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Hey guys,
my first post. I researched this about a 2 years ago because my girlfriend lives in South Jersey and I plan on moving down there someday. I looked into it and for a Canadian to just get a green card or visa it is pretty hard. I know I can open my own business down there and that will give me a visa, and I know about the whole marriage thing but I do not want to do that for the sake of moving there. I am in school right now for Software support so I figure that will help me when applying for a work visa.
I just find it really hard to get any solid info on this so I look to you guys.
Bring plenty of money. You will need about $10,000 a year for health insurance. Or just drive back up to Cornwall if you get sick. You can enter as a visitor and stay forever, since nobody writes down when you enter and when you leave, although officially you have to leave and come back every six months. There are plenty of casual work opportunities, just don't tell anybody you're Canadian. You won't be able to work at a regular job, but you can piece together a lot of part time or temporary things.
And here is the absolute source of correct, complete information, with all the links to all aspects of immigration to the U.S.: USCIS Home Page
As for "You can enter as a visitor and stay forever", that's not correct for four reasons:
-- it's a federal law that every person, no matter what their citizenship, MUST provide to employers, within two days of starting a new job, governmentally-issued documentation showing what their citizenship is and therefore their immigration status if they are a foreign citizen;
-- if you were to try the illegal method suggested, you would never again be able to travel on your Canadian passport;
-- to get a driver's license in any of the states you have to have documented proof of who you are, which, in this case, would NOT prove that you are residing in the U.S. legally;
-- and if you are caught you will definitely be arrested, and if convicted you'll serve time in U.S. federal prison and then be deported to Canada, with no chance of ever being allowed into the US. again... Some thoughts to consider...
Last edited by allforcats; 01-14-2009 at 08:41 PM..
Bring plenty of money. You will need about $10,000 a year for health insurance. Or just drive back up to Cornwall if you get sick. You can enter as a visitor and stay forever, since nobody writes down when you enter and when you leave, although officially you have to leave and come back every six months. There are plenty of casual work opportunities, just don't tell anybody you're Canadian. You won't be able to work at a regular job, but you can piece together a lot of part time or temporary things.
I've always had health insurance, and never paid anywhere close to that for insurance. Maybe $1500 a year tops.. and that was for a cheep skate company. Just as in Canada, there's a lot of myths about the U.S. health care system.
Not sure if insurance will cost $10,000. I guess it depends on what kind you get. If you have a family obviously it will cost more. Employers sometimes provide insurance. How good it is depends on the company. My Dad's employer pays for our insurance, but I think Dad said if they didn't, it might be like $5,000 a year.
I've always had health insurance, and never paid anywhere close to that for insurance. Maybe $1500 a year tops.. and that was for a cheep skate company. Just as in Canada, there's a lot of myths about the U.S. health care system.
Have you ever used your cheap health insurance, to find out how much they really pay for medical care? I bet they pay according to a schedule of treatments, and if you are lucky, they might pay 20% of the actual billed amount.
As for "You can enter as a visitor and stay forever", that's not correct for four reasons: .
But it is correct for one very good reason---when you enter from Canada, they might look at your ID documents, but they do not record the information, so there is no record of what date you entered. As long as you don't violate your visitor status in other conspicuous ways, your presence in the country as a visitor will not be questioned. This will certainly change in the future, and perhaps it already has in the case of some, but not all, travelers. But for now, I believe, a Canadian can enter the US as a visitor and there is no verifiable record of the date of entry, so the 6-month limit is on the honor system. In any case, it would be a simple matter to return from New Jersey to the border, make a U-turn, and come back in for another 6 months. I know a very large number of Americans who are earning money "informally"---if Americans can do it, so can Canadians. Jeez, he can sell things on E-Bay.
I suspect that our poster is going to find it so difficult to regularize his status in America, that he willl discover that this is his only realistic option.
Have you ever used your cheap health insurance, to find out how much they really pay for medical care? I bet they pay according to a schedule of treatments, and if you are lucky, they might pay 20% of the actual billed amount.
Actually, they cover quite a bit. I've rarely had to pay more than a $25 co-pay for anything. Even when my wife had surgery, they covered the majority of it.
By the way, it's Blue Cross.
The company I work for are cheap skates, not my ins. co.
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