# USA to CAN



## flightlevel800 (Aug 18, 2015)

Hi,

I am a US citizen who has worked internationally for the last three years. 

After living in the US for several years together, in 2012, my wife (a Canadian Citizen) and I bought a house in Canada so she could be back home and go back to her career. It worked great because I could go work (for a US based company) overseas for 4-6 months at a time and then return as a visitor to Canada in my off time. I've never been in Canada for more than 4-5 consecutive months at a time in the last three years.

My question now is, if the Permanent Resident Application asks you the "date you became a permanent resident of Canada" what do I put? I've literally just been a US citizen that spends a couple months at a time here "visiting." 

I've never claimed to a CBSA agent that I intend to seek residency because up until recently I was avoiding it until I was done working for my company. 

I don't know where this all leaves me... any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


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## OldPro (Feb 18, 2015)

Well first I'd say you've been lucky. If you have no residence in the USA and your wife is resident in Canada, they could say you have been illegally resident in Canada. Especially if you get mail there, have a bank account there, etc.

IF IF IF you were stopped and they determinied you were illegally resident in fact, then your chances of getting PR would be slim and none. You'd need a good lawyer at least I'd guess.

So if I were you, I would get the process started to get your PR visa as quickly as possible.


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## scrappygal (Sep 22, 2015)

I agree with getting your PR done ASAP. 

I would apply for permanent residence. Now whether to do it from "inside" or "outside" Canada I'm not sure. 

I'm a US Citizen, DH is Canadian. We bought a house in Canada April 2013 but stayed in the states until June so our kids could finish school and we could sell our US house. When we sold the house, we loaded up a moving van and sent our goods on to Canada at end of May. DH flew to Canada and met the truck. When he met the truck at customs, they stamped everything and that's been considered his date of "resuming residency." Then he flew home and the kids finished school and late June my MIL flew with the kids to Canada. The date they arrived is what we've used as their "landed date" but they are Canadian citizens (applied from US shortly after they were born as well as got them all Canadian passports).

DH and I drove our van with the last few possessions across US into Canada. When I crossed, I told them what our intentions were and they asked me to come into the building. They gave me a Visitor Record and that is the date I've been using for "landing" on all my paperwork to apply for Permanent residency. They also stamped my passport. I then had to renew my Visitor Record because the record is only good until your US passport expires or 1 year, whichever is shorter. It was $100 and I had to do it because it was 14 months from when I applied (sent in my application the week after I arrived) for them to open it and another 2 months for them to ask for updated information.

I applied "from within Canada"


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