Husband not living in Canada - Option C

[mrs.sweden]

My husband haven't lived in Canada since 2013, does he still need to provide the Option C printout?

Since 2013 is the last year he lived in Canada he will not file taxes for 2014, is he still able to get one from CRA or do we need to provide a letter stating that he cannot get one?

 

[draxz1289]

My husband haven't lived in Canada since 2013, does he still need to provide the Option C printout?

Since 2013 is the last year he lived in Canada he will not file taxes for 2014, is he still able to get one from CRA or do we need to provide a letter stating that he cannot get one?

If you are not able to provide the option-c then you would just provide a letter stating the reason for not attaching

 

[daijoeboo]

Hello,

I was living overseas when I sponsored my wife and I received an Option C, mailed to me in my country of residence.

You have to contact the CRA and ask for one, first of all.
It is much easier to get a hold of someone by phone at CRA than CIC so just go ahead and call and whoever you speak to just ask that persona about receiving an Option C, they are all nice people.
If your husband has any outstanding tax returns he needs to complete, then he must do so before receiving the Option C.
Whether he is able to immediately receive the Option C or not largely depends on whether he's receiving income in Canada and whether his status is 'out of country'.
I forget the requirements for this, but, basically it means not earning income in Canada and not having any real income-based ties, maybe someone else can confirm.
Investments and investment income are handled separately as are foreign investments.
But if for some reason he's receiving some kind of income then T4's have been issued and that means taxes must be filed for the year of issue of those T4's. (I think they are T4's, sorry not 100% sure but whatever the form is that says you're receiving normal income in Canada, sep. from investments)

Provided all tax returns are completed (their computer will show what is needed, whether T4's were issued for such and such year or not, etc) then they will be able to mail you an Option C to your country of residence.

If he must file any tax returns he will have to go online, print off the forms and do all that, both federal and provincial returns.

Your tax case worker (someone at the CRA) will instruct you on all that and you can email them.
He needs his SIN, the SIN is basically your 'client number' at the CRA.
However when you email them they cannot email back, they must call you and speak with you always, they never mail back.

This is how it worked with me, I was last in Canada in 2007 and returned in 2014. Because I was officially 'out of country' from 2008 to 2013 I did not have to file, but I had to go back and file 2007 because I had not filed that year, because I left Canada before it was tax time.
Then after I completed my T1 for 2007 I received my Option C and finally made my wife's application in summer 2014.

Hope that helps good luck

 

[mrs.sweden]

Thanks alot for your answers! We'll make sure to call CRA to check if we are able to get one

 

[sunnyinlombardy]

Last time I filed taxes was 2011 and I've been living in Italy and filing taxes here since then. Do I have to provide Option C?
Sorry to kidnap your post.

 

[Lovelycomplex]

My husband did not provide option C and we got SA. No worries, only attatch a letter explaining why.

 

[AshleyAnne]

I've been in Texas for 3 years going to school and I"m sponsoring my husband to move to Canada, I just attached my latest option c, which i believe was 2012 and wrote a note saying that I haven't returned to Canada long enough to file taxes and would do so upon arrival with my husband.
They never had an issue with it, emailed requesting extra info of proof of desire to land and to pay our Right to residence fee. But otherwise we haven't heard a peep and I got SA in August

CRA is super easy and friendly, 15 minute phone call at tops. HE will have to provide personal info to the guy on the phone before they can work with him about getting option C but otherwise no issue

 

[Snowisland]

My husband did not file taxes in 2012 tax year and I am not sure yet about 2013, his wages were garnished during the year in 2014 for the 2012 taxes and he thinks they also took money for his 2013 taxes. We will file as soon as he gets his T4 for 2014 and pay whatever is due. Will the Revenue service allow me to call to see if he still owes for 2013? I know we need to be current when we mail in our request Outland for PR. His garnishment does show on his paycheck stubs and I wonder if the past garnishment will affect the request for PR.
We got married in December 2014 and I still live in the US. As soon as we get the taxes taken care of I will send my fingerprints thru a channeller and get my medical, then we will file Outland.

 

[mrs.sweden]

I've been in Texas for 3 years going to school and I"m sponsoring my husband to move to Canada, I just attached my latest option c, which i believe was 2012 and wrote a note saying that I haven't returned to Canada long enough to file taxes and would do so upon arrival with my husband.
They never had an issue with it, emailed requesting extra info of proof of desire to land and to pay our Right to residence fee. But otherwise we haven't heard a peep and I got SA in August

CRA is super easy and friendly, 15 minute phone call at tops. HE will have to provide personal info to the guy on the phone before they can work with him about getting option C but otherwise no issue

Your post made me feel so much better! Now I can relax incase we cant get one What type of "proof of intended return" did you guys provide? We only have letters from friends and family and also email conversations between us and the collages we have intended to apply for, Im afraid it's not gonna be enough

 

[sunnyinlombardy]

I'm sending letters from my mother (we'll be staying with her until we find an apartment) and a letter from my previous employer that they will consider me for one of the positions depending on availability (but not official job offer). Also, I'll send confirmation that I applied for proof of citizenship for my daughter. And the couple of other letters from friends.

Your post made me feel so much better! Now I can relax incase we cant get one What type of "proof of intended return" did you guys provide? We only have letters from friends and family and also email conversations between us and the collages we have intended to apply for, Im afraid it's not gonna be enough

 

[AshleyAnne]

Your post made me feel so much better! Now I can relax incase we cant get one What type of "proof of intended return" did you guys provide? We only have letters from friends and family and also email conversations between us and the collages we have intended to apply for, Im afraid it's not gonna be enough

I still have a canadian bank account, active cell phone and student loans which show my mailing address in Canada. I sent copies of all of that and I previously (with our app) sent in letters from my parents who we will live with until on our feet, and my husbands parents showing we plan to move to Canada, from what i've heard its really just a formality to send the extra information.

 

[mrs.sweden]

So my husband made a phone call to CRA today and he was not able to get an Option C due to him not beeing a resident in Canada last year. So we are providing a letter explaining why and also a copy of his Notice of Assessment from 2013

 

[daijoeboo]

Hi,

If you are satisfied with that answer (and as others have pointed out an Option C is not always necessary), then that is okay.
I am sure getting one is tricky and many people go without.

However, if you prefer to have one, are concerned about not submitting one and its potential influence on your application (again, not a huge influence it seems), or are not satisfied with the answer you received from the CRA, then I would press for the Option C.

The only reason I say this is because the answer the CRA gave doesn't make sense. Even if your husband was not a resident last year that doesn't mean he cannot have an Option C. An Option C is a clean bill of health tax-wise, so it exists to simply show he has filed up to the last year he had income in Canada, be that 2 years ago, or 2007 as was my case, or whenever. Also another interesting point, sometimes the CRA themselves sometimes do not call it an Option C, the lady I dealt with called it by a completely different name.

Again, not saying you absolutely need one or you're getting the shaft or anything like that, but the fact that he wasn't in Canada last year does not automatically mean he cannot receive an Option C. Maybe there are no records for 2013 Fiscal Year so there would be nothing to show for 2013, but they should still be able to cut an Option C for up to the most recent Fiscal Year containing income/T4's when he DID file, with subsequent years afterwards where there was no income or T4 issuance omitted.

But anyway again, I don't want to pressure or make you feel uncomfortable about not having one. As others have said it's not that big a deal and the letter of explanation will do just fine. I am just saying if you really want one, the simple fact he was absent from Canada last year should not mean he cannot have one. It's for last fiscal year he filed, not the previous calendar year alone.