What do you think about Harry and Meghan’s decision?

[SmithOp]

Speculating here, with an admitted lack of knowledge about how the whole situation works: Is it possible Harry is saying this now, while his Grandmother is still in charge? Might it be more difficult to step away from things once his Father takes over?

Dave

The ole biddy is going to outlive Charles, he will never be King. lol.



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[dioxide45]

The Brits and worldwide subjects are the only ones who matter in this current drama. Americans' opinions on the monarchy are irrelevant.

Really, if you think about it, the opinion of just about anyone doesn't matter. Except perhaps those directly involved. How is someone's opinion in Toronto anymore important than someone in New York. When you think about it, they don't really care what that person in Toronto thinks as much as they don't care what the person in New York thinks.

 

[SMHarman]

I also read they planned to live in Los Angeles. We'll probably never know for sure until they make a final decision.

You need a visa for that. The visa takes months to obtain.

 

[Brett]

WARNING: Below follows a short treatise on Canadian constitutional law, particularly as to how it applies to the laws of succession for the Monarchy of Canada. If you think this will bore you to death, at least you have been warned!!

Chrisky, that is factually incorrect. Canada does have a law of succession and always has had. It was originally laid out in the British North America Act, 1867 (now the Constitution Act, 1867) and subsequently recognized in the Statute of Westminster of 1931 and the Constitution Act, 1982.

Your comments are correct only insofar as the rules have mirrored those of the UK and the other Commonwealth realms. The fact that they mirror and refer to legislation in the UK does not mean they do not exist, nor that we do not have control of and the ability to change the rules. The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the legal right of the Parliament of Canada to change the rules without a constitutional amendment, since they already form part of our constitution.

The first time we passed a change to the rules of succession in Canada's own right, again in concert with the other Commonwealth realms, was under the authority of the 1931 Statute of Westminster. When Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, the Parliament of Canada passed the Succession to the Throne Act, 1937. It recognized the Act of Abdication by Edward VIII and proclaimed George VI as monarch.

The most recent change was passed by the Parliament of Canada under the Succession to the Throne Act, 2013. It changed the rule of primogeniture to recognize the first-born child of the monarch, without regard to sex. This was again done in concert with both the UK and the other Commonwealth realms to avoid a potential constitutional mess if we all had different rules and then ended up with different monarchs.

Also under Canadian protocol and heritage rules, HM The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William all have personal Canadian Royal Standards and Royal Salutes, unique from their British equivalents, for when they are either physically present in Canada or performing duties as part of the Monarchy of Canada. Prince Harry has no such formal recognition. I was going to cite the actual legislation, but Wikipedia actually does a really good job of it in more layman's terms.

Succession to the Throne Act, 2013 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

OK so Prince Harry would still be given the "Royal Salute"
I could care less about the British monarchy - and admittedly don't understand it.

 

[dioxide45]

You need a visa for that. The visa takes months to obtain.

Well, Megan is an American. Only Harry would need to get a visa if he intended to stay beyond allowable travel visa waiver requirements of 90 days. One would think Megan would need some official documentation to live in Canada since she isn't Canadian. She only filmed her television show there.

 

[SMHarman]

Well, Megan is an American. Only Harry would need to get a visa if he intended to stay beyond allowable travel visa waiver requirements of 90 days. One would think Megan would need some official documentation to live in Canada since she isn't Canadian. She only filmed her television show there.

As a Brit married to an American let me tell you getting the spouse green card or spouse visa that allows you to work is not easy. Or quick.

 

[Rolltydr]

As a Brit married to an American let me tell you getting the spouse green card or spouse visa that allows you to work is not easy. Or quick.

They may know somebody that could speed it up!

 

[VacationForever]

I already had an intra-company managerial transfer (L1) work visa and then I got married, and conversion to a spouse green card was very fast.

 

[Luanne]

You need a visa for that. The visa takes months to obtain.

What kind of visa? Has Meghan given up her U.S. citizenship? I haven't found anything yet that says whether she has or hasn't.

Also, how do "we" know they haven't already been working on getting a visa.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

OK so Prince Harry would still be given the "Royal Salute"
I could care less about the British monarchy - and admittedly don't understand it.

I wasn't commenting on the British monarchy, but rather on the Canadian monarchy. The post was primarily to correct some incorrect information in Chrisky's post #16. Why would you care? It doesn't affect you.

 

[SMHarman]

What kind of visa? Has Meghan given up her U.S. citizenship? I haven't found anything yet that says whether she has or hasn't.

Also, how do "we" know they haven't already been working on getting a visa.

I don't. But you want to pick on my post as the only one with speculation in it.

If she is still American, he would be eligible for a spouse green card. Those are slow as treacle, especially when there is a person of color involved.

Maybe he can get some person of exceptional ability visa more quickly.

I speculate for the above reasons Canada is their next home as with the Queen as head of state getting her son and daughter in law should be easier. It also keeps them living in the Commonwealth.

Megs an then travel to the US for work. Harry can come in on tourist visas easily or get the people who want him here to sponsor any working visa for speaking engagements.

But this is all speculation bases on my experiences with the British and US immigration systems and anecdotal experience of colleagues and my employers hiring patterns with the Canadian system.

 

[SMHarman]

I already had an intra-company managerial transfer (L1) work visa and then I got married, and conversion to a spouse green card was very fast.

I was married to my US spouse and living in the UK for 9 plus years before we thought about moving to the US.

We applied for a GC and the accompanying visa. 6 month later both envelopes were still not opened by INS.

My boss went screw this you are messing with my and your future boss hiring logistics. I'll get you a L1a. I had that in hand 3 weeks later and moved to the US about 6 weeks later.

I kept track of the spouse green card. And visa. It took another year before they started reviewing that visa. This was in 2006 - 2008.

My boss also permitted L1a to green card. That took about 6 months.

Finally 10 years later when I came to needing to renew the GC I chose citizenship. I didn't want to get kicked out for a misdemeanor under [current practice].

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/22/ice-detains-a-polish-doctor-and-green-card-holder-who-has-lived-in-the-u-s-for-nearly-40-years/

That took about a year. I did it based on 5 year residency not 3 year marriage. As the documentation requirements were lower.

The US visa system is slow expensive and a slog even for a well educated, well paid, English as a first language with competent lawyers individual.

And for completeness. The Polish doctor got a pardon from the governor of MI that may stop his deportation. May stop his deportation.

Doctor ‘grateful’ for governor’s pardon that could stop deportation

Dr. Niec was arrested in January 2018 and faces possible deportation because of misdemeanors on his record. The governor's pardon could keep him in the United States.

www.mlive.com

Did ICE Deport a Michigan Doctor 40 Years After He Immigrated to the U.S.?

The doctor, who is in ICE custody, was convicted of two misdemeanors as a teenager 26 years ago.

www.snopes.com

 

[Luanne]

I don't. But you want to pick on my post as the only one with speculation in it.

I wasn't picking on you specifically. Yours was the only post I saw that mentioned the need for a Visa if they were going to live in the U.S.. And that was in response to my post.

 

[SMHarman]

I wasn't commenting on the British monarchy, but rather on the Canadian monarchy. The post was primarily to correct some incorrect information in Chrisky's post #16. Why would you care? It doesn't affect you.

The Canadian monarchy is well, ahem, the British Monarchy.

 

[SMHarman]

They may know somebody that could speed it up!

45, Yeah, let me know how that special relationship is working.

Maybe an agreement for sale of the NHS and selling chlorine chickens.

 

[Rolltydr]

45, Yeah, let me know how that special relationship is working.

Maybe an agreement for sale of the NHS and selling chlorine chickens.

Are you ok? You seem a little stressed.

Btw, I wasn’t speaking of that person.


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[PrairieGirl]

I already had an intra-company managerial transfer (L1) work visa and then I got married, and conversion to a spouse green card was very fast.

I am guessing that this was quite a few years ago. I married a Canadian in 1986 and at that time a green card would have basically been a given for him immediately if we had chosen to reside in the US. I became a landed immigrant (now called a permanent resident) in Canada instead.

A few years ago when we were evaluating our retirement options, just out of curiosity we again looked into what it would take to get him a green card. We were told that being married to an American no longer made much difference. Apply for your green card like everybody else and let the process work itself through. And unfortunately, what SH Harmon is reporting seems to be the new standard.

 

[VacationForever]

I am guessing that this was quite a few years ago. I married a Canadian in 1986 and at that time a green card would have basically been a given for him immediately if we had chosen to reside in the US. I became a landed immigrant (now called a permanent resident) in Canada instead.

A few years ago when we were evaluating our retirement options, just out of curiosity we again looked into what it would take to get him a green card. We were told that being married to an American no longer made much difference. Apply for your green card like everybody else and let the process work itself through. And unfortunately, what SH Harmon is reporting seems to be the new standard.

When I applied for a green card it was in 2002 and got it within a couple of months.

 

[SMHarman]

When I applied for a green card it was in 2002 and got it within a couple of months.

A lot has changed in nearly 20 years.

My experiences were 2006-8 and citizenship last year. Which was a year late. My green card expired in 2018 while citizenship was still processing. That was painfully complex.

 

[SMHarman]

The memes are great.

 

[Talent312]

Well, Megan is an American. Only Harry would need to get a visa if he intended to stay beyond allowable travel visa waiver requirements of 90 days.

Hey, no chain migration! No refugees. <satire>
... Unless that is, he can show that he will be employed and not a drain on society.
... Like I care about these peep (not).
.

 

[SMHarman]

Hay, no chain migration! No refugees.
... Unless that is, he can show that he will be employed and not a drain on society.
... Like I care about these peep (not).
.

They talk about becoming financially independent. Perhaps they could take the EB5 route.

 

[goaliedave]

They may know somebody that could speed it up!

Definitely possible for Canadians!

Years ago my Swedish fiance was supposed to leave Canada to apply for residency but was afraid to spend the 3 days alone waiting in Buffalo. I knew a lawyer who knew someone in the Atlanta consulate who provided the paperwork. Next day after work I drove her across the border, did a u-turn, she presented her Atlanta paperwork and she became a resident. 6 months later we got married in Sweden.

7 years later we got divorced in Sweden. A further 10 years on she was to be wed in Canada but city hall refused to give her a licence as ... Canada doesn't recognize foreign divorces ( only weddings) hahaha i laughed so hard. However, as it was 3 days before her wedding and dozens of Swedes had made travel plans, i called my friend the Ontario Minister of Finance who called whichever Minister processes divorces and 24 hours later we were divorced and 1 day before her wedding city hall gave her a marriage license.

So yes, some people have connections to get things done despite bureaucracy.

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[SteelerGal]

For ordinary folks, it is a long arduous process. My SIL waited for her green card, 2yrs. Because of this she didn’t travel to her Grandmother’s funeral. I have a ton of stories of how arduous and archaic the US Immigration System is.

The last decade, we have seen longer waits and more deportations than previously. In the last 3yrs, it’s been challenging for even European citizens who are requesting work visas at global companies.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

The Canadian monarchy is well, ahem, the British Monarchy.

No, it is not. I really don't expect an American to understand the distinction, but an ex-pat Brit should know better. Or did you miss the part where the British Empire ceased to exist? The actual monarch may be the same person, but the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (and many others in the Commonwealth of Nations) are independent, sovereign nations with separate, distinct monarchies in their own right. Each country has full control of the process and can make its own decisions on the rules of succession and who the head of state will be.

At the moment, it just so happens that in all those countries the Queen is Queen Elizabeth II, because everyone is happy with that arrangement. There is no guarantee that will always be the case, but that is how it is currently. Unlike the USA, we are not looking to change our head of state every four to eight years. We like the stability, consistency and continuity. With respect to Canada, she is the Queen of Canada, or in the case of Australia, the Queen of Australia. She is the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland only insofar as she is dealing with matters concerning the United Kingdom, as she once pointed out to Margaret Thatcher. They are separate legal entities.

It may appear to be a fine legal distinction, but the emphasis in this case is on the term "legal". You don't have to like it, or understand it, or even care about it, but there it is.