Down with the OWP

So after waiting patiently for me to renew my passport (my previous one, barely used, was not machine-readable, for some reason unexplained by the Canadian consulate in Helsinki, and so no good for visiting the U.S.), Mr. O shipped off his app for his open work permit this week. He's not feeling good about crossing the border, but we've been assured that his passport and work permit together are sufficient. I've stowed away the numbers of two different immigration lawyers, just in case. You never know.

I have no idea how long it will take to get the OWP back, and don't really care. It's summer, after all, and Mr. O's current papers give him residence rights till August. Without tempting the bureaucracy gods, we should be okay.

Other than that, there hasn't been a lot going on on the ungrateful immigrant front, hence the lack of posts. Although, I happened to meet a civil servant from the CIC at a bar a few weeks back, which was inneresting...I asked him about immigration officers' educational requirements and he said that they can range from your basic GED all the way up to a degree in immigration law. We also agreed that the officers at the border are scarily young. AND **he offered me a tour of a CIC office** which, seeing as I have no contact info for him, was likely just a gesture of friendliness, but hey, if you're reading this...callllll meeee! I will leak your info anytime! Quid pro quo, baby.