Asked to give up US green card upon landing in Canada?

[fmartins2003]

Hello, we received our COPRs and we plan on landing in Canada in two days. I received today a most disturbing email from someone who heard of other people who have been asked on the Canadian side to give up their US green cards (at the moment of Landing), because one can not be resident in both countries. I cannot give up our green cards right away, because for a few months I have to be able to re-enter the US with that Green Card. What is other peoples' experiences? Could it happen?

 

[andrew999929]

How would they know you have a green card?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hello, we received our COPRs and we plan on landing in Canada in two days. I received today a most disturbing email from someone who heard of other people who have been asked on the Canadian side to give up their US green cards (at the moment of Landing), because one can not be resident in both countries. I cannot give up our green cards right away, because for a few months I have to be able to re-enter the US with that Green Card. What is other peoples' experiences? Could it happen?

That "someone" has no idea what they are talking about. Canadian immigration will not ask you to give up your US green card.

 

[oryx_np]

That "someone" must be spreading a rumor.
There seems to be no reason why Canadian Immigration would ask to give up Green Card. Canada even allows dual citizenship, so why would PR and Green card be a problem until you lose one by not maintaining required minimum duration of residence.

 

[fmartins2003]

Thank you both. We have landed. I had to use our US GC numbers before boarding in order to get eTAs. That's all we needed to show at boarding and upon arrival. We went into the immigration room and got our COPRs processed. In no moment our US GCs were even asked for, and the officer on duty told us we could use our eTAs for travel until the PR Cards arrived. So all is good!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you both. We have landed. I had to use our US GC numbers before boarding in order to get eTAs. That's all we needed to show at boarding and upon arrival. We went into the immigration room and got our COPRs processed. In no moment our US GCs were even asked for, and the officer on duty told us we could use our eTAs for travel until the PR Cards arrived. So all is good!

Note that the eTA will be cancelled, so don't rely on it to travel.

 

[fmartins2003]

Update: cards received; much earlier than the CIC published wait time for new cards. So I won’t have to test whether eTAs we’re still good or not. Thank you!

 

[meyakanor]

If anything, the issue might potentially occur on the US side. Canadian PR residency obligation depends strictly on physical presence, where US green card needs one to intend to maintain residency in the United States. There might be a question by US CBP on how on earth can one maintain two permanent residencies at the same time.

 

[Copingwithlife]

I once worked with someone, who used to live in Chicago, and had a GC. She moved to Canada. One time she was visiting the USA, at the Immigration Line the officer asked her did she have a GC, she said yes. He said you have to make a decision right now whether you want to keep that or surrender it. No, you can think about this and come back. She was taken to a room, she signed some papers, and gave over her GC.

 

[Ponga]

If anything, the issue might potentially occur on the US side. Canadian PR residency obligation depends strictly on physical presence, where US green card needs one to intend to maintain residency in the United States. There might be a question by US CBP on how on earth can one maintain two permanent residencies at the same time.

No, the PR RO does NOT depend strictly on physical presence in Canada. If a PR is residing in the U.S. with his/her Canadian spouse, then the PR RO would not even be an issue.

(assuming the rules haven't changed in the many many months that I've been absent from these forums).

 

[vensak]

I think that rumor started as something completely different and was twisted over the time.
1. Canada does not really care how many permanent residencies do you have. All they care are your PCC and your health check.
2. Rules for PR might be different in different countries.
3. If I am not mistaken so the rule to keep GR card is to be in USA at least 6 months out of 12 during the year.

So I can only assume that such person might got problems on USA side when entering and being caught not meeting the RO for the green card. And since I do not know how do they proceed, so it might be that USA officers did ask for GC renouncement.

Does it have to do anything with Canadian PR? No it does not.

So I guess that is how that rumor was born.

 

[chandu_rck]

Thank you both. We have landed. I had to use our US GC numbers before boarding in order to get eTAs. That's all we needed to show at boarding and upon arrival. We went into the immigration room and got our COPRs processed. In no moment our US GCs were even asked for, and the officer on duty told us we could use our eTAs for travel until the PR Cards arrived. So all is good!

hi Did getting Canada PR impact your green card? Is getting Canada pr considered as abandonment of US green card and us green card gets cancelled?Appreciate your help on this.I understand maintaining Pr in both country is a different question.But just only landing in Canada for pr and. not actually moving there would impact Green card is my question.Thanks!