Renouncing US Citizenship & Personal Letters

[gooh]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone else immigrating from the US to Canada renounced their US citizenship once becoming a permanent resident? What was your process like?

And, I see people including "personal letter" from both the sponsor and the applicant in their application checklists, what does that mean exactly? Thank you!

 

[Alurra71]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone else immigrating from the US to Canada renounced their US citizenship once becoming a permanent resident? What was your process like?

And, I see people including "personal letter" from both the sponsor and the applicant in their application checklists, what does that mean exactly? Thank you!

I wouldn't go about trying to renounce your citizenship once you are Canadian PR. This would essentially leave you stateless. A PR is not a citizen. If you wish to look at renouncing citizenship in the US you should at a minimum wait until you are a citizen of Canada. You can hold both of them at the same time though, just so you know that.

You don't have to include a personal letter in your application package. Some couples opt to do that so that CIC gets a 'His & Her' idea of how the relationship is. His view on it all and Her view on it all. It doesn't hurt to include this, but it is not necessary. You could opt to do that kind of a thing when writing out how you both met and fell in love and such.

 

[gooh]

I wouldn't go about trying to renounce your citizenship once you are Canadian PR. This would essentially leave you stateless. A PR is not a citizen. If you wish to look at renouncing citizenship in the US you should at a minimum wait until you are a citizen of Canada. You can hold both of them at the same time though, just so you know that.

You don't have to include a personal letter in your application package. Some couples opt to do that so that CIC gets a 'His & Her' idea of how the relationship is. His view on it all and Her view on it all. It doesn't hurt to include this, but it is not necessary. You could opt to do that kind of a thing when writing out how you both met and fell in love and such.

Hm, I suppose that makes sense. I'm just not too happy about having to get taxed by both Canada AND the United States once I become a Permanent Resident and start working, since I do plan on renouncing. But what can you do, right.

Okay thank you ^ ^ We may just opt out of that to make things less confusing for us.

 

[Alurra71]

Hm, I suppose that makes sense. I'm just not too happy about having to get taxed by both Canada AND the United States once I become a Permanent Resident and start working, since I do plan on renouncing. But what can you do, right.

Okay thank you ^ ^ We may just opt out of that to make things less confusing for us.

Just remember, you pay your taxes to Canada FIRST. You will then get to claim that on your US tax file. Unless you make enormous amounts of income, have lots of property or things of that nature, your tax liability to the US is likely to be zip. I know I am just your basic working girl and owed nothing to the US after filing my Canada return and getting a refund from them.

Best of luck!

***EDIT*** I just wanted to point out that working girl, was not meant the way it sounded in my head after I posted this! LOL I mean your menial labor not a professional occupation type of person LMAO! Ok, I'm shutting up now because this is just sounding worse and worse as I go ...

 

[gooh]

Just remember, you pay your taxes to Canada FIRST. You will then get to claim that on your US tax file. Unless you make enormous amounts of income, have lots of property or things of that nature, your tax liability to the US is likely to be zip. I know I am just your basic working girl and owed nothing to the US after filing my Canada return and getting a refund from them.

Best of luck!

***EDIT*** I just wanted to point out that working girl, was not meant the way it sounded in my head after I posted this! LOL I mean your menial labor not a professional occupation type of person LMAO! Ok, I'm shutting up now because this is just sounding worse and worse as I go ...

Haha it's okay, I know what you meant! I'll probably start with just some retail or restaurant job, so when I move with my partner and get a job, we'll most likely just get a simple apartment together, PREFERABLY with a good friend to split the rent 3 ways when we're all there, and then 2 ways when he's in the next town over attending university. It helps with the cost and I wouldn't be bored out of my mind all by myself.

 

[keesio]

As Alurra said, there are enough exemptions and credits available that allow you to reduce the taxes you will owe to the IRS to a nominal amount. Really the biggest issue is that the filing of the taxes are so complex that you really do need an accountant and that will run you AT LEAST $300 for a basic return. And I strongly recommend you use a good accountant who specializes in cross-border taxes.

A few other tips
-Don't open a TFSA and RESP
-Avoid Mutual Funds (at least until you are more familiar with the impact on your US taxes)

One other note - the US looks dimly at ex-citizens who voluntarily renounced. They seem to give them a hard time. For example, US border officials are known to have given ex-citizens a hard time when they try to visit the US (they gave one ex-citizen a 2 week visa to the US even though he was a Canadian citizen and eligible to stay for 6 months without a visa).

 

[gooh]

As Alurra said, there are enough exemptions and credits available that allow you to reduce the taxes you will owe to the IRS to a nominal amount. Really the biggest issue is that the filing of the taxes are so complex that you really do need an accountant and that will run you AT LEAST $300 for a basic return. And I strongly recommend you use a good accountant who specializes in cross-border taxes.

A few other tips
-Don't open a TFSA and RESP
-Avoid Mutual Funds (at least until you are more familiar with the impact on your US taxes)

One other note - the US looks dimly at ex-citizens who voluntarily renounced. They seem to give them a hard time. For example, US border officials are known to have given ex-citizens a hard time when they try to visit the US (they gave one ex-citizen a 2 week visa to the US even though he was a Canadian citizen and eligible to stay for 6 months without a visa).

Thank you for the information, I don't think I'll be doing anything financially complicated while a PR, so that's good!

I've read about the US bully stories towards renounced citizens, and I understand the potential risk of a hard time when trying to visit my family. But really the US can bite me. If I want to renounce that's my right as a person, so I'll just have to make sure they don't push me around during visitations to my family, or at least try the best I can :,)

 

[scylla]

Feel free to renounce US citizenship. But you won't be able to renounce US citizenship until you have Canadian citizenship - and you're probably a good 6 years away from that (once you factor in the residency obligation and processing times).