any benefit or disadvantage to apply for candian green card?

[LotaPower]

Question,

I'm an American citizen in residency in the US and was talking to a candian friend and he told me that if I wanted to apply, I should have no problem being approved for it according to their point system.

I have no immediate plans of living there but thought it would be interesting to have a canadian green card because it seems relatively easy to obtain. (i qualify in their point system) Who knows, it may be of some use in the future. aside from the benefits of free healthcare is there anything else a canadian green card can be good for a US citizen? Any reason not to get it?

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[jochi1543]

aside from the benefits of free healthcare is there anything else a canadian green card can be good for a US citizen? Any reason not to get it?

You don't get free healthcare simply by being a permanent resident. First off, Canadian healthcare is only FREE if you are disadvantaged (on AISH, disabled, etc). The healthy adult working folk pay for it. Don't know how much it is in other provinces, but in Alberta it's about $45 a month. Secondly, you don't get healthcare coverage the second you get your permanent residency card. In Alberta, for example, you need to live here for 3 consecutive months before you can apply for Alberta Healthcare. I don't remember what the requirements are beyond that, given that I live here anyway, but there may be residency standards - e.g. you might not be able to have that provincial healthcare plan if you don't actually LIVE in Canada.



I can't think of any reason not to get it. However, in order to maintain permanent residency, you must 1) move to Canada within 2 years of obtaining your permanent residency visa 2) spend at least 2 years total in every 5-year period in Canada, or else you lose the permanent residency.


Also, if you are to apply with the points system (my family did that), you MUST wire $19,000 Canadian to a bank in Canada before you can obtain the actual visa - it's a consular requirement that ensures you have $ for your first few months of living in Canada. They don't give you the visa until you show proof of having sent that money.


I should also mention that the whole process from start to end took about 2 years for my family. There's a lot of paperwork, interviews, and various BS to go through. Basically, it's not something you do "just for kicks."

 

[freyja]

I know healthcare is not free in Alberta but it is in Ontario. I will also add that it barely covers anything. It does not include the good stuff (i.e. prescriptions, dental, etc.) so you will still end up paying for your health insurance unless you have coverage from your university, covered by your parents or you get it from work. As for getting healthcare as soon as you get your Permanent Residence Card (not a Canadian Greencard), it does not work that way. if you reside in Ontario, it will be a 3 month waiting period on top of the two yrs that Jochi has mentioned for you to get a permanent residence status. What do we have that Americans don't? Queen Elizabeth is on our currency!

 

[SMRT]

Not trying to start a healthcare debate here, but I wanted to point out that nowhere in Canada is health care free. All Canadians pay for it through taxes and in some provinces an additional monthly charge.

 

[boy2000]

New York Immigration Lawyer Marina Shepelsky, located in Brooklyn, assists clients from the New York metro area and across the United States in all immigration and naturalization matters http://www.e-us-visa.com