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

[CanucksRajiv]

for every visit, if someone has a valid job and valid status, how does it matter whether it is once a month or once a week or once a year?

So why don't you tell this.. if someone has been hired by Facebook to work remotely full time and if they just have a Detroit home location in LCA/work location, what are they supposed to do if they live in Windsor? should they change the work location to SFO and fly every month there for the sake of commute?

If someone works for legitimate company, HR will know if an employee is a visa sponsored or not, what is their work location in the record etc. HRs exist for that and you are simply saying HR don't know anything just to prove your point. if someone is tagged as remote worker, they will have their home address as work location address in the HR system/workday. HR will verify based on that. if CBP asks for an employee's work location, HR cannot say something that is not present in the system. Will they pull some location out of the air and tell CBP?

People who are 100% remote will not have any other work location other than their home in the system.. such enquiries are part and parcel of HR job and it is too naive to think that HR won't have a way to pull employee's records, visa status etc. HRs can also redirect queries to attorneys if they want.. I know people who got hired remotely for Amazon, Uber etc during pandemic.. all of their work location in HR system is their home address. So HRs can definitely validate home work location if required and it is a routine thing. By your logic, what will HR say if asked about work location such remote employees? will they randomly say some office location ?

My home address (remote location) is updated in the HR payroll and other systems. The office location (remote or otherwise) will always be correctly updated in HR system because of the local state tax obligations. Even if random HR picks the phone, he/she can very well verify the remote location address.

 

[CanadianInWaiting]

Hello everyone! I am planning to move to Canada soon and I have requested a friend (American citizen) to help me drive my car to Canada since I will be driving the UHaul. Are there any issues with this? We plan to cross into Canada around the same time but we will be in different lanes. I am assuming UHaul goes to truck lanes over border crossing.

 

[dublin_gsw]

Hello everyone! I am planning to move to Canada soon and I have requested a friend (American citizen) to help me drive my car to Canada since I will be driving the UHaul. Are there any issues with this? We plan to cross into Canada around the same time but we will be in different lanes. I am assuming UHaul goes to truck lanes over border crossing.

You should be in same lane. Uhaul goes in car lane. He can be behind you.
Assuming it’s the US registered/bought car, you would have to complete import formalities, I have heard it takes little longer on the border, Officer would send you to secondary inspection. Also , if it’s your first entry on PR, remember to bring the list of items which are in UHaul as well which will follow through. Good luck and Welcome to Canada!

 

[canprofus]

My home address (remote location) is updated in the HR payroll and other systems. The office location (remote or otherwise) will always be correctly updated in HR system because of the local state tax obligations. Even if random HR picks the phone, he/she can very well verify the remote location address.

yes, I know. simply calling home office arrangement fake without any basis and saying HRs won't have any clue on employee's work location is absolute ignorance.

 

[DreamCanadian]

Hi Friends,

I have one question regarding daily commute, I am having expired Visa and planning to start daily commute since i am moving to Windsor.

My question is - It appears that i have to use AVR and get the I-94 update (based on 797 Approval) for first time, Does the next day commute still take 1-2 hours (Do i need to go in the USA port of entry office everyday ? As i am still be having expired visa) ?

 

[swan0206]

My home address (remote location) is updated in the HR payroll and other systems. The office location (remote or otherwise) will always be correctly updated in HR system because of the local state tax obligations. Even if random HR picks the phone, he/she can very well verify the remote location address.

When you say home address (remote location) , is it your Canadian address? or an US address where you commute to work? First thing do you commute to work or completely remote?

 

[swan0206]

people who work 100% remote within US on H1b don't have any office location have their home location in their LCA as their work location. so he needs to have a room/house on US side and not sure how it could be avoided. Basically his room is his H1 work location in US side and he would travel to that every month.

So, to get a clarity. If we are travelling once a month, the location where we travel to work doesn't need to be on LCA? Did i get it right?

Also, how do we justify, if there was a question like how is it different working remotely from US from this residential address just this one day/2days to the one you work from Canada remaining days(i know its too deep but this is something which we can be prepared of)? If they are travelling weekly or consecutive days its a different story as i think this kinda question wouldn't come-up even coz its more of regular commute.

 

[CanadianInWaiting]

You should be in same lane. Uhaul goes in car lane. He can be behind you.
Assuming it’s the US registered/bought car, you would have to complete import formalities, I have heard it takes little longer on the border, Officer would send you to secondary inspection. Also , if it’s your first entry on PR, remember to bring the list of items which are in UHaul as well which will follow through. Good luck and Welcome to Canada!

Thank you for this information. I did come across another post mentioning that UHaul goes in the same lane.

 

[vignesh_shanmugam]

Hi, I am Canadian with TN Visa. Currently living & working in PA. My office location is also there in Detroit. Planning to move with my family to Windsor as my spouse must reside in Canada for her work. I am planning to commute everyday to Detroit for work from Windsor.

If I will be residing in Canada, what would be the address I should fill as my residing address in State Tax Election? Don't I need a residence in the US? If it will be my windsor, ON, Canada address, then what is the % of tax?

 

[madninjanamb]

Hi All,

I have Canada PR and working in Seattle on H1B visa. My wife stays in BC and I travel to Canada every week end or twice a week to acquire 4-6 Canadian days a week.

I define home as "Seattle" every time at Canada border and I would say I am visiting my wife and return on a particular day to US.

I have a question in renting a car.

Can I rent a car from Vancouver, BC(with my WA license) and drive to US and return the car back at Vancouver, when I come back to Canada that weekend? If possible what are the paper works and questions I probably need/face at US border when entering the US from Canada?

I am worried that since I define Seattle, WA as my home and rent car from Canada, would that create issues at US border?

 

[swan0206]

Hi All,

I have Canada PR and working in Seattle on H1B visa. My wife stays in BC and I travel to Canada every week end or twice a week to acquire 4-6 Canadian days a week.

I define home as "Seattle" every time at Canada border and I would say I am visiting my wife and return on a particular day to US.

I have a question in renting a car.

Can I rent a car from Vancouver, BC(with my WA license) and drive to US and return the car back at Vancouver, when I come back to Canada that weekend? If possible what are the paper works and questions I probably need/face at US border when entering the US from Canada?

I am worried that since I define Seattle, WA as my home and rent car from Canada, would that create issues at US border?

Nothing to worry. When they ask whose car is it , tell them that its a rental car. Max, they would ask for car registration docs. You show them those and you are good. Most of the times they wouldn’t even question.

 

[spikyshotgun]

Hi All,

I have Canada PR and working in Seattle on H1B visa. My wife stays in BC and I travel to Canada every week end or twice a week to acquire 4-6 Canadian days a week.

I define home as "Seattle" every time at Canada border and I would say I am visiting my wife and return on a particular day to US.

I have a question in renting a car.

Can I rent a car from Vancouver, BC(with my WA license) and drive to US and return the car back at Vancouver, when I come back to Canada that weekend? If possible what are the paper works and questions I probably need/face at US border when entering the US from Canada?

I am worried that since I define Seattle, WA as my home and rent car from Canada, would that create issues at US border?

There shouldn't be any issue. They will ask you why you are driving a Canadian plated car since your home is in US. Just telling them it's a rental should be fine.

I recently had to borrow a friend's car from US and crossed the border with it a couple of times. My home is Canada. They were fine once I explained that it's a friend's car.

 

[harirajmohan]

If I will be residing in Canada, what would be the address I should fill as my residing address in State Tax Election?

Don't I need a residence in the US?

Simply ask your HR as i am not sure whats there in HR system for Canadians crossing daily among us.

No. For decades people are commuting and they never had residence in US - its simply not required when you are at commutable distance from work place.

Some company's payroll system allows all address to be Canadian but some software dont allow or some companies dont allow. So its better you just check with your HR as its not same for all.

But our taxes are deducted for Michigan just like we reside in Michigan even while i was commuting till last year and while not commuting this year. So again we cant say for sure whats your company's payroll and policies dictate.

 

[DreamCanadian]

Hi all,

need help to identify apartment in Detroit (close to border for daily commute)

I know not all the locations in Detroit is safe, can someone share the location where we can take apartment?

the sole purpose is to commute to work on daily basis .

thanks

 

[arvindm010]

Hi all,

Need advice for my situation. I am on a H1B with i140 approved and priority date of June 2020. I am also a Permanent resident of Canada. My PR card validity expires on Sept 2024. I have a job offer from a Canadian company as well as a job offer from a company based out of Buffalo, NY. Obviously the US company pays a lot more that the Canadian company. My aim is to ensure that I get Canadian citizenship. I have some apprehensions doing the cross border commute to Buffalo. The US company offers a hybrid model where I have to come in to work 3 days a week. I will be a FTE with the company. I have listed some of my concerns below and would appreciate your valuable inputs/feedback.

• Can I do the cross border commute with Canadian PR and H1B? Will there be issues crossing the border on the US side with a H1B visa? Are there chances of being denied entry to the US?
• Any issues crossing on the Canadian side on a daily basis with PR? Any chances of being denied?
• I do not have a H1b stamping on my passport. I understand that I can do a AVR with approved I797 but would rather prefer to have a H1B stamp on my passport. Can I book an appointment in a US embassy in Canada with my current company details and later update my DS-160 with the new H1B details?
• From the forum I read that there can be taxation issues and you could end up owing a lot in taxes on the Canadian side. Does this happen a lot?
• When applying for PR extension and citizenship - Will there be issues/questions raised because I am doing the cross border commute? I obviously do not want to endanger my chances of getting citizenship and if doing the cross border commute would endanger that I would not want to risk it for a few more dollars.
• Also, the company I am moving to will initiate my PERM and I140 process as there is a change in location as well as employer. Do you see any issues with that process because I reside outside US (i.e.) in Canada?

These are some of the questions/fears I have. Do let me know if doing the cross border commute is risky? Should I just end up taking the offer from the Canadian company?

Thanks in advance.