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New Canadian travel restrictions


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On 1/31/2021 at 5:15 PM, Mary229 said:

Because our politicians live in fear of public ridicule whether deserved or not.   They shut down a vaccine hub in Los Angeles this weekend because some were protesting.  They should have told the protesters to leave not the public gaining rightful access to vaccine 

It was at Dodger Stadium and was halted for about an hour...those with appointments fortunately were just delayed by these protesters. Now they've given them a small allocated area for them to protest in. Very sad indeed as most of us are having a hard time getting appointments...we certainly don't need this additional hurdle.

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12 hours ago, Twickenham said:

Those flights from Asia likely have a high amount of cargo on board. Mexico/Caribbean flights are almost exclusively for discretionary leisure travel. That's the difference.

 

Good point.  I don't know how many passengers there would be on these flights.  It's also possible, I suppose, that there is a plane-load of people waiting to fly out when the aircraft turns around here.

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On 2/1/2021 at 10:07 AM, nini said:

SelectSys- Believe me... I get it. And I understand your explanation.

There is so much that does not make sense... flying into and out of Canada and USA

versus driving across the border.

 

The difference in rules on the southern border are also crazy.  All of the rules associated with flying are so far ignored coming into the US via the land border for residents and citizens.  No delays, no tests, etc.  Mexican citizens and residents have had a harder time crossing by land with the exception of those with real business in the US.  However, it was easy for Mexicans to fly into the country without restriction up until the latest changes. 

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On 1/31/2021 at 1:23 PM, nini said:

What I find so very confusing is:

1) The Canadian border is closed to non- essential travelers

2) However, it is ok to fly into Canada

3) Why were Canadians and tons of other people permitted to

fly into USA?

4) Why is the USA paying for the vaccinations of Canadians and whoever else

does not live here?

 

Hmmmmmmmmm


My understanding is that only a very few states gave the vaccines to Canadians,  Florida based on residency.   I’m not defending this, but it is not up to the state  who they vaccinate?   Many Canadians own properties and pay state taxes,  and spend billions of dollars in Florida alone.  
 

I think some tightening of the Canadian rules re nonessential travel are overdue. 
 

I cannot speak for US rules. 
 

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1 hour ago, bennybear said:


My understanding is that only a very few states gave the vaccines to Canadians,  Florida based on residency.   I’m not defending this, but it is not up to the state  who they vaccinate?   Many Canadians own properties and pay state taxes,  and spend billions of dollars in Florida alone.  
 

I think some tightening of the Canadian rules re nonessential travel are overdue. 
 

I cannot speak for US rules. 
 

Very true... we really do not know each individual circumstance.

Tightening of many issues are overdue.

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On 2/3/2021 at 10:01 AM, bennybear said:

Many Canadians own properties and pay state taxes,  and spend billions of dollars in Florida alone.

 

Many people own residences in countries other than where they are citizens and receive no extra benefits even though they pay taxes and spend money. 

 

For example, I know that many people from Asia own lots of property in Vancouver.  So much so that BC even created a special foreigner tax. It is now going national.  

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/caanda-federal-foreign-home-buyers-tax

 

I doubt any receive benefits unless they make the additional step of becoming Canadian fulltime residents.

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1 hour ago, SelectSys said:

 

Many people own residences in countries other than where they are citizens and receive no extra benefits even though they pay taxes and spend money. 

 

For example, I know that many people from Asia own lots of property in Vancouver.  So much so that BC even created a special foreigner tax. It is now going national.  

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/caanda-federal-foreign-home-buyers-tax

 

I doubt any receive benefits unless they make the additional step of becoming Canadian fulltime residents.

I never knew there was a 'special foreigner tax' in Canada....and going national??  Re the initial comment re vaccines to Canadian snowbirds....I highly doubt any nationality, paying taxes in Canada or not, would receive the vaccine ahead of those it's designated for....which as of now....is very few of us.  I have a neighbour who is a nurse in a Florida hospital every winter (special agreement apparently with the US gov't...shortage of nursing staff).  I wonder if they have vaccinated her?  Are they giving doses to hospital staff as a priority?

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8 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I have a neighbour who is a nurse in a Florida hospital every winter (special agreement apparently with the US gov't...shortage of nursing staff).  I wonder if they have vaccinated her?  Are they giving doses to hospital staff as a priority?

 

I would bet she is.  Most of the front line medical workers are most definitely first in line.  I would be shocked if she didn't get the vaccine along with the rest of the staff.

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17 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I never knew there was a 'special foreigner tax' in Canada....and going national??  

 

I believe it is very specific.  In B.C. there is a tax of 20% on real estate purchases when the title transfer is registered if the buyer is non-Canadian.  As far as I know, foreigners pay the same rate as citizens for all other taxes e.g. income tax, GST, gas tax, alcohol, tobacco, city real estate, airport departure, import duties, capital gains, dividends etc. etc.......

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16 minutes ago, Fairgarth said:

 

I believe it is very specific.  In B.C. there is a tax of 20% on real estate purchases when the title transfer is registered if the buyer is non-Canadian.  As far as I know, foreigners pay the same rate as citizens for all other taxes e.g. income tax, GST, gas tax, alcohol, tobacco, city real estate, airport departure, import duties, capital gains, dividends etc. etc.......

Whew....20%...hefty tax.  Necessary most likely, as housing is so expensive in Vancouver area;  supply and demand pushes up cost.  I imagine there's very little available lower cost housing.

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1 hour ago, Fairgarth said:

As far as I know, foreigners pay the same rate as citizens for all other taxes e.g. income tax, GST, gas tax, alcohol, tobacco, city real estate, airport departure, import duties, capital gains, dividends etc. etc.......

For clarification we have a speculation tax relating to property taxes on properties owned by non BC residents.  This is not only in Vancouver but in other BC cities where there are high levels of non-BC ownership not just foreign ownership.  Such as a place like Kelowna that has a lot of ownership from Alberta and other provincial residents.  

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20 hours ago, SelectSys said:

 

Many people own residences in countries other than where they are citizens and receive no extra benefits even though they pay taxes and spend money. 

 

For example, I know that many people from Asia own lots of property in Vancouver.  So much so that BC even created a special foreigner tax. It is now going national.  

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/caanda-federal-foreign-home-buyers-tax

 

I doubt any receive benefits unless they make the additional step of becoming Canadian fulltime residents.

Perhaps read the rest of my post,  where I said I wasn’t defending it, only stating it is up to the US state to make  the decisions.  When things are taken out of context and only partially quoted....

 

In the past, US citizens have come on a regular basis to buy prescriptions at lower cost in Canada. There are always people who will take advantage, rightly or wrongly.  

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1 hour ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Whew....20%...hefty tax.  Necessary most likely, as housing is so expensive in Vancouver area;  supply and demand pushes up cost.  I imagine there's very little available lower cost housing.

Our son lived in Vancouver for many years,  rental accommodation was extremely difficult to find,  while over 10, 000 homes were vacant. 

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1 hour ago, bennybear said:

Perhaps read the rest of my post,  where I said I wasn’t defending it, only stating it is up to the US state to make  the decisions.  When things are taken out of context and only partially quoted....

 

In the past, US citizens have come on a regular basis to buy prescriptions at lower cost in Canada. There are always people who will take advantage, rightly or wrongly

 

No worries.  I didn't mean to attack what you were saying. 

 

Where I live, many people cross the border to the south and get their medicine and health care in Mexico.  It's certainly OK on the Mexican side as medical tourism is a good income earner at least locally.   The only people that are upset are the drug companies who sell the same item on both sides of the border for different prices.

 

It's not one way.  Many Mexicans shop in the US as prices are much better for most consumer goods other than food.  Perhaps not as well known outside the border region is that many Mexican women with US Visas will often cross into the US to deliver their babies.  This gives their kids birthright citizenship which is a big plus in terms of future opportunity. 

 

As you say, people will always take advantage of things.

 

2 hours ago, 1982CruzStart said:

For clarification we have a speculation tax relating to property taxes on properties owned by non BC residents. 

Thanks for sharing as this is news to me.  I guess this tax is above and beyond the foreign transfer tax which would still apply and the rates are different between foreigners and Canadians.

 

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/speculation-vacancy-tax/faq-speculation-and-vacancy-tax#what-are-the-exemptions

For 2019 and onwards, the speculation and vacancy tax rate varies, depending on your residency and where you pay income tax:

2% for foreign owners and satellite families

0.5% for British Columbians, and other Canadian citizens or permanent residents, who are not members of a satellite family

The speculation and vacancy tax applies based on ownership as of December 31 each year.

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It is not just Canada policy that is somewhat confusing.  Consider our current US Policy.  If I want to fly home from Mexico to the USA I now need to get a COVID test within 3 days of my flight.  On the other hand I guess I could fly to Tijuana or somewhere near the border in Texas and just walk across with no testing requirement.   And folks who now want to enter the USA illegally only need to get across the border with no need for a COVID test.  I assume there is some logic to this policy but I am having trouble finding it.

 

Hank

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8 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

It is not just Canada policy that is somewhat confusing.  Consider our current US Policy.  If I want to fly home from Mexico to the USA I now need to get a COVID test within 3 days of my flight.  On the other hand I guess I could fly to Tijuana or somewhere near the border in Texas and just walk across with no testing requirement.   And folks who now want to enter the USA illegally only need to get across the border with no need for a COVID test.  I assume there is some logic to this policy but I am having trouble finding it.

 

Hank

Irrelevant to the title of the post

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On 1/31/2021 at 12:23 PM, nini said:

What I find so very confusing is:

1) The Canadian border is closed to non- essential travelers

2) However, it is ok to fly into Canada

3) Why were Canadians and tons of other people permitted to

fly into USA?

4) Why is the USA paying for the vaccinations of Canadians and whoever else

does not live here?

 

Hmmmmmmmmm

 

Ton answer some of these questions...

 

Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom (part of our Constitution), the government can't easily restrict a Canadian from entering Canada.  You can be quarantined but not stopped from entering.   I suspect the US has similar rules for US nationals returning back home.  Canada permits dual citizenship, so that provides an exemption.

 

The Canadians getting a vaccine in the US were mostly people who qualified under US rules by having a winter home in the US.  

 

 

 

.   

 

 

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10 hours ago, SelectSys said:

 

No worries.  I didn't mean to attack what you were saying. 

 

Where I live, many people cross the border to the south and get their medicine and health care in Mexico.  It's certainly OK on the Mexican side as medical tourism is a good income earner at least locally.   The only people that are upset are the drug companies who sell the same item on both sides of the border for different prices.

 

It's not one way.  Many Mexicans shop in the US as prices are much better for most consumer goods other than food.  Perhaps not as well known outside the border region is that many Mexican women with US Visas will often cross into the US to deliver their babies.  This gives their kids birthright citizenship which is a big plus in terms of future opportunity. 

 

As you say, people will always take advantage of things.

 

Thanks for sharing as this is news to me.  I guess this tax is above and beyond the foreign transfer tax which would still apply and the rates are different between foreigners and Canadians.

 

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/speculation-vacancy-tax/faq-speculation-and-vacancy-tax#what-are-the-exemptions

For 2019 and onwards, the speculation and vacancy tax rate varies, depending on your residency and where you pay income tax:

2% for foreign owners and satellite families

0.5% for British Columbians, and other Canadian citizens or permanent residents, who are not members of a satellite family

The speculation and vacancy tax applies based on ownership as of December 31 each year.

 

The key thing with the tax is it only applies to vacant property.  If your renting or living in the property then your exempt.  

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23 minutes ago, em-sk said:

 

The Canadians getting a vaccine in the US were mostly people who qualified under US rules by having a winter home in the US.  

 

 

 

.   

 

 

 "Having a winter home" is a nebulous statement. A home is where you lay your head...a hotel... a VRBO...

They may or may not be home owners paying taxes... .. They may be taking the place of a U.S. Citizen who could be receiving the vaccine. The vaccine is costing our taxpayers to vaccinate someone who just happens to be here at the right time at the right age. 

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9 hours ago, em-sk said:

the government can't easily restrict a Canadian from entering Canada.  You can be quarantined but not stopped from entering.   I suspect the US has similar rules for US nationals returning back home.

 

Totally agree with this perspective.  I do wonder that in addition to quarantine you could also be charged with some kind of crime?  I think that Canada is now imposing penalties for unauthorized travel or at least breaking quarantine.  

 

10 hours ago, em-sk said:

The key thing with the tax is it only applies to vacant property.  If your renting or living in the property then your exempt.

 

Got it!  This is completely separate from the transfer tax which is a separate issues.  Many of those are also vacant or being underused.

 

Large scale foreign purchase of real estate also occurs in parts of California.   Restrictions by the Chinese government on moving money out of the country have slowed the processes as of late, but the trend is still quite strong.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/23/homes-sale-chinese-investors-purchasing-fewer-u-s-houses/1960142001/

California is the epicenter of Chinese residential investment in the U.S., with 34% of purchases in the state. 

 

In Irvine, population 280,000, “there are 65,000 houses... and 21,000 of them are owned by Chinese.” Lu of Fidelity National says.

 

“It’s normal for Chinese buyers to raise the price aggressively," says Phil Lee, a broker at Keller Williams in Irvine. "For example, a $1.2 million house, they pay $1.22 million, all in cash.” 

 

In recent years, Chinese investors made about half of all home purchases in the city, but that share has fallen to about 36% in 2019, Lu says.

 

10 hours ago, nini said:

They may be taking the place of a U.S. Citizen who could be receiving the vaccine. The vaccine is costing our taxpayers to vaccinate someone who just happens to be here at the right time at the right age. 

 

You do realize that all over the US the various governments has started and continue planning on vaccinating many non-citizens and residents?  These people typically pay no taxes other than sales tax as they live outside the formal system.    

 

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4 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

 

Totally agree with this perspective.  I do wonder that in addition to quarantine you could also be charged with some kind of crime?  I think that Canada is now imposing penalties for unauthorized travel or at least breaking quarantine.  

 

 

Got it!  This is completely separate from the transfer tax which is a separate issues.  Many of those are also vacant or being underused.

 

Large scale foreign purchase of real estate also occurs in parts of California.   Restrictions by the Chinese government on moving money out of the country have slowed the processes as of late, but the trend is still quite strong.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/23/homes-sale-chinese-investors-purchasing-fewer-u-s-houses/1960142001/

California is the epicenter of Chinese residential investment in the U.S., with 34% of purchases in the state. 

 

In Irvine, population 280,000, “there are 65,000 houses... and 21,000 of them are owned by Chinese.” Lu of Fidelity National says.

 

“It’s normal for Chinese buyers to raise the price aggressively," says Phil Lee, a broker at Keller Williams in Irvine. "For example, a $1.2 million house, they pay $1.22 million, all in cash.” 

 

In recent years, Chinese investors made about half of all home purchases in the city, but that share has fallen to about 36% in 2019, Lu says.

 

 

You do realize that all over the US the various governments has started and continue planning on vaccinating many non-citizens and residents?  These people typically pay no taxes other than sales tax as they live outside the formal system.    

 

Everyone deserves the vaccine, it keeps us all safer

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1 minute ago, LGW59 said:

Everyone deserves the vaccine, it keeps us all safer

 

My only reason for making the comment regarding vaccinations is that often times people outside the border area don't understand that our community is larger much larger than citizens and formal residents.

 

I would tend to agree with you on this point.  This is especially true for those of us who live in areas with high numbers of informal residents and many more on the way with the caravan restarts.  I have actually been wondering what's going to happen to our infection rates along the border with end of the previous administration's policies?  I know the current administration has asked people to delay coming to the US, but the physical evidence is otherwise.  All aboard! "La Bestia partira pronto!" (the last a needs an accent)

 

 

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11 hours ago, nini said:

 "Having a winter home" is a nebulous statement. A home is where you lay your head...a hotel... a VRBO...

They may or may not be home owners paying taxes... .. They may be taking the place of a U.S. Citizen who could be receiving the vaccine. The vaccine is costing our taxpayers to vaccinate someone who just happens to be here at the right time at the right age. 

Again, is it not up to the state to make the decision on who and what criteria it uses to make  this decision?    In this pandemic governments need to make  the best decisions to protect their people period! 

 

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2 hours ago, SelectSys said:

 

You do realize that all over the US the various governments has started and continue planning on vaccinating many non-citizens and residents?  These people typically pay no taxes other than sales tax as they live outside the formal system.    

 

No, I did not realize that. What are your sources? And yes, I realize that non- residents and illegal aliens would not be paying income taxes.

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2 hours ago, nini said:

No, I did not realize that. What are your sources? And yes, I realize that non- residents and illegal aliens would not be paying income taxes.

 

Are you kidding?  How many sources do you want?  

 

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/story/2021-02-02/san-diego-offers-covid-19-vaccine-to-undocumented-residents

San Diego County residents can access the COVID-19 vaccine for free regardless of their immigration status, public officials have repeatedly said.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/01/politics/covid-vaccines-undocumented-immigrants/index.html

Undocumented immigrants should get coronavirus vaccines, the Biden administration said Monday, adding that federal authorities won't conduct immigration enforcement operations at vaccine distribution sites or clinics.

 

https://www.fox4news.com/news/us-wont-make-immigration-arrests-at-covid-19-vaccination-sites

In its statement, DHS said it encourages everyone "regardless of immigration status" to receive the vaccine when they are eligible and that the agency and its federal partners "fully support equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocumented immigrants."

 

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