Delay in my name change

[KathyLauren]

It's been six weeks since I sent off my name change request, and I've heard nothing.  So I called them today to see what the holdup is.

Apparently they need copies of my drivers license and health care cards (PITA, but not a big deal), and my Certificate of Landing from when my family immigrated to Canada.  Well, that was more than 50 years ago.  I presume that my parents kept the certificate for a while, but they are long gone, so there is no way to track it down.  I had sent them my Citizenship Certificate in lieu, but apparently that's not enough.

I'll send them what I have - a photocopy of the immigration stamp in my father's passport from when he cleared Canadian Immigration when our family landed here - and it had better be enough.  It it's not, I'll be ROYALLY P!SSED, because that means I will forever be dead-named and misgendered in official documents.

[Anne Blake]

That has to so frustrating kathy. Go ahead and scream and shout about it, even cry a bit, I know that I would. Then with nothing else to do when a government is doing its thing, go and say some inappropriate things on Moni's post about being too serious. Her thread has done wonders to free my head space of ugly feelings. Take care girl, you will get through this stuff. - Anne

[AnneK]

and my Certificate of Landing from when my family immigrated to Canada. 

Shouldn't the government have a copy of that somewhere?  If not in the immigration office, then the archives, where a lot of documents wind up.   I was able to get my father's army service record from there.  Failing that, there should be some process for when the required documents aren't available.

[KathyLauren]

Shouldn't the government have a copy of that somewhere?  If not in the immigration office, then the archives, where a lot of documents wind up.   I was able to get my father's army service record from there.  Failing that, there should be some process for when the required documents aren't available.

Thanks.  It looks like I have a couple of options.  The provincial ombudsman, in consultation with Vital Statistics, tells me that the citizenship certificate I sent should be adequate.  The Vital Statistics flunkies who answer the phones disagree.  I forwarded them the correspondence to let them fight it out among themselves.

There is also an option to apply to the feds for a copy of the Immigration documents.  Whoopee!!  Another multi-page form and another $30. 

[KathyLauren]

There is also an option to apply to the feds for a copy of the Immigration documents.  Whoopee!!  Another multi-page form and another $30.

It looks like the ombudsman was wrong.  I'll have to apply to the feds for a copy of that document.  Now I just have to figure out if I should request my own document or my father's.  I was a minor travelling on his passport at the time, so I might not even have my own document.  And you know what's going to happen to my $30 if I apply for the wrong one, not to mention the additional delay.  So I'll have to spend some time in voice-mail hell, listening to nice soothing muzak before I can get this straightened out.

Did I mention, AAAARGH!! ?

[Laurie]

 What a pain in the buttocks Kathy. I believe I have similar issues to tend with if I were to apply for a passport.

Hugs,
   Laurie

[Devlyn]

They don't make it easy! Mine was around 100 days and $340. Hope you get it settled quick.

Hugs, Devlyn

[KathyLauren]

Aw, bloody hell!!

I did the voicemail hell thing and got the information I needed to apply for a replacement immigration document.  But the processing time for it is six months!  So I can't even get started on my name change for six months.

AAAAARGH!!!

[HappyMoni]

That has to so frustrating kathy. Go ahead and scream and shout about it, even cry a bit, I know that I would. Then with nothing else to do when a government is doing its thing, go and say some inappropriate things on Moni's post about being too serious. Her thread has done wonders to free my head space of ugly feelings. Take care girl, you will get through this stuff. - Anne

Kathy, if you are depending on me to free your head of ugly feelings like Anne suggests, you are indeed lost. I can only suggest you pinch yourself to make sure you are alive. If you are, send me all your forms in triplicate,  and I will certify you are Canadian. Hell, you are too damn nice not to be Canadian. I can guarantee you are trans. Do you have to wait forever to get things done? Yup! You're trans.
Moni
Whatever you do, don't let the bast*ards win. lol

[KathyLauren]

Kathy, if you are depending on me to free your head of ugly feelings like Anne suggests, you are indeed lost. I can only suggest you pinch yourself to make sure you are alive. If you are, send me all your forms in triplicate,  and I will certify you are Canadian. Hell, you are too damn nice not to be Canadian. I can guarantee you are trans. Do you have to wait forever to get things done? Yup! You're trans.
Moni
Whatever you do, don't let the bast*ards win. lol

Well, I was in town in a gorgeous blue top with black embroidery on it.  While my wife got her hair done, I checked out a brand new bra store and got properly measured.  With padding, I'm a 38A!  LOL!  Without padding, I'd be lucky to be a AA.  Oh, well, it's all good.  Nothing beats being out and about as myself.  So no ugly feelings today.

Yes, I can prove that I was born outside the country, and I can prove that I am now Canadian and live here.  I just can't prove that I entered the country!   

[DawnOday]

I'm grasping at straws but do you have a Canadian Ancestry.com. It is possible they may have the document on line? 

[KathyLauren]

I'm grasping at straws but do you have a Canadian Ancestry.com. It is possible they may have the document on line?

Interesting thought, Dawn.  There are such services in Canada, but the available immigration data stops at 1924.  Due, no doubt, to privacy restrictions protecting living people.

[DawnOday]

Interesting thought, Dawn.  There are such services in Canada, but the available immigration data stops at 1924.  Due, no doubt, to privacy restrictions protecting living people.

I saw data for ships logs and the like from back to the 1630's. My birth and marriage records can be accessed from Ancestry as well as my father's and mother's, Their social security numbers and any number of other records. By exploring I found my ancestors came to America in 1635 aboard the ship, Blessing. It would be really cool if you had access to this type of information.

[KathyLauren]

I saw data for ships logs and the like from back to the 1630's. My birth and marriage records can be accessed from Ancestry as well as my father's and mother's, Their social security numbers and any number of other records. By exploring I found my ancestors came to America in 1635 aboard the ship, Blessing. It would be really cool if you had access to this type of information.

My father's hobby was genealogy, so I actually have a lot of that kind of data already, thanks to his research.

I can tell you (without documentation, since that's the issue here) that my ancestors came to Canada in 1964 on the ship Carmania.