Colleens

That post was from 10 years ago so not sure 

 it will still be relevant? But I just went to my family Dr and she ordered the tests. 
 

Good Luck 

It has been forever since I have been on here! I have some questions about travelling with a child and was hoping someone might have some similar experiences.

We now live in Canada and my sister wants to take my us born 4 yr old to Disneyland. She has her U.S. passport that is still valid however her photo was taken when she was 2 months old.

Has anyone had any issues travelling with their kids when they look nothing like their passport photo anymore?

I am also not sure if there will be any issues with her re-entry into Canada as I have been a slacker and not got her Canadian proof of citizenship yet.

Thank you for any advice

Colleen

Congrats to all those who are now expecting. I don't get a chance to get on here very often anymore, but I do try to pop in every now and then to see how everyone is doing!!

I breastfed, but I had some supply issues so we did have to do a bit of supplementing with formula and we found that the target brand formula was just as good as the name brand but half the price.

Some insurance companies will pay for a pump or for the rental so check with your provider. For those of you looking into WIC, I believe they will pay for a pump or rental as well.

For those looking for pumps I tried a few different ones and they didn't last for too long. I came across a brand called Hygeia. They are similarly priced to the Medela ones, but they are a closed loop system, so there is no chance of getting milk or moisture into the pump. One of my pumps died because of moisture in the tubes that was caused by body heat...something that is pretty hard to avoid.

We are still patiently waiting for CIC to do their bit with our sponsorship/pr application. I thought waiting for US immigration was bad...this is soooo much worse. Hopefully we will get a chance to have another little one some time soon. Emma is growing up so fast. We are pretty much potty trained now. Although it is nice not having diapers, it was the last little bit of 'baby'. Before I know it I will be sending her to school

Hello! I know this is a US immigration-based forum but I thought I would just shoot out this quick question to those who might have experience with/as Canadian spouses. So far my Canadian spouse and I intend to move to the U.S. and then immigrate back to Canada after several years, so the question isn't immediately relevant.

I know, as a spouse, you can apply for status in Canada either from INSIDE or OUTSIDE the country. My question is, how exactly do you start the process for applying from INSIDE? Are you allowed to move up there with your spouse with the intention to immigrate? Or would they deny you entry and demand you go back and do the process from outside like the U.S. does?

Basically, if you want to apply for Canadian status from inside Canada, what is the process for getting there in the first place? And are there certain restrictions?

I have just moved back to Canada with my us spouse this past year. You can move back to Canada with the intent to immigrate.. It actually helps if you already have your forms filled out and fees paid.

We went to the border and I told the agent I was a returning resident and I was sponsoring my husband for PR. We went inside and sat with an immigration agent and they issued a visitors record that was good for 6 months. We were told you must submit our application within

That 6 months.

You can not work while the application is processing, but you can apply for an open work permit at the same time as your PR and that will be approved once your sponsorship is approved (about 6 months).

You can also apply Outland while you are still in the us and move to Canada while it is processing. You don't have to be outside of Canada to do Outland.

Congrats to everyone....very exciting news. You are all making me have some serious baby fever. We are still holding out hope for having #2 but that will still have to wait. We had some delays with hubby's Canadian PR so it looks like he will be a SAHD for another 6 months or so . But it is hard to believe that Emma is already almost 2.5 and is now a little girl. They grow up so fast.

I couldn't eat anything fir the first 4 months of my pregnancy....the smell of any food made me sick. I even had a hard time showering because the chlorine in the water smelled so strong that it made me feel like throwing up! I always heard that feeling sick was a good sign because it was indicating a strong hormonal response which is a good thing. Not sure if that is true or not but it made sense to me.

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy 9 months. I cant wait to see all the cute babies!

Hi everyone!

We are starting to plan baby girls first trip to Canada. If all goes well, we'll be making a trip mid-February. She'll be almost 5 months then. A couple of questions for those of you with experience travelling with a youngster:

First, if i'm understanding correctly since we will be driving across the border, not flying in, she won't need a passport, correct? We will be getting her once sooner rather than later, but the fact she needs to have a photo taken makes me want to wait. A 3 month old posing for a picture can go one of two ways, one of those ways being very bad!

Regarding car seats. I know that Canadian laws differ from US laws on car seat safety. My initial plan was to check her car seat on the plane, and then install it in a rental car and drive to Canada (from the airport in Buffalo). Would this pose an issue if the car seat is not "Canada safe"? Anyway for me to know if her car seat meets Canadian standards? The alternate plan would be to have my dad pick us up from the airport and borrow a Canadian car seat from a family member.

Any tips to soothe a baby in an airplane? I was always one of those jerks that would cringe when I would see a baby board the plane, because there is nothing worse than hearing a screaming baby all flight. She is a pretty calm and happy baby, but if she is uncomfortable she lets you know! We took her to a family members house in the mountains the weekend before Christmas, and I think her ears popped... she lost it. I would like to avoid a similar melt down if possible. She won't take a soother either.

How about airport travel? Anyone bring a stroller and check at the gate? Or should I just suck it up and carry her? Another idea would be to strap her to me (or daddy) in one of those baby carriers.

That's all I can think of for now. Your advice is appreciated as always

I got Emma's passport when she was only 2 months old. I got it at the county clerks office and they did the photo there. All I had to do was kneel down facing the wall then pick her up under her arm pits, hold her up and duck my head. I was very worried about the photo after reading the passport website and all the info and restrictions about the photo but it was easy peasy. I would really suggest getting it done since it will just make everything that much easier.

You are allowed to use US carseats when travelling in Canada. If you know someone that you trust that can lend you a carseat once you get to Canada that might be a better option since it will be one less thing to pack around the airport with you. I would never check a carseat since you don't know how they are thrown around etc, and you risk it potentially being damaged without you even knowing.

Definitely try feeding during take off and landing...it will make a world of difference. If you have a few months you may be able to start to

adjust her feeding schedule little by little now so that it will fit in with your travel plans if she will not top off or take a paci. Also try to get as close to the back as possible. If you are travelling with her as a lap child that may be difficult since there are only a few rows of seats taht will have an extra oxygen mask if needed, but there is a bit more movement in the back so it tends to be soothing (and there are less people there to get upset if she should be fussy).

I travelled with Emma on my own twice and I didn't take a stroller with me. I used my moby wrap while in the airport so that I had 2 free hands. It was a lifesaver. On the plane you are not supposed to have baby in a carrier of any sort in case of an emergency so that the can get to the baby, but I did stick her in there to sleep. I have seen these infant 'slings' on pinterest that seem kind of cool My link and I think there are other brands and styles out there if you do a google search.

Do you have any connections to make or will it be a direct flight? If there are connections make sure to pack plenty of extra diapers since you never know if there may be a delay or cancellation. I once travelled to Atlanta from Syracuse NY and it took me nearly 24hrs because of delays. One lady had 1.5yr old and only packed enough diapers for what the trip was scheduled to be and a couple of extra's. By the time we got to Atl that poor baby's diaper was in a sad state Also if you use a store brand diaper (eg target) that you can't get in Canada you may want to try some of the brand names that you may be buying in Canada to ensure that she won't react with them....this goes for wipes as well.

That is all I can think of right now. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I have such crazy baby fever. But unfortunately that has to be put on the backburner yet again. My hubby made another very poor decision and it has put our relationship in jeapordy. He is moving out for a few months and starting treatment for his PTSD since we think this is what is causing the poor decision making. Then it is off for some marriage counseling and hopefully we can make everything work out. We really want another little one but it just seems that bad luck keeps following us

Hello all,

quick question, I'm moving to the US sometime in May or June. Im keeping my job in Canada and will go back and forth. Will i be allowed to be on maternity leave and still get 90% of my pay even if my permanent residence is in the US? Keep in mind I work in Quebec for the federal government.

thanks

Yes you will be able to recieve mat benefits. I suggest that you keep a Canadian bank account so that you can have them direct deposited rather then cheques mailed as it can take awhile for them to get to the US.

My husband is a dual UK/US citizen and after me (a canadian) emmigrated to the US we decided to return to Canada and due to the poor job market in the US. We have had some marriage issues and we have decided that a seperation is our best option. He has decided to return to England during this time since he has no status in Canada (our PR application is still pending)and thus no way to support himself. I do not currently make enough to support 2 households.

Can anyone give me some recommendations for places that he may be able to get room and board or leads to places to rent. He is looking at finding a place with his best friend(and that friends teenage son) so it would need to be in the Windsor or Datchet area for the sons' schooling. But if it were just a room and board....anywhere near that area would work. He needs to be close to his friend as it is his only emotional support right now.

Also if anyone knows of any places that are hiring in that area, any leads would be very much appreciated.

I would get on getting that titre test for immunity ASAP. I had that done and it took about a month to get the results back. I was in Ontario and it was free when I went to my family Dr. Had I been missing anything I would have got it through my Dr as the shots would have been free as well.

Unfortunately the results of the election last night have put my husband's job in jeopardy. We are seriously considering moving to my hometown in Canada but not sure how we go about it. We were married Oct. 2011, have my green card (May 2012) and have yet to file for our AOS.

Any links or info you all could provide regarding this would be very helpful.

Thank you.

I have recently returned to Canada with my husband (as huggles stated). You can start the application process from the US if you like, or you can do the whole thing once you are in Canada. Unlike the US, Canada will allow your spouse to stay with you during the process.

If you are not living in Canada and applying 'outland' you will have to provide proof that you intend to reside in Canada (so a lease agreement for when you plan on returning).

As previous posters stated that there is no income requirement for sponsoring your spouse, but they do ask for financial information. We applied 'inland' and I had to submit my last years "option C print out" (basically a tax transcript) and all my t4's w2's etc. I also had to submit a letter from my employer that gave my income details and how long I have been working there.

There is a quite a bit of paperwork, but unlike the US, you submit everything all at once and then wait!

Currently it is taking about 14 months for approval via outland. If you choose to apply inland it is taking about 16 months, however once your sponsorship application is approved they will issue an open work visa while the PR application is being processed. It is taking about 5 months for sponsorship to be approved via inland. (it is about 3 months via outland, but you don't get the work permit when you apply outland).

There are some really helpful folks over on the roadtocanada site, but it is not nearly as busy as VJ so you may have to wait for a day or so to get a reply to a question.

If you need any more info just send me a PM

Good Luck

I was reading the post about selling the house and started wondering - when is the best time to transfer money down. I am moving down this December assuming my visa appointment goes well, and I was hoping to avoid having to file taxes for the year of 2013 in Canada and just deal with 2012. However I'm not getting married until January, and I assume earning interest in my account in January means I would have to file taxes for 2013 (I will definitely be earning interest - I get a T something slip for that each year for taxes).

My other question is how to transfer the money - if I am understanding correctly I can't open a bank account until I have an SSN - and I also can't be added to my fiance's account without the SSN as well (we met with his bank and they said they would let me be added on after the SSN) - and I won't be applying for that SSN until after I move down about a week into December... do you think it is likely there will be enough time to transfer the money before the new year? Especially since it's the middle of Christmas season? For the SSN do they give you the number you need right away? What I mean is, if I file for an SSN will I be able to tell the bank the information they need that day or do I need to wait to hear back from the SSN people... sorry, I'm just a bit confused on all of this.

Go to an RBC branch and open an RBC USA account (which is an american bank, although it doesn't have branches...much like PC banking, but it does have online and mobile banking options). You can open it from Canada without a SSN. And if you open a canadian RBC account you can link the 2 online and transfer money back and forth with no fees. It works out well if you have things like tax returns. You can have it direct deposited to your Canadian account and then simply transfer it online...no waiting!

Thanks everyone! Sorry for the delay, but it turns out that caring for a newborn baby is a lot of work! She's precious and I wouldn't trade the sleepless nights for anything. Here she is!

She is beautiful Huggles. I love all her hair! Sleep whenever you can and try to get out of the house alone every now and then...even if it is just to pick up a few groceries.

If you are moving to the us soon and are thinking of having children soon(or already have young children) I have 2 almost brand new convertable carseats that I would be willing sell for a very reasonable price.

Eventhough the seats are made by the same companies each country has their own saftey standards and approvals. And although the seats are safe to use, if you were ever in an accident and there were injuries involved your insurance company could refuse to pay because the seat didn't have the right approval.

I would prefer to sell to someone in the Edmonton area so you would be able to come see them and I could drop them off and not have to deal with shipping!!

Let me know if you are interested as I would love to get them out of my house. I feel bad throwing brand new car seats in the garbage so if someone can use them I would be happy!!

One is a graco my ride 65 in grey with light green color link, and the other is a Cosco Scenera in a pink pattern

Baby Allyson was born last Saturday September 22nd weighing 7lbs 8oz. Thankfully the doctors were way off on her size and I was able to deliver her naturally. She's a doll, I'll post a picture soon!

Congrats Huggles!!! How very exciting. I am glad everything went the way you wanted. Isn't it amazing how much love you instantly have when you see that beautiful little face. I can't wait to see some pics!

I'm all about what is going to be safe for the baby's so I'm keeping an open mind. I decided not to do a birth plan, and just let it be. I still haven't decided on an epidural either... I figure I will see how far I can get, test my limits and go from there. But I was very unhappy with the idea of them not letting me try to deliver naturally. There is still a possibility I'll end up with a c-section, and I'm OK with that if it needs to happen. Basically if she comes out in the next week or so, it should be fine, but if I go to 40 weeks or more maybe not. We'll see! They think she's about 7.5 lbs now, which is perfect, but at week 40 she cold be closer to 9, not that its a really reliable science.

My body looks sooo weird. I'm carrying the baby all out front... my hips, butt and everything else hasn't grown an inch. Just a jumbo gut.... Things are getting harder... I have a lot of pelvic pain, walking is becoming a chore. If I get much bigger I'm not sure how mobile I'll be. So I'm hoping for an early arrival!

Good luck to you gals and thanks for the encouragement! Trying is the fun part!

I did do a birth plan because there were some things that we did really want to happen and since we were using a care group rather then just a specific Dr we wanted all of them to be aware of what we wanted. I tried to make my appts so I got a chance to see each Dr once so we could talk about things we wanted (since hubby was a medic and has delivered a few babies, he wanted to deliver Emma and thankfully all the Dr's were ok with that provided all was going smoothly)! As for epidural or not I was much like you. I wanted to at least try to do it without one. But since I did have to be induced (I was a couple days overdue and had low fluid) I think it made it a bit more difficult to go naturally....especially since my contractions were less then a minute apart!!

I had an open mind about a c-section as well, and for awhile we thought that maybe I would need one. She was kinda stuck behind my pelvis and after pushing for about 4hrs she stareted getting a bit stressed.....thankfully I was able to deliver. I made sure I did a lot of reading and talked to my Dr's about a c-section just in case. I wanted to be prepared.

I hope all goes quickly and smoothly for you Huggles....I look forward to seeing some pics soon!

We worked together last night to fill out a form/write a letter to his senator. It will be faxed off today. Fingers crossed. I've seen so many mixed reviews -- some people get quick results from congress involvement and others say there's nothing that can be done once its at the consulate stage.

We'll see. Thanks for the advice and nudges in the right direction.

I think you need to direct that letter to the congressperson and not the senator. When I was having issues with my AOS I sent letters to both and I got a reply back from the Senators office that they were not able to help and to contact our congressperson.

I had my issue resolved within 3 days of sending an email.

Good Luck

I was born in 73 as well, and Beachcombers and Disney was a ritual in my house on Sunday nights as well! Mind you we only had 2 channels so it is not like we had a large selection of quality programming

Wow what a trip! I'm sorry I haven't been around. I really didn't want to be one of those that gets done with the interview then abandons the site! We've been so busy!

We arrived home around midnight last Thursday (9th) It was a crazy three day drive, most of which was done on Mr. Sheeshka's birthday. Weand had to deal with issues and get everything unpacked and find where to put it. Our closet and shelf space is definitely unequal, and I'm not on the winning side lol.

Here is our POE review: Emerson/Pembina Crossing

Today Mr. Sheeshka's Social Security Card arrived in the mail. It surprised us both. He still hasn't received the welcome to the USA letter yet! Tomorrow we're going to the DMV to get his Tennessee license and to register his motorcycle. I had to get my license renewed on Friday, and we asked then what was needed for him to get his license and the woman had no clue. I printed off the list of things needed from the state DMV site. I'll be sure to post about that fiasco!

I needed to have a drivers abstract from Ontario that was less than 30 days old for my TN license

Is that from filing another return after you returned to Canada? Would you have gotten that money back if you had remained in the US? Not sure I'm understanding...and I'm wondering if my husband will get that 25% back on his EI given that he'll be filing his exit return in early 2013.

No, I filed this return while I was still in the US and I would have still got this money back had I stayed in the US. When you leave Canada the government takes 25% off of any of your Canadian earnings. They figure that amount will cover your tax bruden. But depending on how much you earn (you have to claim your US income and taxes as well) 25% may have been more then your fair share.

Many people recieve EI after the file their exit return and not many are aware that they can file a "special" return even after filing an exit return and possible get a refund. I was not aware of this at all until my accountant mentioned it. And like I said I got just shy of $3k back....so it can be fairly significant.

So last year I was able to collect my maternity benefits for the majority of the year. I filed my exit return the previous year for my last year in Canada. My accountant advised me that I should be able to file a return under a special election called a section 217. I ended up getting just shy of $3000 back!!!

So if you collect EI, cash in RRSP's or have any sort of income that the canadian govt witholds the 25% witholding tax it can be very beneficial to file another return.

Hmm - too bad it can;t be used at the Batha nd Body works in Canada - I guess it's not quite the same store? Silly question I know THere's now one in the Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener, I was surprised last time to see it.

I was in one in Edmonton this weekend and asked and they said that they don't work. It even says on the back of the card that it is for US stores only....guess MIL didn't look at the back and just assumed that if they had them in Canada it would be ok.

I will buy it off you for cash if you want. I go down every other weekend pretty much and have shopping to do for the house we just bought. I could drop money in the mail or do an email money transfer if you wanted to and you could mail it to me.

That would be great!! Send me a PM with your address and I will stick it in the mail.

t

Can't you order on line using it? They ship to Canada. http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/helpdesk/index.jsp;jsessionid=KBbcQyTCL6WNNVLRyy1hh4SWWxdYcgjn4ppwPJbvpmg5Y2hzQ7c2!-920608209?display=ship&subdisplay=availability

The giftcard is for $25 and they charge $20 to ship to Canada, so it really isn't worth it....I would only get $5 worth of stuff!!

My MIL sent me a giftcard for bath and body works for my birthday. But since she bought it in the US, I can't use it in Canada. If anyone is travelling to the US and would be willing to do a trade for canadian giftcard of equal value ($25) please let me know.

Thank you, Colleens!! This is a HUGE help, especially coming from someone who has recently gone through the process. It's great to have an idea of the steps involved, and that the process can be started at the border if one desires. Should we find ourselves in a similar situation, it's reassuring to know that we wouldn't have to wait out the processing here in the US if we wanted to just head home to Alberta on shorter notice as you and your hubby did.

I really appreciate your offering to answer questions also.. it's very kind of you, and I just might take you up on that!

How are you and your husband enjoying being back in Canada so far? I hope y'all are happy and that it has been an easy transition so far . It's definitely the best time of year to move (Spring/Summer). The healthcare and employment part is surely much better! My husband and I haven't yet started a family, but the idea of having a decent maternity leave when the time comes is certainly attractive!

We are enjoying it....and the reduced stress that is going with being back. My husband is finding it a bit difficult not being able to work. He stays home with our year and a half old daughter, so that can be pretty exhausting......she is go, go,go and into everything!! It would have been ideal if we could have at least go the process started while in the states, but it didn't work out that way. But deep down we know that in the grand scheme of things a year really isn't all that long. It was like when we were waiting for our K1....it seemed to take FOREVER but now that we look back on it, it is hard to remember.

I meant to add into my post yesterday that we also moved back to Alberta. We qualified for AHC immediately, and even my husband is covered since he is my dependant. All we had to do was go to the registry office with the proper paperwork. In 48 hours we could call and get our AHC #'s and we got our cards in the mail within a week.

Funny enough getting my car re-registered and my drivers licence was a bigger hassle then getting health care......go figure!!