1/ Okay, twitter. Time for a story of how I got to meet my wife yesterday after 263 days.
No, I wasn't in Afghanistan or in Iraq. I was in Ottawa, Canada, and she was in Ithaca, New York during this time.
So, what happened?
No, I wasn't in Afghanistan or in Iraq. I was in Ottawa, Canada, and she was in Ithaca, New York during this time.
So, what happened?
2/ Neither of us are citizens of Canada/US.
I am a Permanent Resident (PR) in Canada, and she's a PhD student in the US on her F-1 visa (student visa).
After I lost work authorization in the US last year, I moved to Canada in 12 January, 2021. She stayed in the US.
I am a Permanent Resident (PR) in Canada, and she's a PhD student in the US on her F-1 visa (student visa).
After I lost work authorization in the US last year, I moved to Canada in 12 January, 2021. She stayed in the US.
3/ After I settled down a bit here in Ottawa, she applied for visitor visa to Canada. It said it would take 87 days to get the visa.
We started counting days. But 87 days came and went away, and yet nothing happened.
We started counting days. But 87 days came and went away, and yet nothing happened.
4/ As suggested, we raised a web form in the system explaining our situation. Again, a pin drop silence followed.
In the mean time, I applied for US visa and I'm currently scheduled for visa interview on 10 March, 2022.
In the mean time, I applied for US visa and I'm currently scheduled for visa interview on 10 March, 2022.
5/ We kinda gave up hope for seeing each other one more time in 2021.
When my wife's professor asked how we are doing, she mentioned our sorry state.
When my wife's professor asked how we are doing, she mentioned our sorry state.
6/ Then her professor mentioned "Maybe you two can still meet. There's this library right on the edge of the border in Vermont where people from both countries can meet"
We googled and we found "Haskell Library". We made a plan and decided to meet there.
haskellopera.com
We googled and we found "Haskell Library". We made a plan and decided to meet there.
haskellopera.com
7/ But I don't have a car. How do you go from Ottawa to Stanstead, Quebec?
You take a train from Ottawa to Montreal. Then a bus from Montreal to Sherbrooke. And finally, a taxi from Sherbrooke to Stanstead.
But there's no Airbnb available on Stanstead.
You take a train from Ottawa to Montreal. Then a bus from Montreal to Sherbrooke. And finally, a taxi from Sherbrooke to Stanstead.
But there's no Airbnb available on Stanstead.
8/ So I rented a place at Ayer's Cliff (20 mins from Stanstead), and spent my Friday night there. It's a nice little cozy town in Quebec. 
9/ On Saturday morning, after having my breakfast at this place, I started for Stanstead.
Fun fact: Neither Ayer's Cliff nor Stanstead has taxi/ bus service. Since I don't speak French, I requested the restaurant owner to call for Taxi which came from a nearby city to pick me up
Fun fact: Neither Ayer's Cliff nor Stanstead has taxi/ bus service. Since I don't speak French, I requested the restaurant owner to call for Taxi which came from a nearby city to pick me up
10/ After a ~20-min taxi ride, I finally reached Haskell Library. Alas, it was raining the whole day.
See the yellow tape? On either side of that line lies two different countries: Canada, and the United States. The library was actually closed; we knew it beforehand though.
See the yellow tape? On either side of that line lies two different countries: Canada, and the United States. The library was actually closed; we knew it beforehand though.
11/ How did my wife travel from Ithaca, NY to this place?
She drove for 6 hours and spent her Friday night at an Airbnb in Vermont. Then on the next morning, she drove another 2 hours to reach the library.
She drove for 6 hours and spent her Friday night at an Airbnb in Vermont. Then on the next morning, she drove another 2 hours to reach the library.
12/ When I reached near the library, Canadian police started asking all sorts of questions. I am yet to receive my PR card, so they were probably very suspicious.
They made a lot of calls to see whether my "story" checks out. It did, and then the guy even let me know...
They made a lot of calls to see whether my "story" checks out. It did, and then the guy even let me know...
13/ ...why I haven't received my PR card. Apparently, I wasn't available to receive it and I needed to sign it, ha!
One of them even joked whether I have another "wife" on this side of the border. We laughed, and he asked me not to do something "funny" by trying to cross border.
One of them even joked whether I have another "wife" on this side of the border. We laughed, and he asked me not to do something "funny" by trying to cross border.
14/ She finally arrived!
There were other visitors there as well (siblings/ relatives going through probably similar fate as we did), and they did mention touching isn't allowed.
But there was NO such sign or message nearby. So we did hug and kissed after 263 days.
There were other visitors there as well (siblings/ relatives going through probably similar fate as we did), and they did mention touching isn't allowed.
But there was NO such sign or message nearby. So we did hug and kissed after 263 days.
15/ Alas! A few minutes later, two police cars arrived in a frenetic manner.
One officer asked me to come with them and told me, "You are detained. You can remain silent and you have right to ask for a lawyer"
I politely asked them what's wrong.
One officer asked me to come with them and told me, "You are detained. You can remain silent and you have right to ask for a lawyer"
I politely asked them what's wrong.
16/ Well, you are not allowed to hug someone from the other side of the border. I needed to keep 2 meter distance from my wife.
While this sounds very dramatic, I want to play it down. The officers were just doing their job. They weren't the one to come up with the rules.
While this sounds very dramatic, I want to play it down. The officers were just doing their job. They weren't the one to come up with the rules.
17/ They did a full body search and looked into my bag. They warned me not to repeat my mistake and went away.
I complied. It sort of became a "live Zoom meeting" with my wife after that.
I complied. It sort of became a "live Zoom meeting" with my wife after that.
18/ Again, I really, really want to play down the roles officers played here.
Perhaps a far more important question worth exploring is why two vaccinated husband and wife cannot meet each other in normal circumstances after waiting for so long.
Perhaps a far more important question worth exploring is why two vaccinated husband and wife cannot meet each other in normal circumstances after waiting for so long.
End/ Let me end with a good note.
Here's an ode to the day we got married in Bangladesh and could still touch each other without breaking any law or a yellow tape barrier.
Cherish your loved ones.
Here's an ode to the day we got married in Bangladesh and could still touch each other without breaking any law or a yellow tape barrier.
Cherish your loved ones.
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