Canada Child Benefits (CCTB, UCCB): Our Application Experience as FSW

If you had just landed in Canada, you must be aware that there are benefits for your children under the age of 18.

During our first week in Toronto, we immediately sent the child benefits application.  It was helpful for us, especially when we don't have jobs yet to make our cash flow positive. There were many benefits that our child had received, given that our income was at the minimum.

In order for you to receive the corresponding benefit, you need to send an application to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Who should apply?
The one who's primarily in charge of upbringing and care of the child.  For us, even though we were not yet working during the application, we agreed that my wife will be the applicant. That is usually the case for new immigrant couples.

For the New Immigrants, let me show you the step by step procedure on how to apply for the child benefits.

STEP 1 (Gather the Documents)
Gather all documents to establish your relationship with your child.

1.  Marriage certificate (copy)
2.  Birth certificate (copy)
3.  Copies of the COPR (copy)

This will not be difficult for newcomers as we had all the documents with us upon landing.

Prepare your bank account details.  If CRA fails to send payment to your bank, the benefit will be paid to you by cheque.

STEP 2 (Print the Forms)
Print the necessary documents at the Canada Revenue Agency website as follows:

1. Canada Child Benefits Application RC66
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/rc66/README.html

2. Status in Canada / Statement of Income RC66SCH
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/rc66sch/README.html

Fill out the necessary details legibly.

STEP 3 (Sending the Application)
1. Place the documents and forms inside an envelope.
2. Mail the completed forms with the supporting documents to the province where you reside.

Click the province below for the mailing address.
Source: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/ddrss-eng.html

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Where to Mail the forms?
Go to the nearest Canada Post branch.  Before you click the link below, you must know your Zip Code (ex: J2M H2T)

Canada Post Locator

The mail will be delivered to the CRA within 3 days.

STEP 3 (Wait for the Payment)
Once your application is complete and no additional documents needed from the CRA, you will now receive the Child Benefits through your bank account or by cheque.

CRA uses your application to determine if you are eligible for other child benefits.  So, you will receive payments from different branches of the government.

Note:
Don't forget to contact CRA if your status and personal information had changed.

If you have questions regarding my experience in this application, contact me at benalagnam@yahoo.com.  I'll can help you as fast as I can.

Please tick the LIKE button below if this is helpful and Share to new immigrants as well.

Immunization Record Requirement for Federal Skilled Worker in Canada

In Philippines, we do have immunization for our kids and even for adults.  Some may avail it for free, but others prefer to have it from their private doctors.

If you had been religiously following the vaccines for your child, that is a great move.  But having your child immunized is not good enough if you don't have the immunization record.

Immunization Record is the way to trace and monitor your child's vaccine schedule and to know what's next.  This is helpful for pediatricians for them to assess the status of your child's health.

What is the Importance of Immunization Records in Immigrating to Canada?
If you are planning to apply for the FSW Canada or waiting for your Positive Eligibility Response (PER) from the Centralized Intake Office (CANADA) and has children below 16 years of age, please read this post further.

Children are supposed to be immunized from deadly viruses and should be taken serious consideration from the parents.  Some countries don't have a proper concerns about this vaccinations and is taken for granted, passing the great responsibilities to parents.

As a parent, we are responsible for the health of our children and should bring them to their pediatricians to have their periodic check-ups and immunization.  Usually, when we bring them to the doctor, all the medicines and vaccines given  to your child is recorded, it's either in index cards or computer database. It doesn't matter where they record the data as long as it is held and can be retrieved anytime.

These records can be requested at any time.  It comes with a doctor's professional fee or may be FREE.  For me, I paid PHP600.00 for the immunization record.  I will place the link of the Immunization Record form below for your reference.

Now, why do we need to secure an immunization record from the pediatrician?

Canada takes a lot of effort to protect our children and adults from dangerous and deadly viruses.  That is why they urge parents to have their children vaccinated periodically.

For new immigrants specially the Federal Skilled Workers or Provincial Nominees, we are required to submit the Immunization Record of our children who are 16 years of age and below.

This is not required during our landing in Canada and Custom's inspection, but during the enrollment in schools.

How does the Immunization Record Form look like?
Usually, during the approval and stamping of passports for the Immigrant Visa, Canada provides an Immunization Record form that is readily available for the doctor's signature.

Unfortunately, when our visa-stamped passports arrived, there is no Immunization Record attached with it.  Is it luck or just fate? Oh well...

So, what did I do?

I informed my sister about it and searched online for the form.  But, it's nowhere to be found.

Luckily, she had the previous record of her son and so I asked her to show it through Skype.  It looks like this.

Immunization Record Form for FSW Canada Immigrants

It was written in the form that it can be photocopied, so I made my own form with all the similar details in it.

I had uploaded the form to the community website and if you want to have a copy of it, you can click the photo below and access the copy.  This is what my form look like, have a quick look at it.

Immunization Record (blank)

Once you had requested the link, print it and have your pediatrician fill up the form and make sure to let her sign.

Here is the link of the Immunization Record form at the community Website. www.memovingtocanada.com/resources

"For children attending school in Ontario, a written immunization record or proof of immunization is required, by law, for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella unless there is a valid written exemption."- OntarioImmigration.ca

What we did with the Immunization Record?
When we were still in the Philippines, we went to our son's pediatrician and ask her to sign the Immunization record.  She scanned though our child's baby book and records and wrote all the immunization dates in the form.  She then signed the space provided and asked us to pay PHP600.00.

Tip: Bring along your children's baby books.  This is very important as some of the pediatrician don't have a proper filing of their client's records.  It is also possible that you have two pediatricians attending your child's care.

After a few days of arrival in Canada, we visited the school and inquired about the enrollment.  The registrar gave us some forms and one of the requirement is the Immunization Record. After completing the forms and requirements, our son immediately was admitted to the school for FREE.

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Photo Requirement: Make a Good Quality Photo But Cheaper

When I started my Federal Skilled Worker Program application in Canada, I encountered this small problem.  It's about the photo that I need to provide.

It was stated at the FSW form IMM7000 - Appendix A that the photo should follow a certain standard size.  There is a minimum and maximum size of the face and it should look like this...

3 Ways to Have Your Photo Taken

1. Have your photos taken professionally.
2. Photo booth it!
3. Do it yourself.

Have Your Photos Taken Professionally

Have your photo taken by a professional photographer, the one with pricey cameras and photo editing softwares in a studio, who charges you around SGD10.00 or more.  This is for applicants who has no more time to look for photo booths and can spare extra costs.

The good thing for this approach is that you can have a nice image with a quality photo paper.  Studios have the proper lighting and you have the option to choose which suit you would want to have.  They can even edit a picture of a suit and insert it at your photo to make you look professional.

It is more convenient since you only have to show the Appendix A form and they'll know what to do next, it's because they are professionals.

Photo Booth It!
If you want a brand new set of photos but with lesser quality than the professional ones, you can have it at a photo booth located inside the Singapore malls and other public places.

I saw one near the Choa Chu Kang MRT Station and bus interchange...it is specifically located at the corner of Block 304 , just beside the OCBC Bank.



Another location is at the Jurong Point Mall at Boonlay MRT station.  You can see it at the bus interchange waiting area of Bus # 193, 181.

If you don't have an idea on how it looks like and though it's a common machine, it should look like this.

Photo Booths in Singapore

Take note, you need 6 photos for the FSW application and this booth will only provide you 4 pieces for a price of SGD7.00.

Do It Yourself 

Because of this Settlement Fund issues, I am now tight with my budget.  Even a few cents makes a big impact on my view of my money.  Saving for the Proof of Fund is serious and you will know it once you have been approved.

Inside my wallet, I had a passport size few-week-old photos, but left 2 pieces of it because I already used some for other important matters.

The problem is that I need to provide 6 pieces for the FSW Canada full application and that also includes all my dependents.  I don't want to waste these 2 photos.

I thought of a way on how to save it.

• I scanned one of the photos and edited it in a free photo editing software, then pasted it in the Microsoft Word.  Arranged it to fit at the photo paper.
• Printed it in a photo paper that I bought from the Popular office supplies. 
• Cut it using scissors and it's good!

What if I don't have any existing photos?
Well, your problem is not a problem.  It is a matter of a simple tactic. If you have an iPhone or a DSLR, then use it.  If you don't have, ask a friend that has one. Take a photo of you with a proper suit, position and a good lighting.

Take note, DO NOT TAKE SELFIE!

Have a white background to ease up the editing.  Edit it using the free photo editing software.  I recommend to use the Paint.Net, which I'm using it for 5 years now, by the way.  If you want to learn more, ask me then.  If you don't know how, I can also do the editing for you.

Then print the photos as what I did with mine.

Photos are required during these stages in FSW.

• When you submit your full application package.
• Medical Exam
• Visa Stamping

You will appreciate this technique when you have a family of 4.  Press the Like button below if you agree.
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How to Fill Up the Forms That Lacks Spacing

You've just started filling up the forms for the FSW Canadian Immigration application and found that the space provided in the PDF file is not enough.

Then how do you fit the word "Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering" in the box provided?

At the form Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]item #7, for example, you can see that the boxes are too small for the long words.

You can type the abbreviated words in it but it will be informal and inappropriate if you don't type it completely.  There are tons of Degree names in the world and it would be difficult to trace that abbreviation.

We can do something about this though.

How to Fill Up The Forms If There are No More Space?

Actually, the form stated that the information can be type-written or hand-written.  There are two options that I can suggest.

Option 1 - Type all the words first for the answer of the questions that fits to the boxes and print the whole form, and those that does not fit should be written by hand.

Writing by hand should be in a clear and PRINTED manner so that it can be read clearly by the officer.

Option 2 - Type all words that fits at the other question boxes and type inside the description tab as "Pls. See Attached Sheet".

At a separate sheet of paper, you can create the whole table and indicate your name, title of the document form, and insert all your details.

If you want to view and get a copy of the sample form, you can email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com so I can share it to you at my Google Drive.

SAMPLE ATTACHMENT(Lack Spacing - Schedule A Background/Declaration

(Please send me an email if you want a link to the document)

How to Fill Up The Forms With More Than 5 Entries?
Another problem is that the forms have limited number of rows, especially at the form (Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]item #8 "Personal History").

The only option that I can suggest to you is to type in all the entries that fits to the form.  After the last entry, you will type at the Activity section as "Additional Details at Attached Sheet". It should look like this...

Then you need to create an attachment with your additional details and insert that right next to the form's page.

I made sample attachment sheet for your reference.  Please do take note that all contents on that sample sheet are all fictitious.

SAMPLE ATTACHMENT (Lack Spacing - Personal History)

(Please send me an email if you want a link to the document)

How to get the Sample Attachments?
Those who are interested, you can email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com so I can share the documents to you.   These documents are intended to those who are interested only, that is why I did not included it here.

Leave a message to me and please indicate the document that you want.

So now, your problem is solved and you can already fit the long words perfectly to the form.

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If you have any questions regarding this post, you can leave a comment below.

For questions not related to this post, leave a comment at the ASK ME.

If you want to know more about my life in Singapore, visit my blog at BenAlagnam.com

How much you need to prepare for the applications, visit EXPENSES.

Check on what are the documents you need to prepare and more info on RESOURCES.