Have you ever thought about moving to the US? I've been to Canada I thought it was realy nice but I had no idea the laws were so opressive.
I'm banned from the US because I woke up a CBP officer at the ambassador bridge at like 3am. cause I took a left instead of a right in Windsor and drove back into the US by accident, after waking them up my first comments were, is this Canada? (this was after driving to just south of Veracruz state and back from Ontario through the US and back) I also lost my license plate light in mexico and got cited for not having it after almost getting arrested for being a vegetarian at the border and fleeing the scene... (joke at that part sort of.. more for me than the Texans I'm sure), Ohio, Illinois and Detroit also had some close calls. (just a note I did attempt to replace the bulb but the town I stopped in at didn't have anyone who could identify the correct bulb, and it may have been the weekend and I was in a hurry to get back to Canada..)
I'm thinking it will turn into a lifeban but I have a little over 2 years left on the ban. I think it was three years ago come may?
The official reason was that "I was trying to live and work in the US" which the time after the ambassador bridge it was you need $150 in cash for every day of your 30 day maximum stay on you before we let you in, your credit card doesn't count. This after I bought a sail boat and what trying to get to SF to inspect it and get its paper work in order, thus you are trying to live here, and collect welfare in California because Mexicans do it so so can Canadians. Or the you are trying to work here, while trying to carry out promotions for a company that had operations in both Canada and the US, and Canadians having default b1/b2 status by treaty. And then taken off the flight on way back from mexico and told I need a visa for transferring flights even though the time before that i was told I would have no problem travelling in the us in the future. and then the last time being denied entry while trying to catch either bus or plane after medical procedure in Tijuana on ground that I could be given entry to return on medical grounds yet they opted to hold me at san mateo for a month without charges or access to a judge, which resulted in the 5 year ban even though the flight guy said that they would hold me for two weeks next time, which resulted in like a month of detention in equivalent to federal prison with felons being deported to latin america and Russia and illegal immigrants the same including Somalia and other parts of Africa. None the less, I suspect I will not be getting the attorney general to lift my ban any time soon.
Of course both the live and work part is just plain false. 1. I bought a boat, I was not trying to live in the US, I had my source of income in Ontario Canada, and I could only be away for about a month before that was effected. Likewise 2. I made no net earnings from my activities promoting in the US and it was actual promotional activities which should have been covered under b1/b2 status. It was impossible for me as a male to get welfare in California as I believe only pregnant female Mexicans or people who have given birth to babies are eligible for welfare and under no means would I as a male Canadian be eligible for welfare in California, it was an impossibility. None the less upon being forced to stay at San Mateo without judicial access under threat of being kept twice as long if I see a judge, or longer, I was offered work in the detention center.... and it cost the US taxpayers apparently $200 a day to keep me there even though I offered to leave and pay for my way home which was my sole reason for being in the US that time as I had grant meetings to attend for business startup amongst other things back at home which I missed as a result of being held. (plus any medical costs for the clinic and medical appointments and drugs), and the flight home, it is absurd. None the less I highly doubt I will be in the US any time soon, short of abduction by US agents.
So have I thought about moving to the US, I was considering buying in Detroit or Baltimore years back like 2008 when prices were really low, but took a vacation to mexico instead. Not being able to reside and paper work made that a little too complex with property tax considerations, and keeping it as a second residence. So I've just traveled to latin america for holidays instead. Which is ok I like latin america. US costs way more than latin america regardless. Such as not being able to shop there or take land travel, or small vacations to the south, but I can live without it. Imo its just the US loosing tourist income, and getting me to buy more from China rather than stateside, its your gov as far as I'm concerned. The big thing is not being able to use US airlines, but I can still get almost equivalent non stop flights I just need to shop around more and I maybe pay $50 more or less which isn't that bad for a non stop rather than a connecting flight hassle. I think its stupid I need to apply for a visa to travel in the US and now get a waiver. CBP isn't worth the hassle as far as I'm concerned. Even with a visa which the US consulate says I shouldn't need for travel due to b1/b2 status, the closest visa offered is way overkill for travelling in the US for short duration. The added cost makes other destinations better for cost. The waiver is an application fee with no guarentee of approval and it is way overpriced for the consideration. It is totally negligible to pay more for flight costs upfront than risk the waiver and have to pay anyway.
Now don't get me wrong I like the US traveled in there as a kid and as an adult a few times, and have lived and traveled with Americans, none the less the US is a lot like Canada, tends to have better weather, but there is basically no chance of me moving to the US in the next few years. I've already committed to paying for no visas or waivers out of pocket, which mostly kills any travel potential to the US I would suspect for life. Latin America has nice weather too.
If I were a "Real illegal alien" I just go to the US through the rather porous border, which would present little issue in crossing. But I've always crossed at legal border point. yada yada. I'm not paying to cross the border when there is a treaty saying I can.
None the less I am hedging on a life ban, so yes i have thought about buying property in the US but I have never considered ending my ties to the north where I draw my income from, where my house and other property is located, and where my family is. When all is said and done, I'm all about expanding my options not burning bridges. I find the US to be too difficult to deal with administratively, its all what we think not what is actually the case. Their position is simply absurd on what type of scenario they create, that doesn't even come close to reflect what the situation actual is. Its not worth the hassle.
I'm actually a little sour about the whole thing and the chunk of cartilage scrapped off my elbow by a hook in the holding cell at San Mateo that serves as a remind of the hole thing, it is still painful on contact but after a few years has healed a little, the loose lump is still there but after a few years it seems to have dissolved a bit and the amount of pain has subsided. I'm actually quite happy up in Canada, for the warmer months, and its an excuse to travel in the colder months. I wouldn't think twice about getting something in the south if the red tape wasn't there. Way better growing area. I'm considering latin america but you need to set up a business down there. Sadly I suffered about a $15000 loss due to theft in January in mexico which pretty much cleaned me out, and I'm not even sure if I'll be able to travel this winter. I think it is possible but I'll have to see where I'm at come November, or December. Heating costs basically negate flight costs.
You'd have to pay me to return to the US. Considering the potential 10 year jail term for doing so, It would be a whole lot of money. Just the paper work along would probably run $500 the whole deal on both sides of the border would probably run closer to $1000 and take about a year, or longer. All in all, I am probably more likely to be travelling in Latin America or South America this winter and subsequent years. Now that I have had issues in Mexico, including a passport issue last time that almost got me returned to Canada, it is way safer for me to travel to latin america or other locations. Way too many little problems.
So long story short, not an option in the near term. Few years, 5 10 years from now who knows. I don't suspect a windfall anytime soon though so it is highly unlikely.
The US has been as oppressive as Canada, as a foreign alien, I don't think I'd be able to buy guns in the US either, unless I am mistaken, perhaps it differs by the state down there. One guy in San Mateo who had lived in the US as an illegal for years said Arizona lets them fire all sorts of machine guns etc.. legally. Apparently Arizona has pretty open gun laws even for non citizens. US didn't provide due process though imo, CBP/DHS basically operates outside US law, acting as judge jury and ejector. You can see a judge but you'll be detained atleast twice as long, your month long stay will turn into a 4 month stay if you challenge it... etc.. that is an abusive system that really isn't any more lax, than Canada. Spending months in jail for trying to go home is not less oppressive.
I'm sure you have experienced a different US government than I have, one that provides liberties rather than quashing them. I'm guessing it is through the side I see that many of your liberties stem. I'm not whole about it, and I have no faith in the US government to provide liberty or freedom, even less so than Canadian governments.