PNP PR and working in the US

[carsa]

Hi guys,

I landed about 3 months ago as a Ontario PNP PR. I was sponsored by my company, and have been working for them for 2 years prior to getting my PR. Just shortly after my PR, the company announced that it had been sold to a competitor. I now officially work for this new company in the same capacity/same office etc...

Since this has created various redundancies, many people were laid-off. This has prompted me to look for employment elsewhere as it seems to be only a matter of time that I get asked to leave as well.

I have been offered a position at another Ontario based company, but here is the tricky part, they want me to work 50% in the US and 50% in Canada, i.e. I will spend time in the US at their US clients for 2 weeks each month. The details still need to be ironed out, but I will be paying tax in Canada, not the US.

I've done some reading and there is a chance that my time in the US can count towards my residency requirement (and citizenship requirement)? I am also concerned that the frequent travel, and the sudden job-hop after my PR might negatively affect future in Canada?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance

 

[Alurra71]

Maybe for your ro to keep your pr, however it won't count on your citizenship.

 

[Leon]

In order for your days outside Canada to count towards your PR residency obligation, you would have to have been hired by a Canadian employer and posted to a full time position outside Canada. I do not know if they will accept a 50/50 position. It is possible but personally, I wouldn't count on it to take that risk.

However, if you go to the US every 2 weeks, say you travel to the US every 2nd Sunday and come back on the Saturday almost 2 weeks later, both travel days would count as days spent in Canada so for each trip, you would lose 12 days. If you travel once a month, it would be 120 days in a year. If you travel every 2 weeks, it would be 13 trips (52/4) or 132 days per year. After 5 years, you would have 600 days outside Canada or 660 days depending on which it is. Since you are allowed up to 1094 days outside Canada in 5 years, you would still have around 86 days per year left that you could travel outside Canada for your employer without risking your PR.

You can take the job but keep pristine records of your travel dates and preferably proof, boarding cards if you fly. Make sure you calculate your days outside on a regular basis. If you see that you are getting close to 1094 days outside in your first 5 years as a PR or in the past 5 years once you have been a PR for 5 years or longer, you would have to consider which is more important, job or PR.

Your absences working for a Canadian employer will not count towards the citizenship requirements.