pogma

So, yesterday, despite the rain, my wife and I left Jessica at her Grandma’s and drove to the Border crossing at Emerson. Since it was such awful weather we decided not to go to Grand Forks for lunch, just to go to the border, turn around and come back (stopping at Canadian immigration to get all the necessary stamps, of course).

So, we got to the checkpoint for U.S. immigration and the guy asks “What is the purpose of your visit?”, so I reply, “I just want to do a U-turn and go back to Canada so I can become a permanent resident.”. As expected, we had to park the car and go into the office. Guy takes my passport, sits at his desk, asks if I’ve ever done this before, and proceeds to give me a piece of paper saying that I have been refused entry into the United States. I thought that was a bit odd until he explained that it was easier (and $6 cheaper for me) than giving me a visa waiver. I don’t know why he asked me if I’d ever done it before, it seems like the kind of thing most people only ever do once.

So, without having officially entered the U.S., we turned around and went back to Canada. The immigration people in Canada did not ask any questions, simply entered all my details into their computer and told me to sign a form, warning “If you write outside the green box, the whole process is cancelled and you have to reapply.” Well, the first time took 9 months and cost a couple of thousand dollars, so I was a little nervous signing my name, but luckily did not slip. The signature does not much resemble how I normally sign my name, of course, but that does not matter, does it?

Now I am a permanent resident, the drive in the rain along the very straight highway through the very flat plains was the easiest part of the whole experience, I do wonder if I am supposed to check the box that says “Have you ever been refused entry into the United States” next time I enter the U.S though.