Visa in hand... now what?

[jedinite 0]

I'm just curious as to what happens after you get your visa in hand.

How long do you have to change your residency? / When do you have to move to the US? Not that I'm trying to stay in Canada longer or anything but I have affairs to tie up before moving back to the States.

Is there some process that happens at the POE with your visa?

When does the IRS start claiming that you are a resident? Is it when you get your visa or after you "activate" it? I'm trying to file one tax return for my earnings this year, but I am not sure how it works if I get my visa before the end of the year.

Any other tips you guys can provide about after receiving your visa but before moving down to the US would be great.

[payxibka 10,045]

I'm just curious as to what happens after you get your visa in hand.

How long do you have to change your residency? / When do you have to move to the US? Not that I'm trying to stay in Canada longer or anything but I have affairs to tie up before moving back to the States. Your visa expires 6 mos. after issuance, entry must occur by that date..

Is there some process that happens at the POE with your visa? Yes, you will carry a brown envelope that must be processed

When does the IRS start claiming that you are a resident? Is it when you get your visa or after you "activate" it? I'm trying to file one tax return for my earnings this year, but I am not sure how it works if I get my visa before the end of the year. When you receive your greencard you will meet the test of "Resident Alien Status"

Any other tips you guys can provide about after receiving your visa but before moving down to the US would be great.

[jedinite 0]

How long do you have to change your residency? / When do you have to move to the US? Not that I'm trying to stay in Canada longer or anything but I have affairs to tie up before moving back to the States. Your visa expires 6 mos. after issuance, entry must occur by that date..

Is there some process that happens at the POE with your visa? Yes, you will carry a brown envelope that must be processed

So, if I go visit my wife's family before I'm ready to move back do I have to give them my envelope with my visa papers over the holidays? Or can I do that when I actually move to the States?

When does the IRS start claiming that you are a resident? Is it when you get your visa or after you "activate" it? I'm trying to file one tax return for my earnings this year, but I am not sure how it works if I get my visa before the end of the year. When you receive your greencard you will meet the test of "Resident Alien Status"

The greencard is mailed to me in the US after I enter and give them my envelope from the Embassy right? Or is the envelope considered my greencard. I want to make my taxes easy for 2008 and only have to worry about filing in Canada. I have my interview at the beginning of next month, so I expect to have my PR Papers before Christmas. My wife and I want to visit her family and I will not be able to move back down to the US until Jan/Feb of 2009 because of work contract and obligations.

Thanks for your replying

[payxibka 10,045]

How long do you have to change your residency? / When do you have to move to the US? Not that I'm trying to stay in Canada longer or anything but I have affairs to tie up before moving back to the States. Your visa expires 6 mos. after issuance, entry must occur by that date..

Is there some process that happens at the POE with your visa? Yes, you will carry a brown envelope that must be processed

So, if I go visit my wife's family before I'm ready to move back do I have to give them my envelope with my visa papers over the holidays? Or can I do that when I actually move to the States?

When does the IRS start claiming that you are a resident? Is it when you get your visa or after you "activate" it? I'm trying to file one tax return for my earnings this year, but I am not sure how it works if I get my visa before the end of the year. When you receive your greencard you will meet the test of "Resident Alien Status"

The greencard is mailed to me in the US after I enter and give them my envelope from the Embassy right? Or is the envelope considered my greencard. I want to make my taxes easy for 2008 and only have to worry about filing in Canada. I have my interview at the beginning of next month, so I expect to have my PR Papers before Christmas. My wife and I want to visit her family and I will not be able to move back down to the US until Jan/Feb of 2009 because of work contract and obligations.

Thanks for your replying

Well not sure what will happen at the POE... they might want to process you at the next entry....

It will be mailed to you, the resident "since date" will be the day you enter on the visa .....

[Flames9_RN 358]

Yes you have 6 months to "activate" it. At the POE you will hand over the mysterious brown envelope that u can't open! They will ask you some questions, may fingerprint you, may even take ur pic.

You want to go visit family and NOT activate it, well that is up to the POE officer.

The date the IRS considers u a resident I believe is the day you activate the visa. As well the expiratory date of your greencard will be the same date, of course a few years down the road ,lol My greencard arrived in the mail approx 1 month after the POE

The tax thing isnt that difficult, really it isn't. To exclude foreign income (Canadian) (up to a certain amount, think it is around $80,000) one fills out form 2555. To include any RRSP's its form 8891.

I entered the USA on Dec 17 2004. taxes were not that hard.

[OBX 51]

Yes you have 6 months to "activate" it. At the POE you will hand over the mysterious brown envelope that u can't open! They will ask you some questions, may fingerprint you, may even take ur pic.

You want to go visit family and NOT activate it, well that is up to the POE officer.

The date the IRS considers u a resident I believe is the day you activate the visa. As well the expiratory date of your greencard will be the same date, of course a few years down the road ,lol My greencard arrived in the mail approx 1 month after the POE

The tax thing isnt that difficult, really it isn't. To exclude foreign income (Canadian) (up to a certain amount, think it is around $80,000) one fills out form 2555. To include any RRSP's its form 8891.

I entered the USA on Dec 17 2004. taxes were not that hard.

Anyone have any info or advice regarding selling your home before or after the visa is activated and how that may impact your tax returns? Trying to think ahead to juggling timelines so everything happens close together is difficult especially since there really is only the period of time between leaving NVC and getting the interview that I will feel confident things are really going to be complete?? Suggestions??

[jedinite 0]

Yes you have 6 months to "activate" it. At the POE you will hand over the mysterious brown envelope that u can't open! They will ask you some questions, may fingerprint you, may even take ur pic.

You want to go visit family and NOT activate it, well that is up to the POE officer.

The date the IRS considers u a resident I believe is the day you activate the visa. As well the expiratory date of your greencard will be the same date, of course a few years down the road ,lol My greencard arrived in the mail approx 1 month after the POE

The tax thing isnt that difficult, really it isn't. To exclude foreign income (Canadian) (up to a certain amount, think it is around $80,000) one fills out form 2555. To include any RRSP's its form 8891.

I entered the USA on Dec 17 2004. taxes were not that hard.

Awesome information flames! I may just activate it so I don't have the IRS breathing down my neck anyways since I did file in the US between 2001-2007. Do you have any knowledge of what I may need to do or look into for my own incorporated business in terms of taxes (I'm an independent IT Consultant), This is the primary reason I am concerned with activating my visa prior to 2009. Since my business year end will be Dec 31st it makes it pretty simple to just say anything earned personal or business in 2008 is Canadian.