PR with H1-B Planning to Move (Checklist)

[despairedh1b]

Hi All - I am a PR on H1-B (i-140 approved) - got my PR activated in 2020 Aug. I plan to move to Canada around July'ish. Have my girlfriend (who is waiting for her PR) in the USA. My company said they will revoke my H1-B if I take a transfer to Canada. My questions / clarifications are as follows:

1) Will I be able to visit the USA on B1 or B2? (Plan to visit my girlfriend once or twice every month, since she probably won't get her COPR until Sep/Oct)
2) Based on my research online and on this forum, I can keep my 401k as is or can I transfer it to my RRSP?
3) I will transfer my stocks from US account to Canadian account
4) Bank: I plan to continue to keep in USA and use USA credit card in Canada - good or bad idea? I heard wire transfers could result in quite a loss
5) Car: Plan is to sell car and buy / lease used car in Canada
6) Do I have to inform anyone in USA that I am leaving (e.g. Social Security, USPS, USCIS, etc.)?
7) Anything else I may have missed taking into account

 

[sreekar545]

• B1/B2 should be pretty easy to get. Once they know you are a PR and staying here with a full-time job, there is virtually zero chance that it gets denied. They will ask about your i140 and green card application, be ready to answer that. (temp intent vs perm intent)
• Keep your 401K as is. You can do whatever you want with that money, but don't transfer it to Canada. You will lose some with transfer fees and BS like that and Canadian market is nowhere close to NASDAQ. There is no point in downgrading.
• Stocks - same thing. Don't transfer. You are free to buy and sell as far as I know, but you shouldn't move more money to USA for investment purpose. (personal knowledge only)
• Keep your US credit cards (especially the ones with rental car insurance, no foreign trans fee, free travel insurance ones). I kept 2 of them with highest credit limits (around 20K limit on each and closed rest). Kept checking account too with some balance to keep it free. Credit cards here are so bad, there is no point comparing them with US counterparts.
• NEVER SELL YOUR CAR. IMPORT IT. Please.... I sold it and I regret it to this day. The bullshit credit system in Canada is so conservative that they will just waste your time saying you don't have credit history etc. even though you have PR with full time job.
  • The most important thing of all is - bring your drivers license + 2 years driving history with you, so that you can exchange it for full G license here. Otherwise, you won't forget the crap you have to go through.
  • Import takes some time and paperwork but you will be fine as long as you follow rules.
• No

Suggestions:

• Housing in GTA and GVA is shit unless you are rich. You can't get mortgage for first 2 years, so do some research on housing. In US, I found it so easy to get a place to stay (outside of slums of NYC/SFO like big cities) but here the only cities which have jobs are 2 and they are expensive with weird landlords etc.
• Keep your US number, the US plans are cheaper with roaming compared to Canadian plans. You can get a local number with TextNow app and that along with US roaming should work for first few months. You can then decide.
• If you are coming in a car, get as much as stuff as you can, no point in buying things again.

Software engineers like us are lucky to come with a job to Canada and a US driving license + car and some money. That makes things very seamless and easy. Otherwise, this is an expensive country to settle in with high taxation. Good luck!!

 

[starlordavuthu]

• B1/B2 should be pretty easy to get. Once they know you are a PR and staying here with a full-time job, there is virtually zero chance that it gets denied. They will ask about your i140 and green card application, be ready to answer that. (temp intent vs perm intent)
• Keep your 401K as is. You can do whatever you want with that money, but don't transfer it to Canada. You will lose some with transfer fees and BS like that and Canadian market is nowhere close to NASDAQ. There is no point in downgrading.
• Stocks - same thing. Don't transfer. You are free to buy and sell as far as I know, but you shouldn't move more money to USA for investment purpose. (personal knowledge only)
• Keep your US credit cards (especially the ones with rental car insurance, no foreign trans fee, free travel insurance ones). I kept 2 of them with highest credit limits (around 20K limit on each and closed rest). Kept checking account too with some balance to keep it free. Credit cards here are so bad, there is no point comparing them with US counterparts.
• NEVER SELL YOUR CAR. IMPORT IT.Please.... I sold it and I regret it to this day. The bullshit credit system in Canada is so conservative that they will just waste your time saying you don't have credit history etc. even though you have PR with full time job.
  • The most important thing of all is - bring your drivers license + 2 years driving history with you, so that you can exchange it for full G license here. Otherwise, you won't forget the crap you have to go through.
  • Import takes some time and paperwork but you will be fine as long as you follow rules.
• No

Suggestions:

• Housing in GTA and GVA is shit unless you are rich. You can't get mortgage for first 2 years, so do some research on housing. In US, I found it so easy to get a place to stay (outside of slums of NYC/SFO like big cities) but here the only cities which have jobs are 2 and they are expensive with weird landlords etc.
• Keep your US number, the US plans are cheaper with roaming compared to Canadian plans. You can get a local number with TextNow app and that along with US roaming should work for first few months. You can then decide.
• If you are coming in a car, get as much as stuff as you can, no point in buying things again.

Software engineers like us are lucky to come with a job to Canada and a US driving license + car and some money. That makes things very seamless and easy. Otherwise, this is an expensive country to settle in with high taxation. Good luck!!

Quick question - does US CC with rental insurane work in Canada? Fine print mostly would say only covers in US.

 

[sreekar545]

My AMEX card covers it, I think. But yeah, if the fine print says US only, it probably is US only. Also these things change with time too.

 

[vkbca]

Quick question - does US CC with rental insurane work in Canada? Fine print mostly would say only covers in US only.

I own Chase Sapphire Preferred and the car rental insurance benefit works in Canada as well.
I had called them up and confirmed that it covers in Canada.

I suggest you do the same too.

 

[starlordavuthu]

My AMEX card covers it, I think. But yeah, if the fine print says US only, it probably is US only. Also these things change with time too.

Thats good to know, I also have Amex primary car rental protection and it should work in Canada.

 

[sunnysatya]

please make sure you have the title of the car or no dues certificate from Bank for import. I made this mistake and had to go back to US and sell.