US outland applicants' thread :)

[IvanP]

And please note that your U.S. hubby will still need to file US tax returns, even when he joins you in Canada. He may not owe taxes, but the returns must be filed. He must also file disclosure of all "foreign" bank accounts, i.e., accounts he establishes in Canada.

If they are more than a certain amount - currently $10k. If you keep them below that level (and even just one day above $10k means you have to file), you don't need to do the FBAR form, and FATCA only will apply to $50k or more. Inconvenient rules for US citizens residing abroad!

 

[jazztap]

Thank you thank you! You are all wonderful.

 

[MisterDBarton]

So I redid my fingerprints...let me just say that getting fingerprints done in Buffalo, NY is a JOKE! That said, I'm hoping to have these sent off by this weekend. Just need to find a stiff piece of cardboard to try and ensure the fingerprint card doesn't get bent.

Received my Police Certificate (no record) from the FBI yesterday. The processing date was 12/7, but still, I mailed it on November 2nd, so I'm quite pleased with the turnaround time. 5 weeks essentially if you consider Thanksgiving (US).

Now to save up that $490 PR fee and mail that out in the next couple of weeks.

 

[MSP2YYZ]

Hands shaking, heart pounding, copr IN HAND! I think I'm gonna pass out!

 

[URIFiggy]

12/13/12 Got my PPR today! SUPER excited! Now to mail my passport to LA ASAP. ;D

 

[MSP2YYZ]

12/13/12 Got my PPR today! SUPER excited! Now to mail my passport to LA ASAP. ;D

Congrats ;D

 

[computergeek]

Hey everyone! I have a sort of strange question. My husband (US) and I (Can) got married this summer in Washington. It just occurred to me that the Canadian government probably has no idea that I'm married. Do I need to fill out some sort of form or something? I got on this train of thought because I was thinking about tax season coming up, and that I have no idea how to file my taxes. So, all the newly-weds here... what did you do?

There is a CRA form (RC65? I just searched for "marital status change" and found it last time I saw this question).

Being married impacts some of the tax credits and rebates.

 

[PeterW]

Greetings everyone...
This forum has provided an abundance of information and has helped pass the time while waiting through the process. After processing at CPP-O, my wife's file was transferred to LA and finally the PPR has been received (it has been just under 12 months)! Now I find myself facing a couple of questions and I have not been able to find a clear, definitive answer...

1) My wife's medical "expired (1 year since it was done)" 3 weeks ago. The VO did not mention having it redone. Do we NEED to complete a new medical or is that at the discretion of the immigration officer? I read about a waiver if it is within 15 months... I am just not clear if we need to actively do something (do we request the waiver or does the case officer??)... I do not want to get to the border and find out that we need to address the medicals at that point.

2) My second question is regarding when my wife would be required to land. The email sent to us indicated that an expiration date would be indicated on the visa and/or CoPR and that PR must be obtained by that date. I interpret obtaining PR as being separate from the actual landing (or am I mistaken)? More specifically, how much time would she have to land upon return of her passport? I have read that the time frame to land is is tied to the validity of the passport (not an issue) and the expiry of the medical exam (and here we are back to this question again). Ideally, we would like to move to Canada at the end of February - but if we need to go earlier we will adjust our plans accordingly.

Thank you for any input.... And I hope everyone else waiting gets their answer soon!

 

[computergeek]

1) My wife's medical "expired (1 year since it was done)" 3 weeks ago. The VO did not mention having it redone. Do we NEED to complete a new medical or is that at the discretion of the immigration officer? I read about a waiver if it is within 15 months... I am just not clear if we need to actively do something (do we request the waiver or does the case officer??)... I do not want to get to the border and find out that we need to address the medicals at that point.

This is the VO's discretion. Since they just sent you a PPR, I suspect they've already extended them - but they wouldn't tell you that they had done so.

2) My second question is regarding when my wife would be required to land. The email sent to us indicated that an expiration date would be indicated on the visa and/or CoPR and that PR must be obtained by that date. I interpret obtaining PR as being separate from the actual landing (or am I mistaken)? More specifically, how much time would she have to land upon return of her passport? I have read that the time frame to land is is tied to the validity of the passport (not an issue) and the expiry of the medical exam (and here we are back to this question again). Ideally, we would like to move to Canada at the end of February - but if we need to go earlier we will adjust our plans accordingly.

She may execute the COPR at any point up to it's expiration. She does not need to move to Canada by that date - just show up at the POE and change her status (from "foreign national" to "permanent resident").

The date is, as you said, tied to the passport expiration and the medicals expiration. And again, if they needed new medicals, they would normally have requested them. If you get the passport to them and they realize the medicals are expired, they would likely request the extension and then the COPR expiration date is going to be far into the future. Of course, they have the option of asking her to repeat them instead, but there's really no point for a sponsored spousal application in doing so.

 

[Line]

Question regarding ppr. How does the request for passport usually happen? Is it by e-mail? or do they send a letter to the applicant? tks.

 

[parker24]

Question regarding ppr. How does the request for passport usually happen? Is it by e-mail? or do they send a letter to the applicant? tks.

I got mine by e-mail, it seems like they are doing more and more e-mails.

 

[computergeek]

If they are more than a certain amount - currently $10k. If you keep them below that level (and even just one day above $10k means you have to file), you don't need to do the FBAR form, and FATCA only will apply to $50k or more. Inconvenient rules for US citizens residing abroad!

Note: there's another "exception" here. If you have signatory authority over anyone ELSE's account, regardless of the amount, you must file an FBAR.

I am signatory on my company's commercial account in Canada, and thus I have to file an FBAR.

If you have more than 25 accounts, you don't have to provide them with the details - just fill in the top part of the form and send it in...

FATCA really applies to the banks. I was in a meeting last week (in the US) mentioning FATCA when one of the people at the meeting mentioned receiving an account closure letter from one of his foreign banks. I haven't heard of much trouble in Canada (since most banks here have too many US ties to escape FATCA) but in other countries this is an issue.

 

[IvanP]

Note: there's another "exception" here. If you have signatory authority over anyone ELSE's account, regardless of the amount, you must file an FBAR.

I am signatory on my company's commercial account in Canada, and thus I have to file an FBAR.

If you have more than 25 accounts, you don't have to provide them with the details - just fill in the top part of the form and send it in...

FATCA really applies to the banks. I was in a meeting last week (in the US) mentioning FATCA when one of the people at the meeting mentioned receiving an account closure letter from one of his foreign banks. I haven't heard of much trouble in Canada (since most banks here have too many US ties to escape FATCA) but in other countries this is an issue.

In US tax there are ALWAYS exceptions, and US worldwide taxation in particular is a mess. The signature authority is there so people don't just use investment entities or family trusts to hide their offshore assets and accounts. There ought to be FBAR exceptions for people residing abroad - $10k is a pretty low threshold, and the penalties for failing to file are just crazy.

 

[computergeek]

the penalties for failing to file are just crazy.

They are insane. $10k per account per year? 35% of the total value of said accounts?

I file 5471 and 3520 forms every year. The whole thing is crazy.

 

[IvanP]

They are insane. $10k per account per year? 35% of the total value of said accounts?

I file 5471 and 3520 forms every year. The whole thing is crazy.

Well, my plan is to do tax compliance work for US expats when we arrive in Canada (I'm a tax lawyer in the US), so I'm not going to complain too loudly (the more screwed up and complicated it is, the more work I'll have), but yes, it's effing nuts.