Pamela 1

We are Brits with Canadian citizenship. Been here 25 years.
You can be out of the country and do the 6 month here and 6 month there thing.

If we want to be away for a year travelling (in our case UK and Europe) which some people seem to do, how do they get around the 6 month requirement. Do you just go on an open return ticket or what?

Judy in Calgary

If you are Canadian citizens, you can leave Canada for as long as you want, and you'll still have the right to return. For example, we left Canada for four years and returned without any problems. In theory the law could change in the future, so it would be prudent to keep your ear to the ground while you were away. But I'm sure they wouldn't implement the law immediately. They would give people a warning period. I'm just saying that if you were to leave for ten years or something like that it would be wise to keep abreast of developments.

iaink

Canadian citizen can leave indefinitely and come back anytime...that's the main advantage or citizenship over PR.

PR could in theory leave for as long as three years if they still met the 2 years out of 5 total obligation.

The main hassle is if you leave for more than 6 months, in most provinces your health coverage will lapse and you are back to needing to wait the three months on your return until it kicks in again. There is no way around that, just pay for private coverage for the shortfall.

Is it Alberta where you are covered from day one? Maybe Manitoba. I forget. Not Ontario, that's for sure.

Judy in Calgary

Yes, in Alberta and Manitoba you are covered from day one if you have arrived from outside of the country. Because that was the case for us when we returned to Alberta, I forgot about that wrinkle for residents of other provinces.

Steve_P

Information for Albertans travelling out of province for long periods.

http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/ahcip/ahcip_travel.html

http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/ahcip/travel.pdf

hot wasabi peas

Healthcare is a cake walk. I would say, the main hassle is income tax... whether one can or can not be deemed a non-resident for income tax purposes, weighing up the pros and cons of the options and then figure out how to snake around everything to your benefit. Now that is a hassle, hoff!

Although I doubt this affects the OP!

iaink

Good Point.

Presumably if its an extended vacation deally then you are still resident for tax purposes, as you would not be resident anywhere else?

hot wasabi peas

I would think so although it would likely be more about them having financial and social ties in Canada. I was resident in the UK but still a resident for tax purposes in Canada... and then during visits back to BC, I was visitor at immigration (which doesn't make much sense to me, aside from what stuff I can bring... but I always got a hard time as a visitor - searched and questioned by cops every time ).