Right now, I am caught between two worlds. I am an American, living in Canada, attending an institution that accepted me as an international student. But, as I discovered when I crossed the border to get here, I am also a Canadian, and as such I am eligible for citizenship. But being a Canadian makes me ineligible for a study permit, and it is here where my troubles began.
When I crossed the border, I was overjoyed to discover that I am considered Canadian - I take pride in the fact that my mum is from Canada, and that I have family here, and that now I can claim Canada as my own. But just going on through the border, without any documentation for my status, i.e. "waiting for proof of citizenship", has created a whole set of issues that are really starting to make life difficult. Aside from the whole entering-the-ninth-circle-of-bureaucratic-hell debacle, some areas of life made more difficult by my in-between status:
1. Health insurance coverage. As a grad student at the university, I get health insurance coverage either way (int'l. or Can.) BUT when you turn in your application for insurance, you need to include copies of your proof of Alberta residency (check), a passport (check), and either a permanent resident card (like a study permit) OR citizenship card (ch-oh, no, I don't have either of those). So, no health insurance for me, right now.
2. Work. As an international student with a valid study permit, you can apply for a work permit, and apply for jobs. As a Canadian citizen, you get a Social Insurance Number (once you have proof of citizenship), which you need to apply for jobs. Guess who doesn't have either? THIS GIRL!
3. Loans. I DO have a loan set up from USDirect Loans, which is all well and good, but it doesn't get disbursed until Sept. 30th, and I won't get what's left after tuition until mid-October. I can apply for an emergency student loan to get the rest of my books for school, except, oh, wait, no I can't, because I have no STUDY PERMIT, and no SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER, because the guys at the border didn't GIVE me a study permit, because I'm Canadian, but I can't PROVE it until I get my citizenship card, which I will then have to use to get a SIN, which means I am stuck borrowing money off of my loved ones which, at nearly 28 years of age and after being gainfully employed for the past five years, feels really, really icky, and FURTHERMORE, loan people, what good does it do to disburse a loan that is supposed to pay for BOOKS for school THREE WEEKS AFTER SCHOOL STARTS? Do you KNOW how much textbooks cost? 'Cause they AIN'T CHEAP, and I had to use my FOOD MONEY to pay for them, and I STILL haven't gotten them all, and you won't GIVE me an emergency loan, because there are clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, and here I am, stuck in the middle ALL BY MYSELF, and nobody at this university seems to know what to do with me!
So, to my siblings, take note: If, at any time in the future, you think you may want to move to Canada, claim your citizenship now. Because coming here first, and then claiming it? OY.
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