http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Bushwhacked-Americans-ponder-migration/2004/11/05/1099547385080.html?oneclick=true
Bushwhacked Americans ponder migration
By Gerard Wright
Los Angeles
November 6, 2004
http://www.canadaone.org is a news carrier within the framework of "Immigration Canada" newsgroup information support resources.
"Good old Canada," wrote Hendrik Hertzberg, once a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, last year. "It's the kind of country that makes you proud to be a North American."
Tens of thousands of Hertzberg's countrymen seem to be agreeing. After George Bush's sweeping presidential victory, New Zealand also looks like the Promised Land.
An immigration website set up by the New Zealand Government had been averaging 2500 hits a day since it was launched six months ago.
On Wednesday, the day of the formal announcement of the Bush win, the site received 10,000 hits.
"Some of them are talking about looking for a change, a beautiful place to live and bring up their children," said Don Badman, the marketing director for the New Zealand immigration service. "A lot of them, recently, have been people who were thinking about it, but then decided to start moving down that path yesterday and today. There's been a marked increase."
The interest has been even more pronounced for Canada, the northern neighbour that was a haven for young men who wanted to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War.
Before this week, there was a daily average of 20,000 hits to the website of Citizenship and "Immigration Canada".
Last Wednesday, according to the department, those online visits soared to 115,000, just from the US.
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11/4/04
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http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/1125100.shtml
http://www.canadaone.org - all resources on imigration canada matters
OTTAWA (AP) -- Canada's immigration Web site is being flooded with a record-smashing number of visits from U.S. Democrats dismayed by the prospect of four more years living under President George W. Bush.
His re-election has some long-faced U.S. liberals apparently musing that perhaps Canada's cold winters, high taxes and strained health system are more easily endured than their re-elected commander in chief.
A new record was set within hours of Bush's acceptance speech as six times more Americans than usual surfed the site Wednesday.
The overall number of 179,000 visitors was almost twice the previous one-day record set last year and a whopping 64 per cent of visitors -- 115,016 -- were from the United States.
Many were doing more than just casual surfing, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration suggested on Thursday.
"The most-visited pages . . . were the skilled worker online self-assessment pages (to check if) they'd meet the selection criteria," said Maria Iadinardi.
But there's no proof of an influx of Americans seeking asylum from their politics.
"Applying and intent are two different things. We're only going to see this about six months from now," she said.
Americans moving to Canada must deal with the same rules as other immigrants -- including the $500 application fee, the $975 landing tax, and the six- to 12-month wait.
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004110514220002858574&dt=20041105142200&w=RTR&coview=
*http://www.canadaone.org is a news carrier within the framework of Immigration Canada newsgroup information support resources.
Americans Flock to Canada's Immigration Web Site
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President Bush's election win this week.
"When we looked at the first day after the election, Nov. 3, our Web site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high," immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said on Friday.
On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States log onto the Web site, www.cic.gc.ca -- a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.
Bush's victory sparked speculation that disconsolate Democrats and others might decide to start a new life in Canada, a land that tilts more to the left than the United States.
Would-be immigrants to Canada can apply to become permanent resident, a process that often takes a year. The other main way to move north on a long-term basis is to find a job, which requires a work permit.
But please spare the sob stories.
Asked whether an applicant would be looked upon more sympathetically if they claimed to be a sad Democrat seeking to escape four more years of Bush, Iadinardi replied: "There would be no weight given to statements of feelings."
Canada is one of the few major nations with an large-scale immigration policy. Ottawa is seeking to attract between 220,000 and 240,000 newcomers next year.
"Let's face it, we have a population of a little over 32 million and we definitely need permanent residents to come to Canada," said Iadinardi. "If we could meet (the 2005) target and go above it, the more the merrier."
But right now it is too early to say whether the increased interest will result in more applications.
"There is no unusual activity occurring at our visa missions (in the United States). Having someone who intends to come to Canada is not the same as someone actually putting in an application," said Iadinardi.
"We'll only find out whether there has been an increase in applications in six months."
The waiting time to become a citizen is shorter for people married to Canadians, which prompted the birth of a satirical Web site called www.marryanamerican.ca.
The idea of increased immigration by unhappy Americans is triggering some amusement in Canada. Commentator Thane Burnett of the Ottawa Sun newspaper wrote a tongue-in-cheek guide to would-be new citizens on Friday.
"As Canadians, you'll have to learn to embrace and use all the products and culture of Americans, while bad-mouthing their way of life," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3087905a10,00.html
Disillusioned Yanks eye NZ
06 November 2004
By ANN-MARIE JOHNSON
*http://www.canadaone.org is a news carrier within the framework of Immigration Canada newsgroup information support resources.
Inquiries from Americans wanting to move to New Zealand have "exploded" since George W Bush was re-elected president.
The Immigration Service's website had 10,300 hits from the United States the day after the election. Usually it gets 2500 hits a day.
And the phones of its US marketing directors in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, have been ringing nonstop since the election.
Marketing director Don Badman said there had been up to 300 telephone calls and emails a day.
"We've been doing this for 11 months and it's been building up to about six to eight calls a day, but from Thursday it's exploded. It really started picking up from 11pm the night of the election."
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that many Americans were inquiring about moving to New Zealand, Australia and Canada as a result of the election.
A Canadian website is reaching out to help weary liberal Americans, asking Canadians to marry someone from south of the border.
"Open your heart and your home. Marry an American. Legions of Canadians have already pledged to sacrifice their singlehood to save our southern neighbours from four more years of cowboy conservatism," jokes the site, set up by a Toronto humour magazine.
To convince Americans to come on up, the site mentions that Canada is a liberal utopia with universal health care and, in some provinces, gay marriage.
"We envision a movement where everyone wins: Freedom of expression and a politically convenient marriage with love and igloos for all."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/05/canada_offers_refuge/
Canada offers refuge to distraught Democrats
By Lester Haines
Published Friday 5th November 2004 14:59� GMT
Those US citizens who are as we speak packing their bags in a state of near panic following the re-election of George W Bush in the certain knowledge that waves of gun-toting, bible-waving, gay-bashing rednecks will shortly be coming to pop a cap in their pinko, Kerry-loving liberal asses should know that help is at hand - in the form of Canada.
Yup, single Canadians are signing up in their tens to Marry an American, (motto: "No good American will be left behind"), an initiative designed to give marital sanctuary to Democrats for whom the US of A has become just too, well, Republican.
The site explains it thus:
Now that George W. Bush has been officially elected, single, sexy, American liberals - already a threatened species - will be desperate to escape.
These lonely, afraid (did we mention really hot?) progressives will need a safe haven.
You can help. Open your heart, and your home. Marry an American.
But what, you may ask, can Canada offer Americans that they can't already get at home in spades? Well, there are a couple of things:
Americans, sick of the political climate of their homeland, have long sought refuge within Canadian borders. And let's face it, when compared to the United States, Canada is a liberal utopia & we have universal healthcare (in two languages!), gay marriage, free marijuana for everyone, and we don't like guns.
Already, our American counterparts are fleeing the U.S. in droves and buying up land along our borders. We envision a movement where everyone wins: Freedom of expression and a politically convenient marriage with love and igloos for all.
Canadian singles, tired of the dating scene, are willing to act for love or just plain pity. Let's drop our borders/inhibitions/commitment issues, set a date, pick out our china patterns and wed a sexy American liberal.
So far so good. And what might the red-blooded American ex-pat expect from the Canadian gene pool? Hmmmm. What about "I*heart*trees1985", who describes herself as a "full-time liberal arts major / part-time tree hugger" who is into "Mountain Equipment Co-op, vegan potlucks, mother earth (gaia), feminist collectives, dreadlocks", and offers "I do a wicked Joni Mitchell impersonation and don�t shave my legs" as reasons to get to know her better.
Yes, we can see steam coming out of Dick Cheney's ears already. But if you think this is just a bit of fun by the Canadians at the expense of their politically disadvantaged neighbours, then check out the chilling facts on canada.com which says that on the day Bush gave his acceptance speech, 115,016 sobbing US citizens visited Canada's immigration website - 64 per cent of the traffic for that fateful date.
The big question for the Democratic Party seems to be not who will be its next presidential candidate, but who will be left to vote for her - because by the time Hillary Clinton even gets a sniff of the ballot box, 98 per cent of her voter base will be on skidoos en route to their three-year-old* kid's first seal-clubbing adventure weekend. �
*Estimated age at next US presidential election based on departure for Canada immediately after reading this article, short courtship followed by marriage, conception and normal nine-month term.
Related stories
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/05/canada_offers_refuge/
Canada offers refuge to distraught Democrats
By Lester Haines
Published Friday 5th November 2004 14:59� GMT
*http://www.canadaone.org is a news carrier within the framework of Immigration Canada newsgroup information support resources.
Those US citizens who are as we speak packing their bags in a state of near panic following the re-election of George W Bush in the certain knowledge that waves of gun-toting, bible-waving, gay-bashing rednecks will shortly be coming to pop a cap in their pinko, Kerry-loving liberal asses should know that help is at hand - in the form of Canada.
Yup, single Canadians are signing up in their tens to Marry an American, (motto: "No good American will be left behind"), an initiative designed to give marital sanctuary to Democrats for whom the US of A has become just too, well, Republican.
The site explains it thus:
Now that George W. Bush has been officially elected, single, sexy, American liberals - already a threatened species - will be desperate to escape.
These lonely, afraid (did we mention really hot?) progressives will need a safe haven.
You can help. Open your heart, and your home. Marry an American.
But what, you may ask, can Canada offer Americans that they can't already get at home in spades? Well, there are a couple of things:
Americans, sick of the political climate of their homeland, have long sought refuge within Canadian borders. And let's face it, when compared to the United States, Canada is a liberal utopia & we have universal healthcare (in two languages!), gay marriage, free marijuana for everyone, and we don't like guns.
Already, our American counterparts are fleeing the U.S. in droves and buying up land along our borders. We envision a movement where everyone wins: Freedom of expression and a politically convenient marriage with love and igloos for all.
Canadian singles, tired of the dating scene, are willing to act for love or just plain pity. Let's drop our borders/inhibitions/commitment issues, set a date, pick out our china patterns and wed a sexy American liberal.
So far so good. And what might the red-blooded American ex-pat expect from the Canadian gene pool? Hmmmm. What about "I*heart*trees1985", who describes herself as a "full-time liberal arts major / part-time tree hugger" who is into "Mountain Equipment Co-op, vegan potlucks, mother earth (gaia), feminist collectives, dreadlocks", and offers "I do a wicked Joni Mitchell impersonation and don�t shave my legs" as reasons to get to know her better.
Yes, we can see steam coming out of Dick Cheney's ears already. But if you think this is just a bit of fun by the Canadians at the expense of their politically disadvantaged neighbours, then check out the chilling facts on canada.com which says that on the day Bush gave his acceptance speech, 115,016 sobbing US citizens visited Canada's immigration website - 64 per cent of the traffic for that fateful date.
The big question for the Democratic Party seems to be not who will be its next presidential candidate, but who will be left to vote for her - because by the time Hillary Clinton even gets a sniff of the ballot box, 98 per cent of her voter base will be on skidoos en route to their three-year-old* kid's first seal-clubbing adventure weekend. �
*Estimated age at next US presidential election based on departure for Canada immediately after reading this article, short courtship followed by marriage, conception and normal nine-month term.
Related stories
Canada offers refuge to distraught Democrats
By Lester Haines
Published Friday 5th November 2004 14:59� GMT
*http://www.canadaone.org is a news carrier within the framework of Immigration Canada newsgroup information support resources.
Those US citizens who are as we speak packing their bags in a state of near panic following the re-election of George W Bush in the certain knowledge that waves of gun-toting, bible-waving, gay-bashing rednecks will shortly be coming to pop a cap in their pinko, Kerry-loving liberal asses should know that help is at hand - in the form of Canada.
Yup, single Canadians are signing up in their tens to Marry an American, (motto: "No good American will be left behind"), an initiative designed to give marital sanctuary to Democrats for whom the US of A has become just too, well, Republican.
The site explains it thus:
Now that George W. Bush has been officially elected, single, sexy, American liberals - already a threatened species - will be desperate to escape.
These lonely, afraid (did we mention really hot?) progressives will need a safe haven.
You can help. Open your heart, and your home. Marry an American.
But what, you may ask, can Canada offer Americans that they can't already get at home in spades? Well, there are a couple of things:
Americans, sick of the political climate of their homeland, have long sought refuge within Canadian borders. And let's face it, when compared to the United States, Canada is a liberal utopia & we have universal healthcare (in two languages!), gay marriage, free marijuana for everyone, and we don't like guns.
Already, our American counterparts are fleeing the U.S. in droves and buying up land along our borders. We envision a movement where everyone wins: Freedom of expression and a politically convenient marriage with love and igloos for all.
Canadian singles, tired of the dating scene, are willing to act for love or just plain pity. Let's drop our borders/inhibitions/commitment issues, set a date, pick out our china patterns and wed a sexy American liberal.
So far so good. And what might the red-blooded American ex-pat expect from the Canadian gene pool? Hmmmm. What about "I*heart*trees1985", who describes herself as a "full-time liberal arts major / part-time tree hugger" who is into "Mountain Equipment Co-op, vegan potlucks, mother earth (gaia), feminist collectives, dreadlocks", and offers "I do a wicked Joni Mitchell impersonation and don�t shave my legs" as reasons to get to know her better.
Yes, we can see steam coming out of Dick Cheney's ears already. But if you think this is just a bit of fun by the Canadians at the expense of their politically disadvantaged neighbours, then check out the chilling facts on canada.com which says that on the day Bush gave his acceptance speech, 115,016 sobbing US citizens visited Canada's immigration website - 64 per cent of the traffic for that fateful date.
The big question for the Democratic Party seems to be not who will be its next presidential candidate, but who will be left to vote for her - because by the time Hillary Clinton even gets a sniff of the ballot box, 98 per cent of her voter base will be on skidoos en route to their three-year-old* kid's first seal-clubbing adventure weekend. �
*Estimated age at next US presidential election based on departure for Canada immediately after reading this article, short courtship followed by marriage, conception and normal nine-month term.
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