Accepted foreign application and entering Canada

[jmcgowan]

I am a Canadian citizen living abroad (the UK) and have successfully sponsored my wife to become a permanent resident.

We must enter before March 2014, however, we have a house to sell, jobs to quit and savings to gather. This will more realistically take us 9-12 months, long past the required entry date. We have a few questions about this:

1. Can we enter Canada for a few days so my wife can get approved, then leave again for a number of months, then re-enter as permanent residents?
2. Do we require a Canadian address when we enter for the permanent residents card to be mailed?
3. Do I, as a returning Canadian citizen, have to enter as a returning permanent resident at the same time that my wife enters Canada? If so, do I need to fill out an inventory of goods I will be brining into Canada?
4. As for the inventory list, what happens if I need to amend it between when my wife enters in March and when we actually want to arrive permanently?
5. As a Canadian citizen, I have managed to open a bank account despite living in the UK. I have been transferring savings to this account on-line. When we sell our house, we will have over $10,000 CAD which I hope to transfer on-line. Do I need to declare this even though I am technically not 'entering' Canada with over $10,000?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[zardoz]

I am a Canadian citizen living abroad (the UK) and have successfully sponsored my wife to become a permanent resident.

We must enter before March 2014, however, we have a house to sell, jobs to quit and savings to gather. This will more realistically take us 9-12 months, long past the required entry date. We have a few questions about this:

1. Can we enter Canada for a few days so my wife can get approved, then leave again for a number of months, then re-enter as permanent residents?
2. Do we require a Canadian address when we enter for the permanent residents card to be mailed?
3. Do I, as a returning Canadian citizen, have to enter as a returning permanent resident at the same time that my wife enters Canada? If so, do I need to fill out an inventory of goods I will be brining into Canada?
4. As for the inventory list, what happens if I need to amend it between when my wife enters in March and when we actually want to arrive permanently?
5. As a Canadian citizen, I have managed to open a bank account despite living in the UK. I have been transferring savings to this account on-line. When we sell our house, we will have over $10,000 CAD which I hope to transfer on-line. Do I need to declare this even though I am technically not 'entering' Canada with over $10,000?

Thanks for all your help!

1) Yes, this is quite common. I will be landing on Saturday and returning a few days later to sell the house.
2) Yes, you do.
3) No, you can return at a different date. Her landing is independent of your return. You will need a B4 of your own I suspect.
4) This is an interesting question. In theory your both your B4s should not be accepted by Customs until you actually return to "settle". However, quite a lot of people don't tell Customs that they are only landing and returning, so the B4 /B4a are processed at landing.
5) No. Only funds passing through Customs with you or your spouse need to be declared.

 

[jmcgowan]

Thank you! Very helpful!