Post by GuyOfOwnage on Dec 24, 2016 23:00:15 GMT -5
I very rarely post about my personal life on here, so this is going to require a bit of backstory to make sense.
My wife and I are married, but are still working on our dual citizenships so we can legally live in the same place. So that means we spend time on both sides of the American/Canadian border, and sometimes have to be apart just so one of us doesn't get in trouble with the other's country for overstaying. And before anyone asks, no, these days simply being married does not entitle you to live in your spouse's country. At least not in North America.
So my wife (who is American) has been really sick lately and isn't up to travelling. So absolutely no problem, I buy a Greyhound ticket, make all the necessary arrangements for when I'm out of town, and yesterday morning, I was on my way. Then I got to the American border in Buffalo, NY, where she's from. Keep in mind, I'm armed with everything they could possibly think to ask for, just because I know us going back and forth is going to arouse some suspicion from immigration. So they're asking me questions, and I'm answering everything with brutal honesty, because it's a lot easier to be brutally honest than to be caught in a lie at an international border crossing. I have pay stubs, I have recent rent receipts, I have pictures of our cat, I have Facebook chat logs, pictures of us together, I even have a hand-written and signed letter from her explaining the circumstances, a mountain of proof that we are who we say we are and that I have no intention of illegally immigrating. They start going back and forth talking and looking into things. Eventually, I get told I'm going to have to catch a later bus because I have to go into secondary inspection. Great.
So away I go into secondary inspection. I get called up a few times. I mention the letter, our Facebook logs, the pictures, people we both know. They have zero interest in any of that. They say to me, "Can you please write down all her contact information on this piece of paper?" Okay, a little weird, but no problem. They go away to call her. They say to me, "We keep getting her voicemail. Can you try?" So I try, but because I'm on the border between two countries, my cell phone isn't picking up any service. Lovely.
There's a bunch of running and forth. They try calling once or twice more. Nothing. I mention that she isn't feeling well and she's probably resting. That apparently didn't matter because I was told, "Well, if we can't get in touch with her, we can't confirm that she actually wants you here." Are you serious? I have everything here that quite succinctly states the contrary. But they weren't interested in any of that. And, inevitably, after spending 3 1/2 hours in secondary inspection, I'm denied entry into the United States and sent back to Canada. They indicate to me that I'm welcome to return any time I want as long as I have her on standby to confirm.
Due to various delays and miscellaneous bullshit (including having to pay $20 something to Greyhound to get the return date on my ticket changed so I could get even home), I got home around 4AM (after being on the road since 7:40AM the day prior) empty handed for the holidays, and because she doesn't really have any family left over there, the two of us are spending Christmas alone. I know my parents will invite me over tomorrow and that's wonderful, but that doesn't take away the sting and the pure, crushing sadness and disappointment of having to spend the holidays separated from the one you love.
My wife and I are married, but are still working on our dual citizenships so we can legally live in the same place. So that means we spend time on both sides of the American/Canadian border, and sometimes have to be apart just so one of us doesn't get in trouble with the other's country for overstaying. And before anyone asks, no, these days simply being married does not entitle you to live in your spouse's country. At least not in North America.
So my wife (who is American) has been really sick lately and isn't up to travelling. So absolutely no problem, I buy a Greyhound ticket, make all the necessary arrangements for when I'm out of town, and yesterday morning, I was on my way. Then I got to the American border in Buffalo, NY, where she's from. Keep in mind, I'm armed with everything they could possibly think to ask for, just because I know us going back and forth is going to arouse some suspicion from immigration. So they're asking me questions, and I'm answering everything with brutal honesty, because it's a lot easier to be brutally honest than to be caught in a lie at an international border crossing. I have pay stubs, I have recent rent receipts, I have pictures of our cat, I have Facebook chat logs, pictures of us together, I even have a hand-written and signed letter from her explaining the circumstances, a mountain of proof that we are who we say we are and that I have no intention of illegally immigrating. They start going back and forth talking and looking into things. Eventually, I get told I'm going to have to catch a later bus because I have to go into secondary inspection. Great.
So away I go into secondary inspection. I get called up a few times. I mention the letter, our Facebook logs, the pictures, people we both know. They have zero interest in any of that. They say to me, "Can you please write down all her contact information on this piece of paper?" Okay, a little weird, but no problem. They go away to call her. They say to me, "We keep getting her voicemail. Can you try?" So I try, but because I'm on the border between two countries, my cell phone isn't picking up any service. Lovely.
There's a bunch of running and forth. They try calling once or twice more. Nothing. I mention that she isn't feeling well and she's probably resting. That apparently didn't matter because I was told, "Well, if we can't get in touch with her, we can't confirm that she actually wants you here." Are you serious? I have everything here that quite succinctly states the contrary. But they weren't interested in any of that. And, inevitably, after spending 3 1/2 hours in secondary inspection, I'm denied entry into the United States and sent back to Canada. They indicate to me that I'm welcome to return any time I want as long as I have her on standby to confirm.
Due to various delays and miscellaneous bullshit (including having to pay $20 something to Greyhound to get the return date on my ticket changed so I could get even home), I got home around 4AM (after being on the road since 7:40AM the day prior) empty handed for the holidays, and because she doesn't really have any family left over there, the two of us are spending Christmas alone. I know my parents will invite me over tomorrow and that's wonderful, but that doesn't take away the sting and the pure, crushing sadness and disappointment of having to spend the holidays separated from the one you love.