Canadian Husband/American Wife who's pregnant... help?

[canadianwoman]

That says 'RETURNING RESIDENTS', which my baby will not be. My baby will be a citizen of Canada at birth.

Yes, but health coverage is based on residency in a province. Canadian citizens who are not residing in Canada are not always eligible for health coverage. When they return to Canada, they get their health coverage back after a waiting period. I'm a citizen of Canada too, and was at birth, but if I leave Canada for 10 years, then come back, I don't automatically get health coverage the day I return.

But since someone at the Canadian Consulate in Chicago said your baby would have coverage from birth, I'd assume this was so, though try to get more confirmation.
The two links above don't mention anything about newborn Canadian citizens who enter Ontario.

 

[YorkFactory]

Your newborn is not eligible for OHIP unless it has resided in Ontario for three months or was born there. This applies even to babies born in Canada, but outside Ontario. Citizenship is irrelevant.

 

[cassiebroadway]

I specifically asked if my baby born in the States would have health covereage immediately upon entering Ontario, and the Canadian Consulate said yes. That's really all that matters to me.

What I'm asking is moreso questions about my immigration and permanent residence, actually.

 

[heatherusa]

I specifically asked if my baby born in the States would have health covereage immediately upon entering Ontario, and the Canadian Consulate said yes. That's really all that matters to me.

What I'm asking is moreso questions about my immigration and permanent residence, actually.

probably your best course of action is to send off for your fingerprint check through the Fbi. Keep in mind that the results needs to be less than three months old when you submit them so you will have to determine your timing of when you want to send your application in. While you are waiting p
for the prints work on the application, getting all the other documents and proof together. If your application is submitted and approved before December you will still have a year to land from the day you do your medical so you should still have plenty of time. The average time for sponsorship approval is 45 days and then 4+ months for processing in Buffalo (although I am hoping it isn't so long). What state are you in? We are in MI and got prints done at the local police department.

 

[YorkFactory]

I specifically asked if my baby born in the States would have health covereage immediately upon entering Ontario, and the Canadian Consulate said yes. That's really all that matters to me.

What the consulate told you is not the final word—you need to be prepared for the people at ServiceOntario to tell you to come back once you've lived in Ontario for three months, because in all likelihood, that's what will happen.

If you or your husband is able to get coverage through COBRA for you and your dependents, you are probably going to want to continue that coverage, because any travel insurance you're going to find to cover that three-month gap is not going to cover non-emergency medical procedures (like routine checkups). With that insurance, you could at least try to find a pediatrician in the U.S. (near the border) for the first three months; without that insurance, you'd be paying for everything out of pocket until OHIP kicks in.

Anyway, you should apply for permanent residence as soon as you can get all the paperwork together, as long as you can establish that your husband plans to move back to Canada once you become a permanent resident. If it's not too expensive to get your state police checks, I'd recommend obtaining them if you can, so you have them on hand in case the visa office requests them. (You should at least be familiar with the process of obtaining each state police check—you don't want to be unpleasantly surprised when one of them tells you that they don't accept fingerprint cards and you have to go to a fingerprinting office in that state.)

 

[can_usa_97]

Since you will be without health care (unless you purchase it) until you are PR and you intend on having your child here in 4 months time (assuming they are born in November) and timelines are 4-10 months with 6 months average - I'd apply now.

 

[cassiebroadway]

Since you will be without health care (unless you purchase it) until you are PR and you intend on having your child here in 4 months time (assuming they are born in November) and timelines are 4-10 months with 6 months average - I'd apply now.

Okay, so I am officially applying now. What steps do I take? Please forgive my ignorance, but I know nothing about immigration and the entire process is actually horrifying to me! Which applications do I get? Where? How much will it all cost?

 

[heatherusa]

Okay, so I am officially applying now. What steps do I take? Please forgive my ignorance, but I know nothing about immigration and the entire process is actually horrifying to me! Which applications do I get? Where? How much will it all cost?

You start here. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp


Your husband is the sponsor and you are the PR applicant. Read the guide. Start with your fingerprint check http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/information/security/police-cert/north-america/united-states.asp#tphp%20idtphp

When you are near the time that you will submit the application get your doctors visit scheduled. Because you are pregnant you will need to have the doctor note that you couldnt have an xray.

Then start working on the forms. Let us know when you have questions and we will do our best to help.

 

[can_usa_97]

Okay, so I am officially applying now. What steps do I take? Please forgive my ignorance, but I know nothing about immigration and the entire process is actually horrifying to me! Which applications do I get? Where? How much will it all cost?

Good luck!
Heather has steered you in the right direction.
If you don't already have a passport book - you will need that also. And my DR (I saw him today) required I have it before I see him. So I ended up having to spend $150 to ensure it was here before today.


The CIC fees are about $1040.
Then you have photos (passport around $30) then 4 of you and your sponsor x 4... I am doing those myself so not sure the cost on a photographer doing it.
My medical today was $320 for the DR exam and $90 for the chest xray (you'll get that after your baby arrives).

 

[heatherusa]

My medical today was $320 for the DR exam and $90 for the chest xray (you'll get that after your baby arrives).

Thanks for the kind words...


Youch! $320 is a lot of money. Hope things went well for you today.

 

[can_usa_97]

Thanks for the kind words...


Youch! $320 is a lot of money. Hope things went well for you today.

Yeah I never could get the other DMP in Chicago to answer me by phone - I called 4x and never did anyone answer the phone.

It did go well - nothing on the xray, no concerns from what Dr saw today and I don't expect blood tests to come back badly.
Only bad was that I have a very sore arm and bruise from the blood draw.

 

[cassiebroadway]

Good luck!
Heather has steered you in the right direction.
If you don't already have a passport book - you will need that also. And my DR (I saw him today) required I have it before I see him. So I ended up having to spend $150 to ensure it was here before today.


The CIC fees are about $1040.
Then you have photos (passport around $30) then 4 of you and your sponsor x 4... I am doing those myself so not sure the cost on a photographer doing it.
My medical today was $320 for the DR exam and $90 for the chest xray (you'll get that after your baby arrives).

Thank you! Sounds good. I'll try and get my fingerprints tomorrow and then try and download all of the necessary paperwork. A doctor's appointment will be cheap because I've got health care and see my doctor all the time anyway, so that's good! My Dad's a photographer, so I'll have him take the pictures. And yes, I have a passport!

Will my husband have a problem if his passport is expired? It has expired since we've been in America. Oh god... hope not!

 

[heatherusa]

Thank you! Sounds good. I'll try and get my fingerprints tomorrow and then try and download all of the necessary paperwork. A doctor's appointment will be cheap because I've got health care and see my doctor all the time anyway, so that's good! My Dad's a photographer, so I'll have him take the pictures. And yes, I have a passport!

Will my husband have a problem if his passport is expired? It has expired since we've been in America. Oh god... hope not!

Make sure you go to a DMP - Designated Medical Professional - http://www.cic.gc.ca/dmp-md/medical.aspx You wont be able to use your own doctor, unless they just happen to be one. You will have to pay them out of pocket as they wont accept your health coverage.

I sent my sponsorship application in with a copy of my expired Canadian passport and a note that I had already mailed off for a new one (it only took about 3 weeks to get - might have been less). Anyway, my sponsorship was approved.

 

[cassiebroadway]

Make sure you go to a DMP - Designated Medical Professional You wont be able to use your own doctor, unless they just happen to be one. You will have to pay them out of pocket as they wont accept your health coverage.

I sent my sponsorship application in with a copy of my expired Canadian passport and a note that I had already mailed off for a new one (it only took about 3 weeks to get - might have been less). Anyway, my sponsorship was approved.

Oh, good to know! So he should definitely apply for a new one beforehand. How much will that cost him from the States?

Also, I'm just going to ask this one more time. Would it really be stupid for me to just go to Canada before the baby is born without applying for anything? Would I even have health coverage as the pregnant wife of a Canadian citizen? I know I'm probably so ridiculous for still asking this again, but I'd really feel more comfortable applying from within. I don't know why it scares me so much!

 

[can_usa_97]

Make sure you go to a DMP - Designated Medical Professional - http://www.cic.gc.ca/dmp-md/medical.aspx You wont be able to use your own doctor, unless they just happen to be one. You will have to pay them out of pocket as they wont accept your health coverage.

I sent my sponsorship application in with a copy of my expired Canadian passport and a note that I had already mailed off for a new one (it only took about 3 weeks to get - might have been less). Anyway, my sponsorship was approved.

Yeah it'd be so nice if it were covered by insurance and there were more. We drove 3 1/2 hours today to have mine because none were in my state and only 2 were in the state next to us (Illinois). Hopefully you don't have to travel far.

My Canadian husband has no passport, we aren't foreseeing an issue.

You won't have any insurance as a spouse - it's run by the government for citizens, ect. Not spouses of citizens, sorry If only!
One thing to note, is that if you apply from within and are denied - you are not able to appeal! So that is a perk of being outside.