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pr_seeker_ca

Newbie
Mar 2, 2012
8
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To maintain PR while working in US on H1B visa is it fine if I travel to Canada by road over the weekend every couple of months? Will the border officials question why am I travelling in and out of Canada when I am not ready to permanently reside? Does any one else here have experience with border officials when entering Canada subsequent to first landing Please advise. Thanks.
 
You are a PR so you are absolutely allowed to visit Canada on the weekends if you want to.

However, keep in mind that a weekend every couple of months will not maintain your PR. Say you drive to Canada on Friday evening and back on Sunday. That gives you 3 days in Canada. You do this every 2 months, you will have 18 days in Canada in a year. In order to maintain your PR, you need 730 days in a 5 year period. That is 146 days a year. In order to get that done by only staying on weekends, you would need to go for 49 weekends a year. That means there are only 3 weekends a year that you don't go.
 
Thanks Leon for your reply. Would Canadian border officials stamp on passport or record my entry on entering Canada?
 
From what I have heard about the land border, they don't always do that but they are supposed to be taking up exit checks to make it easier to catch people who cheat on their PR requirements so you might see more of it in the future.
 
So if they do not record entry or exit how will I be able to prove that I was in Canada over the weekends. I do not have SIN card and I will be staying at my friend's house.
 
pr_seeker_ca said:
So if they do not record entry or exit how will I be able to prove that I was in Canada over the weekends. I do not have SIN card and I will be staying at my friend's house.

They work with the US border too so if the US border notes your entry to the US, they will have it too. You can also keep receipts. If you go to a restaurant or buy anything in Canada, keep the receipt. So it will not prove for sure that it was your receipt and not somebody elses unless you used your visa card but it would help.
 
Leon said:
You are a PR so you are absolutely allowed to visit Canada on the weekends if you want to.

However, keep in mind that a weekend every couple of months will not maintain your PR. Say you drive to Canada on Friday evening and back on Sunday. That gives you 3 days in Canada. You do this every 2 months, you will have 18 days in Canada in a year. In order to maintain your PR, you need 730 days in a 5 year period. That is 146 days a year. In order to get that done by only staying on weekends, you would need to go for 49 weekends a year. That means there are only 3 weekends a year that you don't go.

Dear Leon


Dear Sir/Madam

I am a Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) since my first landing in
Canada in Dec 2009. I have been living in Malaysia since my first
landing in Canada except a few short trips to Canada. I will finally
move to Canada in July 2012 and still have close to 2.5 years time to
fulfill my 730 days physical presence PR rule.

I have secured employment with a Canadian company (joining in July
2012) but need to travel overseas extensively as a part of my job
requirements. I would be grateful, if you could kindly confirm that
the days I will spend outside Canada on behalf of my Canadian
employer, will be counted towards the 730 day physical presence rule
to preserve my PR status.

Thanking you in advance
Sen
indrajitsen10@gmail.com
 
If you have been hired in Canada by a Canadian company and you will be based in Canada but sent from your base on business trips overseas, your days during your travels will count towards your residency requirements.
 
Dear Leon

Many thanks for your prompt reply to my question. I really appreciated that.
Is there anything else that I should take a note of to preserve my PR status while working for a Canadian company ?
Regards
I.Sen