MelM

all messages by user

7/18/2014 Topic: Eligible for retroactive Child Tax Benefits? MelM	You can receive up to 11 months of retroactive payments from the time you apply: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/universal_child_care.shtml So the most you'll be able to recover is 11 months of payments.
7/28/2014 Topic: Residency Obligations for Sponsor MelM	A few well spread out trips of 2-3 weeks shouldn't affect the application (e.g. two 3 week trips over the course of a year). Your question was based on leaving for 6 months which is definitely far too long. Hence PMM's answer.
8/1/2014 Topic: Spouse PR pending Travel MelM	Your post is lacking some important details that make it a bit difficult to fully answer your question. It sounds like you have applied for PR using the inland route (rather than outland). Is that correct? I am also going to assume that the work permit you are referring to is an open work permit that was granted after your spouse received first stage approval for the inland application. Assuming you did apply inland, it's really not advisable to leave Canada until the process is 100% complete. The work permit does not in fact authorize re-entry into Canada. Your spouse doesn't need a visa to enter Canada as a Taiwan passport holder - however this doesn't guarantee he will in fact be allowed in once he reaches Canada. Although small, there is always some chance of refusal. And if he's refused, this will effectively cancel his inland sponsorship application and force you to start again from scratch. It really comes down to how risk averse you are. If you are OK taking on some risk of jeopardizing your application, go ahead and take the trip. If you're not, then stay in Canada until the process is finished. Again, this answer has been provided assuming you have gone the inland route.
8/5/2014 Topic: Spousal Sponsorship PR Interview - No Passport MelM	You need to have your physical passport to complete the landing process. I don't think they will accept photocopies as a substitute. I would go to the landing interview all the same. However be prepared that your landing may have to be deferred to a later date since you don't have your passport.
8/11/2014 Topic: Unsure about my PR status MelM	When you apply to renew your PR card, CIC will look back at the five years immediately preceeding your application date to determine if you meet the residency requirement. This means that on the day you apply to renew your PR card, you must have at least 730 days of residency in Canada in the previous five years.
8/13/2014 Topic: Unsure about my PR status MelM	Don't apply to renew your PR card until you have at least 730 residency days in Canada in the last five years before you apply for a new card. If you apply before you have the 730 days, you should expect to lose your PR status. You should not leave Canada while you are waiting to accumulate the 730 days.
8/14/2014 Topic: PR Working Abroad and Residency Requirements MelM	Yes - frequent travel will certainly delay / impact your ability to apply for citizenship. The days you spent traveling for business outside of Canada cannot be counted towards your citizenship residency requirement. So the more often you travel, the longer it will take you to qualify to apply for citizenship. Currently the citizenship residency requirement is 3 years of physical presence in Canada out of the last 4 years. This is increasing to 4 years out of 6 next summer.
8/26/2014 Topic: UHIP and Pregnant U.S. Citizen Fiancee MelM	She can certainly have the baby in Canada - however her pregnancy and birth related expenses won't be covered by UHIP and you will be responsible for paying for these expenses out of your own pocked. The only way she could have been covered is if you had already lived together as a couple for at least a year in a marriage-like relationship. But if she's living in the US and you are in Canada, then you're obviously not living together. So you don't meet the "living together" criteria and she unfortunately doesn't qualify for coverage.
8/28/2014 Topic: Does a Business Trip count as Residency? MelM	No - your business trip outside of Canada won't count towards residency. It actually doesn't matter if you're freelance or employed by a Canadian company - the trips wouldn't count either way. The only way time spent outside of Canada will count is if you are working for a Canadian company and that company relocates you PERMANENTLY to a role outside of Canada. In your case you are only leaving Canada temporarily.
9/2/2014 Topic: Need to Apply for a Travel Document MelM	Yes - you can apply for a travel document using your CORP. Note that your CORP doesn't prove you are a citizen (you aren't a citizen). The CORP is proof you are a PR. No - you can't apply for a travel document from Canada. You can only apply for a travel document through a visa office outside of Canada. If you tried applying from Canada, your application would have been refused for this reason. You need to wait until you are outside of Canada.
9/5/2014 Topic: Subsidized Housing for FSW MelM	I'd recommend you read the following link for information about subsidized housing in Ontario: http://www.settlement.org/sys/faqs_detail.asp?faq_id=4001301 Note that the wait times for subsidized housing in Ontario is 10+ years in many areas.
9/6/2014 Topic: Can she leave without her PR card? - Urgent MelM	If your wife is a permanent resident she is certainly free to leave Canada without her PR card. However to return to Canada, she will either need a valid PR card or a travel document. Information on how to apply for a travel document is in the link below (she can only apply once she is outside of Canada): http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp
9/6/2014 Topic: Missed the Citizenship Interview MelM	See the instructions in the link below for instructions on what to do if you have missed your citizenship test: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=910&t=5
9/8/2014 Topic: Visiting my newborn in Canada MelM	Just visit Canada using your US passport - you don't need a visitor visa. You need to have an adult child in Canada to qualify for a super visa (and that child must have a job where he/she is making enough income to meet LICO). Since your child will be an infant, you don't qualify for the super visa.
9/11/2014 Topic: Sponsoring Fiance who lives in Britian MelM	As of now you don't qualify to sponsor your fiance. To qualify to sponsor him you must either be married or common law. Common law means that you have physically lived together for a minimum of one full year. Unlike the US, Canada has no fiance visa. Once you are married or common law - you should have no issues sponsoring him.