- 10 Apr 2004
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This is really just a rant....
I'm interested in traveling around to many different countries and I'd like to be able to get a job in some different places and have an extended stay. As an American it's difficult because many countries don't offer work visas to Americans (I realize that's because America doesn't give work visas to nationals of other countries, and I understand why other countries would extend the same offer, or lack thereof, to Americans that America offers them, I'm not whinning but it still sucks). For citizens of Commonwealth countries (including Canada) it's much easier to get a work visa in many different countries all over the world, making the world a little more open to them. It seems like America still has a bit of a seperativist policy because people can't come in and work (easily) and American citizens can't leave and work (easily) especially in other English speaking countries such as England.
So my grandfather on my mother's side was born a Canadian citizen. I checked with the Canadian Consulate in Seattle to see if I might be able to get dual citizenship or something, but to no avail. The process is quite complicated and in the end the answer was that I didn't qualify. I wonder what I would have to do to become Canadian. Vancouver is only about a three hour drive from here, maybe I could move, it's a nice town. Besides, it seems that many people become Canadian because they actively don't want to be Americans, and sometimes I think I'm getting pretty close to feeling that way. Maybe I'm already more Canadian than I thought.
I've always thought of myself as being a citizen of the world and it sucks that I'm limited by being American (although I realize being born in certain other countries could have limited me a lot more). It just seems like the world is a little more open to Canadians and being Canadian doesn't have the same stigma that being American does.
Just thinking aloud.
I'm interested in traveling around to many different countries and I'd like to be able to get a job in some different places and have an extended stay. As an American it's difficult because many countries don't offer work visas to Americans (I realize that's because America doesn't give work visas to nationals of other countries, and I understand why other countries would extend the same offer, or lack thereof, to Americans that America offers them, I'm not whinning but it still sucks). For citizens of Commonwealth countries (including Canada) it's much easier to get a work visa in many different countries all over the world, making the world a little more open to them. It seems like America still has a bit of a seperativist policy because people can't come in and work (easily) and American citizens can't leave and work (easily) especially in other English speaking countries such as England.
So my grandfather on my mother's side was born a Canadian citizen. I checked with the Canadian Consulate in Seattle to see if I might be able to get dual citizenship or something, but to no avail. The process is quite complicated and in the end the answer was that I didn't qualify. I wonder what I would have to do to become Canadian. Vancouver is only about a three hour drive from here, maybe I could move, it's a nice town. Besides, it seems that many people become Canadian because they actively don't want to be Americans, and sometimes I think I'm getting pretty close to feeling that way. Maybe I'm already more Canadian than I thought.
I've always thought of myself as being a citizen of the world and it sucks that I'm limited by being American (although I realize being born in certain other countries could have limited me a lot more). It just seems like the world is a little more open to Canadians and being Canadian doesn't have the same stigma that being American does.
Just thinking aloud.