Should I get US Citizenship. If I dont will it hinder any future business opportunities I may have

[ajmess jaon 0]

My fiance (Canadian) will be coming here in 2 weeks on a K1 visa.

I understand that applying for US citizenship does nothing to her Canadian Citizenship and its nothing I should be worrying about until 3-4 years after she's here.

I just want to ask in advanced.

Do you guys recommend her getting the US Citizenship?

I own property here and do alot of business. Will it hinder any of my future business opportunities if she's not a US citizen?

Thanks

[CherRy143 1]

She can live in the US as permanent resident forever. It makes no differences unless you guys are planning to travel out of the country or you want to vote. Going out of the country as a permanent resident is such a hassle. She can travel as a Canadian as long as she doesn't tell the US CBP that she lives in the US. She will have to enter the US with Canadian passport as visit.

[ajmess jaon 0]

She can live in the US as permanent resident forever. It makes no differences unless you guys are planning to travel out of the country or you want to vote. Going out of the country as a permanent resident is such a hassle. She can travel as a Canadian as long as she doesn't tell the US CBP that she lives in the US. She will have to enter the US with Canadian passport as visit.

Dang this sucks.

So if we travel to anywhere she has to use Canadian visa.

When she comes back to US. She has to us Canadian visa but will to say shes back on a visit. But then what happens after that?

[CherRy143 1]

Once she's back in the US, she can do anything with her Green Card except vote or work for secret service in the White House.

[ajmess jaon 0]

Once she's back in the US, she can do anything with her Green Card except vote or work for secret service in the White House.

Thanks for your responses. I'm still confused as what you mean by "visit"

When she goes back through Customs she needs to say "I dont live in US. Here to visit family"

Wouldn't they consider her as a visitor then? And she would need to go back to Canada after a certain period of time?

Thanks

[CherRy143 1]

Well, Canada and US has no visa required policy on travel. So, if she come back in to the US saying it's to visit, they will easily let her in.

The problem with saying she lives in the US and showing them green card raise a lot of flag for CBP. They will take her picture and fingerprint almost every time and they will keep track of her every time she goes out of country. After certain amount of time, they can revoke her green card and take it away.

But traveling as a Canadian to enter the US, she will not have any problem as long as she is visiting since they don't keep any records of it due to visa free travel.

[Lemonslice 4,953]

She can live in the US as permanent resident forever. It makes no differences unless you guys are planning to travel out of the country or you want to vote. Going out of the country as a permanent resident is such a hassle. She can travel as a Canadian as long as she doesn't tell the US CBP that she lives in the US. She will have to enter the US with Canadian passport as visit.

If she is a permanent resident, she does not enter to visit. Also, citizenship has bigger implications than what you're saying.

Finally, I've travelled to over twenty countries as a permanent resident and it has never been a hassle. Source or experience to share about this "such a hassle" you're talking about?

Well, Canada and US has no visa required policy on travel. So, if she come back in to the US saying it's to visit, they will easily let her in.

The problem with saying she lives in the US and showing them green card raise a lot of flag for CBP. They will take her picture and fingerprint almost every time and they will keep track of her every time she goes out of country. After certain amount of time, they can revoke her green card and take it away.

But traveling as a Canadian to enter the US, she will not have any problem as long as she is visiting since they don't keep any records of it due to visa free travel.

so much wrong :/

[CherRy143 1]

Here is the proof. You need to do all this to travel outside of the country with green card. http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

It is entirely up to the CBP officer and it is more problematic to re-enter with green card.

If it is determined, however, that you did not intend to make the United States your permanent home, you will be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status. A general guide used is whether you have been absent from the United States for more than a year. Abandonment may be found to occur in trips of less than a year where it is believed you did not intend to make the United States your permanent residence.

[ajmess jaon 0]

Here is the proof. You need to do all this to travel outside of the country with green card. http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

It is entirely up to the CBP officer and it is more problematic to re-enter with green card.

I feel like the problem is if they do not intend on making US their permanent home.

That isn't the case for my fiance.

If she is a permanent resident, she does not enter to visit. Also, citizenship has bigger implications than what you're saying.

Finally, I've travelled to over twenty countries as a permanent resident and it has never been a hassle. Source or experience to share about this "such a hassle" you're talking about?

so much wrong :/

How do you do it when you travel abroad and come back?

Thanks

[Lemonslice 4,953]

[quote name="iammrhappy" post="7856620" timestamp="1444859725"

How do you do it when you travel abroad and come back?

Thanks

Buy a ticket. France is a frequent trip.

Show my Canadian passport when I check in to go to France.

Drink wine, enjoy my trip.

Check in to fly back to the US showing my passport. Fill the form distributed in flight before landing. Show my Canadian passport and green card on arrival.

(In fact, it's even easier as I registered for Global Entry, but it's really really easy - possible problems address with longest stay (think over six months, or moving to another country. Your place of residence has to be in the US))

Edited October 14, 2015 by Boston~Montreal

[ajmess jaon 0]

Buy a ticket. France is a frequent trip.

Show my Canadian passport when I check in to go to France.

Drink wine, enjoy my trip.

Check in to fly back to the US showing my passport. Fill the form distributed in flight before landing. Show my Canadian passport and green card on arrival.

(In fact, it's even easier as I registered for Global Entry, but it's really really easy - possible problems address with longest stay (think over six months, or moving to another country. Your place of residence has to be in the US))

Thanks for the response!

Also, at this point, my fiance is going to come in with a K1 visa. When can she go back to Canada to visit her family? Does she have to wait to get her green card before she can leave to US to go anywhere?

Thanks

[CherRy143 1]

Thanks for the response!

Also, at this point, my fiance is going to come in with a K1 visa. When can she go back to Canada to visit her family? Does she have to wait to get her green card before she can leave to US to go anywhere?

Thanks

Yes. K-1 only allow 1 entry.

Just a little warning for you if you want to go this guy's route. When CBP officers pressure your fiancee (wife) (which they will since they are trained to do that), I hope she doesn't feel scared or offended by their questions. Because I would hate to be in her position.

[cloudy 6]

She can live in the US as permanent resident forever. It makes no differences unless you guys are planning to travel out of the country or you want to vote. Going out of the country as a permanent resident is such a hassle. She can travel as a Canadian as long as she doesn't tell the US CBP that she lives in the US. She will have to enter the US with Canadian passport as visit.

"Permanent Resident" means she would HAVE her green card and live in the US. This post is so incorrect. Why would she not tell CBP that she lives in the US? That's the whole point of having a green card! So you can live in the US and come and go freely.

Well, Canada and US has no visa required policy on travel. So, if she come back in to the US saying it's to visit, they will easily let her in.

The problem with saying she lives in the US and showing them green card raise a lot of flag for CBP. They will take her picture and fingerprint almost every time and they will keep track of her every time she goes out of country. After certain amount of time, they can revoke her green card and take it away.

But traveling as a Canadian to enter the US, she will not have any problem as long as she is visiting since they don't keep any records of it due to visa free travel.

How does it raise flags for the CBP? She would be doing it by the book exactly as she's supposed to. And they absolutely 100% keep records of "visitors" who come and go. Go enter your passport number in the USCIS electronic I-94 website. It has all your travel as a visitor.

Here is the proof. You need to do all this to travel outside of the country with green card. http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

It is entirely up to the CBP officer and it is more problematic to re-enter with green card.

"need to do all this"? All of what? Carry your green card as well as your passport? That's pretty much all you have to do is just carry the extra card when you go on a trip. It is LESS problematic because you're legally allowed to be in the US.

iammrhappy - just have your fiance apply for her greencard after you two are married (and AP at the same time) and make sure she doesn't leave the US until she has at least AP. In the future when she has her green card, if she wants to spend more than 6 months back in Canada, be sure to apply for a re-entry permit to get back into the US without a problem. Any more than that, she may want to consider citizenship but it's not something she NEEDS if you 2 only plan to reside in the US. Whether either of you has business interests in Canada, it really doesn't matter as long as you both reside in and spend most of your time in the US.

Another thing to consider if you 2 ever plan on maybe moving to Canada sometime down the road - once you are a US citizen you have tax obligations to the US for the rest of your life**. If she never gets citizenship and forfeits her green card by moving back to Canada, her tax obligations would end, but if she had already became a US citizen and then moves back to Canada she (like you) would be on the hook for US taxes on top of Canadian taxes. (Granted this only comes into play with income over a certain threshold, but it's important to know)

**renouncing citizenship would also be an option too i suppose but i think that's a somewhat difficult and expensive process

[Melibelle 10]

Yes. K-1 only allow 1 entry.

Just a little warning for you if you want to go this guy's route. When CBP officers pressure your fiancee (wife) (which they will since they are trained to do that), I hope she doesn't feel scared or offended by their questions. Because I would hate to be in her position.

This is incorrect. You do not have to wait for the green card to travel. When you file for adjustment of status, you should also file for EAD (employment authorization) and AP (advanced parole). The Advanced Parole will allow her to travel out of the country. It took about 90 days to get my husband's AP last year, but you may want to check more recent timelines. We've traveled out of the country several times (including 2 months in Thailand) using my husband's Canadian passport and green card and no one's ever hassled us. In fact, CBP has been a lot nicer now that my husband has his green card and they're not freaking out about whether he's going to sneak-stay into the country.

I also highly recommend a NEXUS membership if you and your wife do much traveling. You get to jump the immigration lines in both the US and Canada - even less hassle for $50 each for 5 years. It works at the airports and at the land crossings.

Regarding citizenship, my husband's concern is that we never know when the laws might change to make getting the citizenship harder. There are occasional rumors that Canada will stop allowing dual citizenship. So he's planning to get his when the time comes. Also, your wife being able to vote would only help you in your business dealings, I'd think.

[oncefuturealien 45]

Misleading or lying to a US (or other country's) border person is just about the worst thing you can do, and I absolutely do not support that. You get flagged for that and you can kiss easy crossings in and out of the US goodbye.

I don't know if it is still like this, but back when I used to have a green card and lived in the US (20-plus years ago), I travelled to Bermuda for work, and I had quite a hassle and a luggage search by the Bermudian border people. I asked them if I just had the random number, or if there was something about me that made them choose me (I was a little embarrassed, as I was travelling with several partners and was holding everyone up), and the immigration man said that since I had a green card, I was seen as a risk to stay beyond a visitor's visa in Bermuda.

For me that doesn't really follow; after jumping through hoops to get legal status in one country, why would one just blithely go and stay over in another? but that's what he said. So perhaps there are other places that have a suspicious attitude towards green card holders.