Moving Back to Canada Questions

Hello fellow Canuks. So, been living in the States for 6 years and just got my citizenship. I'm married with one kid. The wife is a Yankee. I may have the opportunity to move back to Canada for work. Is there any issue crossing the border to live with my wife? Do I need some sort of documentation to get across? I noticed there are permanent resident forms for sponsoring a spouse who is already living in Canada and for those abroad, but I need some guidance on getting into Canada with an American to live. Any help?

check out http://www.roadtocanada.com for info on immigrating to Canada.

Your quickest option would be to sponsor her and have her apply "out-land". This usually takes about 4 to 9 months. If you move now and apply "in-land" it can take well over a year, and then she can't work or do much of anything during that time. I don't think she can even get provincial health care either until after she officially "lands" and gets her permanent residency.

The paperwork is fairly straightforward, and if you've managed to manuver the US immigration process, you can do Canadian no problem!

For your child, did you register his/her birth abroad so that he/she has dual citizenship?

Is there any issue crossing the border to live with my wife?

Immigration BS apart, there's also the tax issue. US citizens have to file a US tax return forever (regardless of where they live), and when you die your estate may be subject to US estate tax (it's going to be abolished in 2010, but Obama wants to re-introduce it).

The foreign tax credit in the US for 2007 maxes out at $85,700, so assume that if your earnings are more than $86,000 you will be subject to dual-taxation on earnings over that amount. I'm not sure what the exemption is for married couples.

There's a Bill in Congress to repeal the limit on the foreign tax credit (it was introduced in 2006) but I'm not sure what's happening with it at the moment.

Even if you both renounce US citizenship, there is an "expatriation" tax on US-source income, but it only takes effect at pretty high income levels. If your job is in Canada it's unlikely you would be affected by it. But you still have to file a US tax return for ten years, even then.

I need any information you can give.

I am Canadian looking to move to PEI. I have lived in NC for 22 years and am married to an American and have 7 children. Yes 7 ! I love it!
I am not an American Citizen because the US wanted me to forfeit my Canadian citizenship to become an American. I have a Green card and was wondering if there was anything I need to know about protecting my right to come back to the USA if it doesn't work out in Canada.
I am concerned that the USA will remove my stauts as a Green Card holder if I do not live in the USA for a period of time, or pay taxes at the end of the year!
We are not sure that we will stay, so I want to try it out for a couple of years. I have heard the term, sailing, but I am not sure.
I would appreciate any information.

Thanks
Daniel

USCIS website - how to keep your green card

basically if you leave the US with intent to become a permanent resident of another country, you forfeit your green card.

Often when I talk to Americans they talk in glowing terms about how wonderful Canadian healthcare is. It's not that great IMO. It's very inefficient and consumes 60% of provincial tax revenues. And you still have to pay for optometry and dentistry, and many common prescription medicines and other supplies are not covered. I have five things on prescription and Blue Cross only covers one.

I just wanted to respond to Steve's quote below. Even though you don't have prescription drug coverage in Canada your drugs are MUCH cheaper than they are in the US from my experience. I've lived in the US for 8 years now and I've been sick in both countries and I would choose the Canadian Health Care system over the US one any day! WITH prescription drug covers I pay $45 for a birth control that cost me $15 in Canada WITHOUT coverage. With coverage from my Canadian company I paid $2. Drugs are much, much more expensive here so if I pay $45 WITH insurance I can't imagine what you pay without!

On a side note, my friend broke his arm and WITH insurance he paid over $5,000 out of pocket. If he didn't have insurance it would have been well over $15,000. How many people do you know that have $5,000 extra cash hanging around let alone $15,000! My other friends mom had to have surgery and was in the hospitial for a while and they paid over $50,000 WITH insurance.

I'm always lecturing my family in Canada to value the health care system and not take it for granted. I also see it as a part of Canada's socialized identity which I love so much.

I'm hoping to move back to Alberta next year after living in Texas for almost 8 years. Talk about culture shock! And yes, I miss me some Tim's!

ugh.don't get me started on the US healthcare system! My husband has to go next week for a heart catheterization, and even with insurance its going to set us back a couple thousand dollars at least. On top of the couple thousand dollars for the stress test he had the week before last

Any money we had saved up that wasn't lost in the stockmarket is now going to go pay hospital bills. And then some. We wouldn't have to worry about crap like this if we were in Canada. At a time when we worry about ill health, we also have to worry about how to pay the bills and not go bankrupt? Crazy crazy system I tell ya. Really crazy.

Even though you don't have prescription drug coverage in Canada your drugs are MUCH cheaper than they are in the US from my experience.

Not in mine I have to say. In the US if you walk into a pharmacy then yes, you will pay more, but there are more mail order places in the US than in Canada, I know for a fact I'd save money if I lived in the US on my prescriptions. Although I suppose with the collapse of the Canadian dollar I'm currently saving money here, but that depends on what the prices are when they re-stock.

I was born in Ontario and I have lived in the U.S. for 18 years. I am 26 and about to graduate college. It has been my dream since I was 8 years old to move back home. When I graduate, I will be home helping take care of the country I love! Go for it!!

I moved to Indiana when I was 12 (I'm 24 now) and always knew I would want to move back to Canada eventually. I always planned to move south first but things don't always go to plan. Now I just want to get out of here and go back!!! Luckily my aunt has been trying to convince me for years to move with her in St. Catharines so it'll be an easy transition at least. What I was wondering was do I need a work permit or should I get the ball rolling on anything now (I plan on moving in October when my lease ends) because I want to find a job immediately. Plus, since I won't be needing to take a whole lot with me, should I even tell the border that I'm moving or would it just be easier to say I'm visiting? Also to qualify for healthcare I know you need to be there at least 3 months in advance, which I could probably lie about since I have an address to use. I want to go back to school and finish it (I've had a few years here), so does anyone know anything about credits transferring at all? Any bits of info would help. I was worried about the tax thing and am not quite sure how that works. I figured it might be better to start a job in January in Canada. I was going to try to keep my green card for a while in case i did want to go back, but that's probably unlikely and a hassle. As a green card holder, would I have to keep doing anything with taxes in the states? I'm so nervous about leaving everything and starting over but in my heart I know it's the best possible decision, I was never really happy here.
Thanks!