PR -- what's next?

[htransf]

Hello everyone. Apologies if these items have been addressed or discussed elsewhere. If yes, please direct me to it.

My spouse (dual Canadian & American) and I (American) are currently living in the US but plan to retire in Canada in the near future. We have completed the Family Sponsorship Application. I am waiting for the COPR (being sent to me from the Canada Visa Application Centre in Los Angeles this month). We are planning a trip in December 2021 to Victoria, B.C. (the planned retirement destination) to look for a place to live. The complete move to Canada won't take place for at least couple of years after we wind down and settle our business and affairs in the US. We may rent or purchase a place in Canada in the interim. If we purchase a place, we'll rent it out until we make the actual move.

I understand that I have a certain amount of time after receiving the COPR to complete the PR process, which will require me to provide an address in Canada (which I don't yet have) to receive the PR card and to declare what we will bring with us to Canada. I have a few questions for the experts on the forum:

1. If I receive the COPR before our trip to Canada in December, must I complete the PR process at that time? Could I enter Canada without completing the PR process, get a place (and thus address), return to the US, enter Canada again at a later time to complete the PR process? By then I expect to have a local (Canadian) address to receive mail. We don't family in Canada. We have acquaintances in Canada. We feel funny asking to use their addresses.

2. Declaration of what we will bring with us when we actually move to Canada: we are not sure at this point what we will bring in terms of household goods (furniture, clothing articles, etc.) How "complete" a list must we provide Canadian Customs? Do we need to provide photographs of the times? If we miss something now, will those items be subject to import duties later? if we decide not bring items listed in the declaration, are there any repercussion?

Many thanks for your input and insight.

 

[canuck78]

Hello everyone. Apologies if these items have been addressed or discussed elsewhere. If yes, please direct me to it.

My spouse (dual Canadian & American) and I (American) are currently living in the US but plan to retire in Canada in the near future. We have completed the Family Sponsorship Application. I am waiting for the COPR (being sent to me from the Canada Visa Application Centre in Los Angeles this month). We are planning a trip in December 2021 to Victoria, B.C. (the planned retirement destination) to look for a place to live. The complete move to Canada won't take place for at least couple of years after we wind down and settle our business and affairs in the US. We may rent or purchase a place in Canada in the interim. If we purchase a place, we'll rent it out until we make the actual move.

I understand that I have a certain amount of time after receiving the COPR to complete the PR process, which will require me to provide an address in Canada (which I don't yet have) to receive the PR card and to declare what we will bring with us to Canada. I have a few questions for the experts on the forum:

1. If I receive the COPR before our trip to Canada in December, must I complete the PR process at that time? Could I enter Canada without completing the PR process, get a place (and thus address), return to the US, enter Canada again at a later time to complete the PR process? By then I expect to have a local (Canadian) address to receive mail. We don't family in Canada. We have acquaintances in Canada. We feel funny asking to use their addresses.

2. Declaration of what we will bring with us when we actually move to Canada: we are not sure at this point what we will bring in terms of household goods (furniture, clothing articles, etc.) How "complete" a list must we provide Canadian Customs? Do we need to provide photographs of the times? If we miss something now, will those items be subject to import duties later? if we decide not bring items listed in the declaration, are there any repercussion?

Many thanks for your input and insight.

Are you aware that you must meet the 2 out of 5 year residency requirement from your landing date? You must plan on moving within 3 years but usually earlier to give yourself some buffer time for travel outside Canada.

1. You will need to look at extra fees for foreign home purchases. Not sure if there are any extra fees in Victoria. You can certainly enter Canada as a visitor and reenter to land as a PR at a later date.

2. Would include all items. If you don’t bring the item it won’t be a problem.

 

[htransf]

Thanks for the note. Yes, I am aware of the "2 out of 5 years" requirement. We anticipate being back and forth a bit in year 3 before spending most of year 4 and year 5 in Canada. Thanks for the confirmation that I can enter Canada later this year without needing to complete the PR process.

 

[YVR123]

Are you aware that you must meet the 2 out of 5 year residency requirement from your landing date? You must plan on moving within 3 years but usually earlier to give yourself some buffer time for travel outside Canada.

1. You will need to look at extra fees for foreign home purchases. Not sure if there are any extra fees in Victoria. You can certainly enter Canada as a visitor and reenter to land as a PR at a later date.

2. Would include all items. If you don’t bring the item it won’t be a problem.

If they purchase the house after they became PR, I think they don't need to pay the foreign buyer tax for the transfer. Another way is to put the title only under the Canadian spouse.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax/additional-property-transfer-tax

If they rent out the property, should be able to avoid the speculation tax.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/speculation-vacancy-tax

There is an expiry date on the COPR (usually a year from medical exam) is the date you have to do your landing.
After that, you will need to maintain your RO (2 out of 5 years count by days). Keep track of it if you travel frequently across the border.

 

[htransf]

If they purchase the house after they became PR, I think they don't need to pay the foreign buyer tax for the transfer. Another way is to put the title only under the Canadian spouse.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax/additional-property-transfer-tax

If they rent out the property, should be able to avoid the speculation tax.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/speculation-vacancy-tax

There is an expiry date on the COPR (usually a year from medical exam) is the date you have to do your landing.
After that, you will need to maintain your RO (2 out of 5 years count by days). Keep track of it if you travel frequently across the border.

thanks for the urls and the note. they are quite helpful! We currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are used to the crazy housing prices here. But we are still taken by surprise by what we have seen so far on Zillow for the Greater Victoria area.