unbelievable or not?

[fnklinge]

I arrived a week ago with my family from The Netherlands to Alberta. My hobby's are fishing and hunting, so this must be paradise:sHa_shakeshout:
Yesterday a good friend of mine from BC called me and said, Frank I have some disturbing news for you, I think you are not allowed to buy your own guns, he said I know you are a good guy,that you've been a Game Warden yourself, yes even taught Police Officers how to handle their guns and he went on and on, I have to admit it made me blush a little.
So I asked him why I can't buy my own guns, and then he told me that I "only" have a working permit and no Permanent Residence. I replied with something like SH.. this can't be true or is it :angry3:

[CNP]

Here is the link (http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/form-formulaire/num-nom/921-eng.htm) to obtain a firearms license.


New Canadian Residents
If you have been a resident of Canada for less than 5 years
you must obtain a letter of good conduct issued by the local or
state police of your previous country of residence.
Non-Residents of Canada
If you are a non-resident of Canada you must obtain a letter of
good conduct issued by your local or state police.
Letter of Good Conduct Required for New Canadian
Residents and Non-Residents of Canada Only
A letter of good conduct must be written in the English or
French language on the police department's official letter head
paper. Please attach the letter to your application form.

[conan]

Great link for non residents good job!

[grinr]

Wow!!That ^^ is pleasantly surprising and a bit ironic in that it appears that it is easier for NRAs and immigrants to get a firearms licence here in Canuckistan than it is for same to possess firearms in our gun champion neighbors to the south/land of the free USA?
Oh well,good news for you Frank,enjoy,and welcome to AB.As a relatively new Albertan myself(2 years),despite all of the bitchn and whining that you might read here on the AO pages,I can tell ya it truly is a sportsman's paradise here in AB compared to anywhere else in Canada I've lived.

That said,if your anxious to start hunting immediately,you could always take up the challenge and fun of hunting with a flintlock rifle?No licensing requirements whatsoever to buy or possess rocklocks nor the components that make them go BOOM.....you could be making good smoke this afternoon,although not much open for big game seasons this time of year?I find hunting with traditional,single shot MLs to be a fun challenge and compromise that falls "somewhere" between bowhunting and modern rifle hunting?You need to get ALOT closer to your game than you do with a scoped centerfire,but not as close as with the bow......approximately the same effective range as a rifled shotgun I suppose?

[Pudelpointer]

Wow!!That ^^ is pleasantly surprising and a bit ironic in that it appears that it is easier for NRAs and immigrants to get a firearms licence here in Canuckistan than it is for same to possess firearms in our gun champion neighbors to the south/land of the free USA?

Why do you think that Grinr? Send your form in with your hunting license number and a few weeks later you get your paperwork. No fee, no test, no letter from your local police chief required.

[grinr]

Why do you think that Grinr? Send your form in with your hunting license number and a few weeks later you get your paperwork. No fee, no test, no letter from your local police chief required.

Not sure I understand your Q or comments?
Are you talking about hunting in USA?

If so...ok,that may well be true for
visiting hunters,but I'm talking about landed immigrants,work visas/green cards etc.,and short term visitors to USA?Nobody from those groups can can buy or possess firearms in USA as far as I know,other than visiting hunters?Yes you can have gunns exported to Canada from USA if you jump thru all the hoops,but you cant physically be in USA and buy or possess unless you are a US citizen AFIK??It appears that in the OP's case,as an immigrant or work visa or wutever the case may be,a police check/letter from home and he's good to go?
.....and THAT is what surprises me,that the generally pro-gun USA/ATF has more strict conditions than the gun grabbing liberal nanny state of Canuckistan in that regard?

[Pudelpointer]

You can possess in the USA, you can even "open carry" a handgun in many states, as long as you have your NIA6. The hunting license is a formality, there is no requirement that "hunting" is the only reason you are permitted for bringing firearms to the US. It is true however that you cannot, as a NRA you cannot obtain a FFL or CCP, but you used to be able.


From what I understand, it is not as simple as getting a reference letter and you can possess firearms as a NRA in Canada. Even as a visiting hunter, you must do the CFC licensing test and get a PAL. The ability of visiting hunters and collectors to aquire firearms here is a result of the ineptitude of the Liberal government that put the Firearms Act into place, not any desire by the government to treat NRAs in a fair and reasonable manner.


Just saying.

[Rackmastr]

From what I understand, it is not as simple as getting a reference letter and you can possess firearms as a NRA in Canada. Even as a visiting hunter, you must do the CFC licensing test and get a PAL. The ability of visiting hunters and collectors to aquire firearms here is a result of the ineptitude of the Liberal government that put the Firearms Act into place, not any desire by the government to treat NRAs in a fair and reasonable manner.


That part is incorrect actually. A Non-Resident can pay a quick $25 fee and bring long guns into Canada for 60 days. No paperwork required beforehand.

[grinr]

That part is incorrect actually. A Non-Resident can pay a quick $25 fee and bring long guns into Canada for 60 days. No paperwork required beforehand.

X2.....mericans just have to pay ther 2 bits at Customs to "register" guns they bring up for hunt,but the true intent of that law is to make sure they dont leave them here for tips.....yet another gun grabbing Lieberal invention.:rolleye2:
Maybe Pudelpointer meant to say if NRA wants to buy a gun here??:confused:

[Pudelpointer]

Well I stand corrected. Just curious, was that a recent change (by recent, I mean last 5-10 years or so)? Pretty sure I remember when the FA came into force that visiting hunters had to pass the CFC test and make an application like the rest of us. I remember outfitters raising holy hell about it, but never heard that they had changed the rules.


Interesting.

[Rackmastr]

Well I stand corrected. Just curious, was that a recent change (by recent, I mean last 5-10 years or so)? Pretty sure I remember when the FA came into force that visiting hunters had to pass the CFC test and make an application like the rest of us. I remember outfitters raising holy hell about it, but never heard that they had changed the rules.


Interesting.

Its been that way for about 8 years from what I can recall. Only change that I know of is that it used to be $50 for a year vs now its $25 for 60 days.

A NRA could still get a PAL and then bring any non-restricted firearms into Canada without any other paperwork. Quite a few NRA's have PAL's if they travel to Canada frequently enough (yearly, etc).

The current system is a VERY quick and easy system for any non-residents to temporarily import firearms to Canada.