoods.

***6/2 Update*** HRSDC has informed Eric's Toronto employer (ETO) that the LMO will be completed by this coming Friday. Good news, I suppose! ETO also agreed to a later start date because of the additional processing time.

Oh, and going into its third growing season is my cute little backyard garden. Aside from a newly planted pine tree and un-killable bush (no jokes please) it was a virtual dead zone when we moved in. Much of the soil was as hard as concrete. Now significantly more verdant, I find worms and salamanders regularly and it is actually starting to look like something. Life supports more life. I am going to miss it. Click on the pic. :-)

Where in Toronto should we live?

These are the areas of Toronto (in no particular order) that have been suggested by you, the people. I believe we are still aiming for a June trip to Toronto to apartment hunt. We love to explore, so I am sure we will be roaming as much of the city as time will allow. Even so, these areas will be a great place to start. The poll is still open. If there are any more suggestions, click on "comments" and let me know.

• Yonge and St. Clair
• Yonge and Eglinton
• Cabbagetown
• East York (Old East York Village)
• Leslieville
• Kensington Mrkt.
• Riverdale
• Danforth (Greektown)
  
• Parkdale
• Liberty Village
  

Choosing a Toronto Neighborhood

Eric and I have a dilemma. We are not familiar enough with Toronto neighborhoods. We're hoping that we will be traveling to Toronto sometime in the beginning of June to rent an apartment and we have no idea where to focus. Yeah, we know the "gay" area is Church and Wellesley but other than that, where would a gay male couple want to live? I don't necessarily need to be in a gay ghetto/neighborhood.

We currently rent a two bed single family with a backyard and a garage but we've also really enjoyed living in a flat. I'd like to be near a subway station and have what I consider walk-ability. It would be nice not to have to drive every time I leave the house. Having some shopping, grocery, farmer's market, pub, COFFEE SHOP, etc. close by would be ideal. So would a park. Anyway...

What do you all think? What areas do you consider great to live in? And why? And what areas should we avoid? Any help is appreciated.

First Steps

The devil is in the details, so they say. The job offer needed to include a starting and ending date. these are going to be added. Other than that, all was good and now we have to apply for the work permit, hire movers, fly to Toronto to rent an apartment/open a bank account etc. and attend to all those requirements to cross the border. Do we need a medical exam-not so sure. I read something that said the requirement is based on how long one's work permit is. Eric read something else saying that US citizens don't need one for a temporary work permit. I am going to try and find out by phone on Monday through the Canadian Visa office in Los Angeles. So many aspects to cover.