Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[buffalo-toronto]

Does this married filing jointly (and TIN) only work for and/or benefit couples living in the US? We live in Canada and my spouse has never worked or lived in the US. I have been doing married filing separately and listing him as "NRA" in the social security number blank because I read that was the way to do it online, according to Turbo Tax or somewhere. This past tax year I owed no taxes and paid no taxes, but next year will be different since I have started working in Canada this fall.

No I dont think so the couple has to be living in USA. Dont think thats a requirement.

I also use Turbo tax...were you able to put in NRA for spouse's SSN field and the return went through successfully thru turbo tax?

 

[mmshock]

OK I am totally confused.

I havent worked in the states in several years and have never owed any taxes there. Started working in Canada a few months ago and will file both CA and US taxes for 2011, as that is what I am supposed to do. (have to back file for the past few years I lived in the caribbean as well... oops!)

But I was assured that even though I have to file, certain things were in place so that I wouldn't be double taxed (unless I make around or over $90k). How come it seems so many of you have had to pay?

 

[ddobro2]

having to file is not necessarily the same as having to pay....

 

[TryingToGetHome]

There's a foreign income exemption for income earned up to $92,000. Additionally, you are exempt from SS and Medicare taxes because you pay them in Canada. You need to request a certificate of coverage from the CRA to prove you are covered in Canada. Attach that to your return when you file it.

You file just to tell the US that yes, you are still around, you're a US citizen, and you made money, but NO you don't owe anything to them because you paid other countries.

OK I am totally confused.

I havent worked in the states in several years and have never owed any taxes there. Started working in Canada a few months ago and will file both CA and US taxes for 2011, as that is what I am supposed to do. (have to back file for the past few years I lived in the caribbean as well... oops!)

But I was assured that even though I have to file, certain things were in place so that I wouldn't be double taxed (unless I make around or over $90k). How come it seems so many of you have had to pay?

 

[mmshock]

Oh phew. Thats what I thought and have been told several times. Not signing on for a day or two and reading a whole slew of posts at once can be awfully confusing! Sorry bout that.

 

[buffalo-toronto]

so as I posted earlier, my interview was waived but they needed NJ police clearance cert. I did everything and sent back the fingerprints to NJ Police. Now after 10 days NJ says they cant find my package. I mean this is stupidity of govt. offices all over the world I guess.

Is it possible if I reply to the email that buffalo sent asking for NJ cert. that I was only asked to send FBI cert. with the application which I did, although I am in process of getting NJ cert......is it possible to continuing my application in the mean time. I can see how stupid this is even while I am typing this but I gotta do something otherwise these govt. offices will keep screwing us for a long time.

 

[mcmasters]

Hello everyone!

I applied for Permanent Resident status in March of 2011 but am posting on the forum for the first time today. What took me so long?

My husband and I are in a very normal situation: dated for 4 years before getting married, he lives in Toronto, I moved to Buffalo March 2009, we see each other almost every weekend, both work full-time, he's 27, I'm 26...

My main question today is, for individuals applying outside Canada through the Buffalo immigration office, how long did it take from the time your medical examination cleared until you received your permanent resident status?

I had my medical examination in August and the forms were sent by September. My online status says the medical examination has been processed. Now we're just sitting and waiting for the next step.

We were hoping we could move in together after our "family wedding" October 1st and our honeymoon, but so far, no such luck. I'm just tired of driving back and forth and living alone, especially after the official wedding. We had a legal ceremony on October 1st, 2010, so we could get the immigration process started, but had a full, "normal" wedding on October 1st, 2011.

Sigh.

So if anyone could give me an idea of a time line, that would be awesome! The CIC website says the average total processing time is 11 months right now for outside applicants going through Bflo. I REALLY don't want to have to wait until March of next year to move! But, not a whole lot we can do...

Thanks for your help,
Maddy

Application submitted: March 1st, 2011
Application received: March 31st, 2011
Processing began: July 2011
Request for medical examination sent: July 11, 2011
Medical Examination submitted: August 2011

 

[mmshock]

Hi Maddy,

Welcome!

Not sure of your financial situation, but have you ever considered going to live with him and wait out the rest of your application? Many of us here, including myself, have done this without major issues.

Its just too difficult to say anything in regards to a timeline.... I submitted in March and am done, some have submitted in December and are still waiting.

Glad you found the forum. The good news is that here you are never alone!

 

[jayde]

Hi Maddy,

I would recommend ordering your CAIPS (GCMS) notes. They will definitely give you some insight as to what is going on with your file, and if there is something that is not quite right.

Many people from March have received their passport requests, but as mmshock states, many from earlier on are still waiting.

Ordering the notes helped me catch an issue and push for a resolution with the help of my MP's office... and we got our passport request relatively soon after that (and I applied in March as well).

Good luck

 

[ddobro2]

doctorkb: I'm going to go out on a limb and presume you're still waiting for PPR and to hear from the MP's office and your medicals haven't expired, right?
Did you ever get your latest batch of GCMS notes? I have been too lazy to even request mine a second time.
By the way, how many months did your wife spend in Brazil? I'm just curious to know if Buffalo still requested them if she spent less than the official 6 month limit that requires certs.

An update of, well, nothing.

I'm not sure when I last posted, so here goes.

We e-mailed the requested police clearances (and updated answers) to Buffalo on Sep 20.

We received the physical copy of the translations on the 27th and mailed them to Buffalo the next week (27th), along with all physical copies of the requested documents.

We also inquired of our MP's office to look into this. We received a response from that office that suggested that Buffalo had no record of either the e-mail or the snail mail copies on file -- by Oct 5.

We clarified the dates and I forwarded the MP's assistant our e-mail to Buffalo. The response from her suggested she'd take that back to CIC.

Still waiting... and hopefully not with a request for a new medical on the way.

By the by... we requested the GCMS notes on Aug 29. Still haven't received them. Isn't it supposed to be within 30 days?

 

[Stumpedmom]

ddbro:

If you are having issues with CRA about your tax issue...that is another place where the MP can step in. Take all the communication to them, explain to them the situation and they should be able to contact their "inside people". That is actually how I got a good relationship going with my MP and found out about the PPR. I was having issues with the HST credit here in Ontario because the morons at CRA could not read my husbands foreign income off my tax return, which delayed my payment by 2 months last December and 3 months for my June check. Atleast when they use their inside people you will also get correct information, seeing as calling CRA is like calling CIC and getting 3 different answers on 3 different calls for the same issue....

 

[quagaar145]

My passport arrived in Buffalo on the 13th and now we wait for my visa to be put in. We booked our flight tickets for the end of December for my landing and now have to start tying up ends to prepare for moving. I am so excited!

I do have a question that I've looked around for the answer to but cannot find easily... after landing, when can you start looking for work? Do you need to wait for the PR card to arrive in the mail or are you eligible for work straightaway?

Hoping to see good news for more people this week, hang in there everyone, Buffalo seems to be getting their act together more and more.

 

[ddobro2]

Hi Stumpedmom - Thanks for the suggestion. I'll definetely take it to heart. I'm actually not particularly annoyed with Canada Revenue, just a tad peeved that they ask me to do something but then when I do, it drops into some black hole and they ask me to provide information I don't have. The fact is, that while Revenue kept sending letters saying they needed this, that, and the other (including the ITN, which of course was the only thing I couldn't give them, as I thought they're the ones that were going to assign it to me.....) in order to calculate the HST/GST credit for my husband, they later deposited this credit in his bank account, and then after that tried to get it back (!!!) by sending him invoices, and finally, now have stopped sending bills for the their own tax credit. Why, I'm not sure, but the last communication I sent them I basically told them to get the ITN thing straight first before bothering us. So essentially, I'm not sure if it's worth contacting my MP (it's Stephane Dion, btw, for any Montrealers out there). I will keep it in mind though.

ddbro:

If you are having issues with CRA about your tax issue...that is another place where the MP can step in. Take all the communication to them, explain to them the situation and they should be able to contact their "inside people". That is actually how I got a good relationship going with my MP and found out about the PPR. I was having issues with the HST credit here in Ontario because the morons at CRA could not read my husbands foreign income off my tax return, which delayed my payment by 2 months last December and 3 months for my June check. Atleast when they use their inside people you will also get correct information, seeing as calling CRA is like calling CIC and getting 3 different answers on 3 different calls for the same issue....

 

[ddobro2]

The COPR form is sufficient to start working. Specifically, CIC states that, "You will be allowed to work as soon as the officer at the point of entry to Canada grants you admission as a permanent resident. You do not have to wait until you have received your Permanent Resident Card or Social Insurance Number."

I do have a question that I've looked around for the answer to but cannot find easily... after landing, when can you start looking for work? Do you need to wait for the PR card to arrive in the mail or are you eligible for work straightaway?

 

[Stumpedmom]

My passport arrived in Buffalo on the 13th and now we wait for my visa to be put in. We booked our flight tickets for the end of December for my landing and now have to start tying up ends to prepare for moving. I am so excited!

I do have a question that I've looked around for the answer to but cannot find easily... after landing, when can you start looking for work? Do you need to wait for the PR card to arrive in the mail or are you eligible for work straightaway?

Hoping to see good news for more people this week, hang in there everyone, Buffalo seems to be getting their act together more and more.

All you need to do is go into the local Service Canada Center with your COPR and Passport, and explain that you have just landed as a PR and you need a SIN. They under normal circumstances can get you one in 10 minutes....if your in SW Ontario...Stay away from Chatham...they DON'T know what they are doing...trust me....