Canada Cookies

Five days after the big ceremony, I still have to pinch myself from time to time. I. Am. Canadian. God, I love it.

A lot of people around me are quite curious about it. Can I get dual citizenship? Yes I can, I didn’t lose my French citizenship. How long did the whole process take? The citizenship process took 11 months, but I had been in Canada for almost five years before that. Do I feel different? Well, yes and no. I feel like I achieved something. I am what I am, a bit of this and a bit of that I guess.

This got me thinking. I was born in France, of French parents, so I am French. No-brainer here. But because I left the country right after graduating from high school, little by little, I lost my French identity. Obviously, I adapted to Canada — this was bound to happen. But I also lost it in a very practical way. For example, as a French, I was covered by the French health care system and had a health card (carte de sécu). Well, because I stopped living there, it’s not valid anymore. I’m not sure what the requirements are to keep your health coverage in France but my card stopped working sometimes in 2006.

I used to vote in France. Well, basically, I would go to the French embassy in Ottawa and fill up the papers to give my father my proxy. I believe that voting is both a right and a responsibility and I was happy to do it. I vote for the presidential elections. I vote for something else, can’t remember what. And then next thing you know, it was the municipal elections, and then the European referendum on the Constitution, and then the regional elections… and then I got lost. I didn’t know the candidates, didn’t live anywhere in France and frankly, I couldn’t have cared less who was winning. I just didn’t have an opinion because. I had lost the taste for French politics.

I slowly started to remove all my French IDs left in my wallet to make some room for the Canadian ones. A carte de sécu for an Ontario Health Card, a carte d’identité for a permanent resident card, a carte d’électeur for a library card…

Eventually, all of my IDs expired and I didn’t renew them. Dealing with the French consulate in Toronto (since the embassy in Ottawa is now basically useless) was too much hassle. I was left with only one piece of valid ID– incidentally the most important one: my French passport, issued in 2003, and valid for 10 years.

Meanwhile, I had obtained all my Canadian IDs as I had many rights as a permanent resident: full access to the job market, social benefits and health care. The only things I couldn’t do were voting and applying for a Canadian passport.

I loved the irony. I had no status in France but I had a French passport, and my life was in Canada but I couldn’t vote nor have a passport.

It became less funny when, last year, the French administration suddenly remembered I existed. My parents received a letter for me: I was called for jury duty. But not just any jury duty: a several months long murder trial jury duty.

Shit, or rather, merde. What the…?

Well, because I never really “moved” to Canada, I never informed the French administration that I had left the country. It’s a bit of a grey area here. If you move later in life, when you have a job, property etc. obviously you have to deal with taxes, closing bank accounts etc. But in my case, I went to work to Hong Kong right after I graduated from high school and attended university in France while I was traveling and while later I was in Canada (and yes, I graduated in case you are wondering). That’s it. I have never really worked in France (except for a few very temporary positions) so I didn’t have to pay taxes. I have never rented a place, my official address is still at my parents’. I had no belonging, no properties so I didn’t move officially. I simply started spending more and more time abroad till the day I became a permanent resident in Canada.

So apparently, I had no rights to health care, benefits etc. in France (sounds logic) but I could be called for jury duty. Weird.

I sent a letter explaining that I was now living in Canada, working, and that I wouldn’t be able to attend a several months long trial. I do take my duties seriously, but I would have had a hard time completing this one.

It wasn’t a problem since I never heard from them after that. But it got me thinking. What did having French citizenship mean to me? And how about Canadian citizenship?

I’m glad I became Canadian. I chose this country as my new home and I plan to fulfill my duties as a citizen. I don’t mind being French either and I will always be European, at least to a certain extend. But I don’t care abut Bastille Day, I can’t sing La Marseillaise, I don’t vote anymore… I don’t even speak French on a regular basis…! I’m certainly not using my rights as a French citizen (although I do complain from time to time) nor fulfilling my duties. Weird.

How about you guys? Expats, immigrants, newcomers, new citizens? How do you deal with having dual citizenship, or living abroad? Do you still vote back home, celebrate holidays etc.?

The Canadian Parliament In Ottawa

Welcome to my new series, “How to immigrate to Canada“!

I recently received quite a lot of emails, asking me questions about the immigration process. So I decided to explain the whole process in 10 posts, which will be published every Saturday.

I also encourage you to ask any question you may have. I’m not an immigration consultant, but from experience, I may be able to point you to the right direction!

In the series, we will see the different options you have to come to Canada, as well as your rights and duties as a Permanent Resident, what happens after you arrive etc.

To end this series, I’d like to provide a list of useful links.

Official websites:

• Citizenship & Immigration Canada: this is the official website of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, and the place to learn more about the immigration categories, download your applications etc.
• Immigration Quebec: and this is the official website of the province of Quebec for immigration informations.
• Going To Canada: this is another government website to help you plan a temporary visit to Canada. It also gives you great info about immigrating to Canada.
• Welcome to Canada: what you should know. This is a very informative series on the CIC website. It covers housing, health care, the tax system, looking for a job etc.

Personal websites

• Los Zieglers In Canada: this Argentinian family, based in Ottawa, is a well of information for Canadian life, news, culture etc. Aquí se habla español… pero se puede comentar en Inglés!
• Una Nueva Vida En Canada: este es un blog español también. Aiglee, el autor, es de Venezuela y vive en Toronto.
• How To Live In Canada: the author, Gean, is from Brazil and blogs about all things Canadian, from an immigrant’s perspective. The blog is in English (thanks God, my Portuguese sucks!).
• A Canada Immigrant’s Blog: written by a permanent resident in Toronto, it deals with all things Canadian.

General websites about immigration to Canada

• Loonlounge: an immigration and settlement community. It also has a forum.
• The British Expat Wiki: this Wiki aims at British Expats, but its articles on Canada are quite informative and can benefit every prospective immigrant. It covers education, how to find a job, etiquette in Canada, challenges immigrants may face etc.

Immigration forums

Just a word of advice for forums: immigration forums can be incredibly frustrating. First of all, there are usually more questions than answers. Second, you may get a lot of unwanted emails or private mails if you are shown to be already a permanent resident or a Canadian. And yes, in this case, some people will ask you to marry them to help them immigrate to Canada. Just ignore them…

• Settlement.org: this website is for people who will settle in Ontario. It has great info about immigration but also about local issues, such as housing and the health care system. The forum is busy enough.
• Canada Immigration Forum: this is an immigration lawyer’s forum. The forum is quite busy, with a lot of categories.

More websites about Canada

• Moving Here, Staying Here: a virtual exhibition on immigration to Canada from the early 19th century to the Second World War.
• Canadian Info Collection: this old style website has great information about Canadian culture, history etc.
• Patriotism Canada: has a similar collection of Canadian facts, humor and articles.
• The Toque: Canadian humor.

If you want to suggest other useful links, use the comment form below!

This is the last and 10th post of the How To…Immigrate To Canada series. Hope you found it useful!

A new series will start soon.

We arrived at the Sciences and Technology museum around 11:00 am. It didn’t start very well: it was raining and there had been a power outage and we queued in the dark. Have you ever tried to sign a bunch of papers with the help of a flashlight? Not my best signature, I’d bet. I signed the media release (because the ceremony could be taped), certified that I wasn’t a criminal, handed out my permanent resident card and was finally allowed in the museum’s auditorium. Feng and my friends sat at the back and I was at the front, along with all 117 citizens-to-be… from 49 countries!

We waited in the dark for a while but eventually, the power came back. Phew. The clerk introduced herself and we all rose for the judge, her honor Suzanne Pinel to enter.

The judge’s speech, part of it in French and part of it in English, was very moving. She welcomed us all in Canada, and stressed on our new rights and responsibilities. She also acknowledged that the road to come to Canada may have been difficult and she thanked us for choosing it as our new home: “you can be whatever you want here and you have already succeeded to me“.

Citizenship Court Judge led everyone in reciting the Oath of Citizenship, as we all stood, the right hand risen:

I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Then, we all received our citizenship certificate, the citizenship card, a small Canada pin and a Canadian flag from the judge. We even got free museum passes! Judge Pinel took the time to congratulate us all one by one, and said something nice to each of us.

We all rose again to sing “O Canada”, the national anthem… my first time singing it as a Canadian. Judge Pinel invited all the kids to come on stage to sing (she is also a famous children entertainer!) and I saw a few wet eyes here and there.

No more permanent resident card for me. I’m now the proud owner of a Canadian citizenship card, plus a letter from M. Harper (I definitely wouldn’t vote for him but anyway…). Next step? Chaging my SIN card next week, and applying for a Canadian passport.

Can you believe that? I’m Canadian! Thanks Canada for adopting me, I promise I’ll be good.

Juge Suzanne Pinel	Getting my Citizenship Card And Certificate From The Judge...
I Am Canadian!	Not A Permanent Resident Anymore...
Vive Le Canada!	O Canada And The Letter From M. Harper

Like every year on July 1st, the crowd gathered on Parliament Hill to celebrate. And like every year, I couldn’t believe how busy it was…! Apparently, from 150,000 to 300,000 people usually come.

This Canada Day is a bit special to me since I will become a Canadian citizen this Friday. So I walked around, from Parliament Hill to the Byward, from Rideau Street to Kind Edward, taking pictures and enjoying a small burst of patriotism. Hope you don’t OD on Canadian flags!

There were people eating, dancing, skating, trampolining, biking, walking, singing everywhere. Ottawa is definitely the place to be to celebrate Canada!

Parliament Hill	Canadian Flags
The Snow Birds	Proud Canadians
Singers	Crowded Parliament Hill
Selling Canadian... Everything!	Little Flags
Flying Man?	Entertaining Kids
100% Canadian Spectator	Inside The Teepee
Family Eating Poutine	Drummers
Skating (training for Vancouver 2010?)	Dancing In The Street

Cowboys In Ottawa!

Summer is definitely here: hot and humid weather, checked. People on holidays? Checked. Canada Day and a bunch of cool festivals coming up? Checked. Outdoor BBQs? Checked.

North Americans love BBQ. Well, the tradition is best honored in Southern US, but Canadians like it too. And every year, the Sparks Street BBQ contest attracts a lot of people. Eleven teams from across Canada and the USA “compete” for the best ribs and the best chicken pieces. It is a lot of meat — basically, a vegetarian nightmare.

Sparks Street is right behind Parliament Hill and surrounded by government buildings, so for a lot of people, the event is the chance to pick up something a bit different for lunch. You wouldn’t believe the lineups! Well, I guess the smell of cooked meat makes it hard to resist…

Hot Sauces	Napkins, Forks, Sauce... All set!
Flavoring The Ribs	Yummy Meat!
Little Piggy	Trophees
Hard To Miss Banners!	Cooking, Cooking...

The Canadian Parliament In Ottawa

Welcome to my new series, “How to immigrate to Canada“!

I recently received quite a lot of emails, asking me questions about the immigration process. So I decided to explain the whole process in 10 posts, which will be published every Saturday.

I also encourage you to ask any question you may have. I’m not an immigration consultant, but from experience, I may be able to point you to the right direction!

In the series, we will see the different options you have to come to Canada, as well as your rights and duties as a Permanent Resident, what happens after you arrive etc.

After you become a landed immigrant, you must apply for three very important pieces of IDs: a permanent resident card, a SIN card and a health card.

The Permanent Resident Card

This card will be the easiest to obtain, because you don’t need to apply for it! Once you become a landed immigrant, the officer at the entry point will ask you for an address and you will receive the card automatically, free of charge. And that’s it!

The Permanent Residence card is the proof of your status in Canada. It expires every five year.

You SIN Card

A Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a 9 digit number issued by the Canadian government that you need to work in Canada. It is very important that you apply for your Social Insurance Number card as soon as you can.

You may apply for a SIN card at any Service Canada center. Permanent Residents in Canada will need:

• The Permanent Resident Card issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, or
• The Confirmation of Permanent Residence and visa counterfoil affixed to your passport

You will receive a SIN number right away if you apply in person. You will then receive the card by mail within ten days.

You may also apply by mail, by downloading the application form and sending the supporting documents. It will take about 15 business days.

There is no fee to apply for a SIN number and to get a first SIN card.

Be aware that identity thief is a serious problem, so take care of your SIN number. Only provide you SIN number when it is legally required, for example, by your employer, financial institutions and tax services. You do not have to give your SIN number to complete a job application, or to apply for credit cards. See “who can ask for my SIN and when don’t I have to provide my SIN number?“.

The Health Card

Health Cards are issued by the provincial or territorial government and allow access to insured health care services. Each province or territory manages its own health system, so if you live in Ontario, you must deal with Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, if you live in Manitoba you will deal with Manitoba Health etc. To find out which ministry you need to deal with, check out the list here.

Because this is a provincial matter, regulations and requirement vary. Generally speaking, as a permanent resident, you are entitled to a range of health care services paid for by your provincial health ministry. Typically hospitalizations, surgeries, visits to your general practitioner, emergency visits etc are covered, which means that you just have to show your health card when using the services, and that you will not pay. Services which are not generally covered are eye exams, dentistry and cosmetic surgery. If you wish to be covered for additional services, you may buy private health insurance.

Everyone must have their own health cards, including babies.

Note that you may not be eligible for health care right after you arrive. Some provinces require a waiting period, during which you will not be covered. For example, in Ontario, coverage normally becomes effective three months after the date you establish residency in the province. New and returning residents are encouraged to purchase private health insurance in case you become ill during the waiting period.

In order to maintain your insurance coverage, most provinces requires that you make your primary residence in that province and that you meet physical presence requirements.

These are the most important IDs you should apply for when arriving in Canada. You will need them to work, prove your status, prove that you are entitled to benefits etc. So take a moment to do the paperworks!

My Magic Letter

When I saw the brown envelope, my heart just stopped for a few seconds. Could it be..?

I knew this envelope, with the little Canadian flag on it: it had brought me good news and bad news over the last five years. I was usually in a hurry to ripe it open, to read the letter inside. But this time, I paused. I didn’t know what to think of it.

Eventually, I teared the side of the envelop and pulled the letter out. Two pages, neatly folded.

“Notice to Appear to Take the Oath of Citizenship“

I closed my eyes for a second. I made it.

I opened my eyes again and looked at the date: July 3rd, 11:30 am. I will be Canadian next week, just two days after Canada Day! I didn’t say a word for a minute, processing the information.

I hadn’t expected my citizenship ceremony to be that soon. I took the citizenship test barely two weeks ago and we had been told that it would take from one to six months to take the oath, provided we passed the test and meet the requirements. I still can’t believe it.

This will be the end of my immigrant status, and the beginning of my life as a Canadian citizen. This is very symbolic for me. I arrived in Canada by chance. It took me some time to learn to like this place, and the few couple of years weren’t easy. But little by little, all the jigsaw pieces fell together.

I have been a visitor, a temporary worker and a permanent resident. I applied for countless visa extensions, a working holiday visa, the landed immigrant status and finally, citizenship. I went through three SIN cards and two health cards. I spent hours filling up paperworks and even more hours waiting for decisions to be made.

I remember how shocked I was the day I learned I had been granted permanent residence. Like for the citizenship, I hadn’t expected it so soon. At the time, my temporary visa was going to expired and I was prepared to go back to France and stay there for at least six months, according to my estimation of the visa processing timea. I had felt so lucky back then. Suddenly, I had stepped into a world of opportunity.

I feel the same today.

The day I officially became a landed immigrant, the officer informed me I could apply for citizenship by 2008. It had seem so far away at the time… I was happy enough I could live and work in Canada for as long as I wanted. Knowing I could apply for citizenship in the distant future was the cherry on the cake, but I was to busy eating the aforementioned cake to pay attention.

But about a year ago, I started to long for my Canadian citizenship. After all, my life was here now and I needed to complete this last immigration step to receive the official acknowledgment. I was surprised myself: it meant more to me than I thought it would. But after all, I left France seven years ago now and even though I will always, to a certain extend, be French, I also became more Canadian. Receiving Canadian citizenship is an honor for me and symbolizes the last step of the immigration chapter of my life. It also mean I’m home somewhere, in this big world.

And I was thinking of the practical side of having Canadian citizenship as well. In Ottawa, the biggest employer is the federal government: however, it is notoriously almost impossible to land a position if you are not a Canadian citizen. I missed voting as well: after all, I was part of this country and I wanted to be able to participate in the democratic process. Finally, traveling to or through the U.S became harder and harder in the last few years, even with a French passport: paying a fee, having fingerprints and pictures taken, and now having to apply for an electronic travel authorization… it didn’t make visiting our Southern neighbors easy.

So I applied for citizenship as soon as I met the requirement, in August of 2008. I knew the process was going to be long, a year minimum. And here I am, exactly eleven months later, trying to memorize the oath.

I can’t help feeling a little bit proud of myself. I wanted a new life in a new country and here I am, 26 years old, a citizen of Canada next week.

I just hope I don’t cry during the ceremony.

National Aboriginal Day on Victoria Island, Ottawa

National Aboriginal Day is a day for all Canadians to celebrate the cultures and contributions to Canada of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

In Ottawa, most of the celebrations took place on Victoria Island, in the middle of the Ottawa River. It was a great chance to hear some performers, browse a variety of crafts and enjoy the atmosphere.

As an “almost Canadian” citizen, I enjoy learning about all aspects of this country’s culture. I must admit that Ottawa isn’t usually the best place to discover Aboriginal’s culture so this was a great opportunity. I strongly believe that we, newcomers, need to acknowledge this wonderful culture and its contribution to Canada. There is a long history of prejudices and stereotypes in Canada and it’s also up to us to make it change. So celebrate Aboriginal culture!

I would also like to recommend a great blog I have been reading for a little while now: Urban Native Girl Stuff’s. The author, Lisa, is Tsilhqot’in and a Cherokee Dutch/Mexican girl currently living in Toronto. Her blog aim at “dispelling myths and stereotypes about Indigenous North Americans; to support and celebrate the artistic endeavors by Indigenous people“. She is also a pop culture fan — basically, you can not not like her!

Little Dolls	Little Boxes
Totem Pole	Animal Skin
Making The Crafts	Bear Sculpture
Violon Player	Aurora Finkle and Her Father
Feeding The Crowd!	Relaxing...

The Canadian Parliament In Ottawa

Welcome to my new series, “How to immigrate to Canada“!

I recently received quite a lot of emails, asking me questions about the immigration process. So I decided to explain the whole process in 10 posts, which will be published every Saturday.

I also encourage you to ask any question you may have. I’m not an immigration consultant, but from experience, I may be able to point you to the right direction!

In the series, we will see the different options you have to come to Canada, as well as your rights and duties as a Permanent Resident, what happens after you arrive etc.

Here are the answers to the ten most common immigration questions.

I hate living in my country, I’m desperate to come to Canada

I often receive emails that basically explain that. This is a tough one: as much as I can sympathize with someone living in a country at war, or with a lot of economical problems, there is no perfect answer.

Canada does welcome refugees. However, the situation has to be pretty severe in your home country: the applicant must “have been, and continue to be, seriously and personally affected by civil war or armed conflict, or have suffered massive violations of human rights“. This is not always easy to prove…

If you don’t fit in the refugee category, you may apply in one of the many immigration categories.

I don’t have enough point to immigrate through the skilled worker category

In order to immigrate in the skilled worker category, you must meet the minimum pass mark. You can use the free eligibility tools to see if your application would be eligible to be processed. For those who plan to settle in Quebec, take the test here, for those who plan to settle anywhere else, it’s this test.

If you don’t pass the test, it’s not the end of the world! Don’t send your application, because it won’t be processed. Instead, take some time to see if you can improve your chances of being selected.

The selections factors (education, language abilities, experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability) can usually be improved. Focus on taking some French or English classes, improve your work experience or take a trip to Canada. These can help you get more points! And don’t worry too much about finding a job in Canada before immigrating. This is every immigrants’ dream but it is notoriously difficult and CIC knows it… this is probably why you only get a maximum of ten points for it!

Am I too old to immigrate?

This is a touchy question. To immigrate in the skilled worker category, you get the most points between 21 and 49 years old. This is because Canada needs immigrants who will work, pay taxes, have children… and won’t retire too early. Studies probably showed as well that younger immigrants are more adaptable overall.

Cynical? Not really. Immigration meets a need after all.

If you are over 50, it’s not the end of the world. Some people managed to obtain the permanent residence, albeit with a lot of motivation and a strong plan. It is your job to show to you want to live in Canada, and that you are aware of the problems you may face.

What’s the best way to immigrate in Canada fast?

In short, in you are in a hurry to leave your country for whatever reason, don’t apply for permanent residence. No matter how loud you complain, processing your application will take a while: 6 to 12 months if you are lucky, much longer if you are not. This is just the way it is!

Take a second and think of it: Canada must evaluate whether you fit in the category you applied in, check your background, your medical results etc. in order to grant you the right to live in Canada. This is quite a responsibility!

There are some basic advices to make you your application gets processed as fast as it can, and to avoid any delays. But that is the best you can do!

On a side note, stay clear of any organization that promise a faster process. Nobody has this power.

Is it faster if I immigrate to Quebec?

This is a strong myth among the francophones. Because Quebec is French, a lot of applicants think it can be much faster to go through the Quebec process (which is a slightly different one).

However, be aware that immigrating through Quebec adds an additional step: the CSQ (Certificat de Sélection du Québec). Besides, waiting times are also long for Quebec now… so no, it’s not really faster.

Make your life easier. If you plan to settle in Quebec, apply through Quebec. If you plan to settle anywhere in Canada, don’t bother applying through Quebec and go through the regular process.

If I marry a Canadian citizen, will I be Canadian automatically?

The stronger myth ever…! In short: no, absolutely not. This is a common immigration myth.

First of all, to be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must have been a permanent resident first. There are some exceptions, like if you are adopted — but I don’t think this is the most common case!

Second, to be married to a Canadian citizen does not give you the right to come to Canada, much less live, work or study there. You may however be eligible to be sponsored by your spouse (the sponsorship category).

I was told to come for an interview, what it is about?

It is fairly common to be required to meet with a Citizenship and Immigration Canada Officer.

During the interview, the officer will typically check your credentials, test your language abilities and evaluate your chances to establish yourself successfully in Canada. This may be a chance for you to present a strong immigration project, as the officer may possess wide discretionary authority to accept you even if you lack a few points to qualify.

If you applied in the family class (i.e you are sponsored by a spouse), the officer will focus on evaluating whether the union is genuine or is a marriage or convenience. Questions will be asked about your relationship with your spouse: where did you meet, how did the relationship develop etc.

In any case, make sure you prepare your interview because this could be your chance to be accepted!

How do I apply for citizenship?

To apply for citizenship, you must first be a permanent resident. You are eligible after three years of permanent residence, and 1095 days of physical presence in Canada.

Applying for citizenship is relatively easy compared to applying for permanent residence. However, it involved a little bit of paperwork, a test and a sometimes long processing time!

My application was refused, what do I do now?

If your application is refused, you will be given a reason, such as not enough points because of lack of work experience, work experience not on the Canadian National Occupational Classification, lack of language skills etc. Basically, they give you something to work on, in most cases.

Being refused for security reason or because of a health problem is a much more complex problem, for which you may need specific help.

In the spouse category, the main reason for which applicants are refused is if the immigration officer believe the relationship is not genuine.

If you believe the decision was unfair, in most case, you can appeal the decision at the Immigration Appeal Division. Otherwise, you may improve your chance of being selected (such as getting more work experience) and re-apply for permanent residence.

Will my life be better in Canada?

Don’t we all hope!

Experiences vary greatly. Some immigrants embrace their new life, some have more trouble adapting. Even though everybody can have the occasional frustrating experience, generally speaking, prospective immigrants should do a lot of research before they apply for permanent residence to avoid disappointment.

Typical complaints involve not being able to work in the applicant’s field of choice (medicine, accounting, law are tricky because your experience in your home country may not be recognized), difficulty finding a job, problems adapting… A lot of these problems could be avoided by doing researches beforehand. So, be curious before deciding to come to Canada!

Beware of Bureaucrats! (street art found in Ottawa)

I have never been lucky with bureaucracy in France. In Fact, it’s almost a joke among my friends: my full name doesn’t fit on most applications, and I don’t fit in most boxes anyway. Somehow, I always ended up being the exception.

Moving to Canada turned my luck around. I find the Canadian government quite efficient and accommodating and so far, I haven’t had any major problem.

Until I decided to take some classes at university.

Last year, I showed up at the university to register for the summer session and everything went fine… until the woman realized I was French. “You need to take an English proficiency test“, she said. “Sure, where can I do that?“. She looked up at me, probably surprised by my eagerness: “the TOEFL will do“.

I came back home and registered to take the TOEFL test. It was early June and the closest test date was late August. I had realized, by then, that I wouldn’t be able to attend summer classes, but I didn’t mind too much. I spent the summer practicing for the TOEFL instead.

But two days before the test date, I received an email from TOEFL saying my test had been rescheduled… to October. Bye bye Fall session. I went back to the university and begged: “please, let me attend classes, and if I don’t pass the test in October, just kick me out!“. But the university was inflexible. I missed the Fall session.

I studied for the TOEFL again. It was rescheduled. Again. I was finally able to take the exam in December 2008, a few days before our Latina America trip. I passed quite easily: 115/ 120. Gee, thanks, I can speak English.

In April this year, upon coming back from the trip, I went to the university again, my TOEFL scores in hand. “Can I register now?“. “Sure, but in which program? Do you have the prerequisites?“

I explained I had a three years degree from a French university. That I had been working as a teacher for the past four years. That I had taken a few additional classes in linguistic and in history here and there, but hadn’t been able to complete my French Master degree because I had moved to Canada in between.

“Make a formal application and we will see if we can give you equivalences… otherwise, you will have to start from the scratch“.

Ouch.

Not willing to start in undergrad year 1 again, I gathered all the paperworks. It wasn’t easy: in France, universities are “free” but we have no services. My transcripts are just print outs with a half-erased stamps from the registrar office. I had to provide all the classes’ descriptions — this is where I realized that my degree didn’t exist anymore, thanks to last year’s reform in France. I had to prepare a resume because I’m considered as a “mature student” (at 26 years old!) and show my motivation to take classes.

I printed and copied until both machines died and applied.

I’m sure most North American are familiar with the process, but for a European, it is quite daunting. It is necessary to apply online, and then to bring all the documents at the university, where they are certified. Then, you just wait and see…because you may not be accepted.

So I sat and waited. Until the day when I logged on to the intranet to see my application status and saw it was “incomplete“. I was missing… the results of my TOEFL test. See, normally, TOEFL send the results to four university of the applicant’s choice. I had listed the two universities in Ottawa, so the results must have been there. Quod erat demonstrandum.

I went to the university with my own TOEFL report in case of. The copy of the report wasn’t accepted, but my original was taken.

I sat and waited some more.

A week later, my application was still incomplete. I went back to the university: “we don’t accept applicants’ reports, score reports must be mailed by TOEFL“. “But I already requested a report for you!“, I pleaded. “We don’t accept applicants reports…“. Gotcha. Since the university is bilingual, I asked if I could register in French instead. “You have to prove you speak French“. “But… I’m French“, I stated, unsure of whether is was a joke or not. “You have to prove you speak French anyway“. “I’m French“, I repeated, this time a bit louder. “How can I not speak French?“. “You have to prove you speak French“.

I was so frustrated I almost bought every chocolate I could find on the way home. I asked again TOEFL to send the results to the university. I paid again, of course. Apparently, it would take about 6-8 weeks.

I went back to the university with the printout of my test reorder. “See, I reorder the scores. Given that you already have the original of my test results, could you please make a decision on my application?“. “When we will receive the official scores“.

I argued that I was due to start the summer session soon, and that I was not going to take summer classes if my application for September was refused, that it was a waste of time. “Your fault, you should have applied earlier“.

As a Canadian, I’m way too polite, so I kept my mouth shut. But the French in me was seething with anger. I need to have some kind of Canadian education to improve my chances to get another job. I am willing to pay to go to university. I made it through immigration (and almost citizenship). I speak both official languages. And yet, I’m facing a wall of bureaucracy.

I really, really hope I eventually get accepted and get credits for my degrees in French.