Ptitchou

On 7/5/2021 at 11:42 PM, Reebsrae said:

Fully vaccinated don't need to take tests or do they have to quarantine. 

 

Depending where they are landing, if not vaccinated, the arrival tests are done at the airport and the day 10 test is done at a pharmacy such as Shoppers, or if someone does not have ability to get to pharmacy then switch health mails a test out.  

Fully vaccinated still have to get a 72 hour PCR test before entry and do a test on arrival. Just no quarantine. 

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada

On 7/6/2021 at 3:58 PM, waterlooengineer said:

Thank you! Any leads on how to get a Titres test in Ontario? Would we need a referral from a doctor to get this completed? 

I just asked my family doctor about it and she gave me a requisition form to bring to any lab. Just tell your doctor you lost your immunization records and give them the list of what the US Visa doc requires and they'll add it to the list - it's just like any other blood test. You don't pay if you have OHIP.

2 hours ago, Twiz&Toz said:

You will be pulled that’s a given. Also if not mistaken the cats will prob be check as well. They do take safety of pets into consideration. I can’t see them letting u leave pets in a hot car. 

Do they require all people in the vehicle to go inside?

Now that our 2 year anniversary has passed, I'm finally moving down just in time before my visa medical date expires. 

For people who've gone by land via Peace or Rainbow Bridge - do they make everyone in the vehicle go inside to secondary? If so, what about any pets in the car? 

We have an 8 hour drive and I have two cats who are terrified of travel. The idea of leaving them alone in a car on a hot July day worries me, and especially if it's tacking another hour on top of an already long drive. 

Does anyone have experience with similar situations of pets in the vehicle while crossing at POE?

Are either of you Canadian citizens? Or have immediate Canadian family? The vaccination exemption still only applies to citizens, residents, or any of the people who were already deemed essential or have family exemptions. If you have family to vouch for you, you may be able to apply to enter.

Citizens can't be denied entry to Canada. You do still need to follow the COVID rules though. Check out the Canada government travel site for the latest. 

I'll be using U-Pack from Toronto to PA. I looked into using U-haul and while way cheaper, I simply can't manage moving everything from my high-rise into a U-haul and then an 8 hour drive immediately afterwards with two cats as well. We don't have anywhere to safely park a U-haul overnight. 

15 hours ago, T&S_MTL said:

Looks like you guys have a plan! Let us know how it goes !

 

Does Québec really ban travellers from other provinces? Im not even sure there is quarantine since it's still Canada, but I'm not expert and don't keep track of all this. Here (we live in Montreal), we just opened gyms and the curfew is now at 9h30PM instead of 8PM, slowly getting better 😊 

There's no ban from other provinces at present. 

https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/progressive-regional-alert-and-intervention-system/level-4-maximum-alert-red

https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/instructions-for-travellers-covid19

2 hours ago, ANL said:

It would probably be fine in other times, but remember quarantine stuff. If you go to the States and then back to Canada, you will still have to quarantine.

Exactly this. Even just going to the border only for the 30 minutes or so it would take to do your paperwork and then turn around back into Canada, you'll be expected to have a valid negative PCR test taken within 72 hours, plus do the 2 week quarantine and home tests. It's a bit ridiculous, but unfortunately it has happened.

7 hours ago, JlovesA said:

Yeah, everything about my paycheque is the same as my coworkers who still live there.

That's interesting...I didn't think still contributing to CPP and EI would be applicable if you weren't a resident. Do you know if you get a better tax return because of being in the US or do you also need to pay US taxes? 

2 hours ago, JlovesA said:

 

My own tax situation is pretty straight-forward. I generally get a return from both countries. There's an accountant in my family who does my Canadian taxes now, and then we have a US accountant who does our joint US one.

So do you have your taxes, CPP, EI, etc still deducted from your Canadian payroll like a normal salaried resident of Canada? 

I am also in a similar position as OP with being able to keep my job after moving, but we're a small company without a US presence, so we're trying to determine what the next steps are for managing this before my my actual move this summer. 

2 hours ago, Montrealy said:

Thanks, this is helpful. Where is the long thread that you are referring to?

Sorry, i was referring to: IR-1/CR-1 Montreal DQ'd private message group goes public CONTINUED"

Hello all,

I wanted to start a separate thread on this topic rather than keep adding to the long one for easier reference. 

As most of us know, the situation with border crossing has been difficult and restrictions can change, so please refer to the government site for the most up to date rules: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid

I wanted to share our experience with having my USC husband come visit via land border.

My husband had recovered from COVID in January, so he has proof of a positive test that falls within the 14-90 day range. On March 4, he drove up here via the Peace Bridge and it also happened to be the day they implemented land border testing at that port. 

The guard was polite, but also admitted he was new and didn't really know the rules for exemptions from testing, so while he did allow my husband to enter, he still handed him two test kits and directed him to a parking area to wait in the car for someone from Public Health to come speak with him. He waited...1.5 later he finally flagged down another border guard and asked what's going on and they said just to stay put and they knew he was there. 

Finally, someone got to him after 2 hours of waiting in a dead parking lot and went through his quarantine plan. They accepted his previous test results and then took back the test kits, as they wouldn't be necessary this time, and then they actually phoned me to confirm I understood the risks of having him stay with me and ensure that I gave my consent. Once that was done, they let him go. 

So if you're crossing by land right now, be aware that it's a bureaucratic, unorganized mess and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Ensure that you give yourself more than adequate time and get that pee break out of the way before you reach the border. You may be there a while. 

That said, he's here now and may you all be able to travel to be with your families smoothly and safely. 

On 2/25/2021 at 8:40 AM, CGs_Mother said:

My cat will also be immigrating with me - I know you have to get a certificate showing evidence of rabies vaccinations when you take your pet across, even for a trip, but please let us know if they ask for anything else (microchip, license, etc.). And also, if you are driving down, please let us know if you felt the need to tranquilize your cat for the trip or not, and if you are driving or flying. Thank you! And congratulations on your successful interview! 

We'll also be driving down with my two cats. I'm not looking forward to it because they do NOT travel well. One in particular pees himself in terror the moment he's outside the apartment door and the last time I had to take him in the car, he tore his claws trying to get out of the carrier. Poor little idiot. 

We originally planned to start doing exposure therapy with him a few months in advance to just put him in the carrier in the car for a few minutes at a time, then increasing  the length of time until working our way up to drives around the block, etc. But I don't drive and now with the pandemic, my husband can no longer visit like he used to, so it's no longer an option. If you're able to do this yourself though, I recommend it! 

I spoke with my vet yesterday about sedation, and he said that they no longer use tranq drugs for cats for travel sedation, but instead use low doses of human Benadryl because it's much safer. It's worth talking to your vet about doing a trial of this at home to see how your cat(s) handle it. 

2 hours ago, sjb17 said:

I've been wondering this as well. A cross-border tax consultant I talked to said there would be no issue with me keeping a chequing account open but that I should close out any investment/TFSA accounts to avoid non-resident tax. I've left the chequing account open for now as I'm keeping my job with my Canadian employer and have other payments in Canada that come out of the account, but I'm going to call my bank directly and confirm whether there will be any tax liabilities with keeping one open as a non-resident. If anyone has additional insight, I'd similarly appreciate it!

I'm also interested in hearing more about this. I wonder if maybe a separate thread topic on US/Can finances would be a good idea? 

I'm also still paying off a line of credit with my bank in Canada and will be keeping my job (but under contract instead of full time with deductions) so they'll be paying me in my Canadian account too. 

5 hours ago, CrystalNeufeld said:

Yes this last time she had one at the pharmacy they had her lay down and they put a cold cloth on her head. She still panicked and fainted. Im sure it is better but seems every time she has to have something done she gets worse with panic. I think all she needs is Hep A but them will have to go over for blood draw, too. We are so glad to be this close and her anxiety and depression has been worse with pandemic and waiting to immigrate so its just hard knowing she has to go through this, too. 

So fainting is a new thing for me as well, but I'm in my 40s. I don't get it for injections, but blood draws and IVs, definitely. The first time in recent years was when I had a failed IV attempt by a younger nurse and they moved me to a bed and had my feet elevated while putting a cool wet cloth on my forehead and the back of my neck. Having your feet elevated is the key when you suffer from syncope (the technical term for fainting), not just lying flat. It allows the blood to flow back into the brain. Basically what happens is a defensive response by the body that causes all the blood to rush to the middle of the body and protect the vital organs. It's why your heart rate quickens and vision fades. So elevating the feet helps counter that. She may still get woozy but isn't likely to lose consciousness. 

Let the nurses know this is an issue and have her bring whatever comforts her. It may sound silly, but I brought a little squishable stress ball shaped like a plush lemur that my husband brought me. It helps me to squeeze it and flex to get the veins to surface for blood draws and also gives comfort. The ladies at Life Labs were super sweet about it.  Good luck! ❤️ 

Is there an updated FAQ on this topic that would be valid for present year? (2021) I'm looking into this option but this thread is 1000s of posts long and spans years. 

1 hour ago, Coco Beau said:

I was never given a welcome to the USA package after my interview, however, I was approved and my passport is to be delivered tomorrow. Is there anything in the welcome letter that is important for me to know? 

I got a Welcome to the USA paper at the interview and the exact same paper arrived with my passport return as well. You'll likely get it in the mail with your passport too. 

4 hours ago, BunyanP said:

There seems to be a little disparity with financial documents given or asked. 
 

I do not have tax transcripts for my wife nor my co-sponsor. The people handing the transcripts, were they uploaded to nvc prior to getting approved?

 

we have 1040s and w2s which had been approved at NVC. 
 

Interview is Friday Andover course I’m running though every scenario possible. 
 

getting transcripts is not possible for my wife (Canadian address prior, and IRS still hadn’t processed 2020). Seems little late to try and get my co-sponsors (MIl). 
 

thanks. 

As long as you have the 1040 and w2s or whatever other supporting documents were required, you should be fine. The person interviewing me said they were well aware that the IRS has a crazy backlog and many people haven't been able to get their 2019 tax transcript, let alone 2020. I had submitted 3 years of transcripts when we were at the initial NVC stage because he's self-employed, so that's the general recommendation there, but I was worried about not having a w2. The 1040 and supporting docs were accepted at the interview without issue. 

On 2/18/2021 at 10:41 PM, unsmiley said:

Have any allowances been made - is there any flexibility - for the duration of the pandemic regarding this six month "policy"?

Nope. 

6 hours ago, Allis0n said:

I'm in Toronto. I actually opted to pick up the visa at a post office rather than have it delivered to my house, since in my area many of the streets have different but nearly identical names, so every so often our mail ends up at someone else's address. Just didn't want to chance it with such an important document. So my passport was mailed via Canada Post Xpresspost directly to a post office.

Oh man, that's what I should've done. Definitely faster than Purolator.

8 minutes ago, mizzem said:

When we drove to the border last week to activate the visa we didn't need to show a negative test to come back into Canada just the ArriveCAN app on our phone, and we now have to quarantine. We were told if we had done this on or after Feb 22 we would have to show a negative test taken 72 hrs before to get into Canada...even if we were only at US customs for 30 min. You would think some consideration would be given.

Everyone there was at a counter behind glass and we were no where near anyone but just the fact that we were on the US side is all that matters. 

If you can get to the border to activate before new rules on Monday I would do it and avoid all the hassle.

Yeah, sadly I don't even have my passport in hand yet but I'm also waiting until summer to move because I have a lot of medical and financial things I need to settle here first. I originally planned on activating at the border in the summer and then coming back here to wrap up a few more things and not actually move until the fall, but with all these crazy rules in place, it might just be more hassle than it's worth. As it is, my husband will have to go through the process of tests, etc and quarantine for two weeks just to be able to help me move. 

Again, I get why measures are in place, but it's just really adding to the stress of juggling all the logistics of moving countries. 

11 minutes ago, legendqueue said:

I wonder who we can even contact to talk about this?

 

GOOD LUCK with Purolator.  They are the dirt worst.  They attempted delivery of my passport yesterday, then told me this morning (over 24 hours later) that they for some reason needed my building buzzer number, something that NO delivery has required in 3 years of dozens on dozens of deliveries. 

 

I have tried contacting local MPs, reps for Canada Health, Travel, Border Services - no one replies. Nothing. 

Purolator pulled that bs with me before. I even included my buzzer code with the address. They're a disaster.  

Edit: Just spoke with a chat rep and they said the buzz code never got included on the waybill (AGAIN). Yeesh. She's also super unhelpful. 

1 hour ago, mizzem said:

There are no exemptions for anyone regarding the mandatory quarantine coming back into Canada. We are both in Canada and drove to the US border last week to activate my husbands GC, we were in US customs for all of 30 minutes and crossed right back into Canada afterwards. We are now having to do a mandatory 14 day quarantine just for being on the US side for that short time. They follow you via an app as well. We are getting daily texts to check on us and someone else I know is getting phone calls to check on them. 

 

 

 

It's honestly a bit ridiculous. My bigger concern now is will we have to have a negative test just to be able to re-enter Canada if we're only going to the border to activate the visa? And then also pay to take the test at the border and then again 10 days later... I understand why these rules were put in place but it's ridiculous that no one's considered the edge cases of various situations and circumstances. And how long will this be in place for? The rest of the year? 

Anyway... I got my purolator notice of shipment on Friday. Estimated delivery should be today but I don't see that it's moved outside of Quebec yet. Fingers crossed I get it soon. I feel naked without my passport! 

20 minutes ago, Abhikochar said:

That's right....filing officially opens for 2020..but the problem is IRS doesn't allow international taxes to be filed online. I file it in mail. Thank you for the guidance though. I don't think this one thing will kill it for us. I was really worried about not having IRS certified tax returns for me before my husband's interview. But after reading some of the responses here I don't think it will be an issue. I hope so...

We haven't even been able to get a return or transcript on my husband's 2019 taxes yet. I brought the full 1040 and supporting documents and they were satisfied with that. However, we also had submitted the three previous tax years as well, as he's self-employed. I wouldn't worry about 2020 but you can also bring a copy of what you filed. 

2 minutes ago, Allis0n said:

Hey all, is it normal that for me in https://ais.usvisa-info.com/, the status still shows "Appointment" even though I already had my appointment on Monday? When I check the CEAC status tracker, the status shows "Issued" with the "Final processing" note. I just don't know if the https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ website status should have updated by now also...

That's what mine says still right now.