OOPS Canadian wants to buy a cheaper house in Washington State and commute to work in Canada - International non-resident cross
A reader wrote
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david ingam replies:
Unless you are an American citizen and / or married to a US citizen or marry a US citizen who will sponsor you to live in the US, it is out of the question.
Nothing stops you from buying a house in Blaine and spending Friday Sat and Sun night every week and keeping an apartment in Vancouver for the four nights a wek (have to be in Caanda more than the uS for US border trules and BC Medical) but you can't be sleeping in the US every night or living in the US without a 'live there' visa and there is not any 'live there' visa.
And if you can afford the Blaine House, the commuting gas AND the Vancouver Apt, you can likely really afford to buy something smaller in the lower Mainland.
If yiu could get a US employer to hire you as a management consultant or scientific technician or computer system analyst or librarian, etc., one day a week in Bellingham, you could get a TN visa which would have to be renewed every year but MC TN visas are hard to get.
The reason for the one day a week suggestion is that you could still work in Vancouver.
The problem is that to live in the USA, visas are only for employees or spouses as a rule. You can apply for a green card but the last I looked it was over 15 years waiting time.
goto www.centa.com and read the 'Entering the USA' section in the second box down on the right hand side.
Last, but not least, if you do manage to make the move by marrying an American, your BC medical is cancelled because you have to 'live in BC' and 'make your home' in BC to qualify. If you have extended medical benefits at work, they are also cancelled because you need the basic plan to qualify. To replace a good corporate medical plan in BC will cost you $400 to $600 a month US.
---
QUESTION: Hi David,
My question is my fiancee lives in Richmond BC and wants to purchase a house just across the border and still work in Canada. She is getting the run around on if that is possible and if so what paperwork does she need to fill out in order to make this happen. She has gone to the american consulate and nobody seems to know anything. We are looking for her to do this asap. Any help or advice you give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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david ingram replies:
It is not possible to do unless she wins the lottery for a green card or marries an American resident who sponsors her into the US.
She can buy a place there as a vacation or recreation place and spend half of her time there but she needs a full blown residence in Canada to qualify for that. Her home in Canada has to be (or should be) a better home than the one in the USA.
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$1,600 would be for two people with income from two countries
David,
I think you missed one elegant exception, if the folks get a work permit (J1, H1B, L1, TN-1) for the US I believe that they are entitled to live there. I believe there is thus an elegant loop hole, obtain a TN-1 (renew every year) and live in the US, perhaps take an appropriate part-time job in the US (I’m a Green-Card Canadian in Bellingham that has an IT consulting company, having some experience folks handy for part time work at favorable rates is always a nice prospect for me).
The issue of BC medical and tax jurisdiction may be a touch complicated. The person may be in Canada 5/7 days of the week but sleeps in the US 7/7 days --- but that’s your expertise.
Kxxxx
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david ingram replies:
I agree that
I did not mention the working visa routine because the lady wants to
work in Canada and to live in the US, they must have a job in the US.
Then, If the job goes south, the person must move back to Canada.
One could
get a TN visa for one day a week and that 'would' allow them to work in
the US.
However,
they must be in a professional level to qualify for the TN.
They can
read the details of all the cisas by going to www.centa.com
and reading
the 'Entering the USA' section in teh second box down on the right hand
side.
H1 visas
take a long time to get at the moment and although transferrable, are
rarely issued for part-time work.
The person
in question would be paying full Canadian tax and NOT qualify for their
provincial medical because they do not sleep (live) in Canada.
She could
also get her employer to open a US branch and transfer her there on an
L1 for a day a month and commute back to Canada for the rest of the
time.
A student
visa would also work. I know one couple who spent ten years in the USA
on his student visa and then forced back to Canada. They even had four
US born children. However, any of these solutiions are NOT very
practical. better she should change boy friends and marry an American.
I likely
should have included this older question at the start
Hi there,
I'm a Canadian Citizen living in New
Westminster. I cannot afford to buy a house in this area (Lower
Mainland). I have found some affordable properties south of the border,
in Blaine and surroundings. >From a financial and commuting
standpoint, it makes perfectly sense to buy a property there, and
commute daily to my job in Vancouver. But I have no ideea what the
legal implications would be, on both sides of the border. Would you
please tell me if it makes sense, from a legal point of view and if
possible at all?
Thank you very much.
david ingam replies:
Unless you are an American citizen and / or married to a US citizen or marry a US citizen who will sponsor you to live in the US, it is out of the question.
Nothing stops you from buying a house in Blaine and spending Friday Sat and Sun night every week and keeping an apartment in Vancouver for the four nights a wek (have to be in Caanda more than the uS for US border trules and BC Medical) but you can't be sleeping in the US every night or living in the US without a 'live there' visa and there is not any 'live there' visa.
And if you can afford the Blaine House, the commuting gas AND the Vancouver Apt, you can likely really afford to buy something smaller in the lower Mainland.
If yiu could get a US employer to hire you as a management consultant or scientific technician or computer system analyst or librarian, etc., one day a week in Bellingham, you could get a TN visa which would have to be renewed every year but MC TN visas are hard to get.
The reason for the one day a week suggestion is that you could still work in Vancouver.
The problem is that to live in the USA, visas are only for employees or spouses as a rule. You can apply for a green card but the last I looked it was over 15 years waiting time.
goto www.centa.com and read the 'Entering the USA' section in the second box down on the right hand side.
Last, but not least, if you do manage to make the move by marrying an American, your BC medical is cancelled because you have to 'live in BC' and 'make your home' in BC to qualify. If you have extended medical benefits at work, they are also cancelled because you need the basic plan to qualify. To replace a good corporate medical plan in BC will cost you $400 to $600 a month US.
---
QUESTION: Hi David,
My question is my fiancee lives in Richmond BC and wants to purchase a house just across the border and still work in Canada. She is getting the run around on if that is possible and if so what paperwork does she need to fill out in order to make this happen. She has gone to the american consulate and nobody seems to know anything. We are looking for her to do this asap. Any help or advice you give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
david ingram replies:
It is not possible to do unless she wins the lottery for a green card or marries an American resident who sponsors her into the US.
She can buy a place there as a vacation or recreation place and spend half of her time there but she needs a full blown residence in Canada to qualify for that. Her home in Canada has to be (or should be) a better home than the one in the USA.
------------------------
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This is not intended to be
definitive but in general I am quoting $800 to $2,800 for a dual
country tax return.
$800 would be one T4 slip one W2
slip one or two interest slips and you lived in one country only - no
self employment or rentals or capital gains - you did not move into or
out of the country in this year.
$1,000 would be the same with one
rental
$1,200 would be the same with one
business no rental
$1,200 would be the minimum with a
move in or out of the country. These are complicated because of the
back and forth foreign tax credits. - The IRS says a foreign tax credit
takes 1 hour and 53 minutes.
$1,500 would be the minimum with a
rental or two in the country you do not live in or a rental and a
business and foreign tax credits no move in or out
$1,600 would be for two people with income from two countries
$2,800 would be all of the above and
you moved in and out of the country.
This is just a guideline for US /
Canadian returns
We will still prepare Canadian only
(lives in Canada, no US connection period) with two or three slips and
no capital gains, etc. for $150.00 up.
With a Rental for $350
A Business for $350 - Rental and
business likely $450
And an American only (lives in the
US with no Canadian income or filing period) with about the same things
in the same range with a little bit more if there is a state return.
Moving in or out of the country or
part year earnings in the US will ALWAYS be $800 and up.
TDF 90-22.1 forms are $50 for the
first and $25.00 each after that when part of a tax return.
8891 forms are generally $50.00 to
$100.00 each.
18 RRSPs would be $900.00 - (maybe
amalgamate a couple)
Capital gains *sales) are likely
$50.00 for the first and $20.00 each after that.
Just a guideline not etched in
stone.
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