moving back to Canada

[thegordons2009 1]

Good day Everyone!

I'm just going to throw this out there....no warm up to it.... I am currently living in the USA with my 2 year green card. Just entered in June with it.

If I want to move back to Canada....what is the process? I have a lot of personal items, including furniture that I want to bring back with me (land border crossing in a moving van).

Can anyone tell me if I will have any problems getting across?

Need help soon.....thinking about doing this next week. Called the Canadian Customs #, but they are only available 8-4 m-f.

Thanks for helping

[raymaga 25]

If you are a Canadian citizen, there is nothing you have to do in order to move back to Canada. You are entitled to live in Canada any time you want because you are a citizen.

If you are taking a U.S. citizen spouse with you, then of course that is a different story. You would have to do the Canadian immigration process for your spouse.

Good luck.

P.S. I'm hoping to move back to Canada (I'm from Canada, but also have U.S. citizenship now) with my U.S. citizen husband in about 7 years, and I'm hoping it isn't going to be too difficult!!!!!

[tbaygrrl 2]

Well before I came to the US on a visa, I use to live and work overseas, and when I decided to move back to Canada, I looked into what I had to do, customs wise. Here's the jist of it.

All you need to do, is inform the border gaurd that you are moving back to Canada, and if you have over $10K on you, you must declare it. It's very simple and you should recieve a "welcome home" from the CBP.

[Inky 1,110]

You may want to make a sort of general list of whats in boxes and whats in the truck incase they want to know what you packed. They may not even ask but it would be easier for them to see the list than rip open all the boxes etc.

[thegordons2009 1]

Thanks for the information and advice.

[CanadianRedneck 8]

Dont surrender your GREENCARD!!!

[Inky 1,110]

Dont surrender your GREENCARD!!!

If they are moving back to canada.. you have to surender it.. as soon as the OP tells the CBP that they are moving back to canada they will take the greencard...

[warlord 72]

If they are moving back to canada.. you have to surender it.. as soon as the OP tells the CBP that they are moving back to canada they will take the greencard...

Yes because you are now abandoning the Green Card by moving and living outside the US now, so it become invalid and you need to surrender it...

[Flames9_RN 358]

personally i would NOT surrender it!! Things may change!! After awhile when you have lived outside the USA for too long, it will be useless anyways!!

[Ontarkie 13,960]

My cousins where living in Texas with their mother and step dad, their mother was killed by their stepfather. My Uncle went to get the kids, and he did not know he was supposed to do anything regarding their green cards. Not like he was thinking about that at the time anyways. Months later they found out some problems not returning them caused. I can't remember all the problems they had since its been probably 10yrs now.

[Gypsyangel 11]

It seems odd to me that Canadian immigration would take the green card, a U.S. document, at the border. Do they really do that?

Maybe it's just that you need to just close the loop with U.S. immigration. Personally, I would try not to surrender it at the border, and I would go through the process of advising U.S. immigration that you are no longer a resident and that you won't be removing conditions. As Flames said, I don't think your green card is worth much once you are no longer a resident of the U.S. but personally, I'd rather do everything in writing, so it's documented.

I have no experience with this ... just my opinion.

[warlord 72]

It seems odd to me that Canadian immigration would take the green card, a U.S. document, at the border. Do they really do that?

Maybe it's just that you need to just close the loop with U.S. immigration. Personally, I would try not to surrender it at the border, and I would go through the process of advising U.S. immigration that you are no longer a resident and that you won't be removing conditions. As Flames said, I don't think your green card is worth much once you are no longer a resident of the U.S. but personally, I'd rather do everything in writing, so it's documented.

I have no experience with this ... just my opinion.

You surrender it to US customs before going into Canada, not Canadian customs. And yes I'm sure there is a process to notify them as well about abandoning the Green Card. Sucks that people have to do this after spending so much time and money getting the card, but stuff happens. Best is to get US citizenship and that way you never would have to worry about living outside the US, but that isn't for everyone...

[Sweetcheeksss 91]

If you are truly surrendering your green card, the best thing to do would be to file an I-407, Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Residence and hand it in to the nearest US CBP. They will ask if you if you doing so voluntarily, they'll ask you the reason, etc and then they'll give you a copy of your I-407. Be sure to keep that photocopy in a safe place, you may need it again in the future.

Good luck.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Failure to properly notify USCIS that your are abandoning your Green card can lead to a reentry ban!

At 2 years the green card expires. They don't know you've left so they deport you in absentia. You are now banned!