January 2018 Filers

[SMK 89 68]

5 minutes ago, D&B said:

 

@SMK 89 and @Jlomartin Have you thought about medical coverage at POE before you marry? Once I'm married my fiancé will be able to cover me but wondering what to do prior to that. I have always purchased travel medical insurance for my visits to the US but I have a feeling that won't be a possibility if I'm giving up my Canadian residency. Will have to look into that.

 

 

 

@D&B and @Jlomartin - I don't think you have to give up Canadian residency as early as POE, as in filing with the Canadian government. I could be wrong (please let me know if I am!), additionally are you not actually supposed to be giving up your current residency until you are married as the K-1 Visa is only valid for 90-days and contingent upon following through with the marriage/proving it etc within the timeframe required? These are assumptions...

 

Obviously we are all anxious about actually getting married and the 90-day timeline is not a problem, we want to be married ASAP lol. But all I mean is in theory, your public health coverage in Canada should stay in tact until you file with CRA and the federal government requesting to no longer be a "Resident" -i.e., paying taxes and receiving those federal benefits. Only caveat is - just like for the snow birds, isn't there a 5-month rule or something like that - not sure if that is a rolling 5-month period or 5-months in a given year in a row?? I think you have to be in Canada consistently for 5-months to maintain your OHIP (again not sure on other provinces)?

 

For Ontario I found this - https://www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada 

 

Away for more than seven months

If you plan to be outside Canada for more than seven months in any 12-month period you can keep your OHIP coverage for up to two years if you:

• have a valid health card 
• make Ontario your primary home
• will be in Ontario for at least 153 days a year in each of the two years immediately before you leave the country

Before you leave, take the following items to the nearest ServiceOntario centre to make sure your OHIP coverage stays active:

• your health card
• proof of residency (e.g. mortgage, lease or rental agreement, property tax bill, valid driver’s licence)

 

 

I guess we should do some research on that - or if someone has the answer, please share  Good point on medical coverage though! 

[D&B 34]

On ‎2018‎-‎04‎-‎14 at 9:31 AM, Deehotstepper said:

Haha, I wish i had started the process that early. i would have if i knew about this major delay in processing. i was still under the impression that it took 90 days for approval like it was before. My fiance and i had hoped got a May 5th wedding date but that wont happen. 

i just like to lurk in the older months to get the updated information about what is going on and report back to our group, so we all are in the know.

@Deehotstepper I too thought you had filed much earlier. I actually thought you were in the same month as @Naes Great to know someone that's been gleaning information from previous months is going to go through this process with us. We'll be leaning on you for all that updated information!

[SMK 89 68]

10 minutes ago, D&B said:

I wonder why they no longer process these visas at the Vancouver consulate? I believe this was a recent change in the last few years but why? and @SMK 89 you have every right to complain - I am shocked as well. Although if you recall the CBP officer at the Calgary airport indicated I could get the visa in Calgary.....maybe there's something we don't know.....IF ONLY lol

@D&B - it is shocking isn't it!!! I wonder what that CBP officer was talking about... maybe we should ask the next one we meet - I hope we are not missing something!!? The USCIS website literarily says that only the Montreal Consulate processes K1 visas in Canada. Maybe more consulates are coming!!!! In that case I'd even travel to Nunavut to hurry this process along!!!!  LOL

[D&B 34]

5 minutes ago, SMK 89 said:

@D&B - it is shocking isn't it!!! I wonder what that CBP officer was talking about... maybe we should ask the next one we meet - I hope we are not missing something!!? The USCIS website literarily says that only the Montreal Consulate processes K1 visas in Canada. Maybe more consulates are coming!!!! In that case I'd even travel to Nunavut to hurry this process along!!!!  LOL

I think he may truly have been testing me. "Does this woman actually think it's that easy?" If not it concerns me that CBP would think this is true. Or maybe it's something we don't know...maybe just maybe they will just give us our K1 instead of a B2 next time we cross and we don't have to go through the application process, criminal checks, medicals, etc. hmmmm......yeah, not happening.

[SMK 89 68]

1 minute ago, D&B said:

I think he may truly have been testing me. "Does this woman actually think it's that easy?" If not it concerns me that CBP would think this is true. Or maybe it's something we don't know...maybe just maybe they will just give us our K1 instead of a B2 next time we cross and we don't have to go through the application process, criminal checks, medicals, etc. hmmmm......yeah, not happening.

@D&B I just laughed out loud! Here is to hoping, wishing, praying. If that were to happen, I'm buying lottery tickets that day because CLEARLY something miraculous happened! 

[D&B 34]

14 minutes ago, SMK 89 said:

@D&B and @Jlomartin - I don't think you have to give up Canadian residency as early as POE, as in filing with the Canadian government. I could be wrong (please let me know if I am!), additionally are you not actually supposed to be giving up your current residency until you are married as the K-1 Visa is only valid for 90-days and contingent upon following through with the marriage/proving it etc within the timeframe required? These are assumptions...

 

Obviously we are all anxious about actually getting married and the 90-day timeline is not a problem, we want to be married ASAP lol. But all I mean is in theory, your public health coverage in Canada should stay in tact until you file with CRA and the federal government requesting to no longer be a "Resident" -i.e., paying taxes and receiving those federal benefits. Only caveat is - just like for the snow birds, isn't there a 5-month rule or something like that - not sure if that is a rolling 5-month period or 5-months in a given year in a row?? I think you have to be in Canada consistently for 5-months to maintain your OHIP (again not sure on other provinces)?

 

For Ontario I found this - https://www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada 

 

Away for more than seven months

If you plan to be outside Canada for more than seven months in any 12-month period you can keep your OHIP coverage for up to two years if you:

• have a valid health card 
• make Ontario your primary home
• will be in Ontario for at least 153 days a year in each of the two years immediately before you leave the country

Before you leave, take the following items to the nearest ServiceOntario centre to make sure your OHIP coverage stays active:

• your health card
• proof of residency (e.g. mortgage, lease or rental agreement, property tax bill, valid driver’s licence)

 

 

I guess we should do some research on that - or if someone has the answer, please share  Good point on medical coverage though! 

Definitely requiring some research. But I would think you're ok when I read the OHIP quote. We're planning on getting married ASAP upon entry (not waiting 90 days.....lol) but I want to make sure I'm covered the short time prior to that. I'm going to look into the Alberta Health Care rules.

 

I'm not sure how the Government of Canada interprets our residency when we depart. The government is all about "intent" so I am really going to have to look into that further as I assumed leaving Canada with an intent to stay in the US means we give up residency on the day we leave. I have not looked into this at all so it's just a "what I thought". I guess now we have something else to research and add to the list while waiting for our NOA2.

[D&B 34]

4 minutes ago, SMK 89 said:

@D&B I just laughed out loud! Here is to hoping, wishing, praying. If that were to happen, I'm buying lottery tickets that day because CLEARLY something miraculous happened! 

So happy I made you laugh. This process is stressful, especially with everything completely out of our control, and if we can joke and laugh about the uncertainty of it all it will certainly help.

[D&B 34]

 

I believe you are correct @SMK 89 with regards to giving up Canadian residency. Here's an excerpt from the Gov of Canada website:

 

"When do you become a non-resident?

When you leave Canada to settle in another country, you usually become a non-resident for income tax purposes on the latest of:

• the date you leave Canada;
• the date your spouse or common-law partner and/or dependants leave Canada; or
• the date you become a resident of the country you settle in."

The latest date here being the date we become residents of the country we settle in....which I guess is not until we receive AOS. Do you interpret similarly?

 

It does make complete sense since as you stated if we don't marry (as IF that will happen) we are not entitled to become residents.

 

 

[Snuffles 394]

On 16/04/2018 at 4:47 AM, RambaCat said:

On the bright side, we'll be WITH our loved ones for round two!

Oh I can’t wait. I know half the stuff that gets to me and upsets me won’t even be a fleeting issue once I’m there. I never thought it could get this hard (and we’re hardly halfway in this process). I seriously question (sometimes) how I will be able to do this  I’m just being honest. I know we’ll make it. Tomorrow is his birthday. 😥

[Lucy&Jason 807]

23 minutes ago, Snuffles said:

Tomorrow is his birthday.

Oh Advance Happy Happy Birthday to your lovey @Snuffles 

[Snuffles 394]

Just now, ShyLucy said:

Oh Advance Happy Happy Birthday to your lovey @Snuffles 

Thank you!!! 

 

What have people done to celebrate birthdays while apart?

 

I don’t mean to be negative. Some days just hit you like a ton of bricks. 

[Lucy&Jason 807]

29 minutes ago, Snuffles said:

Thank you!!! 

 

What have people done to celebrate birthdays while apart?

 

I don’t mean to be negative. Some days just hit you like a ton of bricks. 

I feel you.  But we are halfway there. Just hold on. Soon... Very Soon... 

 

Care buying a cake for your love and celebrate it with him? Would love to know if you can share here how you guys will celebrate the special occasion. ❤️❤️❤️

[Snuffles 394]

Just now, ShyLucy said:

I feel you.  But we are halfway there. Just hold on. Soon... Very Soon... 

 

Care buying a cake for your love and celebrate it with him? Would love to know if you can share here how you guys will celebrate the special occasion. ❤️❤️❤️

So we’ve been dating a year in March. So last year, being only a month in, we did a normal Skype call. I’d also sent a birthday care package (balloons, I think a teddy, plastic champagne glass, party hat etc). My birthday in August we did a dinner/movie date: cooked a meal at the same time (very late dinner for him and lunch for me), dressed up and then watched Beauty and the Beast. 😎

 

For his birthday this year, I’ll call him on the day to wish him happy birthday (since I’ll be at work, only a quick call) but on the weekend he has a day off and we’re going out. We are both going to Outback Steakhouse in our own towns and will FaceTime while there. Yep, sounds lame but we’re keen to do something different and creative! Plus we went to Outback steakhouse to celebrate engagement so should be fun ☺️ And as I say to other people: you do you have to do when in an LDR! You HAVE to get creative and be a little lame. 

 

I’ve seen a few cake ideas e.g actual cake sites that deliver and a diy crafty (realistic piece of cake) you can make and send! 

[Lucy&Jason 807]

1 minute ago, Snuffles said:

So we’ve been dating a year in March. So last year, being only a month in, we did a normal Skype call. I’d also sent a birthday care package (balloons, I think a teddy, plastic champagne glass, party hat etc). My birthday in August we did a dinner/movie date: cooked a meal at the same time (very late dinner for him and lunch for me), dressed up and then watched Beauty and the Beast. 😎

 

For his birthday this year, I’ll call him on the day to wish him happy birthday (since I’ll be at work, only a quick call) but on the weekend he has a day off and we’re going out. We are both going to Outback Steakhouse in our own towns and will FaceTime while there. Yep, sounds lame but we’re keen to do something different and creative! Plus we went to Outback steakhouse to celebrate engagement so should be fun ☺️ And as I say to other people: you do you have to do when in an LDR! You HAVE to get creative and be a little lame. 

 

I’ve seen a few cake ideas e.g actual cake sites that deliver and a diy crafty (realistic piece of cake) you can make and send! 

Awwww... That’s so sweet of you two.

I have to agree that when you are in LDR you should be more creative and fun in giving effort. That way you will keep the romance alive. 

 

It’s just good to hear you are both making ways to fill each other’s emptiness. Though not physically but emotionally  you are letting each other feel his/her importance. 😊😊😊

[LuFlolady 881]

7 hours ago, Snuffles said:

Oh I can’t wait. I know half the stuff that gets to me and upsets me won’t even be a fleeting issue once I’m there. I never thought it could get this hard (and we’re hardly halfway in this process). I seriously question (sometimes) how I will be able to do this  I’m just being honest. I know we’ll make it. Tomorrow is his birthday. 😥

Happy Birthday to your boo thang! lol and no worries we all have out moments...Let it be a moment but then move on after the moment has passed... We will get there my friend hang in there!

6 hours ago, Snuffles said:

So we’ve been dating a year in March. So last year, being only a month in, we did a normal Skype call. I’d also sent a birthday care package (balloons, I think a teddy, plastic champagne glass, party hat etc). My birthday in August we did a dinner/movie date: cooked a meal at the same time (very late dinner for him and lunch for me), dressed up and then watched Beauty and the Beast. 😎

 

For his birthday this year, I’ll call him on the day to wish him happy birthday (since I’ll be at work, only a quick call) but on the weekend he has a day off and we’re going out. We are both going to Outback Steakhouse in our own towns and will FaceTime while there. Yep, sounds lame but we’re keen to do something different and creative! Plus we went to Outback steakhouse to celebrate engagement so should be fun ☺️ And as I say to other people: you do you have to do when in an LDR! You HAVE to get creative and be a little lame. 

 

I’ve seen a few cake ideas e.g actual cake sites that deliver and a diy crafty (realistic piece of cake) you can make and send! 

Those things are not lame how cute!