Life Without Borders

Advice - Part II

So now that I've had some time to process (and freak out) from my trip to Toronto I thought it might be helpful to put out some new advice about immigrating:

Banking:
Banking is very different in Canada from the U.S. Every bank (with the exception of a few private ones) will charge you a monthly fee to use their services, and they won't waive it if you get direct deposit. In addition, they have a different type of debit system then we do - most places use Interac whereas we use VISA...so your Debit Card doesn't look like a Credit Card.

You don't need a SIN number to get a bank account but you do need your landing documents and Passport Visa showing that you can legally reside in Canada (even though you haven't landed yet.) I was able to enter Canada this last time on my birth certificate and ID, which bypassed me needing to show my passport which would have required me to land. This is all going to change January 1, 2007 when all airline U.S. passengers entering Canada will need a passport, and on January 1, 2008 when all U.S. land border crossings will require a passport too.

If you have the time, means and ability I advise you go and open up an account at a Canadian Bank before you land. Bring a friend with you who will allow you to use their Canadian address (they have to show proof of address.) I opened a chequeing, savings and U.S. Dollar Account using Bob & Geoff's address. The U.S. Dollar Account will be helpful in allowing me to pay my student loan in the States and the one credit card I'm keeping in order to keep my U.S. Credit active.

The other benefit of the U.S. Dollar Account and in opening up a bank account in Canada is the fact that I will now be able to do a wire transfer from my U.S. Credit Union directly into my Canadian U.S. Dollar Account before we leave. No need to carry big wads of cash over the border, and I'll have access to the money right away once we land.

Finally, one difference in culture between the U.S. and Canada is online banking. At least in Colorado, we are still very big on writing checks for bills and purchases, and on-line banking is not very friendly or secure. Canada on the other hand has embraced on-line banking - Bob showed me how he could even pay his rent on-line. Perhaps it's because of the fees the accounts charge per transaction and on-line banking is fast, simple and free, but Canada is leaps and bounds ahead of us.

Advice - Correction

I knew it was too easy at the DMV...sigh.

Matt was gracious enough to leave a comment in my advice post regarding his experiences moving from New York to Toronto. I checked my record and indeed it had my issue date as last year when I renewed my license...so it looks like I only have one year's worth of driving experience.

I went to the Colorado DMV Website, and found out that yes indeed, Colorado does offer CERTIFIED Driving records. Apparently, "Joe" down at the DMV on Monday must have not had his afternoon break and forgot to tell me, but they are only issued at the Main HQ.

So, I make my way down there and find myself in a government sponsored habitrail system. I eventually made my way through a maze and drew number 194 (they were serving 152.) When my number was called, like a parched man making his way to an oasis in the desert, I got to the counter. I explained my situation and "Margo" the lovely DMV Lady told me I needed a FULL CERTIFIED Record which goes back 10 years and shows renewals. Sure enough, a few minutes later I had a notarized, certified and bonafide driving record showing my three renewals since 1994 and also my three speeding tickets during the same time (damn...)

So, to those soon to be ex-patriates please take note and correct my last post.

:-)

Advice - Part I

I have the feeling that the advice "Title" will be showing up more often in the next few weeks as I make more posts.

Today was the first full business day since getting our Visas so I set out to take care of some business. I did my research this weekend through a number of websites and blogs in order to come up with a master list of the things that need to get done. I even got a portable file folder so that I could organize all the crap I need to get done. Can you tell I work for a bureaucratic governmental organization?

Driving Records:

Before you leave you need to get a copy of your driving history. It's not one of the things you instantly think about, but in reality how is Canada going to access your states' driver database? Some places may call it an "abstract", but more then likely it's just your driving history (at least that's what they call it in Colorado.) You'll need it in order to get Canadian auto insurance.

So I made my way down to the Denver Department of Motor Vehicles...that in itself earned me the right to some Ben & Jerry's tonight. After waiting for about an hour in the cramped quarters, I paid my $2.20 and got my driving record. When I asked them to certify it with a stamp they looked at me like I was speaking Japanese. Oh well...it'll do, I hope.

I've lived in Colorado for 12 years so this was enough for me, but if you recently moved, or haven't lived in your state for more then 7 years I recommend you try and get your records from the other places you lived.

Credit History:

Most books and websites recommend that you bring copies of your credit report from the big three credit bureaus - Equifax, TransUnion & Experian. After emigrating, you will have no credit! (Great for bankruptcies I guess...) Some books I have read state that if you give your Social Security Number to Canadian Banks and ask them to run a US credit report they can since they only use one of the companies - Equifax. Don't chance it. You can easily print out a copy of your credit reports online now.

A second recommendation was to get a "Letter of Credit Standing" from your main banking institution and any credit cards you use. I decided to go to my Credit Union and see if they could help me out. After the whole, "Wow, Canada huh? Why?" they got to work. It took a few phone calls to the main branch but eventually they figured it out and gave me a letterhead with a paragraph stating I've had accounts with them, I paid on time and they considered me in "good standing", I think that'll do.

Whew...and that's just the tip of the iceberg.