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

[skarme312]

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) ?

I never had to go to secondary, post my first visit to get a paper i94 (expired visa). Even the first time it barely took 20 mins, no where near 1-2 hours.

 

[neha.ss]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone had an experience crossing from Canada to usa with H1b on weekends for reasons other than work?
Was it smooth, or it’s a bad idea?

 

[skarme312]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone had an experience crossing from Canada to usa with H1b on weekends for reasons other than work?
Was it smooth, or it’s a bad idea?

Have done it several times for shopping, taking spouse out of lunch/dinner and even work! Just be honest with the officer and most likely it will be hassle free. Just like going to work on a week day.

 

[neha.ss]

Have done it several times for shopping, taking spouse out of lunch/dinner and even work! Just be honest with the officer and most likely it will be hassle free. Just like going to work on a week day.

That’s great. So I can simply say going for shopping/meeting friends and they don’t ask any questions at all?

 

[skarme312]

That’s great. So I can simply say going for shopping/meeting friends and they don’t ask any questions at all?

They probably will ask questions and they may even send you to secondary. Just answer honestly and to the point; it isn't rocket science.

 

[swan0206]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone had an experience crossing from Canada to usa with H1b on weekends for reasons other than work?
Was it smooth, or it’s a bad idea?

Done this last weekend. Went to meet family. They are friendly. No worries at all.

 

[neha.ss]

Thanks @swan0206 @skarme312.
When you guys cross, is traffic and other stuff easier going from tunnel or bridge?

 

[swan0206]

Thanks @swan0206 @skarme312.
When you guys cross, is traffic and other stuff easier going from tunnel or bridge?

I am not on the Detroit-Windsor border , so no idea !!

 

[Ketobaby]

Thanks @swan0206 @skarme312.
When you guys cross, is traffic and other stuff easier going from tunnel or bridge?

So it probably depends on time but overall, the bridge ALWAYS has terrible traffic (trucks blocking the way, lane reduction due to construction that seems to never end) even with my Nexus it's so back up I can't even get to the Nexus to escape. I find the tunnel alot better just that sometimes they don't always have a Nexus lane.

Living in Windsor for a decade and I have never seen all lanes opened on that bridge, there's always lane reduction due to construction.

I only pass the bridge because of cheap gas but sometimes the time wasted is not worth it.

Note sure what you mean by other stuff you might have to be more specific for me to respond but if you're referring to the CBSA officer, it's totally dependent on their mode, they seem to all have similar pattern at both POE.

FYI - Toll is a whole lot cheaper at the tunnel than the bridge.

 

[skarme312]

Thanks @swan0206 @skarme312.
When you guys cross, is traffic and other stuff easier going from tunnel or bridge?

I always took the tunnel. The bridge is crowded because of trucks, although they do separate the truck and other lanes.

 

[spikyshotgun]

So, I moved to Canada a few months ago and now commute across the border daily which has been largely smooth.

What is the simplest method to bring your monthly paycheck/ money from US to Canada on an ongoing basis?
I was thinking of opening a TD account in USA and then use that to move money every month to my TD Canada US Dollar account.

 

[mayple]

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.

Similar question - how much additional tax have cross border folks have had to pay. Looking for some estimates/insights. My estimate is thousands more since provincial tax bracket is significantly more than US state taxes.

 

[canprofus]

Similar question - how much additional tax have cross border folks have had to pay. Looking for some estimates/insights. My estimate is thousands more since provincial tax bracket is significantly more than US state taxes.

yes, it will be significantly more.. depending upon your income, it could come to tens of thousands as well. But you can offset some of it by skipping US health insurance premium for you and your family, and putting some money in to RRSP.

 

[mayple]

yes, it will be significantly more.. depending upon your income, it could come to tens of thousands as well. But you can offset some of it by skipping US health insurance premium for you and your family, and putting some money in to RRSP.

Thanks - That is what I estimated using the tax software and even after contributions if income reaches high enough, there is additional tax due on the Canadian side. Pretty steep cost involved.

 

[skarme312]

So, I moved to Canada a few months ago and now commute across the border daily which has been largely smooth.

What is the simplest method to bring your monthly paycheck/ money from US to Canada on an ongoing basis?
I was thinking of opening a TD account in USA and then use that to move money every month to my TD Canada US Dollar account.

That would be the quickest way. I personally just opted to have a paycheck mailed to me and deposit that to a USD account at Scotiabank. There will be some delay with the time it takes for the check to be delivered via post, also the bank may keep a hold on the first 1-2 checks, after that they stop with the holds once the history becomes normal. The only advantage to this for me was that I could manage finances better as I personally don't like have multiple accounts to keep track of.