New PR immigrant questions

[HappyCat]

Hi Forum members,

We have just been given the Permanent Residency green light. My husband was the main applicant, I am his dependent. I have been reading a lot of posts on this Forum that are very useful. Now I have some questions of my own. Some of the answers may be hidden in other posts, but please forgive me for summarizing my own questions in this post and possibly duplicating info present elsewhere in this forum.

1. Does the Permanent Residency have an expiration date? I see people talking about expired cards but it was my understanding that there is no such thing. I am aware of the fact that I need to be in Canada 3 out of 5 years. I am assuming that the Personal Records summary that I can apply for at Canada Border Services Agency is based on what is registered when I travel outside of Canadian borders.

2. What rules do I need to stick to when I travel after I have landed and started living in Canada? I am thinking vacation traveling, not traveling to work in another country. Which documents should I carry with me at all times when crossing a border? If I were to travel abroad, what are the risks of being refused re-entry into Canada, if any?

3. Are the rules different for me as a dependent, or am I treated the same as my husband once I live in Canada?

4. Which rules do I need to stick to when I work for another country as a Permanent Resident? I am talking about working via the internet, not physically going TO another country to do work? Should I arrange to be paid in a Canadian account, or can I have the payments done in an account abroad? I am aware of the fact that I should file a tax form each year showing what I earned and that, when the Canada tax comes out higher, I am taxed for the remainder of the tax.

5. Is it true that with a valid PR card I can get a Driver's Licence without having to do an exam? I currently have a US Driver's Licence. Do I lose that licence? In other words, is it an exchange? Does the expiration date on the US licence play any role? Is the same true for a licence from Europe (The Netherlands)?

6. Are there any other bureaucratic pitfalls that I should be aware of?

Thanks for taking the time to reply!


Nicky

 

[HappyCat]

Sorry, typo: I need to be in Canada 2 out of 5 years... Not 3...

 

[Leon]

1. There is no expiry on the PR status, just the card. Your status does not expire with the card. There is no law that says you must always have a valid card. You mainly need it in order to re-enter Canada if you have left and sometimes you may be asked for it in Canada to prove your status.

2. You are also allowed to leave Canada in order to work if you want to. You are allowed to be outside Canada for up to 3/5 years. It is up to you what you do with that time. You just need your PR card and passport in order to re-enter. Immigration can not deny you entry but if they suspect that you do not meet the residency obligation, they could report you on entry and you would have to appeal for your PR.

3. Same.

4. You should file your taxes in Canada and report the income as overseas income. It depends on if the country you are working in has a tax treaty with Canada how you will be taxed. If you have a problem filing, you can get an accountant to do it for you.

5. You can exchange your US license for a Canadian license. Some provinces may ask you for a drivers abstract to show how long you have had your US license. I know it is against the law at least in some provinces to have more than one license. I do not know if it is against the law in all of them but the general rule when you exchange a license is that they take it from you. I do not think that the Netherlands has exchange agreements with Canada so if you did not have a US license to exchange, you would have to hand in your Netherlands license and you would still have to take the test.

6. Don't think so. Just keep good records of your travels. You will need it when it's time to renew your PR card or if you apply for citizenship. Canada also keeps records of your travels but they may be missing some info or trips, therefore you should make sure you keep records yourself.

 

[Icy Canada]

Has anyone got idea on urgent PR card processing? I guess its 3 weeks...all you need to do is show return tickets for more than 3 weeks and pay fee. Where to pay fee? Online or at the time of immigration n how much?Is urgent PR valid for immigrating first time or its only for renewal PR card?

 

[scylla]

Has anyone got idea on urgent PR card processing? I guess its 3 weeks...all you need to do is show return tickets for more than 3 weeks and pay fee. Where to pay fee? Online or at the time of immigration n how much?Is urgent PR valid for immigrating first time or its only for renewal PR card?

Urgent processing is only available for PR card renewals. It is not available to those who are receiving their PR card for the first time.

 

[ItsBeenLongNow]

1. There is no expiry on the PR status, just the card. Your status does not expire with the card. There is no law that says you must always have a valid card. You mainly need it in order to re-enter Canada if you have left and sometimes you may be asked for it in Canada to prove your status.

2. You are also allowed to leave Canada in order to work if you want to. You are allowed to be outside Canada for up to 3/5 years. It is up to you what you do with that time. You just need your PR card and passport in order to re-enter. Immigration can not deny you entry but if they suspect that you do not meet the residency obligation, they could report you on entry and you would have to appeal for your PR.

3. Same.

4. You should file your taxes in Canada and report the income as overseas income. It depends on if the country you are working in has a tax treaty with Canada how you will be taxed. If you have a problem filing, you can get an accountant to do it for you.

5. You can exchange your US license for a Canadian license. Some provinces may ask you for a drivers abstract to show how long you have had your US license. I know it is against the law at least in some provinces to have more than one license. I do not know if it is against the law in all of them but the general rule when you exchange a license is that they take it from you. I do not think that the Netherlands has exchange agreements with Canada so if you did not have a US license to exchange, you would have to hand in your Netherlands license and you would still have to take the test.

6. Don't think so. Just keep good records of your travels. You will need it when it's time to renew your PR card or if you apply for citizenship. Canada also keeps records of your travels but they may be missing some info or trips, therefore you should make sure you keep records yourself.

Well explained

 

[HappyCat]

Thanks for the information! very concise and to the point!