Community Forums

mick · 05-31-2012, 05:20 PM

It is my understanding that the problem arises with health care and pensions, when one overstays their 6 months. But what do I know, Im native American.

raytronx · 05-31-2012, 05:34 PM

We are Canadians currently in the States and have been for 9 months heading home in 2 weeks, when we crossed the border they stapled a slip of paper in our passport that said we had to be out of the US in 6 months but you can file a I 539 form and send it in while in the States to ask for an extension, that's what we did and it was granted. Cost is $290 to file.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-539.pdf

bsvirginian · 06-04-2012, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raytronx

We are Canadians currently in the States and have been for 9 months heading home in 2 weeks, when we crossed the border they stapled a slip of paper in our passport that said we had to be out of the US in 6 months but you can file a I 539 form and send it in while in the States to ask for an extension, that's what we did and it was granted. Cost is $290 to file.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-539.pdf

How did they treat your health insurance and pension? Or didn't you care?

LCOVECAMELOT · 06-04-2012, 07:45 AM

If you are from Ontario you can be out of province/country for 212 days with no further requirement. Beyond that you need to go to their Office and request permission so you do not loose your coverage. Just a thought we did this last year (leave in Oct and return by May) to help out our situation we flew home at christmas and warehoused our motorhome in Florida. That way we lowered our days away in the year/annum and refreshed out travel coverage. We did the cost pro's/con's of flights/warehousing/to go home vs paying top up insurance/US extension. It was cheaper to just fly home for christmas.

raytronx · 06-04-2012, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsvirginian

How did they treat your health insurance and pension? Or didn't you care?

In British Columbia you can apply to be absent from the province for 24 months and still maintain your medical but only once every five years, every province has different rules for health insurance and as for pension I don't know I'm too young.

SeattlePirat · 06-04-2012, 10:18 AM

How does a Canadian get health care in the USA

danes-on-tour · 06-04-2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milasman

Who keeps track if how long you spend in US?

The nice people in immigration are supposed to do that, but they do sometimes loose track is our experience. We are Europeans and we are allowed "only" 3 months at a time. We are also "only" allowed to spend "less than ½ a year" in the US in anyone year. If this is per calender year or any given 12 months is not clear to us.

It used to be easy but sadly, for various reasons, it's not at all easy any more. We used to be able to go just across the border into Canada or Mexico and then come back for our "second term of 3 month", but that is not acceptable any more. We will need to leave North America completely and stay away for an unspecified length of time.

danes-on-tour · 06-04-2012, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattlePirat

How does a Canadian get health care in the USA

People from Europe can buy a travel insurance that will cover us whatever happens. We are normally covered for 2 month at a time in the US with a basic "world wide travel insurance". When staying for an extra month (up to our total allowance) we can add the extra month for a relative small amount of money.

raytronx · 06-04-2012, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattlePirat

How does a Canadian get health care in the USA

Our provincial medical plan covers us but only to a certain amount which is usually to low for the US, so we buy extended travel medical insurance. I use the one offered by BCAA which is our equivalent to AAA.

raytronx · 06-04-2012, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milasman

Who keeps track if how long you spend in US?

It's probably available to the border guards on their computers. When we crossed last time they scanned our passports, fingerprinted us and even had us do a retinal scan of our eyes. Who knows what scans happen that we don't know about.

Gerall · 06-04-2012, 01:10 PM

When we Canadians cross the border to USA for the winter, be sure to have with you, the paperwork to prove your ties and equities to Canada.
I got refused last year because I didn't have the paperwork to back up the answers I gave them.
What they deem ties and equities are things like:
-leases
-home ownership
-utility bills
-a job
-proof of sufficient funds

I went back to Canada, photocopied the appropriate documents and crossed two days later with no issues.
And the border guy told me that the 6 month stay is not necessarily etched in stone from an immigration perspective. He told us that your length of stay in the USA is what they tell you it can be, not what you think you are entitled to.