Canadian Marrying an American

 

Many of our Canadian clients plan a move to the US after meeting an American partner whom they plan to marry. Perhaps their soon-to-be American spouse lives in a warm part of the US, such as Florida, California, or Arizona; or perhaps, as a Canadian, moving to the US is an appealing life choice due to the often favourable tax breaks and myriad employment opportunities.

Regardless of the specific reason, Canadians who plan to move to the US after marrying Americans typically have similar concerns. Often, questions arise regarding the immigration process and path to citizenship, how to obtain adequate health care, how social security payments will be affected, and what to do with RRSPs and Canadian assets such as homes and cottages.

As the above questions illustrate, making the decision to move to the US necessitates careful pre-departure tax, estate, retirement, investment, and immigration planning. Canadians relocating to the US after marrying an American must also be familiar with the US health care system, as well as potential cross-border tax filing requirements.

Keep reading for more information about these cross-border financial planning topics as they apply to a Canadian who is marrying an American and moving to the US. Please note that the topics covered below require detailed, comprehensive analysis before specific recommendations can be made to an individual client, which is the purpose of creating a cross-border financial plan prior to departure.

 
Departure Tax

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Situs Wills, Trusts, and Power of Attorney Documents
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US Gift and Estate Tax

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Blended Families

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Registered Retirement Savings Plan (“RRSP”)

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US Social Security

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The US Health Care System: An Introduction
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Obtaining Health Insurance as the Spouse of an American

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Life Insurance Issues

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Family-Based Sponsorship

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