60yr old Americans in Europe want to buy house and spend extended time in Canada

[Palermo]

Ok. Thanks for the clarification. What was unclear to me was what followed from applying for an extension to stay. I also didn't know that a TRV is essentially a six-month pass, and limited to six months.

I'm not arguing with Canada's immigration laws. Just trying to understand them based on my experiences being an immigrant in other countries. Italy is a very desirable place to live too, but people of independent means can obtain long-term legal status in the country. The same is true of most of the EU.

All over the developed world immigration policies are the subject of controversy. I expect that over the next 10 years we will witness just as many new tweaks and overhauls as have happened over the past 10 years, so perhaps under some new regime persons like me will be able to gain extended stays in Canada that are not subject to sudden denial by border guards.

But if at present I can't legally enter Canada for more than six months at a time, then I won't be buying a house there. Thanks again all!

 

[steaky]

But if at present I can't legally enter Canada for more than six months at a time, then I won't be buying a house there. Thanks again all!

One of my relatives, even though they are carrying TRVs - i.e. staying for less than 6 months each time, bought a condominium here in Vancouver, BC.

 

[Palermo]

I am sure Canada wouldn't mind if we bought a house in Canada! Or ten! And if other foreign nationals buy residential property while being restricted to six-month or less stays, no doubt they have good reasons. Having relatives in Canada would be a good reason.

But it won't work for us in our lifestyle, not merely because we would want the option of being in Canada without constantly counting the days --- whether to enjoy the house or seeing other parts of Canada -- but also because the system apparently empowers border guards to deny entry to anybody at any time if they are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and I am being told we could never attain either status in the present immigration structure. We can't see how it would be wise for us personally, given how we like to live, to buy a costly piece of property in a country where we had no officially recognized legal status to be in the country more than 180 days per year, and where we always faced the possibility of being denied entry at the border based on the judgment of one person who might be encountering us for the first time.

 

[zardoz]

I am sure Canada wouldn't mind if we bought a house in Canada! Or ten! And if other foreign nationals buy residential property while being restricted to six-month or less stays, no doubt they have good reasons. Having relatives in Canada would be a good reason.

But it won't work for us in our lifestyle, not merely because we would want the option of being in Canada without constantly counting the days --- whether to enjoy the house or seeing other parts of Canada -- but also because the system apparently empowers border guards to deny entry to anybody at any time if they are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and I am being told we could never attain either status in the present immigration structure. We can't see how it would be wise for us personally, given how we like to live, to buy a costly piece of property in a country where we had no officially recognized legal status to be in the country more than 180 days per year, and where we always faced the possibility of being denied entry at the border based on the judgment of one person who might be encountering us for the first time.

Unfortunately, I believe that this assessment is entirely correct. I suggest that you continue to enjoy Canada as a visitor however.

 

[Palermo]

One of our reasons for considering Canada for extended visits was that, not only is it an enormous country, but we also thought, after living in sunny Italy for so long, we would enjoy a country that has a true winter. The kind of projects we do can actually benefit from being snowed in! It also appealed to us to be in an English-speaking culture. Given the tiring travel distance between Europe and North America, Canada only gains in attractiveness for visiting if, once we arrive, we know we can stay for an extended period in comfortable circumstances (i.e., not hotels). Also, that we are sure we will be allowed into Canada when we arrive!

But given the way the situation has been described here, it looks as even if we limited ourselves to less-than-six-month rentals, a Canadian border guard could turn us away at a border or reduce our legal stay to less than six months, even though we have US passports and even though we had not yet stayed six months in Canada. Snow falls and English is spoken in countries much closer to where we presently live than Canada, countries where we can obtain documents that eliminate the risk of being surprised like that.