child benefits in Canada (our government is crazy)
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Applying for the child benefit program (a subsidy of $100/child under 6) in Canada is ridiculously difficult.
In the end, I had to provide copies of:
1. Kenny's passport
2. Kenny's citizenship card
3. Mari's passport
4. Mari's PR visa
5. our lease
6. A signed document from the clinic where Kenny was born stating that he'd been born
7. The application form
8. A form for Mari's permanent residency (why??)
9. A notarized translation of Mari's family registration document (from Japan) listing all of us as family members.
Still absent from the mix: any letter from an authorized party indicating that they know Mari to be Kenny's primary care-giver. To whom could I go for such a thing??
Why is this such a freak show?
That said, here are three good things that happened today:
1. Farking excellent weather this afternoon!
2. Tax return is sent. It was easy(ish) and cheap.
3. Was in a really interesting meeting with a potential business partner of my employer, today; talking about the broad strokes of the financial industry's slim future in this country.