Retirement in Canada
 

I know that there has been no longer such an immigration catogory as retirement. But what about retirement in Canada without an immigration status, such as buying a house or nursing home?

Appreciate advices.

Woody

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

You cannot live permanently in Canada without obtaining PR status first.

--

../..

Andrew Miller
Immigration Consultant
Vancouver, British Columbia
email: [email protected]
(delete REMOVE from the above address before sending email)

For confidential phone consultation go here:

http://members.yahoo.-
liveadvice.com/andrewmiller_canada
________________________________


"wwzhong" wrote in message
news:450930.1035255778@britishexpats-
.com...
    > I know that there has been no longer such an immigration catogory as
    > retirement. But what about retirement in Canada without an immigration
    > status, such as buying a house or nursing home?
    > Appreciate advices.
    > Woody
    > --

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

"Andrew Miller" wrote in message news:...
    > You cannot live permanently in Canada without obtaining PR status first.
    > --
    > ../..
    > Andrew Miller
    > Immigration Consultant
    > Vancouver, British Columbia
    > email: [email protected]
    > (delete REMOVE from the above address before sending email)
    > For confidential phone consultation go here:
    > http://members.yaho-
    > o.liveadvice.com/andrewmiller_canada
    > ________________________________
    > "wwzhong" wrote in message
    > news:450930.1035255778@britishexpa-
    > ts.com    ...
    > >
    > > I know that there has been no longer such an immigration catogory as
    > > retirement. But what about retirement in Canada without an immigration
    > > status, such as buying a house or nursing home?
    > >
    > > Appreciate advices.
    > >
    > > Woody
    > >
    > > --
    > >

You could be a seasonal resident of Canada as many Americans do.
Spending 6 months in the frozen north and the rest in the sunny south.
In addition there is no prohibition on owning property or houses or
cottages.

Jim Metcalfe

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

    >You could be a seasonal resident of Canada as many Americans do.
    >Spending 6 months in the frozen north and the rest in the sunny south.
    >In addition there is no prohibition on owning property or houses or
    >cottages.

And no Canadian immigration officer at an airport will one day come to the
conclusion that this - owning a house and coming back as a tourist year after
year - constitutes as "residing" and send you back? Seriously, does one need
"proof of retirement" or something like that?
A friend of mine had a retirement condo in Florida, going back and forth there
on the visa waiver thingie, never overstaying his 3 months, but going to the
States two or three times a year. No problem for a few years, then he was told
at the airport that a person who owns a condo, has a phone registered, is a
member of the local golf club etc. isn't a "tourist" in the eyes of INS, and he
was sent back the same day, after being fingerprinted and all that, for
violation of the visa waiver agreement. banned from even applying for a visa
for a year etc.
What is the legal situation for holiday home owners from, say, Western Europe,
in Canada?

Curious,
Regina

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

guess it must depend on the immigration officer, they seem to vary widely in
their strictness. I know my wifes grandfather who is Canadian and used to be
in the Navy and so is a keen sailor has for a looooong time spent summer up
in the great lakes but then in winter sailed down to Florida for most of the
winter and i dont recall him ever being told to go home but then again i am
not 100% sure how immigration works if you are sailing a small yacht down
from Canada to Florida down the atlantic coast, plus he never owned anything
there so maybe he was more technicaly a tourist.


"Regina Winter" wrote in message
news:20021022160112.11538.00-
[email protected]...
    > >You could be a seasonal resident of Canada as many Americans do.
    > >Spending 6 months in the frozen north and the rest in the sunny south.
    > >In addition there is no prohibition on owning property or houses or
    > >cottages.
    > And no Canadian immigration officer at an airport will one day come to the
    > conclusion that this - owning a house and coming back as a tourist year
after
    > year - constitutes as "residing" and send you back? Seriously, does one
need
    > "proof of retirement" or something like that?
    > A friend of mine had a retirement condo in Florida, going back and forth
there
    > on the visa waiver thingie, never overstaying his 3 months, but going to
the
    > States two or three times a year. No problem for a few years, then he was
told
    > at the airport that a person who owns a condo, has a phone registered, is
a
    > member of the local golf club etc. isn't a "tourist" in the eyes of INS,
and he
    > was sent back the same day, after being fingerprinted and all that, for
    > violation of the visa waiver agreement. banned from even applying for a
visa
    > for a year etc.
    > What is the legal situation for holiday home owners from, say, Western
Europe,
    > in Canada?
    > Curious,
    > Regina

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

Wizzard - I believe that what Regina was telling about a friend was really
about someone just leaving US and coming back shortly just to get new 6 months
admission, while in reality living in US.

On the other hand the case of your wife's grandfather is a clean example of a
"Snow Bird" - a Canadian living normally most of the year in Canada and only
going south to Florida or Mexico for few winter months. And there is absolutely
no problem for over a 100,000 Snow Birds going to Florida every winter...

--

../..

Andrew Miller
Immigration Consultant
Vancouver, British Columbia
email: [email protected]
(delete REMOVE from the above address before sending email)

For confidential phone consultation go here:

http://members.yahoo.-
liveadvice.com/andrewmiller_canada
________________________________


"The Wizzard" wrote in message
news:mIkt9.3457$cm3.276-
[email protected]...
    > guess it must depend on the immigration officer, they seem to vary widely in
    > their strictness. I know my wifes grandfather who is Canadian and used to be
    > in the Navy and so is a keen sailor has for a looooong time spent summer up
    > in the great lakes but then in winter sailed down to Florida for most of the
    > winter and i dont recall him ever being told to go home but then again i am
    > not 100% sure how immigration works if you are sailing a small yacht down
    > from Canada to Florida down the atlantic coast, plus he never owned anything
    > there so maybe he was more technicaly a tourist.
    > "Regina Winter" wrote in message
    > news:20021022160112.11538.-
    > [email protected]    ...
    > > >You could be a seasonal resident of Canada as many Americans do.
    > > >Spending 6 months in the frozen north and the rest in the sunny south.
    > > >In addition there is no prohibition on owning property or houses or
    > > >cottages.
    > >
    > > And no Canadian immigration officer at an airport will one day come to the
    > > conclusion that this - owning a house and coming back as a tourist year
    > after
    > > year - constitutes as "residing" and send you back? Seriously, does one
    > need
    > > "proof of retirement" or something like that?
    > > A friend of mine had a retirement condo in Florida, going back and forth
    > there
    > > on the visa waiver thingie, never overstaying his 3 months, but going to
    > the
    > > States two or three times a year. No problem for a few years, then he was
    > told
    > > at the airport that a person who owns a condo, has a phone registered, is
    > a
    > > member of the local golf club etc. isn't a "tourist" in the eyes of INS,
    > and he
    > > was sent back the same day, after being fingerprinted and all that, for
    > > violation of the visa waiver agreement. banned from even applying for a
    > visa
    > > for a year etc.
    > > What is the legal situation for holiday home owners from, say, Western
    > Europe,
    > > in Canada?
    > >
    > > Curious,
    > > Regina

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

Andrew Miller wrote:




    >On the other hand the case of your wife's grandfather is a clean example of a
    >"Snow Bird" - a Canadian living normally most of the year in Canada and only
    >going south to Florida or Mexico for few winter months. And there is
    >absolutely
    >no problem for over a 100,000 Snow Birds going to Florida every winter...

So how would it be handled according to Canadian law if a retired person from a
non-visa-country bought a house in Canada and spent, say, 5-6 months of every
year there, going back home for the winter?

Regina

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

"Andrew Miller" wrote in message news:...
    > Wizzard - I believe that what Regina was telling about a friend was really
    > about someone just leaving US and coming back shortly just to get new 6 months
    > admission, while in reality living in US.
    > On the other hand the case of your wife's grandfather is a clean example of a
    > "Snow Bird" - a Canadian living normally most of the year in Canada and only
    > going south to Florida or Mexico for few winter months. And there is absolutely
    > no problem for over a 100,000 Snow Birds going to Florida every winter...
    > --
    > ../..
    > Andrew Miller
    > Immigration Consultant
    > Vancouver, British Columbia
    > email: [email protected]
    > (delete REMOVE from the above address before sending email)
    > For confidential phone consultation go here:
    > http://members.yaho-
    > o.liveadvice.com/andrewmiller_canada
    > ________________________________
    > "The Wizzard" wrote in message
    > news:mIkt9.3457$cm3.2-
    > [email protected]    ...
    > > guess it must depend on the immigration officer, they seem to vary widely in
    > > their strictness. I know my wifes grandfather who is Canadian and used to be
    > > in the Navy and so is a keen sailor has for a looooong time spent summer up
    > > in the great lakes but then in winter sailed down to Florida for most of the
    > > winter and i dont recall him ever being told to go home but then again i am
    > > not 100% sure how immigration works if you are sailing a small yacht down
    > > from Canada to Florida down the atlantic coast, plus he never owned anything
    > > there so maybe he was more technicaly a tourist.
    > >
    > >
    > > "Regina Winter" wrote in message
    > > news:20021022160112.1153-
    > > [email protected]    ...
    > > > >You could be a seasonal resident of Canada as many Americans do.
    > > > >Spending 6 months in the frozen north and the rest in the sunny south.
    > > > >In addition there is no prohibition on owning property or houses or
    > > > >cottages.
    > > >
    > > > And no Canadian immigration officer at an airport will one day come to the
    > > > conclusion that this - owning a house and coming back as a tourist year
    > after
    > > > year - constitutes as "residing" and send you back? Seriously, does one
    > need
    > > > "proof of retirement" or something like that?
    > > > A friend of mine had a retirement condo in Florida, going back and forth
    > there
    > > > on the visa waiver thingie, never overstaying his 3 months, but going to
    > the
    > > > States two or three times a year. No problem for a few years, then he was
    > told
    > > > at the airport that a person who owns a condo, has a phone registered, is
    > a
    > > > member of the local golf club etc. isn't a "tourist" in the eyes of INS,
    > and he
    > > > was sent back the same day, after being fingerprinted and all that, for
    > > > violation of the visa waiver agreement. banned from even applying for a
    > visa
    > > > for a year etc.
    > > > What is the legal situation for holiday home owners from, say, Western
    > Europe,
    > > > in Canada?
    > > >
    > > > Curious,
    > > > Regina
    > >
    > >



Canada appears to much more relaxed about the issue that the USA.
Drive around the shore of Lake Erie on the Canadian side and look at
the number of Michigan and NY plares parked in the driveways of year
round "cottages". Check the plates or tags in US parlance in the
Condos on Riverside drive in Windsor or the number of Americans living
year round on Boblo Island in the Detroit River.
I presume the same would hold true in Whitrock. That is thr eality of
the situation in Canada.

Reginas anecdote may be true but there is probably more to it than has
been revealed as AM suggests.


Jim Metcalfe

Re: Retirement in Canada
 

"Regina Winter" wrote in message
news:20021023051522.20721.00-
[email protected]...
    > Andrew Miller wrote:
    > >On the other hand the case of your wife's grandfather is a clean example
of a
    > >"Snow Bird" - a Canadian living normally most of the year in Canada and
only
    > >going south to Florida or Mexico for few winter months. And there is
    > >absolutely
    > >no problem for over a 100,000 Snow Birds going to Florida every winter...
    > So how would it be handled according to Canadian law if a retired person
from a
    > non-visa-country bought a house in Canada and spent, say, 5-6 months of
every
    > year there, going back home for the winter?
    > Regina


Immigration would consider you a "visitor" admitted to Canada for up to six
months just as most others visitors are. Customs would consider you a
"seasonal resident".

http://www.ccra-adrc-
.gc.ca/E/pub/cm/d2-2-3/d2-2-3-e.html

"seasonal resident" means a person who is not a resident of Canada and who
leases for not less than three years or who owns, for seasonal use, a
residence in Canada, other than a time-sharing residence or a mobile home.
(résident saisonnier)