US citizen going to Canada to care for ill relative

[tlg2014]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can answer this question. My husband is a Canadian citizen that has lived in the US for 10 years and has permanent residence status in the US. His mother who is a Canadian citizen and lives in Ontario has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Since my mother in law had no other family members in Canada that can care for her, we may have to go to Ontario and take care of her. I am a US citizen. What do I need to do to go with my husband and help. Can I just go on a visitors visa or get an extended visa? We would have to resign from our jobs here in the US. Would I be able to get OHIP since I am married to a Canadian? Our employers carry our health insurance, so once we resign, we will no longer have health insurance.

 

[scylla]

You won't have access to OHIP as a visitor (it doesn't matter that you are married to a Canadian). You'll either need to pay for your medical care out of your own pocket or purchase private insurance. Since your husband has been outside of Canada for so long, he will need to live in Canada for three months before his OHIP coverage will be reinstated. So he'll either have to pay for any medical costs on his own during this period or cover himself with private insurance.

As an American, you can visit Canada on your passport alone and SHOULD be allowed into Canada for six months (you can extend the length of this visit once you are in Canada). Note that it's up to the border official if you are in fact allowed into Canada and for how long. So make sure it looks like you are just visiting when you arrive and not moving to Canada (i.e. don't arrive in a car full of your wordly possessions - pack like a tourist).

If you are thinking you may have to spend more than one year in Canada, then your husband should sponsor you for permanent residency. I'd recommend you join the discussions in the Family Sponsorship section of this forum for more information about this process.