Can Canadian PR and US Green Card process go on simultaneously

[gauravs04]

I am currently on H1B visa working as an IT consultant in US for past 3 years, can I apply for Canadian PR from here along with my GC processing in US.
WOuld applying a PR for Canada hamper my Green card processing in US ?
Appreciate your replies.....

 

[canadp]

You can...but once you are PR is done you cannot continue on GC process.

lets see if somebody has different view.

Thanks

 

[rupeshhari]

I know people who have GC and then do the canadian PR. So it should be okay if you get GC first and then get PR. I guess GC is a longer process (is it?)

 

[BCguy]

That is correct you cannot be a PR of 2 countries

 

[Leon]

It's a question if one of the countries finds out you are applying for the PR of the other at the same time that they don't take your application seriously. I still don't think they would find out necessarily. I don't think US immigration and CIC talk to each other that much.

You can not maintain both PR's though if you get them both or it would be very hard. For the US green card, you can not be gone from the US more than a year at a time, preferably 6 months if you don't want to get too many questions on re-entry. Some years ago, I knew people who maintained a US green card for years by coming to the US every 6 months. After 9-11, I think they watch it a lot more closely who is actually staying and who is not. The border guards can take your green card at any point if they don't believe that you are living in the US anymore, even if you were gone less than 6 months. For the Canadian PR, you need to be in Canada at least 2 years out of every 5. Theoretically you could stay 6 months in each country, maybe 7 in the US and 5 in Canada every year to cover both PR's but it would be hard to find jobs that would allow you to do that.

 

[cchabert]

If you haven't apply for your GC but yes to your PR in Canada, man let me tell you by the time your GC comes you'll be already a Canadian citizen, GC in USA takes for ever.

 

[mqadri]

There is no obligtion...
most of the people have PR of UK,Canada & Aus simultaneously.
Some countries have reservation on more than one citizenship but definately not in the case of PR...

 

[ss123]

Yes you can be PR of 2 countries though not citizen of 2 countries.
mainitaining PR status of 2 countries would be difficult in the long run.

 

[BCguy]

Who said so???There are Hundreds of thousands of Dual Canadian Americans,300,000 according to the last census.What you cannot be is a Caadian PR and US PR at the same time,You can be a Canadian Citizen and A US PR at the same time,But why bother under NAFTA rules

 

[Leon]

What you cannot be is a Caadian PR and US PR at the same time,You can be a Canadian Citizen and A US PR at the same time,But why bother under NAFTA rules

Why can you not? Would Canada Immigration let US immigration know to cancel green card if you get Canada PR or the other way around? I agree it would be difficult to meet the residency requirements but I have never heard any reason why you can't be PR of both at the same time.

As for NAFTA rules, I think only people in certain professions can get a NAFTA work visa. If somebody Canadian wanted to live in the US and can't get a NAFTA visa, that would be a reason for them to go for green card.