Keeping US phone numbers in Canada

[cicuser]

Hi,

Has anyone preserved their US phone numbers after moving to Canada?
We are planning on getting new cell phone plans in Canada but would still want to keep our US numbers.
We have seen suggestions of using VoIP services to port US phone number - any recommendations? Has anyone used Google Voice for this? Also, do we need to do this porting while we are still in the US or can I do it once we are already in Canada and ready to close our US phone plan.

Thanks

 

[harirajmohan]

Hi,

Has anyone preserved their US phone numbers after moving to Canada?
We are planning on getting new cell phone plans in Canada but would still want to keep our US numbers.
We have seen suggestions of using VoIP services to port US phone number - any recommendations? Has anyone used Google Voice for this? Also, do we need to do this porting while we are still in the US or can I do it once we are already in Canada and ready to close our US phone plan.

Thanks

Dont port anything or change anything if its cell numbers. You can port your landline to google voice if you want.

I keep US cell numbers. Changed the plan to prepaid T-Mobile and add 5$ package for Canada roaming including text and data(if you dont watch videos then it should be enough). I had problem with Sprint's postpaid plan while roaming hence T-mobile is good. Avoid postpaid plan because they dont update the plan correctly knowingly/unknowingly multiple times (like in Sprint) and keep charging for roaming data/calls/texts hence prepaid avoids any over charges. Also while roaming in Canada, it uses good networks hence this is better than local plans.

I took new Canadian landline number through OOMA voip 5$ per month - dont know if anything else available.

 

[cicuser]

Dont port anything or change anything if its cell numbers. You can port your landline to google voice if you want.

I keep US cell numbers. Changed the plan to prepaid T-Mobile and add 5$ package for Canada roaming including text and data(if you dont watch videos then it should be enough). I had problem with Sprint's postpaid plan while roaming hence T-mobile is good. Avoid postpaid plan because they dont update the plan correctly knowingly/unknowingly multiple times (like in Sprint) and keep charging for roaming data/calls/texts hence prepaid avoids any over charges. Also while roaming in Canada, it uses good networks hence this is better than local plans.

I took new Canadian landline number through OOMA voip 5$ per month - dont know if anything else available.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, we are only interested in cell phones at this point (we do not have any land lines in US).

I had read on an earlier post that the T-Mobile North America roaming plan does not work since it requires 50% usage from T-Mobile cell towers per quarter.
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/retaining-us-phone-number-in-canada.545675/#post-6744596

Did you face any such problem? Or is this a different plan?

Thanks

 

[harirajmohan]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, we are only interested in cell phones at this point (we do not have any land lines in US).

I had read on an earlier post that the T-Mobile North America roaming plan does not work since it requires 50% usage from T-Mobile cell towers per quarter.
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/retaining-us-phone-number-in-canada.545675/#post-6744596

1. Did you face any such problem? Or is this a different plan?

Thanks

1. No. I am using it from 2017 everyday commuting to US.
I never faced 50% usage issue and i dont see that link working anymore. Also i have been using T-mobile from the period before that post was written(2018). May be i was only using 50% but you dont need more than 50% of data while roaming for maps and essential internet unless you are just watching video while in Canada(outside of your home).

 

[cicuser]

1. No. I am using it from 2017 everyday commuting to US.
I never faced 50% usage issue and i dont see that link working anymore. Also i have been using T-mobile from the period before that post was written(2018). May be i was only using 50% but you dont need more than 50% of data while roaming for maps and essential internet unless you are just watching video while in Canada(outside of your home).

I will call T-mobile and check this plan out. Thanks!

 

[VOBuckeye]

I kept my US number when I moved to Canada and it has been over 2 years now. I switched to Tmobile and got the One plan for $70 that includes Canada and Mexico. I got the 50% warning, but I connect my phone to wifi calling when at home and haven't had any issues since. Make sure you are connected to wifi whenever you can.

 

[canuck78]

1. No. I am using it from 2017 everyday commuting to US.
I never faced 50% usage issue and i dont see that link working anymore. Also i have been using T-mobile from the period before that post was written(2018). May be i was only using 50% but you dont need more than 50% of data while roaming for maps and essential internet unless you are just watching video while in Canada(outside of your home).

You are commuting to the US so are using the phone quite frequently in the US. Very different situation versus others living and working in Canada. Most run into trouble after telecom company realizes they are primarily living and using the phone from Canada.

 

[cicuser]

You are commuting to the US so are using the phone quite frequently in the US. Very different situation versus others living and working in Canada. Most run into trouble after telecom company realizes they are primarily living and using the phone from Canada.

That is what I am worried about since I will not be commuting to the US but stay within Canada. Also, if I take a plan in the US with roaming available in Canada, I assume I will have to update my address once I move to Canada. Won't the wireless provider notice and raise objection at that time? I will not have any long term address in the US once I move to Canada.

 

[DEEPCUR]

That is what I am worried about since I will not be commuting to the US but stay within Canada. Also, if I take a plan in the US with roaming available in Canada, I assume I will have to update my address once I move to Canada. Won't the wireless provider notice and raise objection at that time? I will not have any long term address in the US once I move to Canada.

Did you call t-mobile for this? The t-mobile site doesn't say about the 50% usage now, but they do have the fine print that primary usage needs to be from US without defining what is primary usage. Ideally primary means 50%+, but since they've not explicitly called out, I presume that may oversee that limit for a while.

 

[cicuser]

I talked to T-Mobile and the representative said that if I will be in Canada for an extended period, then I will be flagged and the service will get terminated. As per the representative, the criteria they use for flagging is still the same - majority usage should be within US over each quarter.

 

[Nick1233]

I talked to T-Mobile and the representative said that if I will be in Canada for an extended period, then I will be flagged and the service will get terminated. As per the representative, the criteria they use for flagging is still the same - majority usage should be within US over each quarter.

What are you trying to achieve by retaining US number?

 

[cicuser]

What are you trying to achieve by having US number?

There are a couple of reasons:
1. My company has transferred me to Canada but all of my team is still in the US, so I will be a remote worker. And my work involves being on phone a lot. It would be just easier to not change the phone number as it would be a big disruption.
2. Lot of our accounts send one time passwords etc. and we do not want to lose access to these if we forget updating phone number on any of them.

 

[harirajmohan]

That is what I am worried about since I will not be commuting to the US but stay within Canada. Also, if I take a plan in the US with roaming available in Canada, I assume I will have to update my address once I move to Canada. Won't the wireless provider notice and raise objection at that time? I will not have any long term address in the US once I move to Canada.

If its a necessity to use US number in Canada then you should not be worrying about these things. Change your credit card to you friends's address and then change your phone billing details to same address so that later you will not have issues later in paying bills easily.
Mobile companies dont verify later hence it should not be a problem. Even stock trading accounts are not being verified later once its opened hence there wont be any verification for mobile accounts. But its all up to you on how you want to proceed with.

 

[DEEPCUR]

If its a necessity to use US number in Canada then you should not be worrying about these things. Change your credit card to you friends's address and then change your phone billing details to same address so that later you will not have issues later in paying bills easily.
Mobile companies dont verify later hence it should not be a problem. Even stock trading accounts are not being verified later once its opened hence there wont be any verification for mobile accounts. But its all up to you on how you want to proceed with.

it is not about billing address. all US providers mandate that majority of the US number's usage should be from US.

They may not be too strict about the exact split of the time, but may definitely clamp it down if it is used forever without coming in contact with US towers. in your case since you commute and come in frequent contact with US towers, there may not have been any issues.

 

[Nick1233]

There are a couple of reasons:
1. My company has transferred me to Canada but all of my team is still in the US, so I will be a remote worker. And my work involves being on phone a lot. It would be just easier to not change the phone number as it would be a big disruption.
2. Lot of our accounts send one time passwords etc. and we do not want to lose access to these if we forget updating phone number on any of them.

Can't suggest anything for 1 other than may be use official desk number? YMMV
For second one, its not a big deal, i ran into it, took some time to update all those accounts with Canadian number. Took a week's worth to consolidate.