Daily commute (Detroit-Windsor) (H1b and Canada PR)

[Moemoe1]

passport with copr is enough to travel via road using personal/rental car. You need PR card to board any commercial transportation such as bus/plane.

Thank you!!

 

[vj9]

Is anyone traveling to Michigan for work and back to Windsor daily or frequently during the last couple months? Is travel allowed for work?

 

[Moemoe1]

Is anyone traveling to Michigan for work and back to Windsor daily or frequently during the last couple months? Is travel allowed for work?

Hey, I’ve been traveling back and forth for work from Detroit to Windsor 6 days a week it is allowed. Are you a U.S citizen?

 

[vj9]

Hey, I’ve been traveling back and forth for work from Detroit to Windsor 6 days a week it is allowed. Are you a U.S citizen?

Thank you for your reply. You are traveling from Detroit to Windsor and back?

Nope I'm not a US citizen. I have a US work visa. And I would like to travel from Windsor to Michigan and back from Mon through Fri. Just wondering if this is allowed and anyone is doing this in the last couple of months.

 

[VOBuckeye]

Is anyone traveling to Michigan for work and back to Windsor daily or frequently during the last couple months? Is travel allowed for work?

I have been traveling back and forth since July. I'm on H1 visa and no issues. My visa is expired but I'm able to enter with valid I94.
Border is open if you're going to work.

 

[Moemoe1]

Im a PR is Canada and US citizen and I’ve been crossing to and from work with no issues. I’m pretty sure the same would apply to you. Are you a Canadian Citizen?

 

[BhargavDadhaniya]

Hi All,

I am trying to schedule an interview for Nexus card at Ambassador Bridge location for me and my wife but cannot find an option for Detroit online. Upon asking the CBP officers, they are saying enrollment center is open. I am trying to call them at (313) 964-7973 and nobody is answering. Anybody found a way to get in touch with them to see what is going on?

Thanks

 

[vigansa]

Hi All,

I am trying to schedule an interview for Nexus card at Ambassador Bridge location for me and my wife but cannot find an option for Detroit online. Upon asking the CBP officers, they are saying enrollment center is open. I am trying to call them at (313) 964-7973 and nobody is answering. Anybody found a way to get in touch with them to see what is going on?

Thanks

I am seeing no slots are open Windsor-Detroit. did you schedule your interview?

 

[BhargavDadhaniya]

I am seeing no slots are open Windsor-Detroit. did you schedule your interview?

I did not see any slots either. I am still unable to schedule interview.
I am thinking to stop by the Nexus Enrollment Center on my way back to Windsor and ask them what's going on.

 

[utom1987]

Hi guys, i see that this thread discusses the things that i am looking for: i wanted to see if its fine to work two jobs while residing in USA:
One in Canada on PR
One in Usa on H1B
Currently i hold H1B and canadian PR

Any legal issues ?

 

[LOOKATAMI]

Hello,
Could someone please help in clarifying following doubts regarding cross-border commute? Below is my case and few initial questions.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Case

• US Status: Currently on H1B, priority date of Feb, 2017. Working as a full-time employee for one of the major employers
• Canada Status: Canada PR. Must start living in Canada by Aug 31, 2021 to meet Residency obligations
• Currently living in: California, US with wife and 2 kids
• What I want to do: Move to Canada but keep the same job. Therefore, thinking of infrequent commuting (~ once in 2 weeks). Potentially at west coast between Washington state and British Columbia
• Why: To get Canadian citizenship and escape from US immigration circus

Questions

• US residential address: Do I need to maintain a residential address in US? My assumption is yes, since LCA will need to filed for H1b
• Maintain H1b status: Is there a requirement to be in US for certain number of days in a year to maintain H1b status? assuming I commute once every two weeks and stay in US for one night.
• Taxes: If I work in US, get paid in USD in US bank account, but (almost) live in Canada; How would taxes work?
• Canadian Citizenship: Is there possibility of additional scrutiny when I apply for Canadian citizenship (with 3 years in this model)?
• H1b renewal: Could this method somehow impact H1b renewal process?

 

[harirajmohan]

Questions

• 1. US residential address: Do I need to maintain a residential address in US? My assumption is yes, since LCA will need to filed for H1b
• 2. Maintain H1b status: Is there a requirement to be in US for certain number of days in a year to maintain H1b status? assuming I commute once every two weeks and stay in US for one night.
• 3. Taxes: If I work in US, get paid in USD in US bank account, but (almost) live in Canada; How would taxes work?
• 4. Canadian Citizenship: Is there possibility of additional scrutiny when I apply for Canadian citizenship (with 3 years in this model)?
• 5. H1b renewal: Could this method somehow impact H1b renewal process?

1. No but it depends on your company if they need local address for filing. I dont have any US address but i am within normal commutable distance of 1-2 hours. Per law, your residence should be within commutable distance. Rarely RFE gets issued by uscis hence you can give your friend's address just in case(if your work location far from border).
Also some companies' payroll software dont accept non-US address hence you have to give US address hence it depends on your company.
2. No requirement to maintain status but if you dont have visa then you should maintain status by reentering US every 30 days to have status current. If you have visa then you dont really need to worry about it but you need to make sure your employment can be verified if you travel infrequently - Mostly border guys dont call/verify even if you travel monthly but just in case. Make sure your company know that you travel from Canada so that they are aware and no complexity while dealing with cbp.
3. File in US as usual. File in Canada( you would be declaring that you paid taxes in US and will pay rest of the taxes if any in Canada). https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/taxes-payroll-working-in-us-living-in-windsor.551077/#post-6834715
4. Assuming10% chance that some officers might take little more time to review your file due to too many travel dates in & out of the country. But what choice we commuters have. My colleague did not have problem but one member i am watching in forum got delayed and not finished the process.
We cant have US job and expect smooth processing or we cant move to Canada for the job to have smooth processing with huge pay cut. Both have issues.
5. No. We all are renewing H1.

 

[swan0206]

I did not see any slots either. I am still unable to schedule interview.
I am thinking to stop by the Nexus Enrollment Center on my way back to Windsor and ask them what's going on.

hey, please update once you findout with them.

thanks.

 

[Shan_5734]

Hello all,
I have questions related to spouse work permit and time to take work permit.
I am currently living in Windsor on my PR card, and work in USA on H1B.

I am planning to invite my partner on Canadian tourist visa, and get married in Canada.
After getting married, how long does it take to get work permit for my partner?
Can they live with me until they get work permit?
Any information would be helpful, thank you in advance !!

 

[CanucksRajiv]

Hello Experts,

I am currently on H1B and working in New York city. I also have a Canadian PR (Planning to do soft landing in next few months). I tried to find out jobs in Detroit but it looks like the job market is very small and has very few job openings for my intended positions. Buffalo - Niagara falls is even worse than Detroit, no luck for me. I have also explored toronto market but i will have to take deep salary cuts (~30% +) and it's not an option currently. I am thinking of following arrangement:

Current Employer:

Big bank based in NYC. Currently, i have mostly remote role. I only visit office when needed. My boss is located in California and my team is located across the US in different cities of east/ west coast.

Arrangement:

Work remotely from Canada preferably a Canadian town near Niagara Falls. Commute once a while (probably couple of days in a month or two) to NYC office.

Questions:

1. I will be in US only for couple of days in a month or two. So, my total days per year in US would be about 45-60 days per year. I have heard, i need to spend at least five months in US to maintain H1B is it true? Can the above arrangement work?
2. Should i rent a house near Canadian Border (US town) and for LCA file this address as a remote working location? I can then work in this remote location. Let me know if this is something doable?
3. Any other options to maintain my H1B and Canadian PR?

Thanks in advance!!