Vancouver Immigration And Cross-Border Injury Law Blog

Risks of cross-border personal injury when driving in Seattle

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in cross-border personal injury on Monday, October 21, 2019.

Whenever Vancouver residents take trips to Seattle for shopping or other purposes, they have to deal with challenging circumstances. The risks of suffering cross-border personal injury is significant, and the legal consequences can be complicated. Travel authorities say Seattle is frequently listed as one of the cities with the worst traffic conditions in the United States.

Visiting drivers are advised to time their driving in Seattle to occur between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rush hour puts out-of-town visitors at risk of being caught in stressful situations as drivers get frustrated while merging with other traffic on and off the city's highways. Unsafe merging is reported to be one of the most significant hazards on Seattle roads.

US immigration laws confuse Canadians refused entry into USA

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in u.s. immigration on Tuesday, October 15, 2019.

Residents of Vancouver have, until recently, had few problems crossing the border from British Columbia to visit friends or family in Seattle. U.S. immigration lawyers in Vancouver say they have noticed an increase in incidents in which residents of Canada are denied entry and even banned from entering the U.S. One case involves a Vancouver woman who was refused entry and told to get a visa before trying to cross the border again.

Reportedly, the woman and her partner arrived at the border crossing on their way to Seattle for a visit with her godfather. She reports being held and questioned for almost five hours. The woman asserts that she has no criminal record and that she had been back and forth across the border frequently in the past with no problems. Although the border agents did not deny entry to the woman's partner, they did go through both of their wallets and cell phones.

Cross-border personal injury: The impact of raised speed limits

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in cross-border personal injury on Monday, October 7, 2019.

A professor at the University of British Columbia researched the effect of increased speed limits on Canadian highways. The outcome of the research led to the British Columbia government lowering the speed limit on 570 kilometres of the 1,300-kilometre section of a road that had been raised by 10 km/h in 2014. The professor determined that the 10 km/h increase did not necessarily lead to more accidents, but it did lead to more severe injuries when accidents occurred. If American citizens were involved in any of those accidents, they could have a need for a cross-border personal injury claim.

According to the researcher, by increasing the speed limit, authorities aimed to improve road safety by limiting the disparity between fast and slow vehicles. They assumed that drivers who exceed the existing limit would continue driving at the same speed and slower drivers would drive a bit faster. Sadly, instead of improving safety, the opposite happened.

US immigration: E2 Treaty Investor Visas are useful options

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in u.s. immigration on Tuesday, October 1, 2019.

Canada is one of the E2 Treaty Investor Visa Countries, which enables investors from British Columbia or other Canadian provinces or territories to apply for E2 visas. Under U.S. immigration laws, an E2 Visa allows investors to work and live in the U.S. while they develop and direct businesses in the United States. If an E2 Visa is obtained, executives, essential skill employees and management of the company are allowed entry.

Large companies may get permission to send executive-level employees and management to establish and direct the business in the U.S. instead of business owners. Furthermore, employees of a Canadian investor may also be eligible for E2 visas. However, they must also be Canadian nationals to qualify.

Cross-border personal injury: Vancouver bus crash kills 2

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in cross-border personal injury on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

Two students of a University in Canada lost their lives in a recent bus accident on Vancouver Island. One of them, an 18-year-old student, was a young man from the United States who enrolled at the university after graduating from high school this year. Losing a loved one in a crash is understandably traumatic, but when it involves cross-border personal injury or death, the entire matter becomes more complicated.

Reportedly, the two students were on a charter bus along with 43 other students and a pair of teaching assistants. The bus was travelling on a gravel road, heading to a Marine Science Centre on an annual field trip. Over a dozen other students suffered injuries, but only one of them was hospitalized. The severity of that student's injuries was not reported.

US immigration laws cap H-1B visa selections

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in u.s. immigration on Monday, September 16, 2019.

Residents of British Columbia who want to work in the United States as nonimmigrants need H-1B visas, a U.S. immigration category that enables companies in the United States to recruit workers from other countries. Petitions must be specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Unfortunately, the selections are capped, and many petitioners are unsuccessful each year. Notice of failed applications can take weeks to reach petitioners due to the large number of requests.

One of the ways in which Canadians with bachelor's degrees or higher can work in the United States is on an H-1B visa. However, an employer in America must sponsor the petitioner. Earlier this year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the cap selection process for H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2020 was already reached.

Cross-border personal injury: Herniated disc cause long-term pain

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in cross-border personal injury on Sunday, September 8, 2019.

Car accidents can cause various types of injuries, including herniated discs. Any damage to the spine can cause long-term health problems. When it occurs during a trip between Vancouver and Seattle, legal and insurance issues could be complicated. Cross-border personal injury incidents often involve the laws of both countries, and dealing with claims could be daunting.

Herniated discs refer to a type of low back injury that results from the nucleus of a spinal disc bulging out from its position between the bones of the spine. Some refer to them as slipped discs, which is not accurate as herniation does not involve the entire disc but only a small part of it. While many people develop low back problems over time due to lifestyles or work-related injuries, severe cases can result from car accidents. Already weakened discs can herniate during the impact of a crash.

US immigration agents act against Canadians carrying CBD oil

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in u.s. immigration on Thursday, September 5, 2019.

Although cannabis was legalized in Canada last year, the government has issued repeated warnings against carrying any form of the drug when crossing the border into the United States. The recent actions of U.S. immigration agents against people carrying cannabidiol has led to lifetime bans. The subsequent reversal of one such ban has caused much confusion about the issue.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound derived from the hemp plant, known not to contain THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. CBD is said to offer multiple medicinal benefits, one of which is anti-inflammatory relief. The fact that CBD is legal in Washington state and British Columbia seems to be the confusing issue. U.S. federal law governs the border, and possession of any form of cannabis remains a criminal offence under federal law.

High-risk driving can cause serious cross-border personal injury

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in cross-border personal injury on Tuesday, August 27, 2019.

When travelling across the border into Washington state, British Columbia drivers will be sensible to look out for high-risk driving by other motorists. This also applies if they see pedestrians in Seattle because suffering cross-border personal injury could lead to complicated legal and insurance claims. Despite their own safe driving practices, the negligence of others could have dire consequences.

Some of the most dangerous conditions for motorists and pedestrians are at busy intersections. Failure to yield is one of the most frequent causes of accident-related injuries and deaths, and most such incidents involve vehicles turning left, ignoring the fact that pedestrians have the right of way. Many drivers give in to the temptation to roll through stop signs or red lights, often causing catastrophic accidents.

US immigration, marriage and unlawful presence

On behalf of Mark Belanger of Border Solutions Law Group posted in u.s. immigration on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

Everyone who has ever been in love will know that Cupid will not be stopped, and love arrows are sometimes shot when least expected. If someone from British Columbia happens to fall in love with a U.S. citizen while on a trip south of the border, he or she might feel tempted to get married and not return to Canada. However, U.S. immigration laws require Canadians to return to their country within six months.

The Canadian citizen would be allowed to apply for a green card, but not before obtaining a waiver of the unlawful presence ban. He or she must return to Canada for the required interview for an immigrant visa. The ban for remaining in the U.S. past the 180-day mark could prevent re-entry for three years. If the unlawful presence exceeded one year, the ban could be for ten years.