# Canadians overstaying their visas in the US -- an invasion we must repel with massed force? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 31, 2018, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777 "2018-10-31T11:38:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/21 "2018-10-31T21:49:48Z")
[Moderating] Moving to… Well, I guess Elections. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/22 "2018-10-31T22:23:29Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Disturbing? - certainly. But I don’t believe the invasion is imminent. > > It’s the time of year when they must all retreat into their igloos, so we have ~5 months to organize our defenses. Chill, dude. By the time winter’s over we’ll all be so high that the only thing we’ll be invading is the 7-11 for Doritos. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/23 "2018-10-31T22:43:02Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Reminder according to the Straight Dope forums Canada has always fought in defense of itself, never in an offensive war. Thus Canadians are the most peaceful people ever. Not to be rude, but that only works if you limit “Canadian” to after the creation of the Dominion of Canada and ignore native concerns, Iraq, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/24 "2018-10-31T22:48:20Z")
Isn’t this called being deceptive? After all, from the article in the OP > [@Article in OP](#): > > The absolute total only tells part of the story, however, because Canada is the largest source of international visitors to the U.S. As a result, Canada’s overstay rate—the percentage of travellers from Canada to the U.S. who overstayed their period of admission— **was relatively low at 1.01 per cent** , a decrease from last year when it was 1.33 per cent. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/25 "2018-10-31T22:55:38Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Isn’t this called being deceptive? After all, from the article in the OP It is a number of individuals that is many times larger than the 7% per country immigration limit or the refugee limit. The percentage may be small but the number of individuals are high. As Trump claimed that he was looking to target visa overstays it shows that there is a racial bias on his policies and that he is not worried about WASPs but only cares about brown people, even when they are trying to legally enter and follow U.S. like most asylum seekers. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/26 "2018-10-31T23:10:01Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Reminder according to the Straight Dope forums Canada has always fought in defense of itself, never in an offensive war. Thus Canadians are the most peaceful people ever. Canada is peaceful, but we have a long history of supporting out allies, and we’re into U.N. peacekeeping, even when keeping the peace annoys our allies, so it cannot be said that we always fight in defense of ourselves. For example, [Lester B. Pearson](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/suez-crisis), who later became prime minister of Canada, won a Nobel Peace Prize for using the world’s first, large-scale United Nations peacekeeping force to de-escalate the situation [Suez Crisis]." ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/27 "2018-10-31T23:21:36Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > It is a number of individuals that is many times larger than the 7% per country immigration limit or the refugee limit. > > The percentage may be small but the number of individuals are high. As Trump claimed that he was looking to target visa overstays it shows that there is a racial bias on his policies and that he is not worried about WASPs but only cares about brown people, even when they are trying to legally enter and follow U.S. like most asylum seekers. Why? What are the numbers on Latin American and African visa overstays? Is he cracking down on those but not Canadian? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/28 "2018-10-31T23:23:50Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Chill, dude. By the time winter’s over we’ll all be so high that the only thing we’ll be invading is the 7-11 for Doritos. [:dubious: > [@](#): > > Supply shortages plague Canada’s new cannabis marketplace ]([Supply shortages plague Canada's new cannabis marketplace | AP News](https://www.apnews.com/f10eb05832264eb6820bc07a78f14ab3)) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/29 "2018-10-31T23:24:56Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > As Trump claimed that he was looking to target visa overstays it shows that there is a racial bias on his policies That’s a reach. It could just be plain incompetence. Or racism by the officers. And don’t forget that many Canadians are not white. That said, his fault or not, Trump is responsible: if the officers are racist, he is responsible for that racism. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/30 "2018-10-31T23:40:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > That’s a reach. It could just be plain incompetence. Or racism by the officers. And don’t forget that many Canadians are not white. That said, his fault or not, Trump is responsible: if the officers are racist, he is responsible for that racism. What officers? Right now Canadians have 6 months to stay in the country, they just don’t go back. Why has he made no action to combat this when he blocked these “shithole” [countries by cancelling programs](https://www.nationaltpsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DPP-3582-EX-29.pdf) and now is performing the largest military deployment in the world as a political stunt to block people who have publicly stated they are traveling to apply for asylum which is legal immigration. And Canada is more than 86% white BTW. But lets quote Trump here > [@](#): > > “Haiti? Why do we want people from Haiti here?” Then they got Africa. 'Why do we want these people from all these shithole countries here? We should have more people from places like Norway." Ya…it’s not about race at all is it :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/31 "2018-11-01T00:10:47Z")
Canadians are white with European heritage. So no. Lets be honest. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/32 "2018-11-01T01:23:53Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > What officers? > > Right now Canadians have 6 months to stay in the country, they just don’t go back. > > Why has he made no action to combat this when he blocked these “shithole” [countries by cancelling programs](https://www.nationaltpsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DPP-3582-EX-29.pdf) and now is performing the largest military deployment in the world as a political stunt to block people who have publicly stated they are traveling to apply for asylum which is legal immigration. > > And Canada is more than 86% white BTW. > > But lets quote Trump here > > Ya…it’s not about race at all is it :smack: You are being pretty silly. Yes, most of Trump’s anti-immigration stances is playing to the racists. But Canada has massive business, military, and security integration with the US. They share a huge border, language and culture. Not cracking down on Canadian overstays isn’t proof that it’s all racial. There’s all sorts of actual proof, like the words he says. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/33 "2018-11-01T02:40:23Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > You are being pretty silly. Yes, most of Trump’s anti-immigration stances is playing to the racists. > But Canada has massive business, military, and security integration with the US. They share a huge border, language and culture. Not cracking down on Canadian overstays isn’t proof that it’s all racial. There’s all sorts of actual proof, like the words he says. It isn’t proof it is additional evidence, especially that he is against _legal immigration_ or is pandering to the white supremacist portion base that believes in white genocide. BTW, if you are Mexican and can afford a plane ticket it is much easier to sneak in from Canada and now there is no visa requirement for Mexicans to visit Canada. > **[Trudeau, Pena Nieto reach 'concrete results' ahead of Three Amigos summit |...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-pena-nieto-bilateral-visas-beef-1.3655746)** > > Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's bilateral talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto have yielded 'concrete results': Canada will lift its visa requirements for Mexican travellers as of Dec. 1, while Mexico will fully reopen its market to... It has been that way for a long time. My grandfather came in illegally because the 1885 Alien Contract Labor Law excluded all immigrants who took a job in exchange for passage and his was paid by a mining company. But the fact that you pointed out that a shared “_language and culture_” is a reason why we don’t need to care about Canada shows that the Know-Nothing Party did win in the end. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/34 "2018-11-01T05:49:46Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > BTW, if you are Mexican and can afford a plane ticket it is much easier to sneak in from Canada and now there is no visa requirement for Mexicans to visit Canada. > > [Canada drops Mexican visa requirement, Mexico lifts beef ban | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-pena-nieto-bilateral-visas-beef-1.3655746) Not sure if I’m in favor of lifting the visa requirement for Mexicans, but how does that pose a threat to the US or make it “much easier to sneak in from Canada”? You still need a Canadian passport or equivalent, like a Nexus card. A Mexican trying to enter the US from Canada would be no different than one trying to enter from the Mexican side. What am I missing? Not only that, but there have been some disturbing stories of Canadians actually holding Canadian passports being refused admittance [just because they looked like they might be Muslim](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canadian-denied-entry-us-immigrant-visa-1.4011202). On the positive side, I’m happy to see that as far as real undesirables are concerned – those vetted and deemed inadmissible to Canada – [are being deported at an increased rate](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbsa-deportations-border-removals-1.4873169). > [@rat\_avatar](#): > > But the fact that you pointed out that a shared “_language and culture_” is a reason why we don’t need to care about Canada shows that the Know-Nothing Party did win in the end. I would use the phrase “not fear” instead of “don’t care about”, and the reason you don’t need to fear Canada is because of the tightly integrated peer-level economies that already exist. Both countries just need to retain, in accordance with their preferences, their relative priorities over economic growth and opportunity versus societal health and solidarity, which is where the main differences are. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/35 "2018-11-01T06:47:27Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Not sure if I’m in favor of lifting the visa requirement for Mexicans, but how does that pose a threat to the US or make it “much easier to sneak in from Canada”? You still need a Canadian passport or equivalent, like a Nexus card. A Mexican trying to enter the US from Canada would be no different than one trying to enter from the Mexican side. What am I missing? > > Not only that, but there have been some disturbing stories of Canadians actually holding Canadian passports being refused admittance [just because they looked like they might be Muslim](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canadian-denied-entry-us-immigrant-visa-1.4011202). > > On the positive side, I’m happy to see that as far as real undesirables are concerned – those vetted and deemed inadmissible to Canada – [are being deported at an increased rate](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbsa-deportations-border-removals-1.4873169). > I would use the phrase “not fear” instead of “don’t care about”, and the reason you don’t need to fear Canada is because of the tightly integrated peer-level economies that already exist. Both countries just need to retain, in accordance with their preferences, their relative priorities over economic growth and opportunity versus societal health and solidarity, which is where the main differences are. My personal opinion is that us in the US addressing our racist and bigoted immigration policies would solve most of this issues. It is hilarious and terrifying to watch scared little nativists play security theater. If you think a Nexus card or even crossing at a place where the US shines the facial recognition lasers in your eyes is the only way across up here in the PNW you are not very familiar with the area. George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan got that most of illegal immigration is caused by our own laws, but the wargarble from the “white genocide” voting block stopped realistic, enforceable laws. I do fear them finding their “Kristallnacht” but as there are already “concentration camps” for legal immigrants I maybe they already have and I missed it. But ya after 150 years of history where Germans, Irish, Italians, Finns or Catholics were going to “destroy white america” I have little tolerance for this “the sky is falling” claims. That said Canada likes to pretend it is doing better, but if you are Canadian you should be ashamed on how you treat your first nations and Inuit populations. Travel North and pay attention, and don’t stick to Whitehorse or Dawson and just watch. I really like Canada, but man we all have a lot of work to do. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/36 "2018-11-01T12:14:39Z")
One thing the article doesn’t mention is why are those Canadians overstaying their Visas. Maybe I’m weird (about this I mean, not in general), but I think that someone getting apendicitis while on vacation is different from someone who miscounted (how is the “6 months” defined in the law, as 6 months or as 180 days?) and in turn this is different from someone who’s purposefully decided to stay long-term without doing the proper paperwork. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/37 "2018-11-04T22:32:31Z")
Another biggie is “wasn’t paying attention”. And out of people who /deliberately/ overstay their visa, there’s another big chunk that isn’t intending to stay – just intending to stay for a little while longer. But that’s true about everybody, not just Canadians. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/38 "2018-11-06T04:23:26Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > Are you operating under the mistaken impression that Snowbirds are peaceful, loving creatures? > > You have been warned. Hey, if we crack down on snowbirds, the condo markets in Florida, Arizona, and Southern California would immediately collapse. They have us by the nads, there. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777/39 "2018-11-06T04:41:29Z")
ive heard that if they busted every European worker that over stayed their work visas (mostly in things like travel/transportation service industries like airports ect ) most of the docks and airports would be ghost towns …… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-overstaying-their-visas-in-the-us-an-invasion-we-must-repel-with-massed-force/823777.md?page=1)