Is that it's costing me a fortune. Both time and $$ wise.
I have an Australian passport.
In Canada I'm what is called a landed immigrant or permanent resident. I became a Canadian resident in 2000. The application fee was a few pennies under $1000.00. I had to have a full medical including lung xrays, blood tests etc. That was $100.00+. Then I had to have a criminal record check for every country I had lived in for 6 months or more. That meant Australia, Japan, The UK, Mexico and the USA. Each country charged me $85.00 - $100.00.
Now that I am a permanent resident I have to have a PRC - permanent resident card. It has to be renewed every 5 years. It's only $50.00. Plus a set of passport photos.
When I travel to the US on my Australian passport I have to get a visa waiver. It costs $6.00 each time. But I can't enter into the US in a private plane, or boat only on commercial flights. Which sucks when we live so close to the Washington State border, and Seattle is only an hours flight away as opposed to a 4 hour drive.
To be able to fly to Seattle in our plane I have to have a US visa, not a visa waiver. A US visa is $131.00. It's valid for 10 years - I think.
I spend a lot of time standing in queues or sitting in waiting rooms. For visa applications, to have photos taken, to get a guarantor's signature, to pay fees, for interviews, to drop off or pick up the approved document etc etc.
My applications for renewing my PRC, US Visa and Canadian Citizenship.
For the longest time I refused to apply for Canadian Citizenship. It seemed so final. My family are in Australia, lots of my friends are in Australia, I'm Australian and in my head and my heart Australia is still home.
So finally this year I did it. I applied to become a Canadian Citizen. I will still be an Australian Citizen and I get to keep my Australian passport.
I haven't heard anything about my application yet. So far I've filled in lots of paperwork. You know the thing.... list all the addresses I've lived at in the last 5 years, all the jobs I've had, every time I left Canada and for how long, all my medical details etc etc. If they approve the application I have to sit a test and go for an interview.
Are you one of my Canadian friends? Can you pass the test?
Wish me luck.