Hello Forum members,
I have U.S green card and Canadian pr issued to me about the same time in 2014,but I currently live and work in Detroit Michigan for the main reason of taking care of my mom who has breast cancer. Also I'm a health professional who is better paid in U.S,and I've not bothered to take the Canadian exams which I'm not even in the right frame of mind to try right now.
I have the ultimate intention of getting my U.S citizenship, then I can permanently move to Windsor, and be commuting to work in U.S
However I've been driving frequently to Windsor ON, in order to visit my son who lives with my ex-wife.
Recently,I've been encountering some tough questions from the Canadian border agents.
Is it illegal to have both cards? Recently they demanded to see my U.S green card,but unfortunately I forgot the card when I left my house in Detroit.Therefore I had to phone a friend to bring my U.S green card to my hotel in Windsor in order to drive back to Michigan.
However I'll like to know if I should actually show the Canadian border agents my U.S green card or not, if they should ask me next time I'm driving across the border.
Overall: you are clearly on their radar. You might anticipate further scrutiny when crossing the border in the future.
You might anticipate the U.S. side also asking you more probing questions going forward.
No, it is NOT illegal to be a PR in both countries. It is, however, illegal and also subject to other consequences, to make any misrepresentations to authorities on either side of the border.
But yes, of course, the respective authorities tend to take a far closer and more skeptical look at someone who is a PR of both countries, since the purpose of the status is to live in the respective country, and living in the other country is inconsistent with that purpose.
If you fail to comply with your Canadian PR RO, expect problems. That should be obvious.
Are you in compliance with the residency obligation?
If so, there is no need to show them jack diddly squat. (Even if you weren't you still don't need to show anything, but that wouldn't be wise) If they get too pushy gently remind them you are a Canadian PR in compliance with your residency obligation.
I disagree with the view that a traveler can decline to present an item in possession during a PoE examination. Even a Canadian citizen needs to present any item (in possession) requested during a PoE examination. Whether the request or demand would ultimately be determined to be reasonable or potentially not-reasonable is a separate issue. If the demand is subsequently deemed to have been unreasonable, following a complaint say, perhaps the CBSA officer gets disciplined, perhaps loses the job, perhaps is just given an admonishment.
Apart from that, however, apart from the scope of CBSA authority to examine all items a traveler has in possession when seeking entry into Canada, as a pracical matter even Canadian citizens will fare far better if they fully cooperate during the course of a border examination.
Thus, as to the explicit question asked, if you are asked to show a document in your possession, YES you should show it.
Making any misrepresentations during the examination is, of course, worse than foolish . . . even if gotten away with on one or six or more occasions. Probably not a good idea to take the "I don't have it with me" approach more than once (or even once if not true).
Moreover, while I do not know anywhere near the full scope of information Canada and the U.S. share, or what restrictions there are limiting what information can be shared, the key information as to status in the respective countries and border crossing information is known both sides of the border. So being evasive (let alone deceptive) would only make a much worse impression and tend to push things in a more negative direction.
So long as you are actually living in the U.S., and perhaps so long as you are regularly employed in the U.S., perhaps the U.S. side of the border will not have an issue with your Canada PR status. But historically reports have indicated the U.S. side often tends to be tougher with those who have PR status in both countries. (And in general, many, including me, find the U.S. side is generally the more strict and unfriendly side.)
Many have successfully navigated this and proceeded to become citizens of both countries. But it can get tricky along the way.
If you fail to comply with the Canadian PR RO, it can get particularly tricky.
An important key is to not panic and make misrepresentations in order to avoid challenging encounters at the border.
