I am a Canadian PR and was recently granted an IR1 visa (which converts to green card once you use it to enter the US).
However, I do not think I will use it to enter US and get my US green card, as I want to live in Canada. My questions are:
1. Does the fact that I have an US immigrant visa on my passport will have any affect on my Canadian citizenship application later?
2. What I did in US was Canadian equivalent of getting a PR visa but not landing. I know since C6 has passed "intent to reside" is not a problem but I am curious, if the bill is repealed wouldn't the fact that I never actually landed and obtained US green card be proof enough that I never "intended" to immigrate.
3. Will I have any issues with renewing my PR in case I want to do that instead of applying for citizenship given my situation with US immigrant visa as explained above?
Short Answer: U.S. Green Card status seems to have minimal impact on CANADIAN status, even for citizenship applicants. Impact on U.S. status is more complicated, subject to more risk. However, how things go can depend a lot on the actual facts and circumstances, such as duration of stays in respective countries, where one maintains their actual ordinary place of abode, where one is employed, even where one's spouse or other immediate family primarily live, among other facts and circumstances. Which, of course, vary considerably.
OTHERWISE: There is a fairly extensive discussion related to this here:
I currently hold Canada PR. I landed in Sep 2016 and move to USA on H1B since Sep 2017. I also received EB1 140 approval and I'll likely get my USA PR sometime in 2020.
(follow link to read that topic)
This is also discussed in many other topics, perhaps even more so in the conference discussing PR obligations.
Some Further Observations:
On a general level, many report successfully obtaining Canadian citizenship having had PR status in both countries, and others also report being able to maintain such status in both countries.
However, THERE ARE RISKS. There is less risk relative to Canadian status than there is with the U.S. This is largely because Canada has a physical presence requirement for BOTH maintaining PR status and to qualify for citizenship. The U.S., in contrast, has significantly more strict requirements (compare the impact of being outside the U.S. for six months or more with virtually NO impact at all on Canadian PR status for an absence exceeding even a year), and there is an intent element for Green Card holders but NO such requirement for Canadian PR status or even for qualifying for Canadian citizenship.
And there are related factual matters which can have some impact. Again, more so for U.S. status, but to some extent (depending on the actual facts) also for Canadian PR status and qualifying for Canadian citizenship.
Thus, for example, for the Canadian PR who obtains U.S. PR status after becoming a PR and before applying for Canadian citizenship, the fact of having obtained the U.S. status shows an expression of intention to live permanently in the U.S. This does NOT directly affect any qualification for Canadian citizenship, BUT it can (depending in significant part on other circumstances) cause a processing agent or Citizenship Officer to have questions or concerns about the accuracy of the citizenship applicant's accounting of days present in Canada, or the applicant's accounting of address and work history. The outcome depends on the applicant's physical presence. 1095 days presence meets the qualification requirement. But such circumstances can affect how a decision-maker judges the applicant's credibility and declarations, and influence the decision-maker's overall assessment of the application, in the process of reaching a conclusion about whether the evidence PROVES beyond a balance of probabilities the applicant was present 1095 or more days.
The variables are way too many to attempt an enumeration here let alone a detailed analysis. Generally, even if you follow through to establish GC status in the U.S., if you continue to live and work in Canada that would give you very high odds of NO problem obtaining Canadian citizenship. Some others have reported being asked questions, in the interview, like "why do you have a Green Card?" But without significant impact, particularly when the applicant gives a truthful response which does not suggest the applicant has otherwise made misrepresentations about time in Canada or about work or address history.
However, many who have both U.S. and Canadian PR status have far more complicated border-straddling lifestyles, and for them the
devil-is-in-the-details. Some circumstances are more likely to cause problems than others. How it goes, and what has an effect on how it goes, is very individual specific, demanding (for the prudent individual trying to match his or her decisions to his or her personal priorities) the individual make personal decisions based on his or her own consideration of the many relevant factors.
As for possible future changes to Canadian citizenship requirements in the event the Conservatives form the government after next year's election, that is highly speculative with way too many variables to even start guessing what could happen let alone what is likely. It warrants a reminder, however, that factors indicating a citizenship applicant is
applying-on-the-way-to-the-airport, or otherwise seeking a
passport of convenience, has historically elevated the risk of non-routine RQ related processing EVEN when there was NO INTENT requirement. There seems to be relatively little focus on this these days, but if anything changes much, this is perhaps one of the more probable aspects of the process prone to change in a more narrow or strict direction.
