Want to live in Canada for a school year

[marccc 0]

Hi

I have US green card. I go to college in the US. My girlfriend is in Canada. I am planning to take 1 yr online courses next year, so I can live with her. So I will be in Canada from mid May 2011 to mid May 2012. I can come back to US at any point in that time period. However, only for a short period of time. Will I have any trouble returning to the US? and I am driving to Canada and back.

Thank you

[canadian_wife 1,827]

well, you cannot live in Canada for a year without proper authorization. You may visit, but since you are a green card holder, I am not sure if the 6 months alloted for US citizens to visit applies to you. What country are you from?

There is no guarentee that you'll be admitted into Canada for the duration of time you are expecting. Also, you must 'reside' in the US in order to keep your green card and you must need continuous residence in the US if you would like to naturalize

Good luck

[marccc 0]

I have a Chinese citizenship

[marccc 0]

Yes

My main address is still in the US. It is just this one school year I want to keep my girlfriend company.

thanks

[canadian_wife 1,827]

Your main residence can be in the US but if you are not physically present there that is when it causes problems

Look into if a Chinese national with a US green card can enter Canada without a visa and what the duration of stay would be

[Krikit 1,165]

Let's put it this way. Show up at either border and tell them what you have just told us. What do you think their response will be?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

To live in Canada you require permission from the Canadian government's Department of Citizenship and Immigration. You cannot just go to Canada and 'live there'. On one of your border crossings the Canadian authorities would question you and when they found you were living with your girlfriend for the year, you would either be denied access or given a short and specific period of time to pick up your belongings and leave Canada or you would be physically deported.

I used to work for a Member of Parliament when I still lived in Canada and dealt with situations like this on a far too regular basis - an American (usually) thinking they could just cross the border and live with their girlfriend/boyfriend. In one case, they ended up getting married the day before the deportation order came through and that was the only reason he was allowed to stay. They had to start the proper immigration process at that time and he was not allowed to work or study or anything else during the process. In two other cases, they were given a week to collect their belongings and leave the country, incurring in each case a 3 year ban upon being allowed to return to Canada.

Something many Canadians are told when they travel to the US is that 'The US is a foreign country. You can't just pick up and move there". The same thing applies to Canada for Americans. "Canada is a foreign country. You can't just pick up and live there".

If you want to find out the legal way of visiting Canada for an extended period of time (generally temporary residence visas/ aka visitor visas can be issued for no more than a 6 month period of time and need to be renewed before it expires. Processing takes a number of months for both the initial and the renewal visas ) go to the Canadian immigration website: http://www.cic.gc.ca .

Invariably, taking up residence in another country, though, cancels your own green card status in the US. You can apply for a re-entry permit before you leave - which would take a number of months as well. You would use form I-131 .

Edited January 25, 2011 by Kathryn41

[marccc 0]

What should I state for my reason to stay more than 6 months if I apply the re-entry permit?

[Frank_kay 0]

I'm looking at doing a similar thing under the working holiday visa program and staying in Canada and working for a year (As an Australian I am eligible) as it's closer to my Partner (he is a green card holder) in New York, so he can visit me for weekends and hopefully i can visit him too!

It's such a long wait currently for a visa, so I too am looking at various options!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

What should I state for my reason to stay more than 6 months if I apply the re-entry permit?

You have to tell the truth. You never lie or fudge the truth when you deal with US immigration. Be aware that getting a temporary resident status in Canada may compromise your green card status in the US. Be very careful that you don't back yourself into a corner that you can't get out of. You will need to maintain a US residence and ties to the US the whole time you are visiting Canada otherwise USCIS may determine that you have given up your permanent residency and revoke your green card.

I do appreciate that you would like to 'live' with your girlfriend for a year but I think you would be better to consider extended visits. Both the US and Canada expect that a visitor spends equal amount of time out of the relevant country as in the country - so as an example, for 3 months in Canada you are expected to spend 3 months in the US before you return for another extended visit. The same thing applies for Canadians visiting the US.

Cross border relationships are not easy and you can't conduct them the same way you would with someone who is living in the same country.

To be honest, since you are able to do your course studies on-line, why not move to a US city close to the Canadian border near where your girlfriend lives? You would be able to visit back and forth, spend time together during the week/weekends yet travel back across the border regularly enough to reassure both Canadian and American immigration departments. Your problem comes with trying to live in Canada for the year.

Edited January 26, 2011 by Kathryn41

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I'm looking at doing a similar thing under the working holiday visa program and staying in Canada and working for a year (As an Australian I am eligible) as it's closer to my Partner (he is a green card holder) in New York, so he can visit me for weekends and hopefully i can visit him too!

It's such a long wait currently for a visa, so I too am looking at various options!

Your situation is different and is definitely do-able. The Canada working holiday visa program is great for Australians and should definitely allow you to spend time in the vicinity of your partner. Since you aren't trying to find a way to live with your partner but using a viable immigration program to move closer to your partner while you wait, you should not have any problems. Good luck!

[Frank_kay 0]

Your situation is different and is definitely do-able. The Canada working holiday visa program is great for Australians and should definitely allow you to spend time in the vicinity of your partner. Since you aren't trying to find a way to live with your partner but using a viable immigration program to move closer to your partner while you wait, you should not have any problems. Good luck!

Thanks "Kathryn41"

It's exciting for me too rather than just "waiting" at home, I can have the work/travel experience!