RRoddam said:
Hello!
I am married to an American and live in WA state.
Can you please let me know what steps I would have to go through to be able to give birth in Canada instead of the USA.
I do not want to give birth in the USA if I can have my baby in Canada, since I am a Canadian citizen.
Please help!
Congratulations RRoddam! you can surely give birth in Canada. Not sure about the coverage, since you live outside of Canada you might not have the health benefit (again, I am not hundred percent sure about that, unless you have an insurance that covers the birth in Canada).
Here, I quote from the CIC website:
"Children born to Canadian parents while the parent are outside Canada will only be Canadian at birth if:
- one parent was born in Canada, or
- one parent became a Canadian citizen by immigrating to Canada and was later granted citizenship (also called naturalization).
There is an exception to this rule. It does not apply to children born outside Canada in the second or subsequent generation if, at the time of their birth, their Canadian parent is working outside Canada as an employee of the Canadian government or a Canadian province or territory, or serving outside Canada with the Canadian Forces".
I do not like the exception to the above rule, re the 'second or subsequent generation' that's why it would be best for you to give birth in Canada.
I am sorry, do not know what steps to go through, but it should be straight forward. I know two people, both Permanent Residents who lived somewhere else but came to Canada to give birth (one of them had an insurance though and always paid Canadian tax while living abroad). They both had no issue with the birth in Canada.
Sorry if I did not answer your question fully. Good luck!