US Born Child entry

[Abhi1982]

Hello guys. Please provide input - specially if you have dealt with such a situation at your end. Me, my wife and my son got our PRs approved in 2021. We did soft landing in Canada (just one day) and returned to the US where I am employed. Later, After return, we welcomed our 2nd child in 2022. Now I understand that we can sponsor the child for PR if at least 1 of the parents is staying in Canada physically. My questions are:
1. I know the child can go into Canada on the US passport and stay as visitor. With the limit being 6 months, how is that to be handled?
2. I am more concerned about health care coverage. I know he wont be eligible for govt coverage until he becomes a PR. Until that time, we have to go for private insurance for the child. My question is - what sort of insurance can be buy so we can cover regular doctor visits, vaccines etc? Please guide. I am immensely stressed out and unclear about how to handle this for my little one.

 

[canuck78]

Hello guys. Please provide input - specially if you have dealt with such a situation at your end. Me, my wife and my son got our PRs approved in 2021. We did soft landing in Canada (just one day) and returned to the US where I am employed. Later, After return, we welcomed our 2nd child in 2022. Now I understand that we can sponsor the child for PR if at least 1 of the parents is staying in Canada physically. My questions are:
1. I know the child can go into Canada on the US passport and stay as visitor. With the limit being 6 months, how is that to be handled?
2. I am more concerned about health care coverage. I know he wont be eligible for govt coverage until he becomes a PR. Until that time, we have to go for private insurance for the child. My question is - what sort of insurance can be buy so we can cover regular doctor visits, vaccines etc? Please guide. I am immensely stressed out and unclear about how to handle this for my little one.

You’ll likely only get emergency health coverage and have to pay for everything else out of pocket. Are you compliant with your RO?

 

[armoured]

My question is - what sort of insurance can be buy so we can cover regular doctor visits, vaccines etc?

A small comment - do ensure that the little one has all necessary vaccines before arriving. It can be a bit complicated sometimes with typical vaccines - since they're paid for by govt it may not be possible for pharmacies/doctors to administer EXCEPT for free and to those covered by provincial plans.

In other words, you sometimes cannot just pay for them - they literally may not be able to take money for them.

That said, the standard childhood vaccines for kids in USA should be pretty much the same, just get them done in advance. That'll cover the kid during the interim.

I'm not that knowledgeable about the rest.

 

[Abhi1982]

Thankyou for your responses. I am compliant with the RO. We have until May 2025 to be permanently in Canada. I am planning to make that move this year itself. As far as vaccines go, I agree most vaccines are standard. and will try to get any pending ones here in the US. Also, I am trying to understand is there no insurer that would cover comprehensively, if I was willing to pay and take the insurance privately? Visitor insurance options or only for emergency or sickness?

 

[canuck78]

Thankyou for your responses. I am compliant with the RO. We have until May 2025 to be permanently in Canada. I am planning to make that move this year itself. As far as vaccines go, I agree most vaccines are standard. and will try to get any pending ones here in the US. Also, I am trying to understand is there no insurer that would cover comprehensively, if I was willing to pay and take the insurance privately? Visitor insurance options or only for emergency or sickness?

Very difficult to get a comprehensive package privately except through an employer. Likely would not be worth it financially if you did find one. Is the rest of your family compliant with their RO? Would be more worried about finding a GP to care for your family than paying out of pocket for routine care.

 

[Abhi1982]

yes the rest of family is within the norms and rules. we have our PR cards for my spouse and elder child.

 

[armoured]

Likely would not be worth it financially if you did find one. ... Would be more worried about finding a GP to care for your family than paying out of pocket for routine care.

I would echo this point overall if your kid is in decent health with no chronic issues. You'd have to check wiht a walk-in clinic but when I have had to use them in the past (when I was a non-resident) it was cheaper than I expected. It's the emergnecy coverage it's needed for.

That was years ago, but bluntly, costs for simple doctor check-ups and routine issues are usually not the crazy amounts you can encounter in USA. Obviously check before with a clinic if you can.

[If your kid has a chronic or existing condition situation may be different]

 

[Abhi1982]

I would echo this point overall if your kid is in decent health with no chronic issues. You'd have to check wiht a walk-in clinic but when I have had to use them in the past (when I was a non-resident) it was cheaper than I expected. It's the emergnecy coverage it's needed for.

That was years ago, but bluntly, costs for simple doctor check-ups and routine issues are usually not the crazy amounts you can encounter in USA. Obviously check before with a clinic if you can.

[If your kid has a chronic or existing condition situation may be different]

Totally understood. thankyou for this info. yes you are right, the US medical system makes you bleed out if you didnt have insurance. A simple ER visit because the baby was having bad cough ends up in an absurd 3000 USD without insurance. hence I was skeptical.

 

[armoured]

Totally understood. thankyou for this info. yes you are right, the US medical system makes you bleed out if you didnt have insurance. A simple ER visit because the baby was having bad cough ends up in an absurd 3000 USD without insurance. hence I was skeptical.

I am not up to date but I heard that a walk-in clinic in Toronto is more like $100-150 (Canadian of course) but that may not be current. I have no idea about emergency - obviously better to avoid if possible as of course emerg can get expensive - although if really needed that's what the insurance should be for. Walk-in clinics that work outside regular hours can be found but are not that common (eg a weekend day or an evening maybe, middle of the night, not so much).

 

[canuck78]

I would echo this point overall if your kid is in decent health with no chronic issues. You'd have to check wiht a walk-in clinic but when I have had to use them in the past (when I was a non-resident) it was cheaper than I expected. It's the emergnecy coverage it's needed for.

That was years ago, but bluntly, costs for simple doctor check-ups and routine issues are usually not the crazy amounts you can encounter in USA. Obviously check before with a clinic if you can.

[If your kid has a chronic or existing condition situation may be different]

Would be incredibly difficult to get coverage for preexisting issues anyways.

 

[armoured]

Would be incredibly difficult to get coverage for preexisting issues anyways.

Yes, that would be big complication, with unknown expenses here.

 

[Abhi1982]

Would be incredibly difficult to get coverage for preexisting issues anyways.

got you. thanks. But with no pre existing conditions, it seems all good at least on that front.