to sponsor USC for canada

[pri 0]

Hi all Canucks & Vjers

Wish you all a very Happy & Healthy New Year

I want to sponsor my wife (USC) for canadian PR card. I am a GC holder in the US and am residing in NY from past 6 months.

While leaving canada i did not inform any authorities of my move is that a issue???

I believe there are a few canadians (GC holders) who live in the US but have got their spouse (USC) PR Card..

I have the forms & stuff went through the website, wht is bothering me is the sponsorship thingy???

so any help & advise is welcome

Thanks

Al

[Kathryn41 3,205]

You will need to be residing or planning on residing in Canada in the immediate near future in order to sponsor your wife for a Canadian Permanent Resident card. You cannot sponsor her to become a permanent resident while you are intending to reside outside of Canada. Since you are still a Green card holder, the best approach would be to wait until you have applied for and received US citizenship. Then, you would able to move back to Canada, sponsoring your wife to join you as a permanent resident. The problem would arise if you didn't want to live in Canada, because, like the US a permanent resident means just that - someone who has chosen to reside permanently in that country. With planning, however, you can manage so that both of you have dual citizenship with Canada and the US thus freeing you up to live in either country at will and not having to worry about immigration procedures. Such a course will require both of you to meet the various residency requirements at the appropriate times for both countries and would obviously take the good part of 10 years to accomplish.

Be aware that there are tax considerations for dual citizens, however, as you are still liable for taxes in the US regardless of where you reside as well as to the country in which you reside. Canada and the US do have a tax treaty that determines who gets what to avoid double taxation, however, you would still be obligated to file US returns wherever you lived.

Edited January 1, 2007 by Kathryn41