Going Back to Canada to Visit...

[supremecomplex 8]

I've been in the US for about seven months now and loving every bit of it; the married life & job life has been good to me. The husband and I have since filed taxes for last year (2010) and things are going great! Work has so nicely given me time off, so I'll be going back to visit my family back in Canada for three weeks. With that being said, I was wondering: on the Canadian Declaration Form, do I fill out that I'm (1) Part B: Visitor of Canada and how long I'll be staying or (2) Part C: Resident of Canada? Also, since my ticket was booked with my maiden name & I'll be crossing the border using my passport (still in my maiden name), should I also show the Canadian Border Agents my green card? Is it necessary?

Any help figuring this out would be great!

[Inky 1,110]

A green card is to enter the USA not Canada.

You are entering as a Canadian Citizen that is visiting, you will always be a Canadian Citizen. You are however residing/living in the USA not Canada.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I've been in the US for about seven months now and loving every bit of it; the married life & job life has been good to me. The husband and I have since filed taxes for last year (2010) and things are going great! Work has so nicely given me time off, so I'll be going back to visit my family back in Canada for three weeks. With that being said, I was wondering: on the Canadian Declaration Form, do I fill out that I'm (1) Part B: Visitor of Canada and how long I'll be staying or (2) Part C: Resident of Canada? Also, since my ticket was booked with my maiden name & I'll be crossing the border using my passport (still in my maiden name), should I also show the Canadian Border Agents my green card? Is it necessary?

Any help figuring this out would be great!

My wife was in the same situation you were in when she first went back to visit. She used her California ID and green card, but also had to show her passport and marriage certificate to link the various documents together. Sounds like more of a pain in the ####### than it really is.

A green card is to enter the USA not Canada.

You are entering as a Canadian Citizen that is visiting, you will always be a Canadian Citizen. You are however residing/living in the USA not Canada.

The bolded section isn't necissarily true.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/renounce.asp

[Inky 1,110]

My wife was in the same situation you were in when she first went back to visit. She used her California ID and green card, but also had to show her passport and marriage certificate to link the various documents together. Sounds like more of a pain in the ####### than it really is.

The bolded section isn't necissarily true.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/renounce.asp

Ok then you wont be if you decide to file forms and pay to get rid of it.

[YuAndDan 153]

My wife was in the same situation you were in when she first went back to visit. She used her California ID and green card, but also had to show her passport and marriage certificate to link the various documents together. Sounds like more of a pain in the ####### than it really is.

The bolded section isn't necissarily true.

http://www.cic.gc.ca...ns/renounce.asp

Need to qualify that one, we are talking about visiting Canada while being a permanent resident of the USA, not a citizen of the USA.

You would only renounce citizenship if you are now a citizen of a different country, and it is optional in cases where you can be a dual citizen.

In our case, when visiting Canada, my wife presents her passport and green-card when entering Canada, and when returning to the states. However on many trips if by car and I am driving, I simply hand over my passport and my wife's green-card only and the boarder guard in either direction did not request or need to see her passport. Never had to present a marriage cert to show why name green-card and passport don't match, never got questioned about that.

[Ayselin 0]

If you are filing taxes in the states and have a greencard when you go home to visit you should be filing out the visitor section of the form. I've been living here for several years now and whenever I go home (canada) thats the section I fill out and have yet to have any problems.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Lets make it complicated,lol!! Yes your still a citizen, BUT your now a visitor! When I go back home (Canada will always be home to me)I fill out the Visitor section! Simple as that! I enter Canada on my Cdn Passport. When I come back to the USA I use my USA passport (now a USA citizen) Back when I was a Green card holder, I passed over my Greencard AND my Cdn passport! A few times I just handed over my Greencard, and the USA POE dude wanted to my CDN passport as well. Others have gotten away with just the greencard entering the USA

[CDAgirlMI 51]

It is advisable to show your Passport AND greencard when entering Canada.

I was asked to show proof I lived in the US (while crossing into Canada) once.

I give both pieces of documentation no matter which country I'm entering.

[Flames9_RN 358]

It is advisable to show your Passport AND greencard when entering Canada.

I was asked to show proof I lived in the US (while crossing into Canada) once.

I give both pieces of documentation no matter which country I'm entering.

Never in a zillion yrs would I show my greencard when entering Canada! I would confidently say I am a Cdn citizen--with a Cdn passport, I would be more than happy to chat with ur supervisor,lol But thats me! lol

[Marilyn. 340]

The few times i have crossed into Canada since being a permanent resident I have only showed my greencard.. but I had my passport handy in case they wanted to see it but they never asked for it..

[The_Dude 1,142]

It certainly is your prerogative to get your citizenship for whatever reason you want. Some people take citizenship seriously, not just a travel convenience. I will be faced with the reverse situation in not too long, and will most surely opt for the residency route, not citizenship.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Two posts have been removed at their original posters' requests.

[supremecomplex 8]

Thank you all for your kind replies!

I will be putting in "visitor", since my residency (work, taxes, Husband + life) is all in the United States.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Sorry for some of my comments in the latter part of the thread. It is a sore subject for me, and usually, I just ignore it, this is not the appropriate venue to voice those opinions.

[neiks 19]

CDAgirlMI, on 04 March 2011 - 07:22 PM, said:

It is advisable to show your Passport AND greencard when entering Canada.

I was asked to show proof I lived in the US (while crossing into Canada) once.

I give both pieces of documentation no matter which country I'm entering.

Never in a zillion yrs would I show my greencard when entering Canada! I would confidently say I am a Cdn citizen--with a Cdn passport, I would be more than happy to chat with ur supervisor,lol But thats me! lol

Yes, Immigration wise a Canadian passport gives you the right to enter Canada....but, if you produce your Canadian passport you may be asked to produce proof of what your status in the US to determine your residency and how you will be classified for Customs purposes. I'll give you an example, A person pulls up to land border in US plated car and hands me his Canadian passport. I will need to verify that they have legal status in the US to legally drive that US plated car in Canada without having to import it. So, there is indeed a possiblility a person may be asked to produce their greencard, visa, etc...