本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛.. Well, there's always Canada
By Charles Leroux
Tribune senior correspondent
Published November 5, 2004
"That's it! I'm packing up the family and moving to Canada." a release of steam after a bitterly contested election season. We've heard it before -- notably in
Most of this sort of talk is just that: a release of steam after a bitterly contested election season. We've heard it before -- November 2000 -- but there was, Canadian government sources inform us, no significant uptick of angry American applicants for permanent residency after that election.
But maybe you are serious. Before turning north to settle in the land of maple leaves and maple syrup and hockey and Mounties and Canadian bacon, here are some things you ought to know:
You'll need to fill out an application for permanent residency and pay an assortment of fees that, depending on the composition of your family, could be more than $1,000. The application will ask about your citizenship, where you were born, your spouse, any previous spouses, your occupation, your language skills in English and/or French and where in Canada you'd like to settle.
There are other forms for family members who are going along. All of you need to get medical checkups and file forms.
Your car needs to be approved for safety and emissions. Doubtless there's a form.
You can't bring a whole bunch of things into the country -- firearms (with some exceptions), more than 200 cigarettes (any excess will be taxed) artifacts with historic significance to other countries (except family heirlooms), endangered species ("liberal Democrat" isn't specifically mentioned).
There are a variety of categories under which you can apply -- skilled worker, entrepreneur, self-employed, etc. -- each with specific requirements to be met, including forms. Having a solid job offer isn't necessary, but it helps, so get it in writing.
It also helps to have a relative or some other sponsor who is Canadian. (They can file forms on your behalf.)
Applications go to a processing center in Buffalo. In-person interviews are required; applicants can go to New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Buffalo or Seattle for the official once-over.
We wondered, do disgusted U.S. citizens truly migrate north if their team doesn't win?
"It's too soon to tell" this time around, said a spokesman for Canadian Citizenship and Immigration minister Judy Sgro. "I can tell you that the immigration figures from the U.S. over the past 20 years have been pretty much stable. In the past decade, it's been around 5,000 a year. For 2004, year to date, it's 5,363."
Still toying with the idea? You can check page after page of information at www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html.
That's where we found this bucket of cold water for anyone with the fever to leave: Once you file the forms and pay the fees and show up in person for your interview, it takes 6 to 40 months to get the go-ahead.
If that's true, any would-be political expatriate could be leaving for Canada just as regime change 2008 heats up.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
By Charles Leroux
Tribune senior correspondent
Published November 5, 2004
"That's it! I'm packing up the family and moving to Canada." a release of steam after a bitterly contested election season. We've heard it before -- notably in
Most of this sort of talk is just that: a release of steam after a bitterly contested election season. We've heard it before -- November 2000 -- but there was, Canadian government sources inform us, no significant uptick of angry American applicants for permanent residency after that election.
But maybe you are serious. Before turning north to settle in the land of maple leaves and maple syrup and hockey and Mounties and Canadian bacon, here are some things you ought to know:
You'll need to fill out an application for permanent residency and pay an assortment of fees that, depending on the composition of your family, could be more than $1,000. The application will ask about your citizenship, where you were born, your spouse, any previous spouses, your occupation, your language skills in English and/or French and where in Canada you'd like to settle.
There are other forms for family members who are going along. All of you need to get medical checkups and file forms.
Your car needs to be approved for safety and emissions. Doubtless there's a form.
You can't bring a whole bunch of things into the country -- firearms (with some exceptions), more than 200 cigarettes (any excess will be taxed) artifacts with historic significance to other countries (except family heirlooms), endangered species ("liberal Democrat" isn't specifically mentioned).
There are a variety of categories under which you can apply -- skilled worker, entrepreneur, self-employed, etc. -- each with specific requirements to be met, including forms. Having a solid job offer isn't necessary, but it helps, so get it in writing.
It also helps to have a relative or some other sponsor who is Canadian. (They can file forms on your behalf.)
Applications go to a processing center in Buffalo. In-person interviews are required; applicants can go to New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Buffalo or Seattle for the official once-over.
We wondered, do disgusted U.S. citizens truly migrate north if their team doesn't win?
"It's too soon to tell" this time around, said a spokesman for Canadian Citizenship and Immigration minister Judy Sgro. "I can tell you that the immigration figures from the U.S. over the past 20 years have been pretty much stable. In the past decade, it's been around 5,000 a year. For 2004, year to date, it's 5,363."
Still toying with the idea? You can check page after page of information at www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html.
That's where we found this bucket of cold water for anyone with the fever to leave: Once you file the forms and pay the fees and show up in person for your interview, it takes 6 to 40 months to get the go-ahead.
If that's true, any would-be political expatriate could be leaving for Canada just as regime change 2008 heats up.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net